While I suppose you could say that dressing is a hobby in itself, does anyone find that their hobbies are either feminine, or not so feminine? Or do you think that there is no such thing as a feminine or masculine hobby?
I enjoy Motorsports (both driving and swinging spanners) and video games, which are seen by the mainstream as "manly".
-Lucy
It's funny, I was going to do a thread on this, too...
I am into antiques, mainly silver. I guess that goes either way.
Great minds think alike it seemsOriginally Posted by victoria76
-Lucy
Indeed so!
I'm a big fan of football (soccer) which in the UK is traditionally a masculine pastime. I go to premiership games regularly. Interestingly, this is the only time when I completely switch off from thinking about dressing. I also like rugby which is about the most manly sport you can get.
However, I do have my more girly side. I love gardening and growing flowers in particular. I also love west end musicals. As I said on a recent thread, I cry at emotional movies.
That's an interesting question. I have a number of more or less masculine hobbies but dont know of any feminine hobbies other than shopping or sewing. I'll have to ask my wife about that.
Curiosity,
I remember a reply I gave to a member who called CDing a hobby ! At the time I was going through a bad patch and told them that hobbies do not cause the traumatic times I've had with my CDing, so I still don't call it a hobby but did post a thread apologising to members who do see it as a hobby !
As for feminine hobbies, I've had to teach myself to sew and use a machine ! I Love painting but that's something both sexes can enjoy !
Hey
Uhm... My main hobby is trying to find women's shoes for my size uk10 feet
Pretty limited choice out there!
Teresa,
If you don't think hobbies can ruin lives try building a racecar!
That being said I agree that for some people it's certainly more then a hobby. I suppose it depends on why you dress.
-Lucy
Is it a small wonder when our own community pigeon hole masculine and feminine traits, that cding is seen as weird? A hobby is a hobby, it is done because it is enjoyed by the individuals participating, not because it is the done thing by a male or female.
Listen carefully to what is said, quite often you can hear what is not being said
The joy of correcting a mistake can bring pain to another
Curiosity,
It nearly took me to considering suicide ! My dressing started as sexual and has remained that way ever since ! So you see my point about it being hard to accept it when people call it a hobby ! To some I now know it is possibly bordering obsession to have more shoes, clothes and all, but my dressing is not about that !
Hi Curiosity,
A sound question but I believe what you really meant was do you have hobbies which society see as more feminine vice masculine. As Nigella pointed out hobbies are hobbies. My daughter played rugby for years (which some would consider more manly than say competitive dancing) but she also loves to cook but then again so do I. I don't think the hobby per se is feminine or masculine it is just a hobby being enjoyed by one gender or the other. Not hacking on your thread so please don't take it that way, just clarifying my response.
Hugs
Isha
Lucy - I think we encounter gender stereotypes a lot in our discussions here, and this is probably one of those times..
Some pastimes will have stereotypical gender participation either because of physical traits (some sports, but fewer nowadays) or societal conformity (baking cakes used to be the province of the homemaker, but I love my baking..
Is this a hobby?A few may consider it so - possibly more not on this forum may see it as a fetish hobby or sexual cosplay, but I don't believe that's true for most of us. I think a deeper drive takes it beyond a hobby categorisation, and the need for some of us to pursue our presentation in public, with all the potential for ridicule and stigma associated with that, says to me that this deeper drive is what makes many of us transgender, just to differing degrees.. else why would we feel such a need to portray an image that society so strongly tells us belongs to the opposite gender..?
I like motorsports, NFL, action flicks and carpentry. I also like cake-baking, art, dance, music and literature. I abhor violence and love animals. I don't think any of those are incompatible with either my male or female aspects.)
We can be a wildly varied and eclectic community at best...
Katey x
"Put some lipstick on - Perfume your neck and slip your high heels on
Rinse and curl your hair - Loosen your hips, and get a dress to wear" Stefani Germanotta
Lucy,
I enjoy collecting classical and romantic-type music (CDs and DVDs) and listening to oldies from the 60s and 70s. The classical and romantic music is probably more frequently associated with GGs then guys, as evidenced by the number of women who attend the concerts (DVDs). I enjoy this music as it often touches my heart and triggers my emotions, i.e. brings me to tears. I believe there is healing power in the music so I bask in it weekly. (So maybe this actually isn't a hobby but a therapeutic treatment).
The responses of others caused me to think that maybe there are other typical feminine interest to explore.
D Michele
Michele
My "feminine" hobbies: ballet, musical theater, makeup
My "masculine" hobbies: microbrew appreciation, watching football (although I'm kind of getting sick of the NFL), science fiction, horror, computer programming
Jamie
A hobby is kind of a personal past time no matter what it is.
