Just curious. I am a little more of a transsexual ( meaning I would one day like to get srs, ect, have dysporia) then cross dresser, but have been curious what makes people come out and do it:). I suppose in some ways I too am a cross dresser to a degree but I would love to hear personal stories ! Is it discovering your gender identity, for fun, seeing what role you like best, non binery like? sorry if my wording isn right or seems offensive at all but I am super curious

When I started cross-dressing, I could not have told you why I did it.  It was a compulsion.  I imagine it is how salmon feel when swimming upsteam.  They don't know why they do it; they just have to do it.

Once I had started, though, I continued because it just felt right.  The clothes felt comfortable, and I liked the way I looked and felt in them.

I think that, in those years, I knew deep down that I was trans.  But I had a lot of internalized transphobia that it took me 20 years to work through.

I was drawn to it as a teenager and trying on my mother's tights/hose produced my first proper sexual feeling.  I graduated to her clothes in general (she was an elegant lady and I had no sisters) and, as KathyLauren said, it just felt right.  Over the coming years I would go through buy/wear purge cycles on an infrequent basis before marriage intervened.

I picked up again 7 years ago after a 20 year hiatus but had to stop 3 years ago due to spousal disapproval.  Latterly, there was no sexual element and wearing the clothes just felt right and how things should always have been.  Interestingly, my female side likes smart suits, skirts, jackets and heels.  Her male alter ego prefers to be scruffy.

Amanda

Quote from: SailorMars1994 on September 22, 2016, 02:00:45 PM
Just curious. I am a little more of a transsexual ( meaning I would one day like to get srs, ect, have dysporia) then cross dresser, but have been curious what makes people come out and do it:). I suppose in some ways I too am a cross dresser to a degree but I would love to hear personal stories ! Is it discovering your gender identity, for fun, seeing what role you like best, non binery like? sorry if my wording isn right or seems offensive at all but I am super curious

I truly believe I was predestined to be trans, thus it was not a choice I consciously made. In fact I spent a lifetime trying to keep secrets as I knew I was different.  I began crossdressing around 7 years old and kept it up for half a century until a little over 6 months ago when I finally addressed the situation along with my therapist. I've played dress up at least once a week for most my life.  I am now a month and a week into HRT and I feel amazing like something has been missing all my life.  I got a lot of comfort by dressing up. It was the only time of the week where I did not feel weak. or ashamed. And I looked pretty good to boot.

Thank you all <3! I was just really curious how it all came to be ! gender expression can be really fun . I just hope soon I can gain the wisdom and courage to be my real self like you lovelys

I found some pantyhose in a bathroom when I was 4 or 5... I didn't even know what they were called but for some reason I tried them on and I was hooked.  That went on for years until I was old enough to be a latch key kid.  From there I tried, panties, bras, skirts, blouses, dresses, and heels.  I can't explain why I did the the first time or any time after that except that it just felt good.  It took me years to unpack all of this and accept this about myself.  I thought maybe I wanted to become a girl, but as life progressed I realized I liked being a guy too.

Once the dust settled I realized I wanted both... I wanted to be able to feel masculine and feminine.  For me its about balance.. I need to express both sides in order to feel complete.

This is a question we have all asked ourselves and we talk about it quite a bit amongst ourselves. We all have our own story of how we started and why we continued and how it makes us feel but I think the underlying reason for cross dressing is the same as the underlying reason anyone adopts their particular style. We are attracted to clothes that we think look good. We try them on and keep wearing the ones that make us feel as good as we'd hoped when we saw them on the rack.
I have always wanted to dress in a more flamboyant way but when and where i grew up, boys didn't do that. Not if they wanted to go through life without being ridiculed and ostracised. I've always envied the breadth of expression that womens clothes offered vs mens clothes. I've always thought that the anatomy of males would mean that skirts were much more comfortable for a man to wear than trousers(pants to you Americans). I was right about that. It took me many many years to work up the courage to break the taboo, even in private but having done so it was like a dream become reality. I could express on the outside what I felt on the inside. This is what was instantly addictive. The sense of freedom, like being let out of a cage. It became increasingly difficult to wear mens clothes at all. I am now reduced to a few mens fleeces and coats. Everything else I own came from the womens section. Even though I mostly present fully male outside the house all my clothes are womens. Jeans are mostly unisex cuts, most people don't notice that my shirts are blouses and I no longer care if they do. For me it isn't "cross" dressing. It is just wearing the clothes I like the look of, feel comnfortable in and let me express my inner me to the rest of humanity.

Hugs
B

Just yesterday I was driving on the freeway, it was one of those early fall days when the air is warm but with a hint of change. A/C was off and the windows were down letting the soft wind blow up my skirt causing it to flip and flutter and tickle my legs. What a delicious feeling!

Women's clothes have more style variety, a bit of taboo, and a different cut. They press and caress the body in different places than men's clothes. They make me appear harmless, less predatory so that women will readily engage in casual conversation without their shields up.

