Crossdressing: The practical advantages...

[Katey888]

Now this is intended to be relatively lighthearted – nothing too deep or meaningful for a weekend, after all – but I was wondering (again… ), are there any real world, practical advantages to cross dressing?

Obviously, for us there are the emotional benefits, satisfying the inbuilt desire, making us whole, yada, yada… I’m accepting those as given. What I’m talking about are the real-life, day-to-day, simple, practical benefits of… wearing a bra, tights, a wig, carrying a handbag laden with… everything!, telepathically knowing where the nearest ladies or restroom is... whatever… but it must be of practical use in an everyday situation and not available when en drab.

So, a couple to start us off: the classic apocryphal (but once valid) practical benefit would be replacing a car’s broken fan or generator belt with a pair of knotted nylons or tights. A get-me-home repair, but the type of thing we folk of a certain generation, love..

From a personal perspective, I occasionally wear a pair of heeled sandals around the house when I get the chance (just for a bit of balance training and calf toning – and because I might like it…) and the 4.5” heels now elevate me to just over six foot… All of a sudden I can find things I’d lost in the top shelves of kitchen cupboards! I can change light bulbs without recourse to step ladders… So, high heels have actual, practical advantages.

Anything else… or is that it? Katey x

[Stephanie47]

Well, used or for that matter new pantyhose or stockings have been widely used for making withdrawals from banking institutions.

Darn! That was my 4,000 post and I was intending to make meaningful statement! Oh well, maybe at 5,000.

[docrobbysherry]

Here's a few of how CDing has helped me:

1. Shopping for gifts for female family members

2. Knowing a lot more about fem sizes

3. Discussing clothes/accessories with females

4. Knowing how to BETTER answer questions like, "Does this outfit make me look fat?". "Does this look good", or,"match?"

[annaaustintx]

Being 5'8" and 115 lbs dripping wet, I'm supremely ungifted in the strength department. Mind you, my power-to-weight ratio is very decent, but when the weight is on the low side to begin with... One practical advantage of being a woman is that when I go shopping for a chest of drawers at IKEA, it's much and quicker to get the staff to put on the cart for me, as well as to have them load it into my car for me! I works even better if I'm wearing heels and showing a lot of legs.
Another practical advantage, at least for me: people, men and women, always give me and my cart the right of way in the aisles at Costco.

[Ms. Jennifer]

well i think there are many practical reasons. myself as example i am a tree climber/ landscaper and i have always worn leggins and tank tops under my guy work clothes for extra warmth and " friction control" being in a 25lb harness with a 15lb chainsaw hanging all day tends to rub a bit but the leggins stop that... no more bloody calfs and hips !!! also i always wear panties year round but especially in the summer they stop heat rash that i usally suffer horribly from when i used to wear boxers. plus it keeps my equipment alot cooler

[Anna H]

I have used my ponytail ties to hold the trunk down on my car before.

I bought some twine after ruining a brand new Nice pink one that I loved.

And, use my heels regularly for stuff that's up high. I can be 6' 6" with just a
quick shoe change! lol!

[Barbie Anne]

In a survival situation you could use dangly earrings for fishing lures. Lost in a cave? mark your path on the wall with lipstick.
Compact mirror for signalling helicopters when lost in the great north woods. A pair of 6 inch stilletos would work great for self defense. And you could take out your forms, wrap them in pantyhose and use them for a pillow. *giggles*

[Julia Red]

I only crossdress inside the house, so the advantages I can think of are not that useful:

- Reaching high stuff easier on high heels.

- When it's hot, it's more confortable to wear short skirts, better than any man garment. Also, panties produce less sweating.

- When I'm playing Just Dance on PS3 wearing heels, it's easier to mimic the routines in which the dancers of the game are also wearing heels.

- Also, the mirrors strangely get more attractive to look at.

[Sarah21]

I am more conscious of my weight and it helps me to stay slim, if that can be considered a practical advantage.

When I babysit my little nieces I'm able to give their dolls a fabulous updo, which their father struggles to do I was told.

[windycissy]

Crossdressing motivates me to stay slim too, and it's helped me to be much more empathetic towards women by giving me a better understanding of all the little hassles they have to put up with as part of ordinary life

[julia marie]

I'm with windycissy about staying slim (or in my case trying to get slim). Also, I'll add that between guy stuff and girl stuff, I always have clean underwear available.

[Adriana Moretti]

I could name a few
1. Hygiene
From skin care, tartar control to the bottoms of my feet....without it..I would be a dirty boy

2. Health
Before my purge I weighed 138...After my purge 180...its safe to say crossdressing has kept the weight in check and kept the diet healthy. Not to mention the 6 mile a day jog.

