"why can't you dress like a woman?"

Fashion is a way for females and males people to channel their creativity and express themselves in whichever manner they'd like to. If a boy is wearing a shirt that is "too feminine," so what? If a girl is wearing pants that are "too masculine," so what? In recent years, massive fashion brands have been breaking these boundaries, encouraging individuals to wear whatever the hell they want, encouraging a sense of identity and self-admiration. After all, clothing is just a piece of colored fabric cut in a certain way to fit a certain shape.

The above photo depicts Jaden Smith wearing a skirt, a piece of clothing commonly characterized to women. But look at his confidence, and how effortlessly he's rocking that skirt. Men can certainly wear women's clothing while maintaining their masculinity, something that many men are insecure about. 

Here we have Harry Styles wearing a women's Marc Jacobs tropical print shirt. MEN DON'T HAVE TO BE RESTRICTED TO WEARING MEN'S CLOTHING TO BE CONSIDERED MASCULINE.

In the Song of Solomon, Macon Dead criticizes Pilate's choice of clothing, demanding, "Why can't you dress like a woman?" (Morrison 20). He points out her sailor's cap, worn by men at this time, and her lack of stockings, which a woman would normally wear in place of Pilate's raggedy clothing. My answer to his question would be as simple as, "Because she doesn't want to." Despite those who refuse to be confident with their femininity or masculinity and rely on clothing to express it, I think that for the most part, our generation is doing a pretty good job in accepting each other's decisions in being happy and comfortable with ourselves.