Dressed in colourful skirts, a group of men pledging support to women and their rights in India today.
I really like those 25 men who dare to wear women’s clothing in a society that believes it is shameful for men to wear women’s clothing as it drags men down to women’s level.
Men wear skirts in many parts of Asia. They wear skirts in Scotland too. So, wearing skirts is not something extra ordinary.
Skirt is becoming men’s fashion item! Men in skirts were walking down a catwalk in Men’s fashion week in London, 2013.
Men put themselves in women’s shoes to show solidarity with women. Walking several miles while wearing women’s high heels is not that easy, but it is not easy for women either.
People are saying that men in women’s clothes will not bring women’s equality. As if men in men’s clothes will bring women’s equality! We know very well what brings equality. If we really want to have an equal society, we will make a sincere effort to bring it. In the meantime men can start wearing women’s clothes. Women are not ashamed of wearing men’s clothes! Why not unisex clothing from now on? Baby clothes are unisex. Pre-pubertal boys and girls can have unisex clothes too. Adult male and female bodies have different shapes, their clothes can have different shapes too. Our T-shirts are gender neutral. Saree can be. Look at the man in saree, he looks gorgeous!
Women wear bangles. It would be nice if men wear bangles too. Then at least the sentence like ‘hatho mein chudiyan pehen lo’ or ‘go wear bangles’ will not be considered so extremely shameful for men! It is common in the subcontinent’s sexist society to ask men to wear bangles if men are stupid. ‘Wear bangles’- this two little words are strong enough to kill a man’s pride. Wear bangles! You are a man without balls! You are scared of everything! You are unable to do anything! You are just like a woman!
I wear women’s sarees, skirts, bangles, high heels, I wear men’s shirts, pants, ties, suits, jackets! Heterosexual men should have the same freedom as heterosexual women have.
Hilarious but I like it….that’s the only way we can bring this revolution because they have a problem when women wears a jeans or shorts… lets bring it on 🙂
Cheers
Dawn
When I converted to a vegetarian, my one relative said to me it was not masculine to be a vegetarian. By the way, I don’t bother to find out what is ‘masculine’, ‘good’, ‘ right’ from others’ viewpoint any more.
I haven’t heard that one yet. I have had a lot of people say, “Oh, that’s why you’re so skinny!” even though I’m actually fatter now than when I ate meat (because I’m older and less active now).
Some of my FB friends inspired me to be a vegetarian. I now love to be one. 🙂
I would never wear dresses or high heels, but not because they are “women’s clothing”. What, exactly, makes something “male” or “female” clothing, anyway, other than “tradition”? The only gender specific clothing is underwear because of design and…”support”.
Heels originated with horseriding because it made it easier to keep one’s feet in stirrups. But eventually it became first a symbol for wealth, and then later a means of bondage to control women. If that wasn’t bad enough, wearing heels causes physical damage to the back, hips knees, shins, calves, ankles and feet. I don’t understand why women wear them today, never mind men.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_heels
The origin of pants versus dresses and skirts had a lot to do with the environment and activities. Pants originated in colder climates (Northern Europe, Russia and Siberia) but were also used by horse riders from the Mediterranean across to China. Skirts and dresses no doubt follow the simple wrap clothing people wore in the past (saris, Egyptian clothes, etc.) and are still around today (Saudi men’s robes, Bedouin clothes).
Gender bias in clothing crossed all of Eurasia – in Japan, women wore the restrictive and cylindrical yukata (long steps were impossible), while men wore the loose hakama (think “parachute pants”). Roman togas were viewed as a symbol of peace because activity in them was near impossible, while roman soldiers wore very skirt-like clothes for mobility and violence. And like the Romans, the Scottish kilt was only for specific activity – physical labour or fighting. Most of the time they wore larger and warmer clothes.
http://www.tartansauthority.com/highland-dress/ancient/
A recent fashion trend is “meggings”, tights as casual wear pants for men, similar to the leggings women have worn for 20+ years. It looks like a backlash against a decade of hiding men’s physiques behind baggy clothes. Reactions to the trend are either “Cool” or “Ick!” (because certain male body parts are clearly defined) and nothing in between. I wouldn’t wear them (I do wear tights, but only for running and cycling), but I don’t care if others do. In middle age Europe, men did wear tights with a codpiece to cover the groin.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/shortcuts/2012/dec/10/leggings-for-men-meggings-trend
My opinion only: clothes should be chosen for function and comfort first, but if you like something, wear it. It’s only a problem if someone turns it into a fetish.
thanks for the interesting info 🙂
I sometimes wear the kilt, the traditional men’s dress of my ancestors 😛 Bangles? May on the The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Outside of for warmth, why where clothes at all?
my quite young professor once wore a sari in her conference in one of the most reputed Australian universities. some of mele professors got extremely interested about the sari she was wearing and asked whether they can wear saris??? my point is psychological change is the root of every other changes. if we are not taught from our childhood that sari is for women and pant for men, many males would, without any hesitance, wore sari. and it would certainly be good as none could blurt out nonsense like women get themselves raped because of the dress they wear.
