Crossdressing for everyone .

[Teresa]

I was checking out the latest copy of the Cotton Traders catalogue when I stopped to read the CEO's ( Nick Hamblin ) greeting statement , I've included a picture of it but I had to smile at his second paragraph that reads , " Wherever the next half of the year takes us , we know we'll get through it together .
We will continue to look for rainbows , we will stay at home in our comfiest clothes if
needs be and we will enjoy every opportunity to put our waterproofs and boots on for
an early autumn walk , to make the everyday special in a FAVOURITE DRESS OR SKIRT
and to layer up for an afternoon in the garden , etc, etc .."

My thoughts are was this a slip in up his proof reading or was it intentional , how many CDers /TG customers do they have ? I for one have submitted a review about the blouse in my picture in front of Belvoir Castle .

I wonder when we'll see catolgues intended for Men , women and crossdressers.

[Carole]

Looks like it may already have happened Teresa; second item down in List of Contents is a 'HIS 'N' HERS' section...............

[GretchenM]

I would not be surprised at all to see female-like clothing made for the male body in the not too distant future. The manufacturers need to test the market and see if there is enough of a market to produce such styles and what in the female clothing types males would readily wear. Has to start somewhere.

[Michaela Jane]

My late wife and I often picked up items from the His 'n' Hers part of the catalogue. It's been a while though having retired and emigrated.

[Amanda22]

I would not be surprised at all to see female-like clothing made for the male body in the not too distant future. The manufacturers need to test the market and see if there is enough of a market to produce such styles and what in the female clothing types males would readily wear. Has to start somewhere.

Gretchen, I wish we’d see female-like clothing for men. I truly hope you’re right! I’d gladly test drive these items for manufacturers if this ever comes about. Over the years the fabrics available to men have widened to include softer, more colorful choices. This alone has made me very happy. For example, I have a burgundy silk shirt that drapes “a little too much” to be a typical male’s shirt. When I saw it I had to have it. I am able to wear it with confidence and get no odd looks (that I’m aware of).

[Teresa]

GtretchenM/Amanda ,
It might be worth checking out their website as their " His n' Hers " section is very unisex , some of the male items are in very " Girly " colours . Question is would I buy them ? I'm not sure if I like the twin look or not .

Interesting point about the name " Cotton Traders " , I thought they used it as most of their items were originally cotton products , the true history is the company was set up by two ex England rugby players , the name of one was Fran Cotton , that really does a put a twist on the crossdressing angle . I've heard some of their parties are a bit wild , some like to wear stockings and suspenders , now that really would be a sight to behold , the whole team turning out for a game dressed that way !!

[Stephanie47]

Would female like clothing really appeal to a cross dressing man if it is marketed to men? Sort of unisex. I have absolutely no desire to hit the racks for women's jeans since to me they are nothing more than men's attire co-opted by clothing designers for females. Will toga's for men to combat heat and humidity take off? "Gladiator" or "Viking" look for the modern man? A long time ago my wife thought buying silky male underwear would be a compromise for my like for the feel of the fabric. It did not work as it was not made for women. I really do not see a garden party with men attired in shift floral 'dresses' for men.

[Brianne_M]

I wish skirts were more accepted. I love wearing mine. Skorts are more practical for me, but either way i feel more "free" wearing a skirt. Nice to see some places being more open like that.

[Teresa]

Stephanie,
Maybe turn that comment round and consider more men are wearing unisex clothes in more feminine colours and styles .

I have no real desire to buy those items but then being out full time means I have to be practical , I needed some work overalls , Dickies now make a range for women piped in red the odd thing is they still fasten on the male side , I also have a pair of women's work trousers and a pair of work boots , after a dirty job you can't tell the difference .

I also said I would never wear jeans , I now have several pairs in different styles and colours , GGs just don't wear skirts or dresses when it's cold and wet , the trick is knowing how to keep the look female , so I have a nice range of warm jackets , scarves , gloves and boots .

[AngelaYVR]

GGs do not wear skirts in the cold and wet now but they used to. Not that it gets terribly cold where I am but it does get very wet and I love a herringbone skirt and warm tights in the winter. So yes your catalogue is correct!

[BobbiKay]

Walking through Kohl's recently I've noticed a lot of pink shirts in the Men's section.

Teresa, I own a dozen or more pairs of women's jeans. Only one of them has the fly constructed the other way 'round from men's jeans. (Disclaimer: all of mine came from thrift stores, and I don't consider for purchase the ones that have unusable pockets. So maybe my sample is skewed by that filter. Brands with pretend pockets might have the girly fly, but I haven't noticed.)

[Robertacd]

Never heard of Cotton Traders, but a quick Google found "Cotton Traders: Shop Women's & Men's Casual Clothing", so I think is was intentional as they do sell Women's clothing. You are reading too much into it again.

GGs do not wear skirts in the cold and wet now but they used to.

A cute little skirt, with leggings, and boots is the fall and winter uniform around here.

