Envious of the young

[JocelynJames]

I was at the mall last night in JCP as my wife was getting and eye exam . I wandered here and there looking at both male and female clothing. I came around the corner and there are 4 teens ( 2 male ,2 female) the girls were giggling and the guys seemed neutral, until they saw me. The girls had taken prom dresses on the hanger , all satin adorned with sequins and lace ) and placed one on each guy and were taking pictures. They made no hurried moves to hide or remove the dresses. If I had a gf like that in my teen years, who knows where I?d be in my cd journey today instead of hiding it until my 40s. Oh well. I am who I am now as a result of all things from my past.

[Stephanie47]

I attended an all-boy citywide high school back in the 1960's, so there was no prom night or any other social occasion. When prom night rolled around where I live now, it seemed the local mall was the place for all the couples to be seen. I love seeing all the young women dressed in prom dresses. Sometimes it is comical because some of those young ladies were not very adept walking in high heels. I do remember once going with a mixed group to a Greek social hall where two of the girls dangled clip-on earning onto my brother and they thought it was a hoot. I think there is a difference between young girls acting silly and giddy and actually encouraging their men to be cross-dressers. I do gravitate on Youtube to some of the sites with womanless beauty contests and "switch" school dances. I think they are fun.

[Raychel]

That sounds like fun, I am with you there.
If I had a girl like that at a young age. WHo knows where I would be now.

[BrendaPDX]

In different times things would have been different for me, or at least I hope.

[danniUK]

Times have indeed changed, and for the better.

When I was a teen, being anything other than straight would make you a freak, and the only men wearing women's clothes were comedy acts on TV.

Now nobody bats an eyelid if a teen guy's mixed and matched with the girl's section, or dabbled with some eye makeup - not crossdressing as such but just ignoring the gender lines for clothes.

Would never have happened when I was a kid, lovely to see how things have progressed since.

[Crissy 107]

Those were two lucky young guys or at least most here would think so. I do also wonder where I would be if only I had a gf like that.

[Claire Dee]

Such a better time to grow up in today. Still has a way to go but there is so much more acceptance and safe places for the young than I could have ever imagined.

[docrobbysherry]

I went thru a pink fog "prom dress" thing about 13 years ago. I must have at least a dozen classic prom dresses?

Never mind being a teenager, I assumed all dressers go thru a prom dress stage!?

I mean I'm 80+! See my avatar.

So, what's stopping u?

[alwayshave]

Jocelyn, I definitely am jealous of those guys. My teenage fantasy for my girlfriend to dress me up.

[kimdl93]

Kids definitely have a much more relaxed attitude about gender expression. You are right. I sometimes wonder what direction my life might have taken in a more tolerant environment. As it was, I lived with a nagging fear that if I gave in to the temptation, I might be drawn into a whole different life. Of course, that was a combination of black and white thinking combined with the old slippery slope fallacy.

[Stacy Darling]

Envious of the young Jocelyne, I see It from the other side, my wife is 25yrs older and doesn't mind dress up.

[Jessica Secret]

In my case I'm not specifically envious of young people but in that same vain I was insanely jealous of girls when I was in high school, especially the ones who dressed sexy. Having the freedom to look sexy and attract guys made me want that same feeling badly. I was exponentially jealous when we would have a pajama day at school and several girls wore lingerie. I wished so badly I could have been them and worn things like that at school and look sexy to guys at the same time.

[Debbie Denier]

Not envious of the young Joss. The clothes from the 70s and 80s was much more feminine.

[Krea]

As far as LGBT matters are concerned, today's youth have a far better deal than those before them.
It's just such a shame that youth is wasted on the young....

[Glenda2]

For some reason I was looking up James Cagney on Wikipedia. He appeared in old films usually as the tough guy. Looks like he wasn?t afraid of the feminine side either?? The following from Wikipedia?..

Glenda

In 1919, while Cagney was working at Wanamaker's Department Store, a colleague saw him dance and informed him about a role in the upcoming production, Every Sailor. It was a wartime play in which the chorus was made up of servicemen dressed as women that was originally titled Ever Sailor. Cagney auditioned for the chorus, although considering it a waste of time, as he knew only one dance step, the complicated Peabody, but he knew it perfectly. 26] This was enough to convince the producers that he could dance, and he copied the other dancers' moves and added them to his repertoire while waiting to go on. 27] He did not find it odd to play a woman, nor was he embarrassed. He later recalled how he was able to shed his own
naturally shy persona when he stepped onto the stage:
"For there I am not myself. I am not that fellow, Jim Cagney, at all. I certainly lost all consciousness of him when I put on skirts, wig, paint, powder, feathers and spangles."