Late developer

[joanne anderson]

:thinking: Yep I have been thinkng about writing a letter. I'ves been with C/D for quite a while and have enjoyed and found the letters very informative.
Many letters often refer to how long members have been dressing what age they started etc, in most cases members seem to have been drawn to cross dressing from an early age, My question is how many of you never started to dress until much older in adult life before you began to find your way to the delights of dressing and finding in you, your feminine side.
I my self only began to dress at the age of 55, I never had dressed before other than 30 years before and that was only trying on some of my wifes dresses one night in front of her, as a sort of fashion parade and that was it.
As with many of you, in my early days, I bought a few things and hid them away, Gradualy my wardrobe grew and I began experimenting with make-up.
After eight years of hiding things I became exhausted having to hide my things away and decided to come out to my wife, fortunately my wife has accepted Joanne into our lives and I have joined a group which meets once a month, so I am now out of the closet so to speak.
So I guess there must be a few others out there, who for some unexplainable reason chose to go down this exciting and enjoyable journey.
Do tell.

LoL Joanne

[kimdl93]

it seems that even among the "late bloomers" there were moments as a child, adolescent or young adult that reflect an attracting to things feminine. The greatest factor influencing my dressing has been the presence of kids....while they were home, everything was behind closed doors. Now that they are (mostly) out of the next, I can dress pretty much full time.

[tricia_uktv]

When my Father died (I was 49 at the time) it unleashed a determination in me to get myself out. That was no fault of his as he was a lovely man who I loved deeply. It did however feel that the 'moral hold' on me had gone and that I was free to explore and experiment with my underlying self. I went for it hell for leather and am now at point where I am equally happy going out male or femail. Actually that's not quite true but you know what I mean. It has taken a great deal of effort, risk and guts but I am now so happy. I do have three children who all know and support me and that too stopped me from doing things beforehand. I love the place I have ended up in, though I suspect this isn't the end :)

[joanne anderson]

Hi Tricia and Kimdl.
Thanks for your replies, it looks like we three seem to be the only ones who did start dressing late in their adult life. I also had two sons but they had flown the coup long before my desire to dress, I have not told them and doubt I ever will as neither of them lives here in Wellington.
I am sure there are many more of us out there who like ourselves began late in life but were shy to admit to it.
Anyway thanks again.

LoL Joanne

[Barbara Dugan]

I myself started dressig late..I am 41 and I've been doing it for about 3 years

[docrobbysherry]

I guess I'm BOTH!:D

I never tried on a piece of female clothing until I was OVER 50. It simply NEVER OCCURRED TO ME!:brolleyes:
Even tho I had plenty of opportunities to do so!:)

[joanne anderson]

Ah! so there is more than three of us, I was feeling a little lonsome. My next question then, what specifically was it that made you start.



LoL Joanne

[donnalee]

After I retired last year, I started to think more about the past, mostly to try and keep my memory sharp. The more I thought about it, I recalled "dressing up" in my mom's closet, (which was very long with a window at the rear), with girl playmates, perhaps my sister? The memories are pretty vague; I was maybe 3 or 4. I then realised that there were sporadic episodes of dressing all through my life, so hidden that I didn't acknowledge it to myself, let alone others. I took it up again almost 4 years ago, which was a very traumatic period in my life; I think it made me feel more safe. I am pretty much 100% at home now; my SO of 43 years is totally accepting, but I don't want the complications that being fully out might cause; for now I am content with things the way they are.

[ArleneRaquel]

I first wore womans clothing at the age of eight, and continued doing so until I married. During my marriage I dressed infrequently. My wife died in 2002, shortly thereafter I dressed in femmy undergarments, in 2004 I went " Arlene "* full time. I plan to live as a woman for the rest of my life.

*My first femmy name was " Katrina ", then " Beyonce ". I have been " Arlene " since 2007.

[Ann-Marie]

Only really started recently, am 57, had been trying on my wifes panties for a few years but have only just progressed to more then panties, enjoy the feel

[Karinsamatha]

Hi all. I started late also - late 30's. Up to that point there was nothing. Then the flood gates of seriously repressed need - desire opened! :D. Now I want to be Karin all the time! :hugs:

[Mary Jane]

I was 53 before I fully dressed. Before that I had partly dressed when I was in my late teens and early twenties. Like many I thought the urge to dress would go away after marriage. Well, I guess it just got suppressed for a while. I hate missing out on all the years I could have been having fun dressing.

