A famous movie star from the mid-20th century once said that the people who asked her why she never wore a dress inevitably were the type of people who never needed to wear one themselves (i.e., men). She wore men's pants and men's shirts. She was tall and thin and those cuts of clothing hung very well on her. If I am remembering correctly, she even won a fashion award at some point for her distinctly masculine, yet female, style. There is a category of women's wear called "menswear," but I'm not thinking about that, though I like the idea of tweeds, elbow patches, trouser-style pants, etc. I am talking about actual men's clothes. A few years ago, I was shopping at the local Target for various things. I had all but given up on women's jeans - the stretchy stuff was too hot and I felt like it was too binding. Being a less-than-youthful person, I wasn't sure that "jeggings" were something I wanted to wear outside my home, either.
Since I was a little kid, I was always a maker. Except for my mom, who tended more to the practical (as in volunteering to help people and being a patient advocate), my brother, two sisters and I grew up drawing, painting and making things. My brother built models (some of which he designed himself) and messed around in my dad's wood shop (which I envied him for - I have not, to this day, learned my way around a wood shop). My dad grew up poor in Scranton PA, and made his own toys as a kid. As a grown up, he would spend his evening hours in the basement, running power tools. He made toys, book shelves and other things, and, as a grandfather, became a virtual Santa's workshop every Christmas. Eventually, our coloring books gave way to sketch books. My older sister drew big-eyed girls; I tended towards sunbursts and more abstract designs; my other sister, being the youngest, sort of trailed along and came into her own in creativity later. I remember my sisters and I sitt