This is aimed more at TVs and maybe bi men but everyone’s option would be welcome.

Whenever I wear a suit (which is about once every 5 years) I feel like a chimpanzee who has just rifled through the zookeeper's wardrobe. I feel horribly self-conscious and (frankly) a bloody idiot.Although I'm not sure we're talking about the same kind of dressing.....it's certainly an effect that that type of get-up has on me :-)

There is a story about a famous actress that demanded erotic underwear before acting out a romantic scene. The director said it was not necessary because she was not removing her clothes, but she said it made her feel sexy. She got the garments.

I personally like to dress smartly whenever I can and I believe it has an effect on my behaviour, elevating it a bit.

SueChris: I turned down an Oxford scholarship because I knew that at some point I'd have to wear a dinner jacket :-)

Good topic lostman - I would like to share some of my thoughts, but apologies in advance if some at least you have heard before, but all go to make up my thinking on this topic and for the record, only from a straight man, that only dresses straight and usually down, usually casual, sometimes smart casual and very rarely in a suit and tie. But unlike skebbie, if I'm in the right mood I quite like dressing up, if I have the excuse to do so which isn't that often now a days. I guess in part because I like to pass like a chameleon when out of my natural habitat and think I scrub up and turn out rather well, even if I do say so myself.

Lets get the big cliche out of the way first, but the one I can't help thinking is at the heart of my thoughts on this topic. And that is clothes maketh the man woman and perhaps even the monster. And just so you know skebbie, I'm not using this to take a cheap shot at you mate, quite the opposite, there are always exceptions to any rule and I think your intellect was always going to define you far more than your choice in clothes ever would, unlike the rest of us mere mortals, who are destined to have to conform in order to fit in, because weI bring nothing exceptional to the party, with the exception of a good sense of deprecating humour in my case...

Anyway I can quite understand that for a woman, or a cross dressing man, or transsexual that sexy clothes and even if only sexy underwear would make a person feel that bit, or even a lot sexier. I can't speak from personal experience of wearing, only from admiring the wearing of, but think it can only add to the confidence of the wearer, especially if tight, smooth, soft, shiny, frilly as all catches my eye and imagination and high heeled shoes surely can't help, but remind the wearer of a different way of being and when say even just sitting for a woman, cross dressing man, or transsexual, as even when sitting the amount of flesh on show could be changing with every slight move, or wriggle of her bum, not something us men ever have to think, or worry about, with the exception of what are we missing out on not seeing as we stand, or sit scanning the bar, or club lol. But surly that has to be a constant reminder of a woman's femininity, especially if she thinks she is being noticed as a result of her sexy outfit, as she moves comfortable, or uncomfortable in her seat. I'm thinking those sort of clothes have a way of reminding the wearer of the fact that there wearing something extra special and not just because of the extra flesh on show, so must have a bearing on the way that they feel and hopefully any admiring glances are appreciated by the receiver and only going to add to their feelings of femininity and desirability...

At the start of this I mentioned the word monster, well that came into my mind as reminded of an interview that Eddie Issard gave after making the film Valkyrie with Tom Cruise, both of which playing actual German army officers from the second world war. (For those that don't know its about the real plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler). Now Eddie Issard is a man I have a lot of time for as he walks his own path and at times in very high heals lol, so I have a lot of respect for Mr Issard, also thinking he knows more than a little about clothes and dressing up. Anyway he was being interviewed and recounting how wearing the second world war German uniform while making that film definitely made him feel differently, as soon as he had put it on and I believe, although he didn't go into too much detail, that he meant that dressing in that German uniform, with the high black leather boots, long black leather coat and black leather strapping over his stiff Germanic uniform, actually made his job of getting into character very easy with a real feeling of perceived power that it gave him, because as he said it did genuinely make him feel differently, just by wearing it. The implication being it made him feel empowered and superior in some way. Now up to now we've only been talking about clothes making people feel sexier, uncomfortable, or as with me fitting in, but what I'm adding into the mix here is perhaps they can have an even more powerful and perhaps sometimes even an insidious power over the wearer than we would ever imagine possible. I'm not defending the indefensible here, not even for a moment!! I'm merely pondering the thought, that clothes can sometimes wear the wearer and perhaps influence behaviour and not always in a good way, especially if the wearer is not strong minded and is susceptible to its insidious effects on their personality. Its just a thought, feel free to disagree with me here.

So yes I'm convinced clothes have a lot to do with the way we feel and then is it any wonder we go on to act out the way we feel inside, which in most instances, with the exception of my last example, is only a good thing, as in the normal way of things where does it matter where we get our confidence from, as long as you have the confidence to see you through life's twists and turns while still being true to yourself in the process. If you meet disapproval, criticism, or even prejudice along the way. That I would suggest is saying more bad things about the person feeling and displaying those negative thoughts and emotions, than it ever will about the person being true to themselves and to the people around them, by dressing how they would themselves choose and not how any society would choose to have them dress. After all I'm all about live and let live as long as no one is getting hurt, or harmed by another's actions, wheres the harm!!:0))

P.S. lostman - You might think showing your palms is feminine, but its also supposed to be a body language sign of someone, female, or male being open and honest, if they actively display their palms while talking, show their naked palms, even more so if someone without thinking in the course of conversation pulls their shirt, or blouse up revealing their palms as they talk. Take notice the next time you put your partners on the spot and ask them to explain themselves over some misdemeanor, or other lol. Assuming they don't know that trick and trying to take your mind off the fact that they are lying through their (false) teeth. ;0())