Profiles of Beskirted Men: JJ

Today, we welcome JJ from near Berlin, Germany to Profiles of Beskirted Men!

What is your name?

JJ

Where are you from?

I come from Germany and live near Berlin.

Which types of gender non-conforming clothing do you enjoy wearing?

I like to wear skirts, tights and leggings as well as underwear. I also love shoes with high heels, but I don’t have any of my own yet. But that will come, for sure.

When did you start wearing gender non-conforming clothing?

I started many, many years ago, even as a child, but until recently always in secret.

How did you start wearing gender non-conforming clothing and why?

It was simply a deep need of mine. I started with my mother’s clothes when I was home alone. Later, I bought skirts, blouses, stockings, or tights on business trips and wore them in my hotel room in the evening. I also wore underwear and/or stockings or tights under my “normal” pants during the day. Out of fear or shame, I threw it all away again the next day and felt bad. But I did it again and again.

What is your motivation now for putting on gender non-conforming clothing?

I simply feel better dressed in typically “feminine clothes”, more fitting and chic for me. The fine fabrics, the colorful patterns, they have simply inspired me since my childhood, and that was a really long time ago.

What do gender non-conforming clothes mean to you?

It gives me much more pleasure, I feel more comfortable and much more appropriately dressed than in typical “male clothing”. I really love skirts and can’t do much with suits, although I used to wear them more often for certain business or private occasions. I don’t do that anymore.

How often do you wear gender non-conforming clothing?

As often as possible. I wear almost exclusively gender-nonconforming underwear. When possible, I also wear tights and leggings, especially now in winter, and when the opportunity arises, I like to wear a skirt instead of jeans at home and in public.

Do you go out in public dressed in gender non-conforming clothes? If not, why not? If so, how often and where do you go? Are there any places you wouldn’t go?

Yes, I did that several times last year and continue to do so, and it was and is exciting and beautiful, yes, excitingly beautiful. I do it as often as the opportunity presents itself. Unfortunately, not as often as I would like, but that would probably be almost every day. I hope that I can manage that at some point.

At the moment, I wouldn’t go for it in my professional environment.

Do you find it hard to go out in public in gender non-conforming clothes?

Yes and no. It always involves a lot of heartache, but it’s really nice, especially when I get recognition or a friendly smile – so far more from women.

What is your best and/or worst experience in gender non-conforming clothes?

My best experience was when a nurse asked me about it when I was donating blood and she thought it was great.

Do your family or friends know about how you dress?

My wife knows. My grown-up daughters, my best friend and my band members know and support it.

Are there people you don’t want to know about it?

Finally, and ultimately no. But I still need some time and more self-confidence to make it clear to my mother and my colleagues.

Does your partner accept your clothing choices?

Unfortunately, this is still the most complicated part for me or for both of us. We’ve been a couple for over 40 years, and it’s very difficult for my wife to learn and deal with what I’ve unfortunately kept to myself for far too long. But I hope that we can slowly but surely soften this hard nut to crack. My two daughters are positive about it and are very supportive.

What is your favorite style?

Now in winter I like to wear thick tights and a short winter skirt over them. On stage, I also like to wear a kilt or a skirt with thin tights.

Where do you shop for your clothes?

On the Internet, in second-hand stores or in normal stores, of course in the women’s department.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Yes, I very much hope that it will soon become much more natural for men to wear skirts, dresses, fine fabrics, high heels and make-up. And I very much hope that this will not be pushed back again at some point due to the negative movements that can currently be observed in the world. I am German and know our history very well. The current developments in Germany, in Europe, but also in America, make me very thoughtful at the moment.

Above all, thank you, dear Alex, for your wonderful website and the opportunity to introduce us here. That is a huge support!

Thank you for sharing, JJ!

If you would like to have your profile featured in Profiles of Beskirted Men, take a look at the post I wrote about it for more details.