Why do we crossdress?

[Natalie de Valley]

Many years ago, people in suits took away a baby monkey from its mother and it became sad and depressed. Monkies are social creatures the same as we are. As part of the experiment, they gave it a piece of cloth to cling to and this "cloth mother" seemed to help the baby monkey deal with its lonely and sad life.(a security blanket)
It is possible that crossdressing is the "cloth mother" that people need for whatever reason. Perhaps lack of motherly love early on, lack of touching (sensory deprivation) for babies, sibling rivalries and lack of attention-likely a psychological (body chemistry) need more than anything else. While a lot of people here indicated dressing while VERY young, many more seemed to have started in the puberty years where CHEMISTRY rules and parents may be too busy to be attentive. Society and family can be a very potent force and a force wlhich isn't always obvious. If crossdressing is NOT universal, then there must be some other reason. Do they crossdress in Outer Mongolia? do Eskimeaux parkas differ enough to give men the desire to crossdress? Do women obsess over work boots? This should not just be a male-preoccupation. Women should have this same drive to dress like a man and bake cookies!

This is an excellent point! I can relate to some of this and you pose good questions. Worth looking into.

[Samantha Girl]

For me I kinda don't want to know why, ya know? I know that doesn't help you. It's just as an artistic person I don't want to delve to deeply and sorta ruin the mystery of it.

I think for most of us the easy answer is very simple and straight forward... we dress up like women because it makes us feel good. I personally have never felt more sexy than as a girl. But that may just be my thing. My girl is going to school for psychology/social work and she believes I dress up because my Mom has severe boundary issues and I grew up with a lot of sisters and femme clothing around. I am the curious type, I'll try almost anything once

I looooved what Josephine was talking about. Most of the time men benefit greatly from society's double standards ya know? But in this case not so much. Women can wear pants, can dress very drab, don't HAVE TO put on makeup, etc. But men are expected to be more manly, like every time we step outside we're representing manhood. That's bullshit! Why is it there can only be one type of woman and one type of man? I've always been the shy, sensitive, artistic type. Should I have been born a woman? I still wouldn't have been acceptable to society, cause I'd be a lesbian.

These issues are complicated. You might want to tell her that her question is a bit unfair on the face of it. Most people have no idea why we do the things we do. Completely oblivious of our own motivations. Why should you have to prove to her that whatever motivates you to dress up is valid? I'm sorry I'm probably not helping you. I just don't understand why some SOs seem to think we have this magical answer as to why we do what we do. Why does she live her life the way she does? Because society tells her too?

I do what makes me happy, I try to be true to who I am, that's why! If I couldn't dress up like a girl I'd probably start to lose my mind a bit. I need to express myself, it's who I am. Your answer might be different, if you can figure it out. But I still don't see why you have to PROVE to her you have a good reason for doing what we do.

I'm sorry, I don't think I helped much. Good luck!

[CherylFlint]

I like to think that's the "other half" of me. Actually, the Cheryl half sure does have a good time! I think it's really fun getting dressed and going out. Just the way things are, I suppose. Enjoy your outings as much as I enjoy mine.

[Stephanie Stephens]

If someone asked you why do you dress like a man, would you say "because I am a man"?

I think we dress like women because we are women. IMHO

[Patricia Jane]

Creative, enjoyable and pleasurable! What other reasons do you need?

[Michelle123]

Well, when I first started dressing in my youth, (at around the time I reached puberty) it was very much a sexuall thing. It just made me so excited being in these "forbidden" things. I would feel so much guilt back then, after acheiving my desired goal. (if you know what I mean). I would want to get out of those feminine things immedietly.
But as I grew older I found that it was more than just a sexuall need to dress. My desire to wear feminine things grew stronger with age. I felt so calm and content when I was dressed. It began to "feel so right" to be in these things. Even if I were just wearing my things under my male clothes, I felt so much more confident and happy, just knowing I had them on. (Even though I couldnt even see them.
Now, in my 50's, My desire to dress is stronger than ever. I stopped asking "why" many yrs. ago. I just accept it, and to be honest, I would not change it even if I could. I can truely say that I am very happy to be a crossdresser.

[joann426]

i agree with machelle123 thats the way i feel also i am happy the way i am now

[JenniferR771]

Good question, Julie!
No one knows why, but we are probably born this way. It never goes away--that has been known since 1910, when it was first described scientifically by the German psychiatrist, Magnus Hirschfield.

So why are gay men gay, and gay women gay? Not a preference. It happens early or maybe in the womb--and it does not change. TS likewise.

Let her ask a lesbian, "Why?"

No logic can explain it--not so far.

[docrobbysherry]

I CD because it gives me a bigger rush than JUMPING OUT OF AN AIRPLANE!
Yet, it's safer, cheaper(?), and can be done in my home!
Never mind the erotic turn on!

The question should be:
Why does putting on ladies things make me feel that way?

[Jaclyn NM]

Well I crossdress because I just love the feel and the look of female clothing. It is so much nicer than drab male clothing.

[Danielle76]

I do it totally for the sexual satisfaction. I've done it off and on for years, 16 to be exact, sometimes going as long as a year or two without even having the urge, but always come back to it. Right now I've been doing it again for the last year and a half. My wife doesn't know, or suspect. I never was popular with the ladies growing up, so all I knew of them was just admiring them from afar. I suppose I started because I was so obsessed with wanting to be close to a feminine girl that dressing up as one was the closest I could get. I remember watching playboy and porn videos as a teenager and absolutely loving when they wore lingerie, stockings, garters....now I absolutely love wearing all that myself. I've gone out in public a few times, and to feel the tug of bustier garters on my thigh high stockings while wearing stilettos.....I'm sure I don't have to tell all of you here how amazing it feels. I love feeling that sexy, and it really makes me wish I had a vagina!

