Crossdressing can be a very pleasurable activity for those who practice it but is still taboo in society. An example: it’s probably very difficult – or impossible – for you to go to work wearing feminine attire.
This article will show a balanced alternative between monotonous men’s clothing and controversial women’s clothing. You might practice crossdressing in a different way, perhaps not quite in the way you wish, but in a way that is possible.
Starting with underwear: you can wear a bra and panties under men’s clothing, as long as the pieces are neutral colors and seamless. As a last resort, wearing a sports bra can help. But if you’re still not comfortable wearing panties and a bra, you can choose men’s underwear with prints, lace, or even feminine colors – like pink. In any store, you can find pink men’s underwear. You can also wear pantyhose under men’s clothing.
Regarding outerwear: you can opt for tighter-fitting men’s clothing, such as slim fit with prints, colors, and fabrics closer to mimicking the women’s style. A satin dress shirt matched with tighter printed or plain dress pants. A different suit is also possible.
You can use accessories such as watches, rings, brooches, etc. You can choose unisex models, even opt for feminine pieces, which are often not much different from men’s.
You can let your hair grow a little longer or wear men’s wigs that are a little longer.
Makeup? There are several types and styles of men’s makeup. Maybe it’s not as fun as putting on lipstick, but what matters is the gesture. The same goes for your nails: apply a base polish – there are some aimed at men. What matters is the gesture. I repeat this phrase to show that crossdressing is not necessarily the result, but a process. And the process can also be very satisfying.
Shoes can also help. Choose masculine-made but in a more feminine style.
Society is a little strange: it tolerates women wearing pants instead of skirts, but it doesn’t tolerate men wearing skirts instead of pants. Women should wear a bra, even if they have very small breasts. Men with gynecomastia or chest fat freely parade around shirtless with their nipples showing through their clothes without any type of judgment from others.
We need to circumvent the judgments of society. “She’ll freak out if she sees you in a dress, feminine makeup, panties, and a bra.” Don’t be fooled by the tips given above: despite everything, it may look strange if you’re wearing tighter, patterned men’s trousers. Some will find wearing a satin dress shirt as not normal. A SO may be horrified by your pink or lace brief, even though it is men’s clothing.
I hope that over time people will become more open and tolerant and that the idea of gender-neutral clothing will become more popular. Ideas like unisex dresses, for example, would be interesting.
– Do you have the courage to go out on the street dressed as a woman?
– Have you ever worn men’s clothing with a fit, fabric or color considered “feminine”?
– Do you like the result or the process more when you dress as a woman?
I’m curious about your answers!
Sincerely
Marie Claire
More Articles by Marie Claire
- Can Sports Bra Help Crossdressing?
- A fear that not only you feel!
- The psychology of crossdressing: Why do you dress like a woman?
- QUIZ: Do you like bras?
- Mindfulness and Crossdressing: Relax and feel the present
I have been doing this publicly for what seems like a century now. But, I read stories of Larry “Sissy” Goodwin, the onetime airplane mechanic, military veteran, and rodeo cowboy, and when I found out he was an open crossdresser, you didn’t have to look female to wear female-looking clothing. Guess what else? In the 1970s, Larry began to wear feminine clothing in public. What guts it took to stand against the norm. His bravery gave me the guts to wear my female clothing openly for over twenty years. Maybe someone on CDH should a story on Larry “Sissy” Goodwin.… Read more »
@Hippie Go for it, Hippy! It sounds as if you have background material to do it yourself.
@Harriette: I am no writer like Sabrina MacTavish. I am good with tools, not with the pen. I wouldn’t know how to reach his surviving spouse to interview her.
Maybe I’m finding excuses. I don’t know.
