this thread makes me chuckle
i don't think i could take my son wanting to wear a dress in a stride. i'd give him a look and bad as it may be, would question the choice. at home, i'd most likely allow it but i wouldn't let him go out in public that way. wish i could be cool and say it doesn't matter and all that, but i'm confident i'd have a problem with it. he can have dolls and play house, he can even play dress up if he wants, but wearing a dress in public is where i'd draw the line.
my parents were pretty strict about our dress code growing up. i didn't pick out my clothes or my hairstyle till i was finishing up in high school and even then, my options were limited. i think some flexibility from my parents would have been nice, because sometimes their choices made me stand out to my peers more than my own choices would have.