[Mandy60]

I crossdress because it brings out the feminine side of me.
I even wear undergarments to work such as sports bra and panties under my work clothes every day so the feminine side of me is always with me.

[vjaducd]

I was talking with my girlfriend, who has known almost a year about my crossdressing and is having trouble accepting it, and she asked me why I crossdress. I am not quite sure I know how to answer that question... I have been doing it for so long that it just seems normal to me. She basically believes that if I expect her to put forth the effort to accept it, that I should put forth equal effort to try and explain why. The best I can come up with is that I crossdress because I like it. But why do I like it? Do I like feeling like a girl or do I just like going against the norm? I'm not entirely sure... Anyways, I figure if some other people helped brainstorm some ideas that maybe we could at least shed a little light on the situation.

We all know as a male body is formed with "XY" cromosons while a total female body consist with only " XX" cromoson in our body. In a c.d. Out of XY cromoson the proportion of "X" increasas opposite to "Y " so genetically our urge becomes more of female side then that of male side as by "XY" cromosons in the body which leads to cross dresslike a female. If such urge is suppressed then it becomes dengerous mentally so one should not feel any abnormality but believe it & take it as We can live both gender feelings to gether which can be called a unique gift given by the universe/almighty/god the Generator,The Organisor & The Distructor of & on the earth
Pl.have your comments on my belief
vjaducd/kiran from India,Gujrat

[JoAnne Wheeler]

I want to. I have to.

JoAnne Wheeler

[drushin703]

when I was going thru puberty around 13 or so mom and dad were at
work and one day I found a drawer in their room that was full of girdles.
a girdle is a benign object, harmless when left alone.they cannot inspire,
arouse or conjur.but when I saw them they represented a fantasy that
I cannot discribe.It wasnt long befor I had one pulled over my hips and
from then on all of life began.I dont know what exactly the compulsion was
that made me do it but whatever this thing is, regardless of risk or alianation,
or embarassment or redicule or crazy stares or silly questions or being called
names, I willnot stop.dana

[skirtsuit]

I've been out about 10 times in the last two weeks. Now I know why, because it's really, really fun. I don't think anyone other than my mother has complimented me on my guy self, but I go out en femme and people keep telling me has beautiful I am!!!!!

That's enough of a reason for me - attention and adoration!

All the Best,
Ann / SS

[xd-tigger]

That is such a hard question to answer. All I know is I crossdress because I prefer the feel and fit of womens clothing. Saying that, I guess you have to figure out why you like it.

[Jenniferpl]

Becasue it is so much fun, and what good would it do to buy the clothes if you never get to wear them.

[Rianna Humble]

Becasue it is so much fun, and what good would it do to buy the clothes if you never get to wear them.

Well said sis!

[Sully]

I CD because it is such a turn on for me AND my wife! ( = better sex! )

[Jillt]

Have always been attracted to bright colorful clothing. Male drab is boring.

[Jeanine]

I do it because I like it, It makes me feel comfortable, and its the way I was brought up

I agree with Danielle Gee ... I do it because I like it and it makes me feel good.I lived with my Mom and my three older sisters ... I started crossdressing at 13 by "trying on my Mom's or my sister's bras because I had developed 36B "Boy Tits" from a condition called Gynecomastia and I was made fun of and told that I needed a bra by other kids, my sisters, and quite a few adults
.
After Mom and my sisters all caught me wearing their bras, underwear and their clothes Mom took me see a "gender councilor" and after a few concealing sessions, the councilor (a woman) told Mom and all three of my sisters that crossdressing WAS NOT abnormal, that I wasn't gay, and that I should be allowed to dress in female garb whenever I wanted to.

So Mom bought me some bras and panties of my own and gave me a
few skirts, tops, and dresses that she and my three sisters didn't wear anymore ... And I was allowed to wear my feminine garb AT HOME
whenever I wanted to ... So from then on, I changed into my feminine clothes as soon as I got home from school and when only Mom or my
sisters were there.
Hugs-N-Kisses
Jeanine

[suchacutie]

A few years ago my wife and I found this part of me that seems to be remarkably feminine. We quickly found that I knew very little of this feminine side of me, or at least did not recognize her as such. We also learned quickly that this is not something you can assess theoretically, but must live it to understand it.

So, I dress because a part of me seems to have been hidden from me, and I need to know who she is. How can I possibly go through life and not know who I am? For all I know, I might eventually find out all there is to know about her and that will be it. At the moment, however, she seems to be much more deeply entwined in my being and is much to complicated to be assessed simply. I see no end in sight, and have no idea just how much of my space she really occupies. The only way to find out is to live that part of me.

Tina!

[Ineta]

We dress as women because we want to be women. Some want just to be blondes, some want to be mated, some think that women are better than men, and so on.

[audreyinalbany]

There's no one reason that I crossdress. It's naughty; it's alluring; my Dad always wanted a daughter; my mom was the parent I was closest to, the one who paid attention to me; I like the feel of women's clothing, I find people are more open when I present as a woman; dressing sometimes gives me a sexual thrill (not like it used to in the old days, but, hey, that's what bein' in your mid fifties will do for ya), it's cool; it's fun. Bottom line is I've given up trying to figure out why I'm attracted to wearing women's clothes. I spent so many years feeling guilty about it and trying to analyze it that I've finally come to the conclusion that it isn't going away so I might just as well enjoy it. Life is short.