A Man In Ladies Dress? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

A Man In Ladies Dress?

The insights of a man who wore a dress on Halloween

21
A Man In Ladies Dress?
Kiss Dresses

After having felt the freedom of a dress and the wind against the bare skin of my legs, it was weird putting on pants again. Let me premise this; I am not a transvestite nor am I transgender, I am simply a man who wore a dress on Halloween, and later realized that it made a great social experiment.

To give my dear reader some back story, I purchased the dress at a thrift store with the help of some friends who are more experienced in the field of dress shopping and wearing then I. The dress was to be part of a group costume. The aforementioned friends and I enjoy Contra dancing and the Contra before Halloween was a costume Contra. My friends wanted to go as fairies and convinced me that I should be the Fairy God Mother, and where a dress, because “Dancing in a dress is so much fun, you can twirl!” I acquiesced and and thus I now have a dress.

Dancing in a dress was a lot of fun, especially once everyone had seen me. The most frightening part of wearing anything new is seeing how others will react. And every one at the dance loved it, so I was feeling great and my friends convinced me that I should wear my dress on Halloween as a costume and attend all of my classes that way. Thus begins our story.

So my one stipulation to this plan was that one of my friends meet me outside my dorm room to walk with me to class. Because being alone, in a dress, as a guy, starting the day, would be terrifying. I was okay after I built up confidence, but the initial step into public was terrifying. It is interesting that we always tend assume that others are thinking the worst of us, even if we have no reason to think so. This is why trying something new alone can be hard because there is no one to be with, and one assumes the worst from everyone else.

So we walk to our first class and I get a mix of responses. Some say I am beautiful, some do not like it, and many say I am brave. And this is what surprised me, the amount of acceptance I got throughout the day. I go to a very christian college, and thus I was nervous about how our population would react to a male in female’s clothing. But the majority were fine with it, and some quite enjoyed it. I think part of this is due to it being Halloween; people were much more forgiving of one's choices of dress. Several times I got asked, “So is this for Halloween? Or is it … ?” to which I always replied, “Yes, of course it is for Halloween,” and then proceed to tell them the story.

But I wonder what the response would have been on a day that was not Halloween? Would folks have been as accepting? Why is a man wearing a traditionally female garment so appalling? And why do we ascribe clothing to certain genders to begin with? Why is it more permissible for a woman to wear a pants suit then a man to wear a dress? And how and when did this strong differentiation between women’s and men's clothing begin in the first place?

If there is anything I have learned form the experience, it is that one should go for it and take chances. They will often turn out better then one is expecting. And another key piece of insight I gained, dresses are very comfortable and very fun to wear.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

195913
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

18260
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

460420
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

28055
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments