Would you wear this dress?

Discussion of fashion elements and looks that are traditionally considered somewhat "femme" but are presented in a masculine context. This is NOT about transvestism or crossdressing.
01/01/08
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by 01/01/08 »

Ryan asked if I bought the dress in question, I did not. Not available in my size.
Since I am dimensionally challenged, my top and bottom sizes tend to be 2 sizes apart.
I generally require custom tailoring by "Omar the tent maker" so I stay with seperates.
Shirtwaist dresses are very comfortable, now if only someone would make them to fit
the male body.




john
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Peter v
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by Peter v »

Although this is a MEN in SKIRTS forum, I do think skirted clothing, ie dresses fit in VERY well. As it is no problem WHAT men wear with a skirt, then it does not matter if the skirt and above are of one piece.

I do wear dresses, and they are the most fabulous thing to wear. Very comfortable. Very FREE FREE, more so than any restrictive skirt, always pressing somewhere in the middle or hanging ( uncomfortably ) on the hips. Skirts ARE GREAT, but dresses do have their MERRITS.

It is very unfortunate that dresses are not made for men. And I would HATE it if they were made to the current men's fashions, as they would possibly with that be just as uninteresting for many as the rest of men's fashion is/was today.

There are however, if you can find and pay for them, dresses which are modest enough for men to wear, and of suitable sizing.
The great difficulty is possibly finance, as we cannot order / buy every dress we fancy, just to try on. As some dresses cost quite a lot also. I have seen dresses which I would gladly wear, but they are too costly. so it stops pretty much there for me. The more inexpensive dresses are mostly not suited for me, in style or sizing, so when I do find something interesting, it is most usually a dress of 70 - 120 or more EURO's. That is too much for me to pay at the moment.

And the thing with so much clothing, at least for some, is that we are not finished with one skirt, or one pair of shoes, or one dress, which is more typically a man's way of dressing, but I enjoy having many different outfits, so that I can pretty much wear something different every day. Especially as I wear somewhat "femme" to give it a name, various shoes are a must. After wearing pretty much the same day after day up until last year, when I finally started wearing skirts. What a relief, but what a cost!!!

Men who wear one skirt, manly or not, together with their men's clothing, which they already had, will not have that choice "problem", licky them. :wink:

When you could search the web, and order freely, there would be out of a vast pile of packages, some dresses which would really appeal, in dezign, colour/s and "fit". more of the retro, 50's style dresses which have tank top / shirt with short sleeves top style are generally most suited.

Colour is another thing which is so really great. Don't take drugs, just buy a coloured dress, nearly psychadelic at the moment, try finding that, the feeling, the emotion, in men's clithing 8) :shock: :? :) :D :roll: :wink: .

There is some dare needed, but I believe that dresses should be right along side of skirts for men. Let them be as bland or outgoing as your taste is.

I personally would like to see more men wearing coloured ( also mixed colours ) skirts, as women have been doing so long, because that is just one other hurdle that has to be taken to finally escape from the "tirrany" of men's fashion, ( which is slowly livening up ) which restricts men from having too much choice. As if all men have the one and same taste. :cry: :? :shock:

Dresses, ( skirted garments ) are fabulous, and I DON't mean to look as a woman!!!!!! But to wear, as a man.

Just saw this link on another topic, relating to the skirts, but they also make nice dresses.
http://www.shukr.co.uk/Merchant2/mercha ... ode=wD2701
A man is the same man in a pair of pants or a skirt. It is only the way people look at him that makes the difference.
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by crfriend »