@Hippie You can always find copy editors, to check what you write, find errors, etc. 😉
In my role as a woman, I often wear men’s clothing or clothing that are unisex. I love turtlenecks for example, which apparently were originally intended for men, until women made them their own, with lots of succes. I put on make-up, wear a wig, but I personally don’t need a padded bra to feel like a woman. I want to feel like a man dressed as a woman, if that makes sense. To each his own, you just do what is necessary. 🙂
@Marie Claire Here’s my take on your questions: – Do you have the courage to go out on the street dressed as a woman? Yes I do. Yesterday I went out to run some errands and took my daily hike in a local park. I enjoy everyday dressing and just blending in as one of the women. I just wish I had more opportunities to get dressed up (skirt or dress, heels, stockings, etc) but this is generally true of women in general. – Have you ever worn men’s clothing with a fit, fabric or color considered “feminine"? I… Read more »
I’m fortunate in that I’m retired, maybe not so fortunate to be widowed but the combination does provide me with a lot of lattitude. Plus, at my age, my GAS factor of what others think is quite low. I do love to dress, I’m prone to fancy 50’s type styles, in fact this Saturday night I have a new poodle skirt outfit I can hardly wait to wear. I normally go out to a local club twice a week, way over what the normal cis woman wears now days, always a skirt or dress, stockings, 4″, sometimes 5″ stilettos, my… Read more »
I wouldn’t consider a sports bra a last resort by any means. I wear one daily & it’s very comfortable, I much prefer it to a normal bra. As I have a bit of “natural" filling anyway, along with some padding it fits my needs nicely, big enough to satisfy me without being unusually big, at least no-one has ever said anything anyway. Along with various other women’s undergarments & even blouses & ladies trousers (these are pretty easy to wear out as they don’t stand out at all without close inspection) I can go about my day without any… Read more »
I had been under dressing for years. But once I was caught, not realizing one should not wear pantyhose along with some pants or jeans. If one is in a quiet room a rubbing or swishing sound can be distinctly heard when walking about. Women, it seems, are very aware of this sound. I was busted!
@Lisa Leigh Someone has good hearing! I have never had that problem even though I wear them all the time. If anyone did ever say anything, it’s a tip I picked up from arctic explorers to keep warm. Stockings & suspenders are a bit harder to explain & they do show up, even through jeans so it’s hold ups if I’m going down that route. 😊
@Sasha Bennett It’s hold-ups under jeans for me, too. I hadn’t tried wearing a garter belt, but I can see that being somewhat of a problem with the new, tight jeans that I wear now.
Nice article, Marie Claire. I appreciate it. Good ideas to think about. It is an option that I must evaluate. My male clothing is very manly, practical and boring, but that’s the way I prefer to look out of home on daily basis. Not a big deal for me. Now I answer your questions. 1) Do you have the courage to go out on the street dressed as a woman? Not all the time. I finally rounded a week ago, go out for the first time and I just love it. I have fun. So I can say yes, but… Read more »
Okay girls, my turn! – Do you have the courage to go out on the street dressed as a woman? I am an intersex trans woman, legally a female. I dress in my clothes each and every day – Have you ever worn men’s clothing with a fit, fabric or color considered “feminine"? When I was in high school, being quite feminine and considered to be gay, I was the first person to wear flared slacks or bell bottoms. I also wore polyester shirts with puffy sleeves, frills down the buttons and they were pink, magenta, and blue with pink… Read more »
@Marie Claire I can relate to this article. I do not dress in full very often. I have dressed completely with wig, make up, and everything else and it was a lot of fun, but that is not something I want to do daily. It is also something I cannot do very often, however I still want to feel feminine on a daily basis. I am mostly a jeans and t-shirt girl, not so much a dress girl in my daily life. So I learned to put outfits together that are definitely feminine in style, just not always feminine clothing. … Read more »
Congratulations!
Great Article Marie! Dressing in a more neutral fashion is definitely a great way not to attract attention and really helps build confidence. – Do you have the courage to go out on the street dressed as a woman? Yes, but in a more neutral fashion. I tend to wear women’s jeans with women’s button down “man style" shirts. Shoes can be women’s sneakers (thank you New Balance for making sneakers in large sizes) or boots with a small heel. In the warmer months, I’ll trade the shoes for sandals. Sometimes, I experiment with light makeup. – Have you ever… Read more »
Thank you for reading my article and answering the questions.