[Bobbie Bee]

I too am a late bloomer. I didn't really start dressing until I was around 57 although I have played around with various female clothes since my early teens. Since I retired, I became drawn more and more to female clothing and the feeling they gave me. Each step of dressing was a thrill and I became more attracted to my female self as I progressed. Although I could never "pass", I do like what I see in the mirror most of the time....I guess I'm a little narcissistic, but I enjoy it. I just wish I could share this with my wife. Oh well, maybe some day.

[Edwina]

I realy only started after I retired and then only panties. I had tried on the odd item earlier but had no idea what was in store for me.:heehee:
Gradually I progressed to stockings and then bras and suddenly I was going further. I just had to see what it would be like to..... and I was buying a skirt and blouse. Then a wig and that was it, I was hooked. Since then it has been more about refining the image with brest forms and then makeup. My latest purchases have been dresses which I adore.
My wife knows but is not supportive in any way which is a pity but I manage.

[Alice Torn]

Around age 15 i started trying on sisters, and mom's things, then stopped for decades. At age 51, i bought first dress, and then got wigs, heelsm hose, jewelry,broaches, make up. Fully dressed at 51, and went out soon, in a pink fog! Still 99% in closet, at 56.

[Ann Thomas]

I have pictures of me wearing women's costume jewelry at around the age of 7 or 8, and I remember totally loving it. Did panties and some outfits when I was in my teens. My religion heaped guilt on me for it, and I abstained from it for a decade or so while I grew up more, married, had a family, but then the urges became more overwhelming. My wife at the time thought I was crazy. She eventually divorced me for a number of reasons. I realized there might be more to all of it during my singles years. I remarried and the urges came on even stronger, and have had great difficulty with my current wife over it. She knows and is only a small bit tolerant.

As my dad lay dying of cancer, I discovered his stash of women's clothing. I asked him about it and his story was similar. Panties and other dressing while young, started in again later in life. My son's following the same pattern, but of course he's in his raging testosterone phase.

My theory is that for my family it's a genetic thing and the genes control certain hormones patterns that are masked by the male peak years. That would explain the early years and later years urges as well as the lack of urge during the peak years. (We usually only hear about a couple of hormones commonly, but there are hundreds of hormones in the human body and the way they work is highly complex.) I do hope to get up to UCLA and find the research department that's been looking into a variety of genetics - I've written them emails but never get any response. Now that I've moved closer to them I may just drop in one day if I can gain access to the area somehow.

In the end I feel it's best for me to tell my kids before they start dating so they know how to pick a spouse that is open to having a CD father-in-law and potentially CD children. So far my son knows, but have been holding off with my daughter, as she's been though a lot this year with the death of her mother and relocating. I'm sure she suspects, though.

Hope that helps.

Hugs,
Ann

[Jolene]

I did not start dressing till around 50 years old here. Feel I have missed out on so much. Did dress with my sister's stuff around age 12 but that was it for many years. Never did forget how good it did feel having her things on. Only now I wish I would have started sooner.

[joanne anderson]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply, like many of you, I too regret that this new part of my life, I had not discovered much sooner but you can bet I am taking full advantage of it now.

LoL Joanne

[Colo Deb]

My story is not unlike some of these. When I was a kid (~6-8 years old), my sister, brother, and I played house together. The only clothes we had were some old dresses that were lying around, so we dressed up in them, even though they were way too large to fit us. A few years later, when I was home alone, I would sneak into mom 's dresser and try on her girdle, bra, and some pants, but soon out grew them. As a teenager, playing around with my younger sister, we found a couple of mom's swimsuits in my sister's closet. My sister and I modeled these suits for each other.

When I left home to go to college, I really had no interest in cd'ing. After marriage, I found some of my wife's discarded clothes (pantyhose, bra, and a dress), which I tried on. Her clothes really didn't fit me and I was not about to go out and buy anything at that time. Many years later (~ 45), I discovered an internet forum dealing with cd'ing. I found it intriguing, and got up enough nerve to shop for my own clothes. First, a shaper, then bra and panties. When I was on a trip out of town, I bought my first dress at Wal-Mart--what a rush! One shopping trip led to another, I was building a wardrobe. Next was make-up and a cheap wig, and soon it would not fit in a couple of boxes. Since I wear size 12-13 shoes, I have yet to buy any women's shoes, nor have I bought breast forms.

I am now 59, and still in the closet. I would like to tell my wife, but fear that she would not accept this. I travel for work, and occasionally, get to spend time dressed in my hotel room.