When would you consider it as cross-dressing?

[Lostkitten]

I think very theoretical and like to see myself in another their shoes. Not yet using hormones and not telling everyone I prefer to be spoken to as a woman, I do not see myself as a full blown woman. Neither do I see myself as a man. When someone asks me I often say that with a few years I won't be a boy anymore. I get annoyed if people dude me and it gives me happy feelings when someone talks to me as a her.

But now about the cross-dressing! Whenever I joke about the situation I tell people that basically at the moment you can see me as a cross-dresser. But when are you a cross-dresser? If you wear women clothes? But men nowadays also wear looser shirts and skinny jeans. Uggs are not all that feminine. Men also wear them. When someone whom I know talks to me, they see me (unfortunately) as a guy who wears different, but guy clothes. People who do not know me see me as a cross-dresser and either a very feminine guy or a woman.

So! I am just trowing this question in the open. When do you consider someone as a cross-dresser ?

[Jess42]

Well the reference library is a really good source of information explaining the psychology of being transgendered. From what I read cross dressing is a form of stress relief. Normally they are OK with being male most other times but when under stress, they cross dress as a sort of means to escape and to relive the stress. Not everyone that is a cross dresser will fit exactly that certain description though. I assume it is as much varied as anything else. But that is from the reference library on this sight in the psychology section.

[Feather]

Wearing the clothes that are sold as 'female' or 'male' because you like it shouldn't make you a crossdresser.
It's the feeling you have about it that's more important. I think that if you aren't transitioning and wish to hide your birth gender through dressing than you're a crossdresser.

[Sttefanne Camp]

Hi Kirei
In a practical way, by using the opposite gender clothing, is already considered crossdressing. Thus, we can include the artistic forms of crossdressing (actors, for example) and, recently, Crossplay (Cosplay + crossdressing)...

Imagine trying to get creating "hierarchies" of forms of crossdressing tends to create forms of prejudice, especially when you begin visions that "crossdressing is no better than other" not respecting the individual characteristics of each practitioner...

[CoolGuy]

I consider it cross dressing like a previous post said, when a man or woman wears clothes meant for the opposite gender. I crossdress and people make comments. It really bothers me. I don't see why people make a big deal over it. It is just a form expression. It is the way I express my gender identity. It should be accepted like all other forms of expression. Hopefully in the future it will be.

[Dani Davis]

I consider it cross dressing like a previous post said, when a man or woman wears clothes meant for the opposite gender. I crossdress and people make comments. It really bothers me. I don't see why people make a big deal over it. It is just a form expression. It is the way I express my gender identity. It should be accepted like all other forms of expression. Hopefully in the future it will be.

I live for the day when I can where a blouse and skirt to work without anyone so much as giving it a second thought...unfortunately that day will come long after I have left this world I fear.

[Alice Rogers]

For me cross dressing belongs to those who identify as their birth gender but like to wear clothes of the other gender. So anyone who considers themselves anywhere on the transgender spectrum is never a cross dresser. (but this one will mess with your head, if a MtF wears male clothes that kinda makes them a cross dresser >.< )

Clothes are all about social conditioning anyway, everyone should be able to wear what the hell they like!

[Deinewelt]

For me cross dressing belongs to those who identify as their birth gender but like to wear clothes of the other gender. So anyone who considers themselves anywhere on the transgender spectrum is never a cross dresser. (but this one will mess with your head, if a MtF wears male clothes that kinda makes them a cross dresser >.< )

Clothes are all about social conditioning anyway, everyone should be able to wear what the hell they like!

I agree.  Anybody can cross dress.  I think that wearing the clothing that fits your internalized gender is when you are not cross dressing.  I also think it can mean different things to different people.  When I first started dressing, I considered it cross dressing because I had not decided to transition, but it didn't change the fact that I have constantly thought about being female since sexual development began.  Now that I've moved on and have my heart set on transitioning, I don't really consider my past activity as cross dressing any longer because I feel that I understand  it better.  These subjects are very complicated, and there really isn't a one size fits all definition for this stuff!  I think I always thought of cross dressing as more of a fetish thing, but that is not necessarily true in all cases.  To put it better, anytime you are dressing against your own gender identity, you'd be cross dressing.  If you are doing it for self expression of gender identity, then it is not.

Despite these beliefs, I think that the definition is also used for somebody who may be transgender but is not so stressed by living as their birth gender that they feel compelled to transition.  This was the impression I've gotten, but I don't know if I completely agree with the use of this definition in all contexts.

[Katy]

But now about the cross-dressing! Whenever I joke about the situation I tell people that basically at the moment you can see me as a cross-dresser. But when are you a cross-dresser? If you wear women clothes? But men nowadays also wear looser shirts and skinny jeans. Uggs are not all that feminine. Men also wear them. When someone whom I know talks to me, they see me (unfortunately) as a guy who wears different, but guy clothes. People who do not know me see me as a cross-dresser and either a very feminine guy or a woman.

So! I am just trowing this question in the open. When do you consider someone as a cross-dresser ?

I'm not sure if the term cross dresser is definitively definable.  One person may view the term as a statement of fact based upon the observable actions of themselves or others, another as a disparaging remark to express their contempt for an individual who chooses to dress in a manner that doesn't conform to their own notion of how someone should dress.

I can imagine that some guys wear some items of women's clothing simply because they find them comfortable.  Others because they wish to make some kind of statement or draw attention to themselves.  Both might do so without any desire to express femininity.  Others, perhaps the majority, dress because they desire to express their femininity.  I suppose both groups could be called cross dressers, but I don't think that most of us would describe the former as cross dressers in way most of us in this forum think of it.   

After rereading this, it sounds pretty lame.  A case of many words, but not much substance.  I'll post it even though I think it pitiful to show that I was trying to be helpful even though I didn't succeed.