Madness has a dress after all.Why not thanks or not.
Gender neutrality is good thing for healthy behavior in society.
Unconcious thinking at all.
Get into‘tonne fritter away your own within the human being/gal,just who isn‘tonne willing to fritter away his / her hours done to you.
Sad to say, but where I live (northeast USA) clothes for babies and children are decidedly NOT gender-neutral. If you have a boy baby you’re supposed to buy him blue and brown jumpers that say things like “I’m not chubby, it’s all muscle!” and if you have a baby girl, you’re supposed to buy her pink and purple jumpers that say things like, “Mommy’s pretty princess.”
My brother recently had a second child–a boy–and has a daughter who is almost two. I have observed this pattern unfolding. It is very bothersome to me.
Wearing pretty dresses and sparkly bangles is fun. Dinosaurs and trucks are also fun. It’s ridiculous that parents are expected to segregate the kind of fun their children have based solely on their genitalia. And it is based on genitalia, because infants don’t even understand gender. How can we even claim to understand gender when we don’t even allow infants to be free of it, before the understand it? I think all children should wear exclusively gender neutral clothes until they have the words and understanding to request masculine or feminine clothing. And there should be no shame in either, or wanting neither.
Even more depressing is dressing little boys in camouflage, although I get it that here in midwest USA, hunting is a traditional man-thing.
Decoration! Art. It is fun, if you’re into that sort of thing. I’m not overly interested in performing femininity on a daily basis, but for special occasions, I find it quite enjoyable to get decked out in pretty colors. I have worn a sari, that is fun as well, especially trying to get all the folds right, and finally succeeding! You feel like you’ve solved a tricky puzzle.
Is the person in a sari a “man” or a trans woman? Because that kind of sounds really transphobic.
Otherwise, agreed. To quote Eddie Izzard: “They’re not ‘women’s clothes’. They’re my clothes, I bought them.”
I agree with Happiestsadist. This post stinks of second-wave femmephobia.
The article is against femmephobia.
But no answer about trans women?
The man in saree is a man, not a trans woman.
When will everyone see men and women, straight, gay, bisexual or trans* are all equally inferior to robots?
Awesome!!
It should be in every-bodies opinion/feeling/understanding what he/she like to wear. Clothes are a piece of fabric, we can not make them to a gender nor can we (obviously we do) put it in a gender role. Yes, men in skirted garments can look awesome…… and it is time that men can express themselves without Victorian (industrial revolution) made restrictions. That was happen in the 19th century, we are living in the 21st century. Maybe some people noticed that, too. Women could change whenever they liked, men didn’t or couldn’t. Isn’t it time now?
Great post however I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more. Bless you!
even though I am man i wear woman’s at home sometimes and enjoy
Hurray! I’m a happily married, str8 guy who wears skirts, the occasional dress (Dresses generally need to be made for the male physique), jewelry, including pierced dangle earrings – and yes, BANGLES! I also recently acquired a Sari. They’re all a lot of fun, and I consider them all to be “masculine” as I’m a guy and I’m the one wearing them!
I’m also a professional Belly Dancer – as such I also wear the Tikka or Bindi.
Taslima, I agree.
I believe that all clothing should be gender neutral so we stop suppressing a person’s right to creatively be who they are. We are rainbow of persons with many talents and aspirations. The masculine and the feminine are part of who we are as humans. Both these qualities must be respected equality. If we are to grow stronger as a society we must stop putting each other down, telling persons you can only live a certain way, and learn to respect each other, no mater what sex you are and no mater how you wish to present as a gender.
I like wearing Halfsaree pavadai dhavani and saree
True that. As much stuff as possible, be it clothes or toys or grooming products or rituals or profession, should be brought under this gender neutral category. It will help clearing the stereotypes very much. Irrespective of gender, a person should be allowed to take his/her life decisions as long as they are not abusing anyone else with their decisions. Loved your article by the Way.