It's NEVER just about the clothes.

[TGMarla]

Wild has informed me that he never wears forms (or very rarely) or a wig. For him, I guess it really is about the clothes and little more. So I retract my statements regarding him. Fair enough. I think he proves his point by living it.

[Melissa Rose]

For some, it is just about the clothes, their reasons for dressing may vary. They are a segment of the wide spectrum of cross dressers, but one, I suspect, that remains relative quiet about it especially in a forum such as this one.

[ReineD]

Ok, so now we are getting somewhere. For at least two women here, it STARTED with just the clothes. Could there possibly be any others here who started the same way? And IF there are more than two, [10, 100, 1,000???] is it not possible that for some it is STILL just about the clothes?

Or would you simply proclaim them to be "faulty" in some fashion? If THEY too did not "progress" and eventually move on to "more involvement" in attempting to present as a woman, as in walk/talk/makeup/wigs etc.??????????

I've seen pics of men who present as men while they wear skirts or colorful clothing. I agree, this is strictly about a clothing preference. Maybe they feel more comfortable wearing looser garments. Maybe they enjoy pushing fashion boundaries. I do not detect an ounce of femininity in the following looks, for example:

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/...tridis-005.jpg
http://www.39thandbroadway.com/wp-co...cobs101008.jpg
http://classicruby.files.wordpress.c...s-collage1.jpg

But, if for whatever reason a guy chooses to not put on a wig, makeup, or forms (maybe he thinks these things would look ridiculous because he believes he could never "pass"?), yet there is a feminine element in his appearance, for example he presents decidedly feminine legs by shaving them and he does his best to approximate a woman's figure by wearing short shorts cinched at the waist girlie style, and he wears feminine shoes, I think there might be a little more to it than just the clothes, or at least this is the impression he gives based on his presentation choices.

Also, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. I don't think that any manner of appearance, whether it is masculine, feminine, or in between is ever faulty, nor do I think that any binary or combination gender identity is faulty.

[Foxglove]

Maybe somebody can explain it to me, because I'm not sure I understand. "It's just about the clothes." What does that mean?

Does it mean you like wearing the clothes but you don't want to be female, or you don't feel feminine while you're dressed? Or that you only wear the clothes but no wig, make-up, etc?

A guy once told me that a buddy of his wore dresses "because he found them comfortable." Do you mean something like that?

Maybe some of those for whom "it's just about the clothes" can explain what they mean. Sorry, if I'm being dense here.

Annabelle

[drushin703]

While I am out and about I get to meet quite a few "tranny-chasers" of which I always pose to them the same question. Do you crossdress and if not, why not?
I have never gotten yes as an answer. No, not me, I would never get caught doing something like that! Now, this is certainly not scientific, but m-to-f, cross-
dressers are viewed as the lovers of female clothes with some deep, undefinded psyco-sexual-gender issues. When someone sees a crossdresser (especially non
crossdressers) they never see the morphology. I, for one, do not agree with degrees of crossdressing. If you want to wear a wig, no wig, pantyhose with shaved
legs, thigh-hi's under your trousers, underdress in panties and bra under your business suit, so what, one once of trans blood makes you trans.lol
It, being just about the clothes, is how most of us started. How we wound up, the finished product or the work in progress, is cetainly not the pathology/
the struggle to be yourself is never the basis of ANY desease...dana

[GaleWarning]

Shelly Preston is right ... for some of us, it IS all about the clothes.
I have absolutely no desire to be female.
I LOVE wearing stockings and high heels.

So the statement that it is NEVER just about the clothes is false (by counter example).
As a long time member of this forum, I have learned that it is very dangerous to try to generalise.

[TeresaL]

Get my face right, and I would wear male clothes if I had to. A feminine face means more to me than panties and dresses. I do not want to look like a man in a dress -- ever.

But, look like a lady, talk like a lady, then dress like a lady.

EDIT:
I'm probably pretty far from that, pink fog though gets me when I have looked at my pictures for the last three months since I have re-visited the CD lifestyle. Those pictures made me utterly sick when I first saw them. what's going on?

