Men's Panties or Women's Panties?
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This is a question and point of contention for men who like to wear lingerie, their partners and other people who have a passing interest in the topic. I myself often argue that panties are panties are panties, regardless of who is wearing them. However in reality, there is a difference between 'men's panties' and 'women's panties', if only because 'women's panties' tend to be fairly high quality garments made by multinational corporations and modeled by lanky Brazilian lasses with more money than sense, whereas 'men's panties' tend to be produced by smaller companies that cater to a very different aesthetic.
Now there are some very good small manufacturers of men's panties. Panties For Men is one such online retailer, and there are others too. However one cannot get away from the fact that when panties are made 'for men who wear panties' they tend to emerge from the process of creation looking like they were thrown up by a seamstress who'd accidentally consumed Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. In other words, they are puffy, quite often pink or baby blue, festooned with ribbons and generally look, if I am to be frank, like baby clothes.
Unsurprisingly, the bulk of men who like lingerie therefore simply buy what the lingerie stores call 'women's panties'. This is because mainstream women's underwear isn't a juvenile parody of lingerie, but is actual lingerie with style, feminine sophistication, and, something that much of the 'men's panties' makers seem to have forgotten, understatement. You don't need six yards of lace to make a garment look feminine. Most men who like lingerie want to look stylish when they wear their lingerie, they want to feel good about themselves.
I am not so naive as to claim that there is no market for the puffy girly panties that don't resemble anything any grown woman has ever worn, obviously there is, but it does not represent the bulk of men who want to wear lingerie and thus they are forced back into the 'women's' departments.
Ideally we'd just call the whole thing unisex, but I imagine that would disappoint not women as much as the men who like to wear lingerie because it is a feminine thing to do. For a relatively small section of the population, lingerie wearing men show remarkable diversity within their group. Some just like well made lingerie and don't want to be seen as feminine, others don't care about the lingerie as long as it makes them look feminine and others, well, others are in it for reasons we can't get into on a family friendly website.
I don't know much, but I do know that the longer we designate lingerie as being 'women's lingerie' , it's going to be a point of contention when men wear it. Labels mean nothing at all and yet they are some of the most powerful things in the world.
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Gaff Panty For Crossdressing & Transvestite Men BLACK "SATIN"
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CommentsLoading...
Mike, this is your comment minus the one small phrase that cannot be posted here. Please everyone, Hub Pages has a 'family friendly' policy that must be respected or your comments can's be posted (and on the internet, its more about what words you use than what your intent is because it's all keyword driven. It sucks, but there it is.):
Hope,
Your assesment is pretty spot on. I believe the purveyors of "men's" panties, are still struggling to recognize, and understand their matket. As a man who wears panties, I love the truly feminine. I like lace, and ruffles, and bowsn asmuch as the next guy. However the "men's" panty industry seems compelled to incorporate as much as possible of everything that appeals to the male panty wearer, into each item. More is not always better. In fact it seldom is. There no doubt is some market for these styles. A certain segment of any group is drawn to the extreme. Whether it be in their attire, home decor, body art, or whatever. But these style do not fit into the "mainstream(?)", of panty clad males.
Personally, I do not see a need, or large market for male specific panties. The argument can be made ( I guess ), that males need more fabric/space in certain areas to facilitate the male anatomy. I believe this is largely ego driven. I find most styles of "women's" panties ( with exception of the very lowrise ) fit me quite well, and comfortabley.
Let the manufacture of panties, as well as traditionally "men's" underwear continues as it has. Allow men, AND women choose which best fits their needs, and desires. And accept each others choices, as well as your own.
Hope,
No problem. Though I thought I chose my words rather carefully in that regard. Nothing I have ever posted on any forum/hub, has been so incisive, or "life changing", that the world could not surviveb it's editing.
I agree with Tom. Panties, are panties no matter who wears them, and they always should be.
I think Xdress.com does a good job of making nice panties for men that aren't all lollipopped up.
Hope, your description of panties made for men does not describe those sold by xdress.com. They have a great variety and most are fine and light, but with feminine materials and cuts, with room for the 'boys' bits'.
I didn't name xdress.com as an offender did I? ;)
Zeta,
The point I tried to make in the phrase Hope "snipped" out. Is that men tend to exaggerate the need for extra room. But to each their own.
Personally, I see a beautiful pair of panties designed to adorn the female body. I see how beautiful a model looks in them, and how beautiful they look on her. That is what makes me desire them. For me, a panty designed with the male body in mind, simply does not, can not capature that feminine essence that I seek a connection to. Not so much to be, or look feminine. Rather to have that intimate connection TO the feminine.
The panty is in the eye of the beholder. :-)
I believe that if I wear panties (which I do 24/7 its because they are femenine, no need to wear mens panties when my desiere is to wear womens panties..... besides mens panties (don't call me cheap) are much more expensive and not so nice, why bother to buy these when we already have the "nice ones" womens panties...
Good call Hope. I have just bought regular womens panties and they do just fine, no need to buy panties made for men.
I totally agree with you, Hope.
Those panties for men are not my style at all. I like the look of panties that are made for females. Those have nice styles, fabrics and colors.
They are not overdone like most panties made especially for men.
I guess it fits a niche though.
Womens panties for me.
It is interesting though, that in the dictionary, the words "panty" and "panties" denote only an undergarment for girls and women. So, technically speaking, "male panties" is a misnomer. But maybe the word meaning is changing...
I wouldn't take the dictionary to be the definer of all truth in your life, Nolyn.
You are right Hope: the vast majority of men (I believe) wear panties because of the feminine look and cut, and the label "women's panties" is also somewhat crucial to our enjoyment of them.
Where can i get a pair of those petty pink panties in the picture above?
Through the ebay links.
Tom 20 months ago
Being a cross-dresser I buy womens panties and wear them daily , the panties that are made for men to me look about as feminine as a grain sack and I have no interest in wearing anything that looks like that.
My feeling is that if I buy panties they are my panties and I feel no need to label them male or female.