L’OFFICIEL USA: Men in Dresses: a Fashion History

[moonshadow]

That's true about the jeans....

I have a pair of skin tight women's jeans.

Suffice it it say, Jenn really seems to enjoy how I look in them...

Only thing is, I still recommend carrying a purse as the pockets on women's jeans are still mostly useless.

[STEVIE]

I take the point but to Joe Public "jeans" are just jeans.
I have worn ladies jeans in the past too and I really doubt anyone spotted it.
As for the breadth of choice in menswear, or lack of it, I'd put it down to demand.
As long as cross-aisle shopping continues the retailers don't have to lift a finger.
They would soon change if they thought their sales and profits were suffering.

Men's clothes mostly cover the naughty bits and provide warmth.

Yeah, all very practical but mind blowingly boring too.
Steve.

[crfriend]

As long as cross-aisle shopping continues the retailers don't have to lift a finger.
They would soon change if they thought their sales and profits were suffering.

And the odds of that happening are what?

Men's clothes mostly cover the naughty bits and provide warmth.

Yeah, all very practical but mind blowingly boring too.

Indeed. See above. It's a demand problem, not a source problem. We've already got a source of the other side of the aisle. Until more men get their heads out of their backsides this is going to remain a problem.

[STEVIE]

And the odds of that happening are what?

"Googles" to one but maybe by the 12th of Never?
Meantime, there is an abundance of drab on offer so grab the grey while you can.
Steve.

[Midas]

As long as cross-aisle shopping continues the retailers don't have to lift a finger.
They would soon change if they thought their sales and profits were suffering.

Like many men I only bought clothes I needed, meaning that I spent very little. Since wearing mainly clothes from the womenswear department I have spent much more. This is because there is more choice and also because it’s much more fun. I have also begun to understand the woman’s complaint of ‘I’ve nothing to wear’ when faced with a wardrobe full of dresses.

Retailers are missing out on a huge untapped market. If they chose to promote the idea of men in dresses and skirts they could sell much more.

[Midas]

I don’t know what I did wrong in the post above. Only the first couple of lines are the quote.

[STEVIE]

Retailers are missing out on a huge untapped market. If they chose to promote the idea of men in dresses and skirts they could sell much more.

Sorry Midas but they aren't really missing very much. The fact is that men who have woken up to the choices just shop across the departments and we are a minority.
The retailers know this very well and promoting skirts and dresses to men would be a cost with little prospect of a decent return.
If a significant number of men men stopped shopping until skirts and dresses are tagged for men. we'd maybe see a change.
However, the fact is that the "market" is not, at present, really that huge and still restricted to the very high end designers.
Change may come but do not be tempted to hold your breath. Sorry to be pessimistic too.
Steve.

[Dust]

Like many men I only bought clothes I needed, meaning that I spent very little. Since wearing mainly clothes from the womenswear department I have spent much more. This is because there is more choice and also because it’s much more fun. I have also begun to understand the woman’s complaint of ‘I’ve nothing to wear’ when faced with a wardrobe full of dresses.

I read once that for "professionals" (ill defined, I know) in the same type of work (office I assumed), the men actually spent more on their wardrobe's on average per month. It was like $10 more out of 65 or so, monthly.

I figured it was due to the inordinately high cost of men's suits and related items that one might wear in a formal office like a law firm.

I would guess that women spend a lot more on clothing for outside of the office, as men tend to wear the same junk on their days off, more or less. For women, clothing purchases can be fun, most men only get what they need.

[alexthebird]

I read once that for "professionals" (ill defined, I know) in the same type of work (office I assumed), the men actually spent more on their wardrobe's on average per month. It was like $10 more out of 65 or so, monthly.

I figured it was due to the inordinately high cost of men's suits and related items that one might wear in a formal office like a law firm.

Another big, if invisible, cost is cleaning. Pre-pandemic, I used to wear dress trousers, a dress shirt, and a tie. Unless you are going to wash, starch, and iron your dress shirts yourself, you get one wearing out of a dress shirt and then need to bring it to the cleaners where it will cost $1-$2, depending on the cleaner. You can get two or three wearings out of dress trousers but they cost $3 or more for dry cleaning. These costs add up over a while.

These days, with zoom and a more relaxed atmosphere at the office, I can wear clothes that I can launder myself and save that dry-cleaner bill.

[STEVIE]

Another big, if invisible, cost is cleaning. Pre-pandemic, I used to wear dress trousers, a dress shirt, and a tie. Unless you are going to wash, starch, and iron your dress shirts yourself, you get one wearing out of a dress shirt and then need to bring it to the cleaners where it will cost $1-$2, depending on the cleaner. You can get two or three wearings out of dress trousers but they cost $3 or more for dry cleaning. These costs add up over a while.

Hi Alex,
Awwwv Man we do live in different worlds.
Is it really so difficult to do your own laundry? Even trousers can be had that are perfectly easy to wash and press all with your own fair hands.
As for starching a shirt, I haven't come across that since my father was alive.
If your office dress code took account of such things, I dread to think what the reaction would have been to a guy in a skirt.
Steve.

[Sinned]

I agree with Steve. All our clothes, hers and mine, are machine wash and, wherever possible, non-iron. I may iron a thing or two [0] for a posh night out but that is rare. As for starching shirts, I thought that went out after the end of the Stone Age.

[0] Wife's dress, my shirt, trousers.

[Pdxfashionpioneer]

You could talk yourself blue in the face with historical evidence, diagrams, written material from that period saying "how wonderful it is that men and women wear identical garments"... and still make no difference in the hearts and minds of those who object.

Exactly right!

Fortunately, my own experience -- anymore, I wear almost nothing from the men's department -- demonstrates that the people who object are very few and very far between.

So, buck up your courage, do some dead of night practice walks in your skirted garment of choice -- just enough to feel almost comfortable -- and JUST DO IT! With your head held high and faking as much confidence as you can manage; you'll be amazed at how good you'll feel and well you'll be received.