And if you have never seen pink shirt in the men's department until recently, you haven't been paying attention. Even men's formal shirts have come in a rainbow of colors including pink forever.

[Teresa]

Roberta,
My point was in his greeting message he didn't mention gender and only talked about wearing skirts and dresses , I would guess like most retailers the lion share of their income is from the women's section so he overlooked to promote male clothing , so in that case it was accidental and not intentional .

OK I admit back in the late sixties and early seventies I had pink shirts , pink sweaters also shoulder length hair

[docrobbysherry]

Thanks, Roberta! So, it's NOT just me.

The catalog is for men's AND women's clothing. I don't see any "typo" in the wording, Teresa.

Unless u consider the miss spelling of, "favourite", a typo?

[Jenny22]

Men wearing pink... ever watch a golf tourney? Pink abounds as well as other vivid colors not usually worn by men.

[Teresa]

Sherry,
So in male mode you make the day special by slipping on a skirt or dress , just like most other men do ?

[Leslie Langford]

I always get a chuckle when I see gender-specific articles of clothing advertised (or see similarly-phrased signage in stores) indicating "womens bras", "womens lingerie", "women's dresses", and "women's hosiery" etc. Is this redundancy really necessary, or is there a subliminal message attached here to the effect that there are (or should be) male equivalents, thus the need to emphasize an "unsaid" distinction between the two? I like to think so .

Then again, as Eddie Izzard once famously said of his crossdressing "Those are not "women's clothes". They are my clothes..."

[EmilySmith]

Leslie, I have the same thought frequently: Women's Bras, where do I find the Men's Bras?

[giuseppina]

Unless u consider the miss spelling of, "favourite", a typo?

That's the British/Canadian spelling. It's not a typo.

[Teresa]

Leslie,
I often think that when entering shops , it's fairly obvious which department you're standing in . It happens all the time on the internet , possibly a carry-over from the old department stores .

I often think of Eddie Izzard's comment when I open my wardrobe doors , it's lovely to be able to say that now without the associated DADT or drama .

[Vickie_CDTV]

There have been some specialty companies that have made women's clothing made to fit men. But nothing mainstream.

I am probably showing my age here... but men's fashion in the 1970s was FAR more unisex and colorful than it is today. They even made men's shirts made of nylon and satin which were somewhat popular in the disco era. Colorful prints, platform shoes, jewelry, lots more options back then. Men's and women's fashion is more boring and bland in the 2000s than it used to be.

[char GG]

Vicki CDTV, thank you for mentioning that clothes in the 70's were more colorful, etc. I have often wondered how clothes (both men's and women's) ended less "fun" in the 2000's. My husband had a closet full of beautiful, colorful, silky shirts back in the 70's!

[MonicaPVD]

This post reminds me of the stories about people who see Jesus or Mary in a piece of toast or a stain on the wall. You see what your heart wants to see.

[GretchenM]

I have no idea why women's shirts and blouses still button on the reverse side from men's (or you can turn that around if you wish). The original reason why they buttoned that way was because in the distant past women who were a little better off were dressed by other women and so the buttons operate in a "normal" way for the dresser. And there were A LOT of buttons. Nowadays not many people are dressed by others, yet the reversal remains.

It really doesn't make sense. It seems to me to be another one of those goofy outgrowths of the gender binary concept which demands that men and women be distinguishable in absolute terms and crossing over is some kind of cardinal sin that deserves you being burned at the stake. (OK, that is a bit extreme, but you get the idea.) It is like we absolutely have to keep the genders clearly distinguishable when, in fact, for the last 50 years our knowledge of males and females have continually trended toward finding they are more alike than they are different. It is such an easy path to gender equality to simply abandon the goofy old ideas and simply accept that a woman is a man's equal. But no, we dwell on the differences and ignore the vast array of aspects that are the same. To fight for gender equality in the binary gender environment is like tearing down Hoover Dam chipping at it with a pocket knife. You can do it, but why? So, I say, just change the damn buttons to be the same. Are buttons really that important to establishing gender identity and separation? I think not. Go with Unisex clothes at the least.

[Teresa]

GretchenM,
I wonder if this aspect dates back to the presentation of royalty , dignitaries etc ., when viewed by the public they looked symetrical . Going back to my photography days I often had to pin on buttonhole flowers on the male party and the corsage on the ladies , very early on I was picked up by a wedding dress designer for placing the corsage on the left as I did the men , when it should be on the right . A man always stands on the left of the lady ( bride ) so he can still draw his sword with his right hand from his left side to protect her . I did wonder about the dangers if there were any left handed swordsmen , maybe the women were left handed if they also wore a sword !!

As for the differences between the genders and what they wear , I personally hope we never have equality , in male mode a guy can look very good in a dinner suite accompanied by a stunningly dressed lady , that's what makes them look and feel special , going from from one to the other has been a wonderful experience , why spoil it ?