I was raised by women primarily until I was 8. Mom had abuse issues as a child and lived a lesbiam lifestyle until I was about 8. I remember hearing how horrible men were and remember thinking I didn't want to be a man when I grew up. So to some extent I know this had an influence on my crossdressing.
I started out as a toddle gravitating towards womens legs in nylons. In the 70's women always wore so apparently I had lots of opportunity (this I don't recall). My earliest memory is when I was about 4 I found some pantyhose and put my arm in them. I eventually tried them on, and not knowing what they were I called them feel goods. This continued on/off for years.
In the 4th grade I remember sitting in school seeing girls in skirts and hose thinking I was going to have to wear skirts etc if I was going to keep wearing pantyhose. So when home alone one day I ventured into Moms closet... panties, hosiery, slips, dresses, skirts, blouses, heels... yeap, I tried them all.
I went through the normal cycles of guilt, stopping, starting, etc. This went on all through my school years. Even after Mom met and married my step Dad when I was 8 and had a positive male role model.
I joined the military at 18 in part as a way to force this CD side of me away. It didn't work though... I CD'd a few times in the 2 years I was in... I wore my girlfriends things and moms things when home on leave.
Reactions to telling... well my ex wife hated me in pantyhose, and after a failed attempt to do a role reversal thing left anything but pantyhose behind. She seemd to accept the hose for quite a while but thought it was a phase. We seperated after being together for 10 years. Up to that point she was the only person I told, and she used it to control me. (Good riddance)
It was just easier to tell friends and family why we broke up than to spin a tale, so I told them the truth. Most reactions were positive, but a few were thrown off and rude. Mind you at this time I had repressed anything but pantyhose wearing.
As I dated and things went beyond a few dates I would share my wearing pantyhose... and it went well and was well accepted. My 2nd wife took to it really well. She liked the feel of them, and seeing me in them didn't put her off at all.
With such acceptance, the repressed desires came flooding back. I shared this and my past with my then fiance'. She took it in stride and decided to give it a try... she even went and bought me panties and later we went shopping.
She likes me in skirts, lingerie, etc. She is my rock and helps make time in our busy complicated lives for me to dress. We have been married for a year, so its well over 2 years since I dropped the CD bomb.
At this pont I have accepted who I am, what I wear, and what I'm about. My wife accepts and supports me, and we have fun with it. Id like more time to dress, but I can't complain too much.
