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Original poster

Gendered clothing - grrr.

205 replies

RobinsAreTerritorialFuckers · 08/04/2016 13:15

Not a new subject, I know, but I've been suffering delayed irritation due to listening to a professional mansplainer on the subject (I was a at a party full of women. He seemed to imagine we would all gather round to hear his views, and it was Very Tedious). However, his basic point was that women have it so much better than men, as men's clothing is so very boring, whereas women can wear whatever they like and no one minds.

A youngish woman pointed out, quite politely, that women's clothing is generally more expensive and poorer quality, and obviously knew what she was talking about as she makes her own clothes. And she pointed out that this also applies to so-called 'gender neutral' clothing that women wear, such as jeans or shirts - so it isn't, in fact, gender neutral at all.

I've just thought about that again as a friend posted about seeing small girls dressed in skirts struggling to enjoy soft play.

Now, I know these things are choices. You can certainly dress girl children in 'boy' clothes. You can also be an adult woman who wears men's clothing, and I know plenty of women who do. There were several women in the room at this party who were patently doing so. But it got me wondering why this bloke just assumed that it was 'easy' for women to wear men's clothes, but totally unthinkable for him to do the same? I know that a man wearing a skirt will probably get funny looks - but actually, so will a woman in a suit and tie.

We seem to have accepted that it is shockingly transgressive for a man to wear anything belonging to the other gender, and I wonder if that actually belittles the amount of flack I think women and girls do still get for doing exactly the same?

OP posts:
BadDoGooder · 08/04/2016 13:55

I think all clothing should be socially acceptable on either gender.
I think men should have as much right to wear heels, make up and dresses, as women have to wear suits/trousers and as much or as little make up that they like.

Women had to fight to wear trousers etc. not that long ago in our history.

In my group of friends, men and women wear very similar clothes, have similar hair cuts, we are a quite androgynous group I think. Apart from the boobs, you might not be able to tell!
I like it like that, I like being able to wear what the hell I want, I think it's a shame men don't get the same freedom. When they do express an interest (I have seen it many times on here) they are automatically assumed to either a)be doing it for a fetish type sexual kick or b) trying to "ape" women. The exact same arguements that were used against women wanting to wear trousers.
Sure some men might fall into those catergories, but what if they just want to wear something different?
Maybe there would be less hand wringing about trans issues (and less sex cahnges?) if men were "allowed" to wear whatever the hell they wanted as well.

Mide7 · 08/04/2016 13:50

I agree with him to. I notice it in the office most.

GreenTomatoJam · 08/04/2016 13:49

I think it needs to be mentioned that it didn't just happen that women can wear more unisex/mens clothing (and I would say that if women don't wear the 'feminised' version of mens stuff - fitted t-shirts/jeans/shirts/hoodies, then people do consider them scruffy) - women forced society to let them.

Land girls in trousers etc. all scandalous at the time, but women kept pushing until it was normal.

Men are perfectly at liberty to do the same - like those train drivers who were told they couldn't wear shorts, so wore skirts instead - people would soon get used to it.

Original poster
RobinsAreTerritorialFuckers · 08/04/2016 13:43

But do women have a greater choice, really?

If where you live it is odd for women to wear men's suits and ties (not just a suit and tie - ones bought from the menswear department), then surely, that demonstrates that women are not exercising greater choice, doesn't it?

Though, I would appreciate a sneaky rec for your dinner suit - that sounds very stylish and I know someone who would love to be able to buy men's clothing, but tends to find it doesn't fit her. If that's you too, could you pass on where you got it?

OP posts:
LassWiTheDelicateAir · 08/04/2016 13:34

I agree with him. Women have a far greater choice.

I'm not sure where you live where women wearing masculine clothing is seen as odd. I haven't often seen women wearing a suit and tie , but it does happen.I have worn a black tailored dinner suit and bow tie as evening wear , with a shirt and cuff links. It looked exactly the same as my husband's dinner suit. I got lots of compliments on it.

I was on a site visit with 2 of my female assistants yesterday- both were in jeans, plain sweat shirts,desert boots and Barbour jackets. Why would they get flak for wearing exactly the same that a male assistant would have worn?

As for being more expensive, a half way decent business suit will cost considerably more than a halfway decent office dress or skirt. A plain black dress from Primark is fine - a cheap suit from Primark screams cheap suit.