Books on the subject...

Clippings from news sources involving fashion freedom and other gender equality issues.
FranTastic444
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Books on the subject...

Post by FranTastic444 »

Came across these books. Anyone read them who can give us a review / rating (or any other books covering such subject matter)?

A Man Wearing a Dress

Man in the Gray Flannel Skirt
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Mugs-n-such
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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by Mugs-n-such »

Just at a quick glance, it looks as if this might (those books I mean) be flirting with the cross dressing side (I could be wrong). Not exactly my cup of tea, but they look like they could be interesting reads...
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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by denimini »

If life wasn't so short I would read them.
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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by moonshadow »

I'd say it's difficult to write a book on this subject. I mean really... how much can possibly be said for wearing a skirt or dress?

Then again, I've been known to rattle on about it at length from time to time. I suppose I could fill a few chapters of such a text.

A little paperback of the stories of a non-transgender, "regular southern guy" living in rural Appalachia who enjoys wearing feminine skirts and dresses as every day wear....

Hmmmmm..... :wink:
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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by Caultron »

moonshadow wrote:I'd say it's difficult to write a book on this subject. I mean really... how much can possibly be said for wearing a skirt or dress?...
I agree, writing 400 or so pages just about wearing a skirt would be a challenge, and probably not very interesting reading.

But having the main character in some mainline genre (and probably some others) catching a new wave of skirt-wearing might be interesting.

Like (as a poor but ready example) a skirt-wearing male detective investigating a series of non-binary sex crimes.
Courage, conviction, nerve, verve, dash, panache, guts, nuts, balls, gall, élan, stones, whatever. Get some and get skirted.

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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by Fred in Skirts »

Caultron wrote:Like (as a poor but ready example) a skirt-wearing male detective investigating a series of non-binary sex crimes.
Sounds very interesting. If you write it let me know. I will buy it!!
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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by Caultron »

Fred in Skirts wrote:
Caultron wrote:Like (as a poor but ready example) a skirt-wearing male detective investigating a series of non-binary sex crimes.
Sounds very interesting. If you write it let me know. I will buy it!!
Hmmm, maybe I'll try something as a creative writing exercise.

I am a professional author, having written thirteen computer books, of which twelve were for Microsoft Press. With novels, though, I tend to seize up on plot structure.
Courage, conviction, nerve, verve, dash, panache, guts, nuts, balls, gall, élan, stones, whatever. Get some and get skirted.

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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by Ralph »

Mugs-n-such wrote:Just at a quick glance, it looks as if this might (those books I mean) be flirting with the cross dressing side (I could be wrong). Not exactly my cup of tea, but they look like they could be interesting reads...
I couldn't tell from the descriptions of A Man in a Dress, but The Man in the Gray Flannel Skirt is absolutely NOT about cross dressing, any more than we are. The author makes it very clear he doesn't do anything to attempt to pass as a woman. I only had the brief excerpt to go on, but it sounds like he went through those confusing moments of being unsure of his identity, but in the end he settled comfortably into the role of a heterosexual man who wears skirts and women's tops. He'd fit right in here!
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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by moonshadow »

Ralph wrote:...but it sounds like he went through those confusing moments of being unsure of his identity
I wonder sometimes what people mean by "identity"? I imagine it means what we label ourselves. As for as our "identity", in the words of Forest Gump... "well, aren't I going to be me?"

As they say, where ever you go, there you are.

I have no struggle with identity any longer, once I realized that I'm what I am. Labels on the other hand are a little more confusing. But on the other hand, you can slap a turkey label on a bag of ham. It doesn't mean it's roast beef.
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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by Ralph »

moonshadow wrote:I wonder sometimes what people mean by "identity"? I imagine it means what we label ourselves.
Back when I was a wee lad, still coming to grips with the fact that I was so compelled to wear clothes from "the other side of the aisle", I went through a bit of an identity crisis in terms of not being sure if I was actually meant to be a woman. Cries easily, check. Wears dresses, oh very much check. Prone to theatrical displays of emotion, check. Fears displays of physical strength or aggression, check. I fit all the boxes of what society told me (in the 1970s) a woman should be, and who was I to question society? Fortunately a wonderful (and very real) lady cleared up any confusion I had, and over the next 40 years I've come to understand that a guy can be a guy even if he ticks some of the boxes that this phenomenally uninformed "society" think are the exclusive domain of womanhood.

