What do you call a woman who dresses like a man? How can women’s fashion themselves to look more feminine and appear more appealing to men? Men may not understand, but the question of what do you call a woman who dresses like a man has been answered across the cultures of many different countries for hundreds of years.
To most women in western cultures, their wardrobe is made up of clothing that is either too large for them or designed specifically for their man. Most women’s clothing is designed around their husband or significant other. Women everywhere have learned that it is okay to dress themselves in clothing that matches the man that they are married to, and if they desire to wear a different style or color, then they are free to do so.
While there is nothing wrong with women wanting to dress in clothing that matches their significant other, what is considered inappropriate varies from culture to culture. The same can be said for what type of shoes, hats, scarves, jackets, belts, jewelry and other accessories they can wear. What do you call a woman who dresses in the clothing of a certain celebrity? In many cases these fashion trends are acceptable in one country but frowned upon in another.
While it is not uncommon to hear about women who choose to wear the clothing of several celebrities, the fashion trends that are spoken of are often considered to be very revealing and inappropriate for business meetings, board meetings and many other situations. There is a difference between dressing in a manner that is complimentary to you and dressing in a manner that is complimentary to others. What do you call a woman who wears a tight sweater that barely covers her top as she is attending a meeting with colleagues?
The same could be asked about what do you call a woman who dresses like a man. If she was wearing a man’s suit and stilettos for instance, would that qualify as inappropriate? The same can be said for what do you call a woman who dresses like a woman. If she was wearing sexy lingerie for instance, would that also qualify?
There are more questions that need to be answered. Do you call a woman who dresses like a man a sissy, transvestite or gay? Do you call her a dyke? What do you call a woman who dresses like a man as opposed to a woman who dresses like a woman? To complicate matters even more is what do you call a woman who dresses like a woman when she is married to a man and has children? Is she a lesbian or bi-sexual?
These are just a few examples of what do you call a woman who dresses like a man. In my book “heterosexuality and heteronormativity” I define women as individualistic, creative, critical, and free agents in their sexual and intimate lives. Men on the other hand are sexually exclusive, cisgendered, and responsible for their own acts.
So to answer the question what do you call a woman who dresses like a man, it is up to each individual to decide what makes her uniquely herself. I would suggest any guy who want to dress well, any guy who want to be noticed for his unique fashion sense and style, and any guy who want to make a good impression at the office (or any other social setting for that matter) should definitely consider dressing like a woman. It will not only make him more attractive to others, but it will most likely make him happier in the long run.