Cross Night

How does Malvolio wearing cross gartered yellow stockings relate to cross-dressing?

We are studying Twelfth Night but I have entirely forgotten why Malvolio wearing bright yellow cross-gartered stockings relates to cross-dressing? I thought cross-dressing referred to women dressing as men or vice-versa. Please help.

Public Comments

1. the stockings- yellow in color refer to being a coward.
2. It has nothing to do with cross-dressing. "Cross-gartered" simply means that the strings of his stockings were in a criss-cross pattern. The other characters in the story were playing a joke on Malvolio and his vanity because they knew he had a crush on Olivia and had higher ambitions "above his station." The stockings also had to be yellow because it's a color that Olivia detests. Viola is the one who is cross-dressing. Do you have the question mixed up?