Does anyone feel less inclined these days to wear makeup and skirts or dresses due to the focus on femininity as what defines woman?

[Quietlyhere]

This is something I've noticed in myself. Never wore a lot of makeup but now, in an age of celebrating drag queens everywhere and defining women as those who are feminine, I am much more likely to be found in comfy trousers and t-shirts/jumpers, and no makeup. Still very much a woman.

Of course I'm not saying women should change, everyone should wear what they like as long as certain body parts are sufficiently covered up. Just an observation of my own choices shifting in this climate.

I judge myself yes but I do not care if others do. The fact you think I look the way I do for anything other than myself is funny though.

I don't know what it's like these days, but when I used to go to lesbian bars in London the 90s make up was a definite no, and I often used to be the only woman there in a skirt. Strange that none of us lesbians wore make up to please ourselves then.... Even though women often say they aren't affected by social pressures, you can see the difference between different groups and times. I remember being incredulous in the 90s that some women in a sub-genre of porn got rid of all their pubic hair, but look where we are now.

Men with wigs and inapropriately amoung of make up is not feminine , it is the total of all times mockery of ALL THAT IS FEMININE . They are just mocking a true woman because a true natural woman has all her bits from nature they don't have. So what they are left with is to imitate prostitution looking individuals

@Quietlyhere where is the dress on the left from? It’s lovely

Interesting mix of thoughts on this. I have not consciously decided to dress differently, but I am wondering whether the redefining of what a woman is has subconsciously affected my choices to some extent, alongside the pandemic influence on clothing styles as several of you have mentioned. I also still wear dresses etc. sometimes.

I’m totally rocking this look too. Often with added dinner down my jumper.

I find the added food stains makes it easier to remember what I had for lunch that day!

No. Never! I like ultra feminine fashion and almost exclusively wear dresses and skirts, and am influenced a lot by fashion from bygone eras, 50s, 40s, even things like 16th century historical fashion. I wouldn't let this movement influence me at all. It is not femininity these men exude, but a pseudo caricature of femininity and it's obvious to everybody.

It's so nice to be of an age where all women have short hair and wear what they like - usually trousers and simple tops, very occasionally skirts or dresses (nice to have the choice in hot weather). I'll wear a bit of foundation and a hint as to where my eyes are sometimes if I'm going to be out and about.

And I'll let myself go anywhere I want to go, why would I restrict myself?

I'm very keen on dresses and makeup. But I'm also one of the most GC people I know if not the most.

I live in jeans and vest tops.

I also don't give a crap if I'm.mistaken for a bloke. Literally nothing happens.

I dont understand why its something to get so male aggressive and angry about. If being misgendered is the worst thing ever then you my friend have an extremely privileged life the rest of us have to much on to worry about a stranger mistaking us fir something else.

The feeling of a skirt swishing around my bare legs is one of my favourite things. I'm not giving up on that because some blokes think putting a skirt/dress on makes them somehow a woman.

I hardly ever wear make-up and have not since trying it in my teens and finding it felt icky. Don't like it. Occasionally (e.g. son's wedding) wear touch of lipstick, eye-shadow and blusher (but I tend to think of it as rouge). I started wearing trousers at university but found them uncomfortable after childbirth (episiotomy scar and growing stress incontinence). I still wear trousers occasionally and to climb ladders, garden, go bell ringing etc., but prefer dresses and skirts, preferably of the romantic type - I wore versions of the dress on the left when I was younger (still have one, alas, too small!) and now like belted tops over flowing skirts, a faintly medieval look. I have never seen a man in a dress look like a woman. One in our social club last night I thought really sad - and every time I see him I think the same. Transwomen dress like a man's fantasy of a porn star afaics, though I have met a vet who wore trousers (and false breasts which were squashy/crunchy when he hugged me on greeting - which I found a bit strange). Dress how you like. Personality has nowt to do with sex. As a girl I liked sci-fi, meccano, climbing trees, adventure stories/Italian medieval politics/stories of battles, so would I be trans now? Think not! Such stereotyping needs removing and I thought we had removed it.

I agree - they are more like caricatures of women.

No, I wear what I want according to the weather and occasion. I'm short, pear shaped, long hair so wouldn't look remotely like a drag Queen whatever I wore, but I've never gone for heavy makeup or those types of clothes anyway.

How is it 'letting yourself go' if you were never there to begin with?! I've always been a no make up, jeans and hoody wearer. So technically I've always been a bloke.

I haven’t given up on make up etc but I’ve noticed that I’m bringing more masculine dressing in, especially for work wear. I think I do want to challenge’gender’ norms.
I like dressing according to my mood and I’m also wanting to show that I, and lots of females, don’t dress according to standards of femininity or masculinity but rather how we are feeling that day.

No! I always wear skirts ( preference just below the knee) - and whatever else I like, think suits me and that I find comfortable. Once my feet have been liberated in early May, they do not go back into shoes, socks or tights until October. Fit flops all the way.I'm not big on make-up; Just a bit of mascara, and if i go to an event or function - some eye-liner too.

I am very similar to you! I don't really suit trousers.

I don’t think it is due to gender ideology, I think it’s lockdown and getting older - at least in my case.

In lockdown I ditched wearing a bra, stuck my hair under a bandana and my “very occasional” makeup went down to none at all. I still wore most of the same clothes but tended to get one more wear out of them before washing. I still wore perfume every day, because that’s something I do for myself alone.

When a hot flush can have me wiping mascara off my jawline 20 minutes after applying it, I ditched it entirely.

No change here. I've always dressed in a style I consider neutral and practical - trousers (black for work, more likely to be jeans or shorts now I've retired), an unfussy top, flat shoes. Short hair in a simple style, no make-up, rarely any jewellery. I've got a few dresses and skirts that fit me well and I'll wheel them out for special occasions. I've never felt under pressure to "perform" femininity. If I had, I might have grabbed a "non-binary" label when the concept was invented.

<high fives>

Le egdeh, c'est chic.

Sorry, what was the question?

Same here.

I just don't have the time or inclination for the trappings of femininity. I'm too busy being an adult human female.

I can't remember who posted this comment but I just thought how patronising.

It is patronising, the irony is that some will always view things typically viewed as feminine as lesser. I agree that what you wear and how you look doesn't define you- you are either a man or a woman regardless; but I hate that people who do enjoy and want to wear dresses and make up seem to be fair game for condescending comments and judgement.

but I hate that people who do enjoy and want to wear dresses and make up seem to be fair game for condescending comments and judgement.

I definitely love and wear dresses and have makeup ( as well as clothes for building, gardening, diy, walking, being warm and comfortable). But since drag became so prominent I have become more aware of overtly gaudy and over sexualised clothes and would avoid going over an internal mental line in dressing )

There is a wonderful HE Bate’s short story I have never forgotten about a woman who is a lone farmer and of course dresses for that, but she also has a stash of exquisite dresses. I cannot remember what happened to her in the story, but always empathised very much with that part.