What You See is Often What You Don’t Get

The social stigma for male crossdressers has not changed much over the last century, yet women who wear traditionally male clothing do not experience the same reaction. Women pretty much have the ability to wear whatever they want in public settings without notice. The list of the world’s best-dressed men indeed aren’t wearing dresses or high-heeled shoes, but the actress, Diane Keaton, is often hailed as one of the most stylish women through her choice of men’s trousers, suit coats, and ties.

Why is it okay for women to wear a wide range of clothing in public, from racy dresses to conservative business suits? I once saw a young woman at a high school prom dinner wearing a traditional man’s tuxedo complete with cummerbund and bow tie and thought she was absolutely stunning. (Maybe the substitute for pants with a tight black mini-skirt made the difference.) However, if a man wears anything but conventional male attire, it is seen as flashy, and he is often presumed to be homosexual.

The growing uproar over transgender issues and the attempt to legislate morality has made wearing colorful or anything hinting at femininity even more noticeable by the general public, particularly politicians. Of course, some communities are more accepting and used to seeing men wearing flamboyant feminine clothing and think nothing of it, such as Miami, Palm Springs, and Key West.

Clothing and fashion, in general, often play a significant role in our social standing and can say a lot about our perceived economic position. We’ve all heard the saying, “Dress for success,” but there are still unspoken boundaries or rules for what is acceptable and unacceptable based on our assigned gender, but these standards seem to apply more to men than women.

My husband has never dressed in public, but I am sure he wishes he had the guts to do it. There were times early on in our relationship when he would drive around in lingerie and high heels, and he once got out of the car in a dark parking lot and asked me to take a picture of him. When we are out and about and see a crossdresser or transgender woman, he pretends not to notice, but I know he does, and I wonder what he’s thinking. Does he wish it could be him?

Tags: crossdressing, featured, opinion

Category: crossdressing