Man in a Dress

We have certain expectations about the way that men and women are supposed to look, and it creates this unflattering stereotype of the "man in a dress" as some kind of unappealing hybrid - like, as if you were to take a lumberjack out of the forest and just stick him in a sundress. (Most times when a man puts on a dress, he puts more thought into it than that - you're just less likely to notice that anything is out of the ordinary).

Now, I don't doubt that there are people out there who like the "lumberjack in a sundress" look, and more power to you - I'm not in the business of judging. And I know there's enough pressure as it is to conform to society's expectations of how your preferred gender should look. I think people should be able express their authentic selves however they like, without discrimination. Passing should be an option (for those who are interested in it), and not a requirement.

All I'm saying is, men and women tend to hold themselves up to very different standards when it comes to their appearance, but though they typically have different landscapes to work with, these things are not set in stone. Men can groom and primp themselves just the same as women do. That traditional society doesn't expect them to, doesn't mean it's impossible, or necessarily undesirable. Men can be pretty, too. And that's not a bad thing.