I was just wondering how many of you didn't start dressing or have thoughts of dressing until later in life, maybe after you saw another CD'er out or? if so, what was the thing that made you start thinking about it?
I was just wondering how many of you didn't start dressing or have thoughts of dressing until later in life, maybe after you saw another CD'er out or? if so, what was the thing that made you start thinking about it?
I started dressing this year, when I was still 30. The reason why I started it is somewhat a sad one.
My confidence was sapped after 4 years of being engaged to someone who I thought was the love of my life. Sadly, things didn't work out and I felt really horrible. I needed a way to regain a lot of my confidence back in an efficient quick manner. As it turns out, my friend was going to have her birthday at Disneyland and invited people to dress up either as Goths or Pirates there and celebrate with her. I didn't want to have to do neither, so I thought of the next best thing: crossdressing! I thought that whatever I need to do to gain my confidence back, it'd have to be something that I'd possibly have absolutely no control over other than trying to look as best as I possibly can.
In the end, I had so much fun that what was going to be a one day affair turned into something that's now permanently part of my life. True, there have been many instances in my life, in retrospect, that led me to this, but I believe that things happen for a reason and I'm really happy... even overjoyed... that I found this side of me.
I am pretty much a late bloomer as my dressing really came out in my low to mid 40's. But when I was young, I did try some things on and immediately took them off out of guilt. And then I stopped. What got me going? A little bit of playing around with my wife went from one piece of clothing at a time; to a little more dressed up; to completely dressed up; to long hair, shaving off the moustache, and make-up. So I believe it was in me all along, but wasn't strong enough until later and needed a trigger to get going.
I"m another one. It was on halloween ten or so years ago, I finally bought a french maid outfit that I had always wanted!!! With the internet, like a lot of us I was able to buy stuff I had only dreamed about before.
Yup, I started late also. The doctor suggested I start wearing pantyhose to help push up the blood from my lower portion to my chest in my early forties. After watching my father die at home in front of me 10 years later I took up the doctors suggestion. Later when summer came I realized I could not hide them if I wore shorts. So I went and bought a skirt to drive in. Since then it has been a new me..her..whatever. I do often wonder if it is all the meds I take (over 20 per day), but then again I seem so much happier now.
I was over 50 when I started. And, I had NEVER even thot about trying on ladies things before then! It was only ONE pair of abandoned jeans and I simply wondered if I could fit into them! I did, but they were VERY TITE! I LIKED THAT!
This CDing is REALLY a slippery slope, isn't it? Lol!
U can't keep doing the same things over and over and expect to enjoy life to the max. When u try new things, even if they r out of your comfort zone, u may experience new excitement and growth that u never expected.
Challenge yourself and pursue your passions! When your life clock runs out, you'll have few or NO REGRETS!
Dressed my whole life - started more seriously in my late 30's got my own wardrobe went to support groups in my 40's.
I think I reached the point where it became really apparent that it wasnt a phase I was going to outgrow. So I started to learn about it and dressing more often.
BTW - If anyone thinks that if they indulge and get dressed to the nines it will satisfy their curiosity and they will be done; didnt work for me :-).
I have been crossdressing all my life, But up until about 6 years ago, it was just lingerie, Now it is the full wardrobe. Life sure is more fun now that I am older.
my sister's reply when I told her how I prefer to dress
"Everyone has there thing, all that matters is that you are happy, love what you do and who you do it with"
Started early in life. off and on through the middle of my life; now that I am
retired, have more time and lots of interest. I guess just to soon old,
and to late smart. Rader
I started dressing early in life but never realized how satisfying it is to dress fully until I reached 50.
I fooled around a bit off and on when I was younger, but never owned anything of my own. I discovered the internet and was hooked. Had my first makeover at age 60, and my new hobby was begun. Now I have my own things, although I still enjoy taking photos in my wife's clothes. She knows, but I don't dress in front of her. My going out just started a couple years ago, and is only on my solo trips to Vegas.
Denise DeMann
I never had any interest until some items in my wife's lingerie drawer looked like they would fit me and we laughed as I tried them on. Her comment was to compliment me on my legs over and over, so I said maybe I should finish it with stockings and heels. She agreed. I went off to the internet (knowing absolutely nothing!!!) and bought some silver/black stockings and 6" platform heels.
