fashion cross dressing
TRANSCRIPT
1
YES WE ARE AMONGST YOU
ALL WE NEED IS A LITTLE MORE ACCEPTANCE
Fashion Orientation
Submitted to Krishna Kumar Sir
Submitted by Divya.M
MFM/14/301 – Semester 1
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Contents
Sl No Index Page No
1.
Main Stream Fashion
1-1
2.
Subculture
1-1
3.
Distinguishing between Subculture and Mainstream
2-2
4.
Introduction to Cross-dressing
3-4
5.
When does it all begin?
5-6
6.
Psychology behind Cross-dressing
6-7
7.
Fashion Life Cycle of Cross-dressing
7-7
8.
Ideology behind Cross-dressing
8-10
9.
Male Dominance in Cross-dressing
11-11
10.
Recent Examples on Celebrity Cross-dressing
12-14
11.
Role of Society
15-15
12.
Conclusion
15-15
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Mainstream Fashion
Mainstream is what’s the new trend is. When one "style" gets old, a new one is reborn,
and a mainstream person is someone who jumps from trend to trend so that they fit in
with the rest of the crowd. Mainstream is being what society thinks you should be, and
look like.
Subculture
Human beings have always used appearances as personal advertising – an approach to
exhibit who we are and where we are at. As the world grows ever more complex and
fragmented, the importance of appearance grows even greater: visible differences and
similarities facilitating interaction and relationships. Hence the INDIVIDUALITY
appears, where the STYLE originates, which creates the importance of AUTHENTICITY
and continuous as a SUBCULTURE with similar minded people.
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of
people with a culture (related to clothing or music) which differentiates
them from the larger culture to which they belong.
A subculture is a group of people within a culture that differentiates
themselves from the larger culture to which they belong.
It may be difficult to identify certain subcultures because their style
(particularly clothing and music) may be adopted by mass culture for
commercial purposes. Businesses often seek to capitalize on the subversive
allure of subcultures in search of cool, which remains valuable in the
selling of any product.
The study of subcultures often consists of the study of symbolism attached
to clothing, music and other visible affectations by members of subcultures,
and also the ways in which these same symbols are interpreted by members
of the dominant culture.
According to Dick Hebdige, members of a subculture often signal their
membership through a distinctive and symbolic use of style, which
includes fashions, mannerisms and argot.
In his 1979 book Subculture: The Meaning of Style, Dick Hebdige argued
that a subculture is subversion to normalcy. He wrote that subcultures can
be perceived as negative due to their nature of criticism to the dominant
societal standard; subcultures bring together like-minded individuals who
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feel neglected by societal standards and allow them to develop a sense of
identity.
Distinguish between Subculture and Mainstream
It may be difficult to identify certain subcultures because their style (particularly clothing
and music) may be adopted by mass culture for commercial purposes. Businesses often
seek to capitalize on the subversive allure of subcultures in search of Cool, where they
use it in merchandises, people who would like to follow such cultures but cannot due to
various reasons, this is the best get away for them and they buy the merchandise, it’s a
win win situation for both business organizations and customer. This process of cultural
appropriation may often result in the death or evolution of the subculture, as its members
adopt new styles that appear alien to mainstream society.
Ken Gilder proposed to distinguish subcultures from countercultures based on the level of
immersion in society. Gilder further proposed six key ways in which subcultures can be
identified through their:
Often negative relations to work (as 'idle', 'parasitic', at play or at leisure,
etc.)
negative or ambivalent relation to class (since subcultures are not 'class-
conscious' and don't conform to traditional class definitions)
association with territory (the 'street', the 'hood', the club, etc.), rather than
property
movement out of the home and into non-domestic forms of belonging (i.e.
social groups other than the family)
stylistic ties to excess and exaggeration (with some exceptions)
Refusal of the banalities of ordinary life and massification.
Music-based subcultures are particularly vulnerable to this process, and what may be
considered a subculture at one stage in its history such as jazz, Goth, punk, hip
hop and rave cultures, may represent mainstream taste within a short period of time.
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Introduction to
Cross - Dressing
“Why would men
want to wear clothing
of the opposite sex?"
