This is going to sound like I’m making fun of your desire to crossdress, but I mean this genuinely. I wish I could wear the outfit of an early medieval peasant. Maybe a relatively well-off peasant. From the depictions I’ve seen I think the clothes look cool and comfortable. An undershirt, a linen tunic, braies, leg wraps, turned leather shoe. A straw hat if you’re working out in the sun. Maybe a nice cotte for traveling, and a cloak. The same outfit but in wool for the winter time, with a wide-brimmed felt hat.

But there’s two reasons why I’ll probably never put together that outfit. One, I’d need to lose about 150 lbs or else instead of looking like a guy wearing a tunic I’ll look like Homer Simpson wearing a muumuu. Two, even if I wasn’t fat people would respond to it poorly. Unfortunately, dress is part of social language and I don’t think I’m brave enough to buck those norms. Younger people will ask where the ren faire is. Middle aged people would write me off as a weirdo. And older people would always be saying “Oh Wilfred, we missed you down the parish church on Sunday, Wilfred. Father Adelbert said Arthur’s coming back. Isn’t that wonderful, Wilfred? He’s coming back with his sword, oh won’t he have his sword, and he’ll build a perfect kingdom here on Earth just for us. That’ll be lovely. Don’t you agree,” and I never know what the fuck they’re talking about.

I know I did devolve into a bit of a joke there and I guess I should offer some support, but I don’t know what I would do if I wanted to crossdress. I wouldn’t be brave enough to wear a monk’s robe in public, let alone a flowy sundress. You should live your life however you want. But, you know, I don’t know where you live or how you present, so, like, stay safe too.