Men who dress nearly like women - Eddie Izzard

Grayson Perry was on the TV this evening.

His pottery was great and I was astonished to see he'd already made his own urn!
Perhaps he was a Boy Scout - be prepared.

Now this is the kind of clothing I like to see a man wear!
Zack Pinset, 25, from Hove, has only worn historical clothing for the past decade
All outfits are researched and sewn by Zack with some taking a year to perfect
Aged 14, he burned jeans on bonfire but got serious about dandy style at 17
Zack has large online following and said he's 'received many marriage proposals'

I love Eddie Izzard and Grayson Perry. Let them wear what they like , why should you care it’s a free country

What I have noticed is that the women I know are quite unconcerned about Grayson Perry's cross-dressing, but the men see only his choice of women's clothes and make-up and are unwilling to even consider his art or his very sensible books, as though reading "The descent of man" will somehow emasculate them.

BBMorMor - Hi, Just looked back at this and so agree with you. One of the few places you CAN ask 'silly questions' and still have a civil conversation. Grans Rock!

Why does it matter? Live and let live. Life is too short.

I read the original post and was ready to jump to Eddie’s defence as he is a truly wonderful human being. And I’m DELIGHTED that the vast majority of these replies are how I feel. ‘Dress how you like’, ‘he’s a lovely person’, makes life interesting’ and to each their own’.

And the original post wanting to understand is so lovely too.

It’s made my bloomin’ day you lovely lovely people <3

Does it really matter what he wears , when all is said and done, he appears to be a decent person?
In this day and age, where shock horror, it's commonplace for women to wear trousers, why can't someone that outwardly male, wear a dress and make up?
I quite like his combinations of black tie, mascara and nail varnish !

I’m puzzled at some of the comments on here. Catch up, Britain, judgemental bigotry, living in the Victorian era.

I can see one, maybe two, negative posts about Eddie Izzard/cross dressers, and many elderly Gransnet members just discussing the subject and/or trying to understand. Nothing wrong with that, imho. I do the same with my cross-dressing friend.

Each to his/her own - he’s a colourful character and the world would IMO be very dull if we were all conventionally and (so often) drably similar.

Wasn’t it Eddie Izard who said that the motto of the Church of England should be ‘Tea and cakes or death!’
I really liked that, especially in a world where religious extremism is so much more prevalent.

I agree with SirChenin and other GNs who have said the same things as SirChenin, here.

Hetty58 - yes, I suspect you're right, we have a lot of projection going on.

Elegran the males who live locally and are cross dressers do tend to dress more flamboyantly and wear more makeup than any women I know, even to go to the supermarket or the pub.
But yes, they are the ones who would seem to want to be noticed. Others may not.

I tend towards thinking that they put people down to make themselves feel better. My mother was excellent at it.

It reveals an inner dislike of self, a lack of confidence and a sad, unhappy person. Therefore, my reaction is to pity those poor souls who feel compelled to criticise!

Hetty58 - I'm 70 and its becoming increasingly clear I don't share many views with many posters. I've no problem with political disagreement, healthy and interesting but the level of unpleasantness and judgemental comments on some threads about people, shock me.

Iam64, I think that's just some elderly gransnet members - not society as a whole (I hope).

Yes trisher and you'd also hope that judgemental bigotry would lessen but looking at number of threads on gransnet currently, I'd say its getting worse rather than better.

I suppose that's the big mistake we make now. We think women should have exclusive use of make up etc. And yet not so long ago respectable women wouldn't have worn it. You would imagine that years after Adam Ant and Boy George we would have managed to be a bit more understanding.

!Set the tone" not "set the one". Memo to self - preview and correct before sending.

I think that is it - don't even try to understand, just accept that this is his way.

A few centuries ago, men were peacocks - Tudor and Stewart men wore silks and satins, brocade waistcoats with gold and silver thread embroidery, embroidered kid gloves, lace ruffles at the neck,heavy gold chains around their necks, diamonds hanging from their ears and embellishing the pins in their hats, and they lathered on exotic perfumes. If you could afford it, you went to town. These were not the feminised fobs their appearance might suggest - they were randy and macho, and carried swords which they knew how to use!

In the Georgian era, they still dressed to kill. It was only in Victoria's day, when puritanical Prince Albert set the one for more reserved and formal dressing, that the norm for men became as it was in the 20th Century. Don't forget that even Albert himself was less conventional in his body jewellery than you would suspect from his black-white-and-grey clothing. We have had an era of sober mainstream wear for men. It seems that is over and we are returning to older habits.

Thanks for all the observations. I live near him - often present at same events etc (its a small town, a bit everyone knows everyone). He is clearly clever, talented and does masses of good. But when in 'the presence' I feel a bit odd - lovely make up, nails etc but very masculine. Just trying to understand. I suppose that's the mistake - who does understand anyone else?

Freedom to be yourself is priceless.

He is not hurting anybody.
His only "sin" is not to follow long standing society rules, which restrict you from expressing yourself.

Good for him!

I'm a strong believer in 'each to his own'. People can dress how they like, do what they like, as long as it doesn't hurt others.
Eddie Izzard is a very intelligent man, with certain issues that are his own business.

I like Eddie

He can dress however he likes in my opinion

Why is it fine for women to dress and present themselves in a wide variety of ways - yet men are expected to keep to a very limited choice of 'uniforms'. Inequality is still rife in 2020!