A couple of months later we were in a hotel room by ourselves and she said, "well...am I going to see you dressed?" I said, "ok" and off I went to the bathroom. When I came out I admit I was nervous. I had the heels (that I could barely walk in), stockings, garter skirt, and a black silky top...that was it. no forms, no wig, no makeup..nothing!
My wife took one look at me and I almost panicked, but then she said, "Your legs are better than Tina Turner's!" and then...changing our lives she said, "We HAVE to buy you a dress".
That did it...within a week we had named my feminine side, ordered breast forms and started looking at wigs...had a separate e-mail address, and joined this site. The rest, as they say, is history.
I was 55, married for 34 years.
Clearly my feminine self was there all the time, we just didn't identify it til 5 years ago. The drive to know who she is, this Tina, is overwhelming!
tina
I started "officially" crossdressing a few months ago (in my earlyish mid 40's) on a regular basis. Anything prior to that was more a series of occasional lingerie tryouts. It's probably only through the substantial emotional support of my SO that I am exploring this. Otherwise, I doubt I would know how good it feels to have a hairless body, and wearing nighties to bed every night.
I guess I started dressing gradually - I converted some of my jeans into home-made denim skirts and noticed they really felt so much more comfortable than pants. That was during the last spring. And then I ordered some denim skirts that wore instead of shorts for this past summer. I also got some women's sandals - up to 4 inch stiletto sandals. Then I went through clothing my ex-wife left me - I came up with 11 dresses that fit me and a number of shoes.
I really pity the normal "sheeple" man who has to live within the narrow constraints of masculine wear - I am so much happier with my expanded wardrobe options. I also have natural B cup breasts - I don't feel miserable about my "moobs" and contemplating breast reduction. In fact I would like breast augmentation to be done so that I can have D cup breasts.
By the way, I am 58 years of age.
Last edited by JohnH; 12-05-2010 at 12:42 AM.
John (Legal name)
Preferred pronouns: he, his, him
being 29 and just coming to terms with the idea that its ok to be like this, i do feel like i missed out earlier on in life but i'm sure i'm making for lost time just being on this site!
I wore some womans panties for about 5 years ( am now 58), started seriously dressing a few months ago.
I enjoy the tight feel of female garments and enjoy the sexy look of clothes that woman wear. Lucky my wife indulges my new passion and takes the photographs and helps with the shopping.
The internet. I was dressed as a little girl by my three-years older than me first cousins when I was a little kid, and looking back know that it excited me sexually even at that age. However, I grew up in a family that prized athletic glory, leadership, and a lot of other WASPY virtues, and sublimated everything. I knew nothing about crossdressing or transgenderism for most of my life, except for seeing ads in the Entertainment section of the newspaper about Drag Queen and Female Impersonator night club acts (which I never attended). When I was in my early forties, in the mid/late 90's, my wife was out with some of her girlfriends, and I was on the early internet, and just browsing around I came across several transvestite websites. These were mostly of the Professional ******* type, but many were just personal websites. I was transfixed, and sexually excited. My marriage was going badly at the time, and I made a conscious decision that this was a world I wanted to explore. Eventually I hooked up with a CD whom I met on Alt. We had multiple intimate meetings, and the more I was with her, the more I wanted to be like her. Eventually, I persuaded her to play the masculine part, but she didn't like that very much, and eventually we broke up. I continued to dress in private, and acquired my stash of wigs, shoes, dresses, and lingerie. That was probably around 1998 or so. I am normally rather dare-devilish, but it took me another couple of years before I was able to go out in public to Trans-friendly gay bars, and a bit more time after that before I started dating men. Got divorced in the interim, but that had little or nothing to do with crossdressing or bi-sexuality. I am still totally enraptured by the beautiful androgyny of my Sisters, and have DVD's full of pictures downloaded from the internet of clothed and nude crossdressers. I sometimes wonder on 'might-have-beens' if I'd started earlier, but don't dwell on it.
By the time I was 8 I knew I was attracted to feminine clothing, but it wasn't a big deal. Borrowed the occasional pair of panties up through my teens, and when I got married, maybe put on a pair of panties twice, that's it. Serious interest began when I realized my marriage was going downhill, the times when my wife was away. Then when she left (I was in my mid forties) I bought some lingerie of my own, purged once or twice and kept coming back. About 10 years ago I began to buy my own feminine clothes and considered I may have a real interest in cross dressing. Have done little in the past 5 years but recently have moved and now have my own place. Finally!