Second star to the right and straight on till morning
I need to find a more feminine Hobby as well. I like working on my import car. That tickles my fancy, going fast and loud, like fast and furious.
2003 Nissan Maxima
3.5 liter v6 turbo. 400 bhp 1/4 10.67 seconds. (Last run)
Since we are talking about this and my mind is on it how bad would it mess everyone up at the drag stop if justice pulled up in the maxx. Lol
Sewing and collecting vintage clothing
Lol I was gonna say the same thing Curiosity. I used to race dirt late models myself. We had over $100K in cars and equipment, plus the cost of the rig to haul it all, toss in racing Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, in the shop every week night. It is hard on a family. Not to mentioned some of the very nasty crashes my family watched me go through.
But like Teresa said CDing is different levels for different people. I don't consider it a hobby but sometimes it feels like it because of the money I spend on it
Now to get back to the OP. I have both "men and women" hobbies. I like NFL, love the NHL, like racing, hunting, video games. But I also enjoy collecting anything with fairies ( even have a tattoo of one one my back), I like too sew and love to cook.
But my wife is the same.When we met she owned a Sprint Car lol. She loves college football and hockey, plus her scrap-booking and crafts.
Backdrop: In my life I have had a lot of hobbies, many of which I like to classify them as "short term, extreme interest." I will find something that either looks neat or appeals to me, then focus intently on that for a few months or a few years. Then, I lose interest and am on to the next thing. That behavior used to bother me. However, as with CD-ing, I've accepted that's how I am. For the past decade I've made it a point to try 2 new things every year.
I shared the above because being OK with dressing has opened doors to trying things I never would have ventured into before. For the purpose of this thread I'll put those in the feminine hobby bucket. With that in mind, I have been working on nail art as a hobby. I love art (painting, drawing, etc.) and I see fingernails as ten tiny canvases with loads of creative potential. I do my wife's nails as well as my daughters, and have recently started doing other GG's my wife refers to me (note: my wife picks who gets my artistic attention in this space.) During the recent football playoffs I have done so many team themes for the ladies I had to ask my wife to slow down on referrals. Starting to get a lot of "would you please, please . . ." requests for the upcoming Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day.
Again, as hobbies go, nail art would be my girliest thing.
On the feminine side I am the designated cook in the family, have a 5th degree black belt in shopping and have a love of girlie shows like Vanderpump rules and What not to wear.
On the masculine side I'm a competitive shooter and love college sports especially football and baseball
Jillian, too funny! My wife loves watching those shows, she thought it tortured me so I had to tell her that I loved them too so she'd quit looking for other shows we could both enjoy.
On the masculine side I love fishing.
So, one of my buddies at work, just the other day, said, "So, C_____y. What do you do when you're not at work?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know. Do you hunt, fish, ride a quad in the desert? Do you have any hobbies or read any good books?"
As my mind's eye flipped through all the outfits that Carla wears I replied, "Hmm? You know, I really don't have any hobbies. I take care of the yard and house. And the wife and I just enjoy our time together with the animals and going out to dinner and, well, just being with each other."
Somehow, practically everything other than playing dress up just seems so boring.
I've waited so long for this time. Makeup is so frustrating. Shaking hands and I look so old. This was a mistake.
My new maid's outfit is cute. Sure fits tight.
And then I step into the bedroom and in the mirror, I see a beautiful woman looking back at me.
Smile, Honey! You look fabulous!
When I was young, cooking, sewing, cross stitch, ballet. Now, cooking, sewing, helping my wife with quilting, embroidery, square dancing (both M&F).
I agree with Nigella, Isha and Katey, a hobby is a hobby, feminine or masculine shouldn't enter into it (unfortunately it often does in the minds of many people). GGs get flack when they engage in male-dominated hobbies. GMs (genetic males) get flack when they engage in female-dominated hobbies. But there are plenty of exceptions (even among people who take it beyond a hobby and do it professionally - cooking is a great example). People should just do what they enjoy. Several of my hobbies are in male-dominated arenas, but some of my other hobbies/interests are often perceived as feminine. One example, like Katey I like to bake (cookies and brownies more than cakes) and do a pretty good job. Someone I knew once asked me if I was gay (he was okay if I was) and one of the things he cited was my baking.
I have done a bit of sewing, and want to learn to knit. Are those feminine hobbies? I don't really care.
We as a society (and this forum as a subset of that society) put too much emphasis on the gender binary, in my opinion. It's all a "battle of the sexes", toys, hobbies, jobs, careers, emotions, clothing, movies and other media, etc., etc. ad nauseum. It will be much better for everyone when we get past that and let people be themselves, without trying to pitch everything into boy bins and girl bins. That's when there will be true equality, I think.
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