"Are these men
perverted, or crazy?"
"Are they gay?"
Thousands of men
worldwide are, at this very
moment, putting on their
pantyhose, dresses,
makeup, and high heels, trying to look as pretty and as feminine as they can. The sight of
a grown man wearing a dress, in many societies is considered odd, or unusual, and may
even be a cause for ridicule. They are neither perverted, nor crazy. These individuals
could be your next door neighbor, your boss, or even your brother. The man sitting next
to you at church could be wearing garter belt under his clothes for all you know.
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Cross-dressing is actually quite common, but it is
most often done in private or as a secret that is
hidden from others. But now, more and more
men are "coming out" and dressing "en femme."
In fact, there are conventions where males of
different ages and backgrounds, get together to
enjoy the freedom of dressing and socializing as
females. These conventions may draw hundreds
of cross dressers.
Self-identified cross-dressers generally
do not have fetishistic intentions, but
are instead men who wear female
clothing and often both admire and
imitate women.
The history of cross-dressing and trans gendering has highlighted both the numerous
instances of individuals who dressed as the opposite sex and the multiple reasons for
doing so. In the eighteenth century, there were numerous tales of female soldiers and
sailors who enlisted and had long-successful careers in male guise. Their motives were
varied from those who enlisted as it paid better than female occupations, to those for
whom it was the only way to follow a male lover, to those who wished to fight for their
country. There were often very practical reasons for donning male clothes with women,
finding that being a lone woman was an unwelcome prospect and that male clothes
offered a degree of protection against rape, seductions or other forms of violence. Also
the cross-dressing should not be confused with Japanese cross-dressing as they mainly
deal with prostitution.
Being prevalent in various parts of the world, existence of cross-dressers
can be traced long back but it was not established as a culture but they
did it for various reasons like protection, work etc. And most of them
being secretive where their motive was well hidden.
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When Does it All Begin?
Many believe that cross dressing desires can be
recognized at a very young age. Indeed, many
cross dressers report their earliest memories of
cross dressing to be from the pre-adolescent
years. Painting fingernails, dressing in female
underwear and trying on high heeled shoes are
all acts that form the basis of many stories. Most
cross dressers also recall memories from the
teenage years.
This can be an extremely challenging time for
any adolescent, but perhaps even more so for a
cross dresser. Being pulled in two different
directions causes much confusion in the mind of
a youngster.
Whilst the teenager can see physical
changes that confirm his masculinity,
his feminine desires are likely to raise
many questions.
Amidst the abundance of hormones, a cross dressing teenager's desire to find his true self
often emerges during this time. In the main, this is done behind closed for fear of being
caught and ridiculed. Social and peer pressures often force a cross dresser to comply with
a 'macho' image. Not wanting to be isolated or bullied, it is common for boys to deny
their feminine urges and play along with the masculine stereotype. While all appears to
be well from the outside, the reality is quite different. Society is generally unsympathetic
to issues such as gender identity, so the teenager often has little choice but to fit the
mould until he has the confidence to do something about it. In reality, the vast majority of
cross dressers don't fully acknowledge their cross dressing desires until later on in life.
Cross dressers don't just wake up one day to find that they have an
urge to dress in women's clothes. So, when does it all begin?
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Remember, cross dressers are happy with their masculine traits. The
only thing that makes them different to any other man is that they like to
express the female side of their personality by dressing as a woman.
This may only happen every now and again. Only a small percentage choose to be en-
femme all of the time.
Psychology behind
Cross-dressing
Why would men do this, you
might ask?
Important reason for cross-
dressing is that men want to feel
free to express the feminine side of
their personality. Self-identified
cross-dressers generally do not have
fetishistic intentions, but are instead
men who wear female clothing and
often both admire and imitate
women. Boys are commonly
socialized to believe that they
cannot portray feminine traits. They
can't cry, appear weak, or be soft.
Males who dress in female clothing
often feel liberated to express their
emotions that perhaps, they are not
able to freely express as
themselves. For at least a few
moments, they can shed the burdens
and responsibilities of being a
"man." Often, this results in
feelings of comfort, and reduced
stress. Men wear dresses because it
feels good.