So I really got going in my mid 40's, had to delay the 'hobby' but can now indulge.
The only 'so called' female item anyone has seen me openly wearing is a sarong, I occasionally get to some summer festivals and such where they are not uncommon for men. Also, I wear them about the house indoors. I guess if you call earrings feminine (they aren't here) then yes, since the mid 70's.
I've only met another cross dresser once (to have spoken with) and that was at a store in downtown Toronto - Wildside. Guess I need to get out more...
I started dressing at around age 59. Never had a pie4ce of female clothing on before then. My wife was away for around 10 weeks to help family & I somehow started on sleepwear and one thing led to another. I now have a full rnage of make-up, skirts, dresses, shoes, lingerie etc. Dont have forms or a wig though and have decided against these as after discussing it with my wife (I confessed when she came home) she got a bit scared about me going that far. I'm working on it though. I'm now 62 and dress regularly.
I dabbled in dressing since I was about 6 or 7, but I guess I could be considered a late bloomer mainly because I really didn't get serious about it until my late 30's.
I wore my sisters red tights under my pants to school in the first grade, I was 6 (I can remember the whole day) and I was hooked.... I occasionally would try on other things in my teens but it did not do much for me, I had only a pantyhose and tights fetish. Now, I am 41 and wow.... everything has changed and I want to be female as much as I want to be male now. I do not do my face yet as my SO and I are going to go at a slow pace to ensure Maria develops slowly and cautiously for both of us.
Even though my testosterone was tested this past summer and is at 465, which is good for my age, it still may have dropped from where it was and as we get older our estrogen will naturally increase some and that combo may have something to do with it for many of us older ones. Also, my nipples have become more sensitive which shows somethign has changed somewhere for me physicially. Also, my sex drive has gone down and my appreciation and respect for women has gone up.
I look very much forward to getting a wig and doing my makeup but my SO and I just want to pace it. I am considered a good looking man so I do hope I am also a good looking woman. I dream of being Maria when we shop together…. :-)
I own bras, dresses, many skirts and shoes and a massive pantyhose and tights collection…. Besides the hosiery, 90% of the rest was purchased over the last 2 months.
Maria
"If pantyhose can make my legs look this good, imagine what they can do for yours" - Joe Namath
I started putting on mom's things and makeup when I was very young, but when I moved out of the house for college I rarely had any more opportunites to do that. When I was 40 I got the bright idea I could actually go out and buy my own things and its been a steady progression since then. Sure, all those years I was not dressing (unless I could find a drawer with some panites or something) I was thinking about it, and always had a strong desire to "see what I would look like as a female", but never had any assistance and I eventually got up the courage to do it.
I started 3 years ago, and let's just say that I was over 39, errrr, 49, oh OK, 50ish, errr, you get the picture! I may had unread and un-acted upon hints and clues that I may like to dress as a women all though out my life, but, being the slow learner that I am it took me a long time to get here. What really triggered it (the straw the broke the camel's back??) was the negative side effects of prostate removal for cancer in 2005. You could say that one thing led to another and then another and lo and behold Allie was born in 2007. An interesting aspect, and for me a benefit, of starting later in life is that I never suffered from everything that so many other suffered throughout their lives and continue to suffer. I am at the stage in life that I finally realize that it may not last forever, so I am in the "enjoy it now because tomorrow it may be too late" mode. I have inconveniences caused by my new found passion, but the benefits and fun far outweigh the negatives.
I was in my mid 40's when I started. I wore dresses when playing as a 7-8 year old, but didn't really start until I discovered the internet forums about 15 years ago. I never would have purchased an item of woman's clothes until I reading your stories about your shopping trips. Started with pantyhose, panties, bra, dresses, tops, wigs--where will it stop?
I started when I was 53. Only went out dressed at night because I had a mustach and my then wife liked it. If I shaved it off, she would get suspicious and asked why. Later, when I got divorced, and on my own, I started dressing more often. I didnt go out during the day for some time untill the apartment manager found out and wanted to see me dressed. Later I found my current SO working at an adult store that catered to crossdressers. She applied my makeup properly for the first time, and now after several years, we go everywhere whith me emfemme. She even buys cloths for me.
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