3. Ladies Man
Pointing out the little things women want men to notice but men never do...makeup, shoes,nails,jewelery etc...it goes a long way

4. Attitude & Behavior
I find myself doing things in male mode I wouldnt dream of doing..yet Adriana brings out the best..example...I found a credit card on the floor of the mall last week.....hmmmm....Adriana called the credit card company.

bonus....It makes you a better dancer !

[Sarah21]

I laughed at Adriana's comment about being a better a dancer, it's so true.

[suchacutie]

1) I now have pantyhose to wear while shoveling snow.

2) said panthose use is now a way my wife can get rid of old pantyhose.

3) My wife.will never hear me say I don't understand women..

4) We csn borrow each other's makeup!

5) we can borrow each other's bras!

6) we have topics of conversation never before possible.

7) she's now positive I want to understand her feelings.

8) we've proven that heels are therapeutic to my trick back.

9) I'm thinner and healthier than I was before Tina.

10) my skin is so much healthier.

11) my style sense is off the chart better.

etc!

[Beverley Sims]

When dressed I was able to sneak into the womens quarters, disguised of course, get all the secret documentation and diaries they kept, also the books, "How to pick up boys", "Catch your Male On the Hop" and "Cross-dressing your boyfriend."

I then wrote the book "All you need to know about women."

It was a successful best seller.

Glossy and sexy cover, and runs to fifty blank pages in small type.

[Christen]

It means I can have deep and meaningful discussions about fashions, models and designers with my wife and two daughters.
Oh, and less of a family laundry load to be done ( I have to do Christen's separate to the normal loads).
And I've always got a nail file if someone needs one.

Christen x

[Tina B.]

I wanted to give a short answer, but these thing wont let you do that, it wants more than that.
But the short answer is "NO!
Couldn't think of a one.

[Carole]

Wearing one of my sets of forms I can lie on my stomach and read a book without having to crane my head up and get neckache. They are 'D' cup gel silicone type, so perfectly safe to sleep in as well.

[Katey888]

Hmmm – well, my theory is that shows how many of us have our male ‘Mr Practical’ side blending with our feminine aspect – not saying that’s good or bad, just sayin’ is all

Steph47 – bit concerned about the legality of what you might have done in the past, but practical!

Anna – like your style in tapping into chivalrous behavior but I’m not sure I’d want to tangle with you in Costco behind a shopping cart

Ms Jennifer , Kate, Barbie, Christen and Carole – all good practical stuff… Barbie, I’m surprised you didn’t have a spare brassiere being used as double-barreled catapult…

Sherry, Julia Red, Sarah, Windy, and Adriana – clearly girls who are more about their looks than practicality – perhaps better for an evening out but I’d doubt you’d survive a zombie apocalypse..

Suchacutie/Tina – you’ve clearly totally bought into the advantages – cool…!

Tina B. – disappointed you can’t think of a single one…

And Bev… whatever you’re taking or smoking.. I’d like some…

And thanks everyone for contributing – it seems like we are as varied as we are similar again…

Katey x

[Barbie Anne]

While I had considered mentioning the application of bras being used as a sling for hunting, I just thought that was a given and needn't be mentioned

[Shelly Preston]

When shopping we save time by not having to go to the mens section

Like anna says the damsel in distress work wonders when you need help to get items into the car

The pretty lady usually gets allowed out quicker at a busy junction by a nice kind gentleman.

[reb.femme]

In a survival situation you could use dangly earrings for fishing lures. Lost in a cave? mark your path on the wall with lipstick.
Compact mirror for signalling helicopters when lost in the great north woods. A pair of 6 inch stilletos would work great for self defense. And you could take out your forms, wrap them in pantyhose and use them for a pillow. *giggles*

I can't help but think you are not taking this post seriously.

I've amazed the five girls I work with (aged 21 to about 40) when one of them broke a nail. I had both nail scissors and a nail file/board, when none of them did. If only they knew that I also had a pair of tweezers if needed too!

Plus as Sherry said, you can discuss clothing and accessories, ...even makeup. I've had to reign myself in over this, as eyes often get raised if I get over eager and display too much knowledge.

Rebecca

[Eryn]

Crossdressing allows me to get into the Magic Castle (private club for magicians) in Hollywood. They have a strict jacket-and-tie dress code for men and I no longer own a jacket that fits. Dresses are a lot more fun, though heels make the many stairs of the Castle more challenging.

[Tamara Segunda]

You can never tell what sort of post is going to simply ignite everyone on the board to respond -- even confirmed lurkers like me. Here's mine:

I have a messed up back, and moving around in bed is often painful for me. My nylon nighties reduce friction and enable me to turn over without screaming. :-) And a discreet lipstick or lightly tinted balm keeps the chapping away.

[Katey888]

So we can also add: "Revealing Cloaked Lurkers" to the practical benefits...? (In the nicest possible way, Tamara... )

These tips could get to be the new "Hitchhikers guide".... Perhaps Sherry could be our Trillian...?

Keep 'em comin'... Katey x