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Second reason for cross-dressing is one that is not often expressed, but it is to feel
and experience the "power of a woman." What power is this? It is the power of a
beautiful woman to be able to turn the heads of all the men as she enters the room.
It is the power to choose who will get their attention. They see themselves as
having a male side and a female side, and they believe their male side was turn-on
by their female side. They see themselves as having two people, one male and one
female inside themselves. It is about the meaning associated with the clothing and
using that association as a means to establish an identity and sense of self
independent of that which has been assigned to us by society.
Unfortunately, in many societies cross-dressing, especially male to
female, is often still a taboo. A man wearing a dress or other feminine
attire in public is often the subject of ridicule
Fashion Life Cycle of Cross-dressing
Cross-
dressing
has
reached
the
growing
stage in
Fashion
Life Cycle.
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Ideology behind Cross-dressing
-Young
72 year old man Cross-dressing to look
young
-Feminine
Model trying to feel feminine and
comfortable by Cross-dressing and
wearing a skirt
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-Individualism
Varied personalities
show their
individualism
through the choices
they make via
clothing,
accessories, makeup
etc.
- Stylish
Expressin
g oneself
through
emotions
influencin
g varied
styles.
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-Aesthetic
Aesthetic appeal makes them feel sexy and attractive.
-Enjoyment
Many Cross dressers come
together to celebrate their
culture and uniqueness
which gives them happiness
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Male dominance in Cross-dressing
It is influencing male cross dressing than female because females have
already adapted the style of trousers, shirts etc. that is male attires which
very well accepted in the society.
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Recent Examples on Celebrity Cross-dressing
Here’s a visual from Dolce & Gabbana where celebrity Cross - dressing
model, Andrej Pejic, shocked and awed the world into believing he was
a woman, when in fact, he’s man.
These days, it seems
women can be men
and men can be
women and people
are either hideously
insulted or
appreciative of the art
form. There’s no
denying that the
shock factor of this
new look is sure to
boost awareness, and
in turn, sales.
Andrej Pejic who is
the first ever cross-
dressing male model
to cover
Elle magazine. The
Serbian born model
has made some
serious fashion
statements and
consequently racked
up a number of high
profile shoots,
namely for Jean Paul
Gaultier
The January issue
of Serbian Elle break
s the boundaries of
gender and celebrates
fashion at its most.
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Andrej Pejic, who is the first ever cross-dressing male model to cover
Elle magazine. The Serbian born model has made serious fashion
statement Cross-dressing.
16
John Travolta Cross-Dressing which is not for a movie and it also
convinces that the actor is a big fan of Cross – dressing
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Role of Society
Subcultures can be perceived as negative, due to their nature of criticism to the dominant
societal standard; subcultures bring together like-minded individuals who feel neglected
by societal standards and allow them to develop a sense of identity.
Youth subcultures have been described as a moral problem that ought to be handled by
the guardians of society. British youths are labeled as troublemakers by members of the
dominant culture.
The act of cross-dressing was a challenge to the status quo, destabilizing
the gender norms so central to cultural hierarchies.
It is done behind closed for fear of being caught and ridiculed. Social and peer pressures
often force a cross dresser to comply with a 'macho' image. Not wanting to be isolated or
bullied, it is common for boys to deny their feminine urges and play along with the
masculine stereotype. While all appears to be well from the outside, the reality is quite
different. Society is generally unsympathetic to issues such as gender identity, so the
teenager often has little choice but to fit the mould until he has the confidence to do
something about it.
Like any other subculture society criticized for cross dressing as well. In
fact the criticism for more because it shook the ethical morals of the
society and blurred the line between feminity and masculinity.
Conclusion
In reality, the vast majority of cross dressers don't fully acknowledge their cross dressing
desires until later on in life. Remember, cross dressers are happy with their masculine
traits. The only thing that makes them different to any other man is that they like to
express the female side of their personality by dressing as a woman. This may only
happen every now and again. Only a small percentage choose to be en-femme all of the
time. It is the purpose of this choice of Subculture to create acceptance, and to portray
cross-dressing as a normal practice that occurring throughout the world and in many
cultures. Cross dressing as a culture is still evolving.