Girls, It's Okay To Wear Boys' Clothes! Hooray!

A

article recently declared, it seems, that the prevalence of women wearing men's clothing is now acceptable and, even, to take it a little further, cool.

Let's consider the following juicy paragraph, full of melodious intrigue and superior knowledge, as a starting point for a brief discussion:

Grey’s Anatomy

Juno

[Color emphasis mine, of course.]

The words combined are like a football-field-sized trampoline for a kangaroo. Where to begin? And yet, when will it end? Allow me, a mulatto dyke who's been wearing boys' clothes since before I could recite the alphabet, to engage in a quick discussion about clothing and gender.

According to this, there hasn't been much discussion about women (straight ones, of course!) who are the "counterpart" of that cool straight guy who is comfortable enough in his sexuality to brandish a fierce fashion sense, replete with silver accessories and groomed nails. So confused by the heterosexuality of these wonderful guys, popular culture spawned the word "metrosexual" to label them. Awesome.

But until now there hasn't been a word to give safe haven to those women (straight!) who dress like boys. Who have "largely given up on mainstream women’s fashion, with its expensive, often unflattering vicissitudes, finding refuge in an eternal sporty girlhood that may or may not be tied to any real athletic bent. They borrow from men’s wear, which is more constant, comfortable and, lately, focused on well-made basics like jeans and T-shirts, and they profess ignorance of female grooming rituals, even if they have a secret love of eyeliner."

Well, ha! Now there's a term (two words!) -- not just a word -- for these women and, therefore, a place to roam free, uninhibited, in their comfortable clothing while still able to cling to the security of their sexuality. "Urbane tomboys" they're called. And what the hell's taken you so long?

But, then again, what the hell's the point?

It's very annoying to read something like this and consider the fact that an issue is being made out of it. A positive issue. After all these years of listening to criticisms, homophobia from non-lesbians and lesbians alike who decry those women who wear men's clothing with a shorn head of hair as a complement, this article seems to bless the practice, albeit natural, of adorning jeans and a t-shirt. And being sexy while doing it. Suddenly, it's okay. It's cool. It's even encouraged. And why? Because it's getting play in popular, heterosexual, culture. That's part of why.

It doesn't seem to matter that a slew of women have been donning dudes' clothing for decades upon decades, and looking damn good while doing it. I'm not talking about Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, and Diane Keaton, although the three of them certainly have their place in the spheres of the fashion conscious. I'm talking about girls, like me, who intend on remaining girls, love girls, and dress in boys clothes all the time because it is required within their psyches. The girls who visit gap.com and macys.com and bananarepublic.com and all the other dot-coms that have links to the men's section. The girls who only give women's clothing another thought when it's on women they think are hot. The girls who don't do it because it's what "Urban Tomboys" do and because it's convenient "in between glamorous appearances at awards shows."

I understand it's not such a big deal to 97% of the population. That's the group under which a male friend of mine falls when he asks, "Why don't we go to the women's section and find you something when you're here? What's the big deal?" I don't know what the big deal is, but I also shouldn't have to explain it. Ah, privilege.

I'm gonna go change into some different boys' clothes and take a walk.