Right!...

...and that, of course, explains all those women and girls who I constantly see browsing in the men's section in department stores checking out (and buying) mens' socks, boots, sneakers, high-tops, flannel shirts, jeans, and assorted work wear, as well as jackets, T-shirts, and now even man-style watches with large faces and wide wristbands. To be sure...and perish the thought that they might be buying these items for themselves!..they are only buying them for their husbands, sons, and boyfriends etc. who are clearly too stupid, disinterested, or inept to buy such things for themselves. As if!...

Of course, the standard excuse here is that men's clothing is just sooo much more comfortable than women's wear...and presumably even more so than the "feminized" versions of those same articles. Uh huh!

I hate neckties; I find them too constricting, yet some women wear them in a similar way to make a fashion statement. A lot of women also hate their bras and can't wait to take them off after work. I can't wait to put one of mine on because it makes me feel complete, and that outweighs any associated discomfort in wearing one. It's all about feeling good about oneself. A false equivalency? Some might say so, but it's all a matter of perspective in the end, isn't it?

Sorry, I don't buy into the argument that women only wear items of men's clothing or their equivalent because those things happen to be more comfortable for them (especially if tailored to suit their body types more closely), as that is too facile and self-serving. Someone really needs to explain to me why the term "menswear" even exists as a concept in the first place when it comes to women's clothing if utilitarianism is its sole purpose here. Why do women - when they feel the urge to be "trendy" or "edgy" - often immediately gravitate towards menswear to make their particular fashion statements? Do they really need to wear men's neckties, dress shirts, wingtips, brogues, and hats etc. (the proverbial "Annie Hall" look popularized by Diane Keaton years ago) to thumb their noses at the "patriarchy" and signal their liberation when they have so many other options to chose from amongst the wardrobe choices that society has deemed acceptable for them to wear?

"Borrowed from the boys" seems to be an established hook amongst the fashion industry to get women and girls interested in new clothing lines each season. Why is that, and what makes that "cachet" so appealing to some women?

I'll tell you why...it's because some women and girls get the same kind of kick out of pushing the boundaries of what society considers to be "acceptable" clothing for their gender as we do when we put on our frillies, but there is a whole lot less stigma attached to that activity in their cases. On the contrary, society often "high-fives" them for doing so, and sees them as courageous foot soldiers in the battle for gender equality when they want to compete with men on their own turf this way.

And while we're at it, what's up with that scam known as "unisex" clothing? That's just code to indicate that women and girls continue to be encouraged to wear whatever they please, and more particularly, male-inspired clothing. When was the last time anyone saw a "unisex" skirt or dress (or even an androgynous version of one, if something like that even exists?) targeted at men or boys?

The truth of the matter is: we crossdressers could exercise the same prerogative to openly wear what pleases us the way the womenfolk do - even if it knowingly (and deliberately) involves flaunting society's "rules" as to what constitutes gender-appropriate clothing - if that's what floats our boats. Trouble is, most of us lack the cojones to do so.

I'll be the first to admit that seeing a MIAD out in the wild would be a jarring visual for me, but that is also the result of how I have been socialized. At the same time, I realize how fundamentally illogical that is, and I applaud the courage of all those here who are willing to put themselves out there in this manner and take one for the team, as it were.
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