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Society has to find a way to allow masculine dresses

Discussion in 'Gender Identity and Expression' started by Snidi, Jan 9, 2017.

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  1. Snidi

    Snidi
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    I'm tired of it not being socially accepted for men to wear dresses. If you Google "ancient male clothing": most of what pops up are men in dresses. There was a time: where men were allowed to wear what we would now considered to be dresses. And I can guarantee most of these men didn't wish to be women.

    So what's wrong with society today? Why can't men wear "dresses"? We simply have to market them differently. Market them as togas. Advertising magazines with burly dudes with big beards wearing togas. Then, it could be societally accepted for a man to wear a "dress".

    After all, there was a time where women were FORBIDDEN to wear pants. It was shunned. Now, there are women's jeans everywhere. If we told all the women today that they are not allowed to wear jeans anymore, there would be an uproar. So what's different about men in dresses? How can we start a movement?
     
    #1 Snidi, Jan 9, 2017
  2. oh my god I

    oh my god I
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    Hell yes! My suggestion is to be the change. I do sewing as a hobby and eventually I would love to try to make dresses cut and fit for a male silhouette! That would be so cool!

    Tbh probably it just hasn't caught on because MOST men didn't want to wear dresses anyway. But if you be you and do it fabulously it could slowly change :slight_smile:
     
    #2 oh my god I, Jan 9, 2017
  3. Snidi

    Snidi
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    But it should be noted that there was a time that men DID wear dresses, without even trying to emulate women!!

    Societal clothing norms changed for some odd reasons. But it should be noted, all of these burly men, probably far more burly than the average man today: rocked a dress in combat.

    We've got to bring on the man-dress!

    Of course, I'd enjoy for gender roles to negate entirely, and for women and men to act/wear whatever they want to. But I feel like that's almost a separate discussion. :slight_smile:
     
    #3 Snidi, Jan 9, 2017
  4. Cailan

    Cailan
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    My way to keep my female happy while my male side gets to be happy is to wear a kilt. So far it works great for me.

    ---------- Post added 9th Jan 2017 at 06:17 PM ----------

    Pants didn't come to be until the last few hundred years. Before that men wore hose and long tunics (not quite shirt, not quite dress). Roman warriors wore a multi-piece "skirt" and top. Not a one-piece garment.
     
    #4 Cailan, Jan 9, 2017
  5. BedlamBill

    BedlamBill
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    I've started wearing skirts in public outside work. I don't feel I could realistically change my gender expression to be androgynous so tend to gender bend and underdress. I think my 12 year old would struggle being out with Dad in a skirt, so keep it to times I'm either with a transgender mate, or when its just me and my wife. Sod what anyone else thinks. What do you want to wear? Until people do it you won't change opinions.
     
    #5 BedlamBill, Jan 18, 2017
  6. Creativemind

    Creativemind
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    Yup, I agree. Dresses were the norm back in the old days. I really hate that we have to assign gender to clothing. It's just clothes. We could make a way to advertise masculine dresses in darker coloring.
     
    #6 Creativemind, Jan 18, 2017
  7. BrookeVL

    BrookeVL
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    It wouldn't effect me, because I still want desperately to be PSYCHICALLY female. But it might help me deal if I could at least dress in a way that I want to. So I'm all for skirts and dresses for men!

    Honestly it makes a lot more sense from a physiological standpoint. Which sex has the dangling down there, why not a breathable skirt or dress instead of shoving it all into a pair of pants?
     
    #7 BrookeVL, Jan 18, 2017
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2017
  8. clockworkfox

    clockworkfox
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    Honestly, if I was passing, I would probably bring dresses back into my wardrobe...I've always enjoyed androgynous and avant-garde, ambiguous looks.

    In fact, when I am passing, I think I'll do just that, because men are too reserved and they're painfully boring in their gender expression.
     
    #8 clockworkfox, Jan 18, 2017
  9. Kodo

    Kodo
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    Makes sense. And I could definitely see the market for "togas."

    Though personally I was never a dress person because of its close association with femininity, I could see the cool aspects of bringing that into a societal norm for guys.

    Basically Scotland is the closest we've gotten in modern day.
     
    #9 Kodo, Jan 18, 2017
  10. bunnydee

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    #10 bunnydee, Jan 18, 2017
  11. Mihael

    Mihael
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    Yes! Yes! Yes! Skirts are really cool and it's a shame guys don't get to wear them.
     
    #11 Mihael, Jan 18, 2017
  12. Rickystarr

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    I love this. I think this may become mainstream before long. (In response to bunnydee's links)

    I think there are plenty of dudes who would do this if it was okay to do so. Probably comfy.
     
    #12 Rickystarr, Jan 19, 2017
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2017
  13. BedlamBill

    BedlamBill
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    This is fantastic thread and the best advice here is to be the change. However, if skirts are normalised for men, then they stop being so feminine, designers will make masculine skirts, so you either maintain a line between masculine and feminine designs, or it stops being feminine, so you need to move further across to the feminine characteristics in order to be feminine. I suppose that in changing the social acceptability it will never be enough.

    I so prefer skirts, I've started hating to wear trousers.
     
    #13 BedlamBill, Feb 1, 2017
  14. UmaMae

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    Just do it :slight_smile:
    I think the mindset behind the question here is wrong... nothing will change society if not people who are doing things differently. Nobody who wanted something to be changed sat there and was waiting for permission. This permission will never come.

    So just do it :wink:

    Also check out goth subculture... skirts for men, short and long are more common there. just as an inspiration

    ---------- Post added 1st Feb 2017 at 10:49 PM ----------

    oh yeah, exactly what BedlamBill said: "be the change"
     
    #14 UmaMae, Feb 1, 2017
  15. BedlamBill

    BedlamBill
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    #15 BedlamBill, Feb 2, 2017
  16. clockworkfox

    clockworkfox
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    It is sad. It's like this self-perpetuated, fear-based form of self-censoring.

    I really hope that more guys are having these conversations, and giving each other the encouragement to do what they want, not just what society says they should do. Maybe if they realize that there are a lot of other guys out there feeling restricted, they'll be less afraid to just be themselves.
     
    #16 clockworkfox, Feb 4, 2017
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