[Kaz]

Ha ha..good one Kaz I really like my male self to much to go TS.. If I went T.S. I would have to express my male desires by not shaving and stuffing a rolled sock down there ( no offence to the trans men or T.S.'s here it's just what I would do to keep my balance ) gotta keep a balance and adapt I will.. Progression never ends until the light at the end of the tunnel burned out..

Thanks for the inspiring comment

Lucy, you are very welcome! Take care you!

[ReineD]

Shelly Preston is right ... for some of us, it IS all about the clothes.
I have absolutely no desire to be female.
I LOVE wearing stockings and high heels.

My SO has no desire to be female either.

So the statement that it is NEVER just about the clothes is false (by counter example).
As a long time member of this forum, I have learned that it is very dangerous to try to generalise.

If gender were binary, (like being pregnant ... either a woman is or is not pregnant), then I would agree with you. But with gender there are more shades of gray than the very skinny strips of black and white at each end of the grayscale chart. Something drives a man to present as a woman either partially (just the gams) or fully (the face and the body).

If it were just about the clothes, there would be no attempt at any sort of feminization.

[RainyNightGirl]

For me it all started with tights (pantyhose), heels and skirts. That once was enough up until quite recently. Now I have my toes painted all the time, my body is hairless and wearing accessories and carrying handbags. Where does it stop? Its been an intense ride these last few weeks and I am deep in the pink fog. Not sure where this is taking me. I enjoy being male and I enjoy my male side too, but it is consuming and that does scare me a little....could also be my OCD personality too. Would welcome some guidance if any one has any....

Have a great weekend girls
Natasha x

[Wildaboutheels]

CDers come in dozens of flavors. At the very least. Just like ice cream. If a person likes ice cream, it is not necessary for them to like ALL ice cream.

Is it?

Does it really matter if someone likes grape ice cream and nothing else? Does it matter WHY they like grape ice cream?

Which flavor is the "best one"?

Which flavor is the "right one"?

Is it ever OK to MIX flavors? You know - in the same bowl? OR, is it only OK to mix certain flavors together?

To me...the possibilities are limitless. I am not going to limit my picks based on what other people may like.

Or think.

Or say.

[Lorileah]

And there is a difference between it is just about the clothes and they are just clothes. If it was just about clothing, then why not just wear them? It is about the look (sometimes) the feel (sometimes) the erotic effect (sometimes). It is about what the wearer makes them to be about, no different than a woman. And yes some will go over the edge with what they wear to make a point.

And I think you would be wrong to assume that the majority wore something sexy the first time also. Being creatures of opportunity it was more likely something mom, sis, cousin or neighbor had. If your mom wore granny panties, then it is likely that was the first you tried.

[sometimes_miss]

In a way, it IS all about the clothes. The clothes allow us to redefine ourselves TO ourselves, more than to anyone else. When I'm dressed as a girl, I feel like I am one; there's no constant focus on anything, it's not sexual. I just feel normal, I don't really notice the clothing. But when I'm wearing guy clothes, it just feels, well, 'not quite right', like I should change my clothes. The best analogy I can give is as if you're wearing a guy's bathing suit at a elegant function where everyone else is wearing a suit and tie or a tux; sure, it's sexually appropriate, but you will just always feel like you should change your outfit as long as you're there. Or maybe, as if you're wearing a red sox hat and jacket at yankee stadium surrounded by yankee fans, and they put a pic of you up on the jumbotron, I think the sports nuts will understand that better; it's that kind of feeling not quite comfortable.

[Pythos]

Then there are nut bars like me who really does not see, long hair, makeup, skirts, dresses, tights, leggings, as "feminine". They are clothes and styles that have been limited to only women. The only gender specific clothing I acknowledge as such are Bra, and Jock strap. That is about it, all others can be worn by both sexes for the most part, was it not for this BS known as sexism.

When I wear the clothing and styles I like, I feel more inline with my true self...a blend of the two. My self image is a dark haired, long haired, individual that has the features of...well I'll say it, Elves of the type from Tolkien's stories.

When in said clothing, I don't try to "pass" as a female. I am just myself. I have said before that my movement does change...skirts make one move differently, as do heels and corsets. LOL