At the ripe age of 24 I've accepted myself as transgendered. Now I just have lots of questions. Some questions I can answer myself, but would still love to see your responses, and others I'm in need of Tgirl advice.
1) What do you sacrifice to dress?
I feel like my relationship with my SO would be much easier were I not to dress. I also give up the the benefits of fitting society's view of normalcy.
2) How important is your feminine persona and appearance? How important is your masculine persona and appearance? Which takes priority?
Right now, I default to masculine and given the choice of being male or female I would choose male. I love my masculine side, but also feel the need to maintain it or see my world come crashing down. I think that I will equally love my feminine side, but I have yet to fully explore it.
3) How has your dressing and/or sexuality changed since you accepted yourself as transgendered?
I can see myself moving along the transgendered spectrum. It started as repressed masterbation fantasies, progressed to dressing only in panties (more masturbation), progressed to wearing full outfits (more masturbation), and now I'm working on a fully feminine persona while dressed (and lots more masturbation). I've also seen my sexuality slide from strictly hetero to nearly pansexual.
4) Are Tgirls more sexual than the average joe?
I am.
5) How do I thin my eyebrows and get away with it?
6) Are fake eye lashes a must?
I've been told that MAC lashes can't be beat.
7) What's the best razor? How do I prevent razor burn?
8) What kind of foundation will cover stubble?
9) Would telling close friends (guys) be a horrible mistake?
10) Should I shave my arms too?
11) If you workout, do you workout to maintain a masculine physique or a feminine one?
I'm a former runner and have always had a petite build, the irony is that I'm now trying to put on muscle but still want to look sexy as a girl.
12) I have big feet, size 11/12, are there brick and mortar stores that sell heels in large sizes?
13) Is it worth the looks to get a pedicure?
14) Stereotype yourself: Do you have a type A or B personality when not dressed?
I lean towards A, but like to think I have some balance. Is there a correlation between dressing and personality type?
15) What's the one piece of clothing you can't live without?
16) What are the best fake breasts? Balloons filled with pudding? Stockings filled with bird seed?
17) Best bra for a TGirl?
18) Is it better to try and impersonate a female voice or just talk normally when dressed en femme?
19) For those of you not married what is your ideal romantic situation? An accepting girlfriend? A diverse sexual life? Accepting friends and family? If you're married, does your wife support your habits? If she doesn't, is it worth it anyway?
This one confuses me. I have a great girlfriend, but I know that she isn't fully comfortable with my dressing. I love her, but selfishly think that their could be someone that enjoys my Tgirl side. She's done everything she can to understand me, but I know that dressing still upsets her at times. I understand that being in a relationship is all about communication and compromise, and I don't want her to be the only one compromising. I'm torn between what I feel is a selfish desire and my love for a girl who is doing everything she can to understand my quirks.
20) What questions did you have when you first started dressing?
That's a lot for a first post and I more than appreciate answers to any of the questions.
Background
Since this was my first post I'll give a little background info for those of you who are interested. I grew up in Pennsylvania in a conservative househould with conservative values. I remember raiding my mother's closet when I was 12 or 13, but stopped dressing by the time I was in 10th grade. I dated girls, finished high school, went to college, yadda yadda. I never allowed myself to think that I could be transgendered until recently. In retrospect it seems ridiculous, normal guys aren't turned on by TGirls and don't masterbate to high heels, but alas I didn't catch on. Now that I've started working and have a bit more private space the panties have started to collect and favorite bottles of nail polish have had to be replaced so it's been harder to ignore.
This past week has finally tipped the scales. My girlfriend said that she help me dress this coming weekend so she could become more comfortable around me when dressed. I decided I needed to get a respectable wig for the weekend so I went online to order something. I noticed that wigs.com had a salon based in Dallas, which happens to be where I'm located this week (I'm usually in DC). I sucked it up, and against my gf's advice called the Salon and set an appointment. I told Carol, the owner, that I needed a female wig and she energetically said, "That's great!" To make a long story short, I had a tremendous experience with Carol and spent well over an hour trying on just about every wig in the store. Carol and I laughed and talked about everything from her days living in Europe to what kind of skirt I should wear this weekend. It was an amazing experience and the first time I've felt truly comfortable being myself.
So here I am, asking lots of questions and sharing my life with crossdressers.com.
PS: First advice to new TGirls, buy a wig in person! You really need to try on a lot of styles until you find one that matches your face and brings out your femininity (plus a salon will style it for you!). Secondly, if you're in the Dallas area and need a wig, go visit Carol. I promise you won't be disappointed. The address is at the bottom of wigs.com.