Peter v wrote:There are [...], if you can find and pay for them, dresses which are modest enough for men to wear, and of suitable sizing.
I'll be amongst the first to state that dresses, of proper cut, proporion, and fit, should be absolutely fine on men. As always, though, the devil is in the details, and the dresses made today just aren't cut for a bloke's physique. (Ziggy -- where'd you get that one you posted in the "Lovely Lockes" thread?)
Colour is another thing which is so really great. Don't take drugs, just buy a coloured dress, nearly psychadelic at the moment, try finding that, the feeling, the emotion, in men's clothing 8) :shock: :? :) :D :roll: :wink: .
Don't even get me going on that count. One of the best things I've found since "discovering" skirts is the expressivity they can offer. Whether that's with colour or with print is immaterial -- skirts just offer a richer palette. I find I can get away with (and look good in) colours in skirt that would just look stupid in trousers. For instance, Sapphire and I get back from dinner a while ago, and I just moments ago got back from a stroll around our heighbourhood, and I'm wearing a medium green tiered skirt and a light floral-pattern Hawaiian shirt. Try imagining medium green trousers without snickering. With a skirt, the colour works! Prints fall into the same category, I think.
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by Peter v »

I must add, that outward expression is possibly only for the few, ( who wish and dare, ) but it is possible with skirts and dresses, today. If of course we men can find clothing that fits OUR particular body shape, which also goes for women, as not all women are made from a confection mold, so that confection clothing fits. I often hear from women that they too have troubles finding clothing that fits well enough to be comfortable in.

What the reason is, I don't know and it doesn't matter, but indeed, colours work fantastically well, ( for those who like coloured clothing) and would probably look worthless in pants, I suppose, although I remember orange pants in the 70's, nearly bought a pair of orange flairs myself... :roll: but at the time that was just a little too much, as I was still a bit conservative at the time.
So with the different shades of black / grey, and white pants, who knows what revolution there will be just around the corner to liven up even pants.

I would just love to see dresses have its own place on the forum, as dresses are very much skirted clothing. al be it one piece outfit, instead of a two or more piece with a skirt. Also I would very much like to see some dresses made for men, not "gothic" ( too "heavy") and not the sometimes just ugly "manly" attempts for skirted clothing, being just as drab and unappealing as most pants. No, made with a bit of a fresh flair, not all flowery, but fresh, colourful.

There is nothing wrong with dresses, as part of the skirted garderobe, but naturally they must have a suitable "men's" "fit" to them, and at the same time retain their fresh, airy flair.

Thinking along the lines of figures, women have in general more slender figures generally than most men. On those figures dresses look really good. On men with good (men's) figures, dresses should have much the same good look. But I do not mean in any way that dresses are only for certain figures. on the contrary, they seem to be very suitable for even very large people ( men) who may find wearing skirts somewhat a problem. That may be a market niche, with unfortunately an ever increasing overweight population. Maybe the wish to wear garments that look their best on people with moderate build, ie not ""fat"" people ( no offence ) may encourage people to take more care of their figures but not in extremes.
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by Peter v »

Now that I have aquired a few dresses, I am more and more wearing dresses, as they are so comfortable skirted garments.
I feel that dresses should be strongly represented in the skirt forum. This has nothing to do with travestie, femme or otherwise, but the dress is a two piece garment in one, as with skirts, there must be the other ( top ) garment chosen to go with it.

To experience the freedom and comfort of wearing a dress should be tried by all skirt wearers, just to know how it feels, so as to respect it as a genuine skirted garment along the same lines as skirts.
I have seen some dresses which were made of a khaki / tan colour of which often outdoor clothing is made, and buttons over the whole length. Quite manly. Ideal for vacation. Unfortunately the ones I saw were just barely not roomy enough in the arms, thus restricting arm movement. Such dresses could possibly be ideal to be made in a more manly cut, with regards not only to the fit, but to the pockets, instead of rounded pockets, nice manly square pockets. Actually just a outdoor shirt, like from outdoor clothing manufacturers like Fjall Raven, etc but extended to above or knee length, to become a dress. I am really enthousiastic about the possibilitys, although I expect many men thinking dresses to be a step too far for them, and too femme, well what did everybody think about skirts?
A man is the same man in a pair of pants or a skirt. It is only the way people look at him that makes the difference.
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by Neil »

No. I'm sure some men can pull it off just fine, but it's too boring for me.
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by Peter v »