It feels good. It looks good. And sometimes, I get a bit of sexual thrill too!

I love the feel of women clothes but that is just part of what attracted to me CD. First I always wanted to be a woman and I love femine figure.

To me it's not crossdressing,but wearing clothes that I like to wear.

Quote from: Kerry30Den on September 26, 2016, 08:34:10 PM
I found some pantyhose in a bathroom when I was 4 or 5... I didn't even know what they were called but for some reason I tried them on and I was hooked.  That went on for years until I was old enough to be a latch key kid.  From there I tried, panties, bras, skirts, blouses, dresses, and heels.  I can't explain why I did the the first time or any time after that except that it just felt good.  It took me years to unpack all of this and accept this about myself.  I thought maybe I wanted to become a girl, but as life progressed I realized I liked being a guy too.

Once the dust settled I realized I wanted both... I wanted to be able to feel masculine and feminine.  For me its about balance.. I need to express both sides in order to feel complete.

I am like you. Yes. I first wore silk stockings when I was 3 or 4 at night and my mom helped me, but disappointingly they were too big to my little legs. Of course, nowadays they perfectly fit to my legs, or are smaller. I enjoy both of my masculinity and femininity. Students tend to be surprised when I reveal my masculinity. My family treat me as a man whatever I wear.

barbie~~

What fundamentally draws me to cross dressing is having wobbly breasts.

I want to have them, and I want to use them, if you see what I mean!

I can't separate this desire from wearing pretty clothes, makeup, lingerie, stockings and heels.

I wan to be an attractive woman who can breastfeed. 

Quote from: KathyLauren on September 22, 2016, 02:37:09 PM
When I started cross-dressing, I could not have told you why I did it.  It was a compulsion.  I imagine it is how salmon feel when swimming upsteam.  They don't know why they do it; they just have to do it.

Once I had started, though, I continued because it just felt right.  The clothes felt comfortable, and I liked the way I looked and felt in them.

I think that, in those years, I knew deep down that I was trans.  But I had a lot of internalized transphobia that it took me 20 years to work through.

Oh, my dear. This could be describing me exactly.
At first I felt guilty about it but it still felt right.
Years later I no longer felt guilty about it, realizing I am not sick, and it still felt right.
Now I define myself as a Transgender Woman, because it feels right. I have not started HRT yet nor have I had surgery yet, but I would like to.

I started by being attracted to pantyhose when I was 12 and have been using them off and on since then. I am now starting to buy cloths, I have been wearing bras lately (I wear a 50 J bra). I have been wearing them to work.

Hi and welcome to the site.

Thanks for sharing. We have a large membership with lots of experience and different perspectives.

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Once again, welcome to Susan's. Look around, ask questions and join in.

With warmth,

Joanna

Quote from: SailorMars1994 on September 22, 2016, 02:00:45 PM
Just curious. I am a little more of a transsexual ( meaning I would one day like to get srs, ect, have dysporia) then cross dresser, but have been curious what makes people come out and do it:). I suppose in some ways I too am a cross dresser to a degree but I would love to hear personal stories ! Is it discovering your gender identity, for fun, seeing what role you like best, non binery like? sorry if my wording isn right or seems offensive at all but I am super curious

For me, it's both the sex appeal and the fact that these clothes simply look good on me (well, that these clothes would simply look good on me if I will have the right body and face; indeed, most of the effects of male puberty have sucked for me ).

Quote from: Kerry30Den on September 26, 2016, 08:34:10 PM
I found some pantyhose in a bathroom when I was 4 or 5... I didn't even know what they were called but for some reason I tried them on and I was hooked.  That went on for years until I was old enough to be a latch key kid.  From there I tried, panties, bras, skirts, blouses, dresses, and heels.  I can't explain why I did the the first time or any time after that except that it just felt good.  It took me years to unpack all of this and accept this about myself.  I thought maybe I wanted to become a girl, but as life progressed I realized I liked being a guy too.

Once the dust settled I realized I wanted both... I wanted to be able to feel masculine and feminine.  For me its about balance.. I need to express both sides in order to feel complete.

To some extent, your story is similar to my own story in regards to this.

Quote from: cheryl reeves on October 10, 2016, 10:31:00 AM
To me it's not crossdressing,but wearing clothes that I like to wear.

That should be an acceptable normal situation (not cross dressing).  Women are never considered to be cross dressers when they wear men's clothes.

Thanks for all your imput! its so nice to know everyones storys

I think for me its so many factors. One being that I love to wear feminine clothing, something about panties that just makes me so happy to slip them on, at one time it was just a sexual thing and I got aroused wearing panties then after awhile it was just because they were so much more comfortable than male underwear and I enjoyed how they felt.

Two I think that I did try and label myself transgender because there are many times where I wish and pray that I was a female instead of a male. Wishing that I had breasts and a vagina and all that and the entire package.

Three I think that perhaps I am more gender fluid than anything else because I think the reality of ever taking hormones and all that most likely will not happen because I do not have the confidence to do so even though I really would love to do it.