So when I talk about a crisis or confusion of identity, I mean that some folk who don't fit the conventional pattern start wondering as I did, if their peg is being forced into the wrong-shaped hole.
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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by moonshadow »

Ralph wrote:Fortunately a wonderful (and very real) lady cleared up any confusion I had, and over the next 40 years I've come to understand that a guy can be a guy even if he ticks some of the boxes that this phenomenally uninformed "society" think are the exclusive domain of womanhood.
Indeed, you learned that you were Ralph. Where ever you went, there you were!
Back when I was a wee lad, still coming to grips with the fact that I was so compelled to wear clothes from "the other side of the aisle", I went through a bit of an identity crisis in terms of not being sure if I was actually meant to be a woman. Cries easily, check. Wears dresses, oh very much check. Prone to theatrical displays of emotion, check. Fears displays of physical strength or aggression, check. I fit all the boxes of what society told me (in the 1970s) a woman should be, and who was I to question society?
I too went through a little phase of that a while back. I have to admit, though I've always had a somewhat feminine nature about me, I never considered myself "transgender", mainly because I had no idea the concept even existed. Once I learned of it, I explored the notion, however listening to the anti-trans arguments gave me my share of cognitive dissonance regarding the issue. I had a brief identity crisis, it lasted for a few months, until I just realized one day that this is simply more pop culture bull sh!t, I am the same guy I've always been, just a little more free now that I've come to grips with the feminine half of me. It doesn't make me less of a person than I was before, it just makes me more in touch with my inner self.

Tonight, I got to thinking, maybe instead of redefining what it means to be a "woman", we should redefine what it means to be a man....

I have to admit, when I get a chance to talk to skeptics, I seem to garner a certain amount of respect from people when I tell them "I'm not transgender, I'm just a guy who likes wearing feminine clothes"...

I admit the bathroom icons can be a little misleading. Now if it says "MEN" and "WOMEN", then that's pretty easy, but when it just shows a stick figure wearing a dress, and one not wearing anything, I'm left to assume that one is for people who wear dresses, and the other is for nudist... :mrgreen: :wink: :lol:

However, as I've always used the nudist restroom without incident my whole life, I continue with the status quo, regardless of the fact I may be wearing a dress, or trousers.
When life gives you lemons, you just gotta eat em, rines and all.
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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by Ralph »

Your comments about restrooms reminded me of an odd place I visited a few years ago where the restrooms had neither text labels nor stick figures, but a picture of Humphrey Bogart on one door and a picture of Lauren Bacall on the other.

I said "I ain't stickin' my neck out for nobody," and chose Bogie.
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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by FranTastic444 »

Read the Eddie Izzard biography whilst on holiday. It is very clear that he was deeply affected by the death of his mother when he was still a young lad. Although he admits that everything he did in later life was to try to impress a parent that was no longer around, he doesn't pin his cross dressing on trying to connect to his mother in any way. My nagging suspicion throughout the book was that he was trying to recreate the presence of his mother to somehow connect with her from beyond the grave (as a lad who had lost his father might 'dress up' in a facsimile of his uniform - firefighter, policeman, soldier etc.)

I'm not a huge fan of comedy, but I do like Eddie as a person. His politics are a little too left wing for me, but I really like his position on Europe and inclusiveness. I can only admire his grit and determination in persevering with his career until it became a success and then taking on huge challenges such as multiple marathon running and delivering shows in different languages.

His dressing, which will be the main point of interest here, is intriguing. He didn't have a dedicated chapter on this subject, but returns to the subject many times through the book. Many here will sympathise with his emotions and experiences on the subject. He seems happy with the labels of TV and cross dresser and talks of 'boy mode' and 'girl mode'. Although he goes the whole-hog on the dress and the makeup, I don't recall seeing him using breast pads and he always still looks like a guy to me (though, now I come to think about it, he probably looked closest to a pure cross dresser when he was campaigning for Labour during the last elections). Of course he is often quoted on his famous "these aren't women's clothes, they're mine" line.

Overall, an interesting read. You get to see that there is a lot more to the man than just the clothes that he wears.
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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by Kilty »

Caultron wrote:
Fred in Skirts wrote:
Caultron wrote:Like (as a poor but ready example) a skirt-wearing male detective investigating a series of non-binary sex crimes.
Sounds very interesting. If you write it let me know. I will buy it!!
Hmmm, maybe I'll try something as a creative writing exercise.

