A Man in a dress- how would you feel?

There's a difference between "Dress how you please - no skin off my nose" and "Dress how you please - I shan't ever think it ridiculous or pervy"

In theory, I think people should wear whatever they want to. There is no good reason why men can’t wear dresses or skirts and of course in some cultures they do, because it’s normal within that culture.

However, I would feel uneasy because I wouldn’t be able to shake off the suspicion that it was a fetish being played out in public.

Certain types of men (young, fashionable, arty, cool) do get away with it. I don’t bat an eyelid when Harry Styles wears dresses or sequinned jumpsuits for example. But he’s a musician, and musicians and artists are often more adventurous in their style choices than non-artists. If middle aged Ian at work starts turning up at the office in a sequinned jumpsuit, it would feel like a different thing altogether.

It would depend on who that person was. If it was a colleague, friend or stranger I wouldn't feel I had the right to 'object' to it. As I wouldn't take kindly to anyone like that trying to tell me how to dress. I may not think they look good, but why should they need to look good to me?

If it was my husband that could well be another matter entirely and might be a deal breaker. Or I might accept it. I really can't say without having experienced it.

I would honestly divorce my husband if he expressed a desire to wear a dress. I would end a friendship over this too.

Absolutely fine, as long as it fitted them.

Women in trousers are 'emulating men'? Don't think so.

"fairly new here". I bet 😂

Depends on the reason. A man wearing typical feminine clothes because he likes the look or is pushing gender boundaries is fine. A man who gets a sexual thrill imaging himself as a “woman” would give me the creeps.

I’ve come across a lot of men wearing women’s clothes in my city especially on a night out to concerts. They are usually with a female (wife/ friend), dressed the same for some reason and are both looking around for a reaction. I always feel a bit sorry for the woman as she’s clearly not twigged that she’s being used as a muse yet.

There is one man who has a short back and sides, doesn’t wear any makeup or jewellery and looks like a regular good looking hetero bloke aside from the short skirt and killer heels. He loves to use the female bathroom and walk in and out like he’s on a catwalk.

How do I feel? Well nothing I hope. They are looking for a reaction and I’m not going to give them one. I just totally ignore them and pretend I’ve not noticed. I’d do the same if I knew them I’d like to think.

If he's a guy wearing clothes and he doesn't care they are women's because clothes shouldn't be gendered, or a guy wearing clothes because they are women's to challenge the idea they should be women's, or a guy wearing anazing sequins and makeup looking better than a Vegas showground because why shouldn't men be fabulous, I'd think he was well cool.

My rough rule of thumb is "alter women's clothes for a male body == probably cool guy. Alter a male body to fill out women's clothes == probably guy with sexist / problenatic ideas about Gender"

I would guess that it was likely a fetish and would find it unpleasant. If it was my husband it would bd a deal-breaker for me.

‘New here’ eh? I refer you to “Dress however you please etc”

You’re welcome.

My response would be similar to yours. And the reason we wouldn’t bat an eye over a woman doing the same is patriarchy. It’s perfectly ok for a woman to emulate a man but it’s not ok for a man to emulate a woman unless he’s mocking women in some way. Dressing or acting in a more feminine way is considered demeaning or “less than” “acting like a man”.