There is one fair point that comes from the chat with Hijinx - a woman browsing the racks of a mens clothing store would hardly get a glance. I dont think anyone would assume she crossdressed. But thats because women have been buying their husbands and sons clothing forever. I doubt people would even think twice.
A man browsing the female racks is sure to get a few sideways glances. He will probably be clocked as a crossdresser, or maybe even a pervert, but its doubtful anyone will assume hes buying clothibg for female family members. Not unless its valentines day and he can freely scour the lingerie aisles. Just as long as he doesnt seem too knowledgable or that perv label will appear.
Double standard for sure.
But then, rarely would a woman ask to try on clothing at a mens store and then secretly use her phone to film the men getting undressed. This recently happened! There are too many male sexual predators out there and no woman wants a strange man next to her at the lingerie racks let alone in the changing rooms. These are fairly intimate female spaces where women like to get in the zone and think about herself. Then some guy appears and suddenly hes eyeballing the bras and knickers with a little too much interest and I know I would be creeped out and I am married to a crossdresser! I would feel even worse with my young daughter with me!
So hes, there's a double standard, but women dont live their lives like men. We are raised to fear the weird guy, and a man in the female clothing section ticks that box. Whether this fear is justified is irrelevant. Enough bad stuff has happened to women at the hands of men to cause widespread distrust. Enough bad stuff has happened to MEN at the hands of other men to make me wonder why you also have any trust, let alone expect us to!
Maybe if men and women understood each other better, we could create more balance for both sides - and maybe an island to put all those pervs who give men a bad name!
I can understand why women find it difficult to pick the right outfit with so much choice. For men it's relatively simple smart = suit, casual = jeans and T shirt, smart casual is always a killer! My wife frets over what to wear on different occasions wondering what the other women will be wearing so not to be the odd one out. I imagine you're all at home doing exactly the same thing - not wanting to be over or under dressed. Dressing as a woman at home is so much simpler - just wear what you like!
A man in a well cut suit is fine but some men look a mess in cheap, baggy, ill fitting suits. Always worth paying the for well cut suit. I think the same goes for women's clothes. The more expensive one always look better on as they can hide a multitutde of sins!
We find it hard enough to find a dress for a wedding or some do or another so must be hard for a man to find clothes he likes with limited choices although for a wedding its suit shirt tie and shoes
I can see why you'd crossdress and can see why the walk through the lingerie section is intimidating to a crossdresser lol Davina tell your wife how it makes you feel in the lingerie section let her tease you she will enjoy that he he!
I do like a man in a suit
Em x
I feel awkward standing in a lingerie section wanting to look and touch some of the lingerie but aware if I do that people will stare of laugh, but despite that I have on numerous occasions bought lingerie for my wife or myself and when questioned jokingly by the lady on the till "Is this for you?" I've always replied "Yes I can't wait to get home to try it on"
I guess they get that a lot and laugh it off not even thinking oh a cross dresser.
A part of me also feels a bit guilty as no doubt my wife's thinking right quick find a bra and he's getting turned on in the middle of all this lingerie!
I wonder if she does think that...
It's interesting that you say that a crossdressed man is less threatening. When I saw the personal shopper she locked the door for my privacy. I was worried beforehand how she might feel being in a room with a male stranger but I guess the fact that I was dressed as a woman discussing dress, skirts etc made her feel comfortable enought to lock the door. I wonder if she'd have done the same if I'd been in male mode.
Another good point - what if the crossdresser is dressed female? I'm okay with that. There's something less threatening about a man who put in the effort to feminise himself, thus making himself as much as target as the rest of us.
In fact, I say, watch out for pervs in the change rooms lol.
I agree that some men do give us all a bad name. I always feel awkward in the women's section, head down, no eye contact, not trying to look like a pervert. Thank God for on-line shopping! I once read a post by a crossdresser who was out with his wife shopping. He pulled out a nice silky night dress and it was covered in seminal fluid! Maybe that is why sales assistants are always trained to approach men to ask if they can help. Just keeping an eye on them!
I once asked M&S about their bra fitting service. They said as long as I presented as a woman then I could use the service and the changing rooms. How do women feel about crossdressers browsing the women's section and using the changing rooms? Where else could they go? Men's changing rooms would be highly risky for the crossdressers as dressed we face some of the same problems that women do. We are the target of violent physical and verbal attacks.
From anecdotal evidence the sales assistants are always falling over themselves to help crossdressers and quite often women will compliment them on their choice. Are we less threatening dressed - one of the girls?
I'm not sure that a pervert would go to all the trouble of dressing as a woman in order to gain access to the women's changing rooms. Unless of course he was a perverted crossdresser lol. I've never been in a woman's changing room, are they communal? If so how do you film another person? I'd be suspicious of other women filming in a changing room too as it could quite easily end up on Facebook.
Men should be able to shop without suspicion in any section they choose. But as you say whilst women feel threatened that it just not going to happen.