I am a professional author, having written thirteen computer books, of which twelve were for Microsoft Press. With novels, though, I tend to seize up on plot structure.
Writing for Microsoft is quite something! As for writing a novel on my fashion choice, it would take too long. Today's youth just get out there on Tumblr and post pics, usually with a lot of "me against the world" bravado, wanting support from other non-binary followers, posts littered with pictures of unicorns and rainbows :roll: some transition and use Tumblr to chart their journey. No one has time to delve into themself and put all their life into written text as they try to analyze why they weren't like other guys at school... I think the Grey Flannel writer has done well to write his angst, it is sad to see the exclusion / confusion of family especially his nephew / lack of proper job as his sartorial choice consumed him from early on.

It's hard to find a significant other who supports your sartorial choice, but I tried not to let it affect work (unless I had checked other colleagues were okay with my style of formal dress and it didn't affect customers / work, Mark sets the perfect example in this ♡) and have other interests as well, I am getting back into Highland Wear and traditional kilts more as it's easier to explain to others and more my preference I think after years of the pencil skirt both casual and formal. Like JeffB's transition to dresses, I am gradually adding more kilts again to my wardrobe... more fiddly to put on than other skirts and more expensive, but I like "the ultimate in menswear" too 8) and brogues don't kill your feet like high heels do :mrgreen:
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Re: Books on the subject...

Post by Kilty »

FranTastic444 wrote:Read the Eddie Izzard biography whilst on holiday. It is very clear that he was deeply affected by the death of his mother when he was still a young lad. Although he admits that everything he did in later life was to try to impress a parent that was no longer around, he doesn't pin his cross dressing on trying to connect to his mother in any way. My nagging suspicion throughout the book was that he was trying to recreate the presence of his mother to somehow connect with her from beyond the grave (as a lad who had lost his father might 'dress up' in a facsimile of his uniform - firefighter, policeman, soldier etc.)

I'm not a huge fan of comedy, but I do like Eddie as a person. His politics are a little too left wing for me, but I really like his position on Europe and inclusiveness. I can only admire his grit and determination in persevering with his career until it became a success and then taking on huge challenges such as multiple marathon running and delivering shows in different languages.

His dressing, which will be the main point of interest here, is intriguing. He didn't have a dedicated chapter on this subject, but returns to the subject many times through the book. Many here will sympathise with his emotions and experiences on the subject. He seems happy with the labels of TV and cross dresser and talks of 'boy mode' and 'girl mode'. Although he goes the whole-hog on the dress and the makeup, I don't recall seeing him using breast pads and he always still looks like a guy to me (though, now I come to think about it, he probably looked closest to a pure cross dresser when he was campaigning for Labour during the last elections). Of course he is often quoted on his famous "these aren't women's clothes, they're mine" line.

Overall, an interesting read. You get to see that there is a lot more to the man than just the clothes that he wears.
Judging by his latest photos in the Anti Brexit march demanding a second referendum (UK is in a state of confusion :? ) He's certainly filling that jacket out whatever the case.
0_PAY-Peopes-Vote-March-on-Brexit.jpg
Compared to an earlier picture from the last election where his chest looked a lot flatter. Nice skirt too :D
JS119941294.jpg
It set the papers off...
https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity- ... y-11278621

He has called himself an "Executive Trsnsvestite" and campaigned in the last elections in a skirt suit, complete with heels and tights, but no bust could be seen. Then for a couple of years, back into "boy mode" dressed as a regular bloke in his comedy routines.

He faced abuse because of his sartorial choice, the case went to court
https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity- ... up-9336132

And he wore this
PAY-SWNS_IZZARD_COURT_16.jpg
to court where his attacker was convicted. I like the smart tights and boots too along with the coat 8)

I like his comedy, it's good he's "out there" and although the politics is taking over, there seems a theme of an early loss / abandonment that some of us may identify with, perhaps the clothes were a cry for attention to his lost mother. :blue: He is just being himself which is good, not sure how he will fare in politics, I think he was considering London Mayor at one point. Let's see how the moped-riding, drug-addled, "Drill" music loving knifemen who terrorise the Capital adjust to a skirt wearing Mayor laying down the law :mrgreen: as long as he doesn't skirt round the issue of cuts to our bus network and chronic traffic congestion, I'm sure he will do just fine :wink:
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