[Rod-H]

I've often wondered why many lesbians choose men's apparel in clothing to appeal to women who are not interested in men. It seems like a conundrum to me. I would think it would be the opposite: Wearing sort of ultra-feminine clothing.

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Name : Rod-H, Gender : M, City : Fort Lauderdale, State : FL Country : United States, 

[DykeOnByke]

Most lesbians wear whatever clothes we like, without much regard for what might appeal to other lesbians (let alone men). We are dressing for ourselves, not potential mates. The vast majority of lesbians wear women's clothing, whether it be ultra-feminine or just plain old jeans and t-shirt. Men's clothing tends to be cut quite a bit differently than most women are made. However, you might not recognize women so attired as being lesbians.

Lesbians who prefer men's clothing may choose to wear it for several reasons. They simply like the way it looks on themselves. Some femmes prefer butch-looking women (and vice-versa). This is only part of an entire butch-femme mystique that I am not going to go into here. Men's clothes may be higher quality, less expensive, more comfortable, or cut looser for heavier women. All kinds of reasons. I am most apt to find myself looking in the men's department if I want a jacket with inside pockets (particularly ski, denim or leather jacket with multiple-inside pockets or inner ones that zip shut). I prefer pockets to purses.

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Name : DykeOnByke, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 48, City : Southfield, State : MI Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer; corporate diversity council member, 

[Kim H.]

Women in the past and certainly at present have certain "fashion" expectations put on them, by a world dominated by male designers. So a lot of women already feel "forced" when it comes to clothing. We are forced to emulate a style or fashion that is not ours and that we wouldn't necessarily choose for ourselves. Men's clothing is cheaper, made better, lasts longer and, above everything else, is far more comfortable than the majority of women's clothing. (And remember, most women make less money than most males in the United States, so buying cheaper certainly makes sense.) On a more political and psychological level, minority groups, whether they are people of color or women, will find ways to emulate or challenge the power structure - even if it is through fashion. Look at when women demanded to be able to wear pants in public - around the 1930s. Why did they have to demand the right to wear what they wanted to? Because men made the laws and expected women to know their place, which dictated among a host of things, clothing. Nowadays, some women will adopt a mannish style of dress in order not to be sexually harrassed, which makes sense, especially when women are attacked physically and men don't want to take responsibility for their actions and often cite that it was the clothing the woman was wearing that provoked them to attack. Finally, when women wear men's clothing, it is to say to the world that they do not want to be pigeon-holed and that they are not going to give in to a less-than-equitable power system. So if some men get p----d off or intimidated in the process, all they need to do is don a tight, uncomfortable dress and walk several miles in stilettos, and they, too, will understand the position their power structure has put women in.

User Detail :  

Name : Kim H., Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Humanist, Age : 43, City : Minneapolis, State : MN Country : United States, Occupation : Actress, Playwright and Director, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Dan27154]

I'm not a lesbian, but from observance, it would seem that many gay women are more comfortable with traditionally male fashions. I'm sure that if it were as socially acceptable for men to wear blouses and skirts as it is for women to wear masculine shirts and pants, you'd probably see a lot of gay men (perhaps even a few straight men!) dressed in women's fashions. In either case, it would seem to be a matter of personal preference and not a ploy to attract a mate.

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Name : Dan27154, Gender : M, Age : 22, City : La Salle, State : IL Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[Onewanda]

I didn't realize "masculine" dress was the official uniform of lesbians everywhere. I guess that explains the surprise most people have when I introduce my mate. I can't tell you how many people have said, "I always thought you were gay!" That all lesbians dress in men's clothing is a stereotype, and like all stereotypes, you miss a lot if you believe them. I think most of the issues have been eloquently hit - men's clothing is cheaper and easier, ultra-feminine is uncomfortable for most women and is often blamed for why a woman is mistreated, and most lesbians, like most women in general, dress more for their own comfort or happiness, not to get a mate.

User Detail :  

Name : Onewanda, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 27, City : NYC, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Christy32119]

One reason to wear frilly, sexy, feminine clothing is to attract a man. If you're not in the market for a man, you can wear comfortable, well-made, reasonably priced clothing in breathable natural fibers. You can wear pants with pockets and shirts that don't bind. And those clothes, I'm afraid, can be found only in the men's section.

User Detail :  

Name : Christy32119, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 37, City : Fort Worth, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Kate26618]

I think there's a few assumptions there that don't necessarily hold out. first, that the masculine-dresed lesbians are all the lesbians there are. no. I'm a femme lesbian, you probably would think I was a straight woman unless I mentioned it. second, that 'feminine' is some natural expression of how women are. it's not the case for all (most?) women. a lot of women put that look on for men. so when attracting men isn't the issue, women are free to dress as they like, and unsurprisingly they often choose clothes that are a bit more comfortabel than the stereotypically feminine spike heels and tight skirts. lastly, and, I guess this is controversial, but once women are dressing exactly how they please, I think there are a lot of lesbians, more so than straight women, who prefer to look butch, or androgynous, or something other than 'feminine'. it seems to go along with being queer.

User Detail :  

Name : Kate26618, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 23, City : Edinburgh, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Occupation : student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Morgan20355]

There are a number of reasons that some lesbians may prefer men's clothing. Men's clothing is less expensive, better made, and often fits better if you like a loose fit. Also, I think a major reason some women choose men's clothing is that they purposely want to prevent unwanted male attention. Also, not all lesbians and homosexuals have soft gender identity lines, but some do. It is empowering to refuse to be limited by gender expectations when it comes to one's appearance. Just like some gay men enjoy wearing women's clothing, they (most of them) don't want to be women any more than their partners want them to be. But they do want to be able to express an ever-fluid gender identity through dress, mannerisms, speech and drama.

Finally, men are still the ones with the power in this country. For a lesbian to wear the uniform of the power class, she is crossing through a gender barrier and empowering all women.

User Detail :  

Name : Morgan20355, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 33, City : New Orleans, State : LA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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