Neil wrote:No. I'm sure some men can pull it off just fine, but it's too boring for me.
Dresses "boring"? :scratch:
They are not boring at all. For the men who dare, they can be very enjoyable.
A man is the same man in a pair of pants or a skirt. It is only the way people look at him that makes the difference.
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by Neil »

Peter v wrote:
Neil wrote:No. I'm sure some men can pull it off just fine, but it's too boring for me.
Dresses "boring"? :scratch:
They are not boring at all. For the men who dare, they can be very enjoyable.
I didn't say uncomfortable, or unattractive. I just find that one in particular not very interesting. I don't care much for shirt dresses as a rule, anyway, except for polo dresses. I find shirt dresses boring, meaning not very stylish. As this forum lives by "to each his own," though, far be it for me to tell you that you shouldn't like it. The opportunity to express different taste in clothing is the entire point of this place, right?
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by Peter v »

Niel you are right, but you did not specify what you found boring. Dresses are not boring at all, enough possibilitys, but as with all clothing, each of us has his own taste.
A man is the same man in a pair of pants or a skirt. It is only the way people look at him that makes the difference.
Skirtlover61
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by Skirtlover61 »

I love to wear dresses. They look so nice and are very comfortable.
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by JeffB1959 »

If that dress was a solid, dark color....yeah, I think I would. The "mannish" stylish appeals to me and I think would work quite well.
I don't want to LOOK like a woman, I just want to DRESS like a woman.
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by Skirt Chaser »

Since the discussion has turned to dresses in general I will say I have always been surprised dresses haven't been as popular among men as skirts seem to be. True the fitting becomes much more difficult to a male frame and skirts can be paired with many tops but still skirts and dresses really are the same thing to me.
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by Peter v »

Yes skirt chaser, I think:

they essentially are, BUT, men who want to be men and be seen as men, manly, macho even... will find very little in the style of dresses which gives that blocky sturdy macho manly look.

Dresses seem to soften the forms and look, which is great, but understandably not for all men. Not even if the model is very neutral.
So men who are not bound by wanting the look which is associated with men, as we know it today, even in a skirt, do have many possibilitys with dresses.

If they can find suitable dresses, ie in styling and of course, with enough suitable tailoring to allow for the larger arms and more shoulder / back room that men need than women do, then men can wear dresses just as confidently and with much pleasure as they can wearing skirts. Dresses are much more critical to fit than skirts, which does make it much more difficult to find suitable dresses.

As I myself dress quite femininely, I can find dresses more easily qua style, but still have to find suitable fitting, and models which are not shaped so that only a firmly busted chest will look good in it. It can be done! :P :wink:
A man is the same man in a pair of pants or a skirt. It is only the way people look at him that makes the difference.
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by Jack Williams »

Jack here. Not for me mainly because i am not fond of buttons. I could go for one or two of their black numbers design modded to suit though. Although here in Kelston Auckland N.Z. I think it would be hard to "pull off"! Conservative as Kiwis tend to be on the whole. Get away with lava-lavas(sarongs) ok though.
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Re: Would you wear this dress?

Post by Neil »

Skirt Chaser wrote:Since the discussion has turned to dresses in general I will say I have always been surprised dresses haven't been as popular among men as skirts seem to be. True the fitting becomes much more difficult to a male frame and skirts can be paired with many tops but still skirts and dresses really are the same thing to me.
For me, it's a matter of both presentation and fit. It's a lot harder to find a dress that can fit a man's body, especially if that man isn't rail-thin. Unfortunately, I'm quite a few pounds away from rail-thin, so dresses are off-limits to me as a practical matter. There is also the matter of presentation. Dresses are far less forgiving than skirts of body flaws, including bellies that are not rail-thin, as noted before. They also tend to not work as well (in some cases only) as skirts and shirts do. I accept that there are a ton of great dress styles out there that would look great on an in-shape man; unfortunately, I'm not that in-shape man at the moment, so dresses are not in my immediate future.
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