Late Bloomers

[Lucy_Bella]

I have noticed that more than ever late bloomers have been emerging.. I have been reading stories online of recent movie stars stepping out of the closet that are middle age.. I have also noticed the large amount of folks here whom started dressing after puberty . Some even starting in their middle ages.

This strikes me odd and I see nothing wrong with it so don't get me wrong, it strikes me odd because I have had this my whole life. I wonder if there is reason or a cause for this? Has anyone else noticed this?

[AllieSF]

Well, I started at age 60. There may have been some tell tale signs that I favored satiny women's clothes when I was younger and maybe a few instances while maturing. However, I never ever thought about dressing regularly until in 2007. Since that is history and I still have a lot of life left in me, I do not dwell on the reasons why, I rejoice that I finally started and have this to really light up my life! I plan to keep my mind as clear and free from worry and questions as best possible for as long as possible.

[diannecourtney]

Iguess, my feminity really started at mid 60's although there were strange instances along the way which I can't account for. i.e. wearing spandex briefs shortly after marriage, wearing the wifes girdle when they wore out. finally as a traveling man, taking her discarded trouseu and wearing it to bed. But now I am heavily into the activity and love every aspect of it including doing my finger nails (clear only)

[5150 Girl]

Well, I thik i's because society has "loosend up". Things that were once taboo are now out in the open. We no longer have to hide, thus making it easyer and less fearfull.
I think fear is what keeps most of us in the closet. I know untill I overcame my fear of what society might think or do, I was afraid to even look people in the eye for fear they might see my little seacret "written all over my face" as the saying goes. Now I go out reularly for no better reason than to go to the grocery.

[Vickie_CDTV]

I have always been a bit fascinated by those who do not crossdress or express any significant transgender behavior or feelings in their childhood or teenage years, and take it up seemingly out of the blue time later in life. I had minimal (but definitely some) interest in womens' things in childhood, and took up a strong interest dressing up when I was a teenager and puberty hit.

For those who picked it up for the first time later in life (20s or older), may I ask a question? What triggered or sparked your interest in dressing up? Did it trigger something inside of you that you never felt before? Do you feel it was something latent and unknown to you until the right trigger came along?

[CalamityJane]

Hi Lucy,
Yes I have noticed this, and I had even considered asking the question in the forum , as in "what is your current age and at what age did you start CDing. But I considered that it might be too big an ask for the good fold here to discuss these things, although it would have been interesting to see the demographic age split.
Like you I started thinking about CDing at a vey young age, before I even knew what it was or that in the eyes of some that it was wrong, I expect like many it started with small things and not very often, and then over time you may get to where I am today, dressing almost everyday.

[suchacutie]

I started at age 55. I'm not sure what really happened, as it all happened rather suddenly. I had started to lose some weight and my wife had some clothes (lingerie, specifically) that no longer fit her. We were going through a drawer and I suddenly said, laughing, "gee, that would fit me". Of course she wanted me to try it on. I did. It fit. My wife loved my legs, so I joked, "now all I need is stockings and heels". I about fell over when she said, "do it, I'd love to see it".

It took a couple of months to find what I wanted online, but the next time the two of us were away by ourselves I "dressed" (very poorly) for her. She said I needed a dress and Tina was born.

I had never worn women's clothes before. Something clicked for both of us in those moments. Hindsight being 20/20, it's now clear that I have a marked feminine side that just coexisted with my normally dominant male side. However, it's also clear that there is a feminine part of me that has had its affect on my actions and judgement. Now I want to know who this feminine person is, and that is the drive to continue. Luckily, my wife and I both like her, this person she named Tina. As my byline says, we are making a life for her, and it's an incredible adventure!

tina

[karren G]

with me it was i near death experance after contracting nemonia age 40 and being in hospital for a week on oxigen and antibiotics, i had been dressing in private from about the age of five but never told anyone about it.So i surjested it to the wife and little buy little baby steps over eight years i now got to the stage were im at now , just about dressing fully in front off her and ready to take my first steps out in public at last.

[Ellen Ross]

I had early signs that I was multi gender as a child, but only in hindsight. When I was in my late 40's I just had this desire come upon me to go buy a skirt and see it on me. And it needed shoes, and hose, and, and... I found this site, and did lots of web research. And 5 years later I have never been happier with myself. Not that I was unhappy, but I had this need that came from nowhere, and now it is filled. I don't understand why this came later in life, but I am glad it did.

[jessica renee]

For me I had urges to dress when I was younger. I can remember sneaking my mom and sister's clothes (yes I know it was wrong)and hiding them in my room. At some point, I stopped, and have just recently been dressing again for about a year or so.

[Tina P Hose]

I have dressed off and on since my teen years, at age 50, I feel the need to embrace my desire to dress, but have yet to find a balance. so it goes.

[sandra-leigh]

I did some try-ons in my teens; a few hours out at the mall with pantyhose once was about as far as it went. It was a bit exciting but not important.

In my early 40's I was trying on a skirt that I'd bought for my wife but which she wouldn't wear, to see whether it really was as bad as she thought or whether it looked nice, and suddenly said to myself, "Well if she won't wear it, then I will!" And my cross-dressing was born that moment, and I was out in public less than 3 weeks later (first opportunity.)

In retrospect, I had been "trying on" my wife's clothes more and more for several years, and all those many times I'd gone and looked at clothes for her... and ummm, I think I tried some of them on in the store along the line, as I knew our relative sizes... and I'd already been wanting boobs of my own for 2 years before I realized I was a cross-dresser... and I already knew more about bras than my wife did, from all the looking I'd done to "pick out nice bras for her"... and somehow I was already a good judge of fashion by the time I was first asked to buy some clothes for a female friend, a dozen years before I realized I was a crossdresser...

In other words, probably the only person I was fooling about not being a cross-dresser those years was myself.

[NathalieX66]

Being a late bloomer sucks.
I should have gotten the message when I walked into Peanuts (now Club 7969) on on trans night in Santa Monica Boulevard in L.A. in 1990, but guess what? I didn't. :(

....better late than never.

[Maia C]

I've known since I was young, but life and the need to fit somehow in got in the way. The urge never went away, but now my outlook on life has changed, my kids are older and it just seems easier.

If the times had been different and the internet had been around when I was growing up, who knows where I'd be. But life only moves in one direction and that's forward!

[Crissy Kay]

I have always been interested in petticoats, then later in french maids. It was about ten or so years ago I got an urge to pick up a french maid halloween costume, and try it on. With the internet I was able to order petticoats. From there, i was able to dress up fully and become my own "dream girl"! At least in the mirror!!!

[PretzelGirl]

I view it as a level type of thing. Assuming something like a scale of 1 to 100, non-dressers are from 1 to 5 (for example). Those who start young are 50+. Then there are the rest of us. There is a pull towards dressing and we may have even tried on a few things and moved on. But life happens and other things with a stronger draw kept our desires at bay. But at some point, any combination of losing interest in other things, changing hormones, life slowing down, or even a new outlook on life and then the tide turns. For me, any or all of the above could have applied. I'm not taking inventory though, it just "is". Maybe I was at the 20 level when young and now I am at the "70". But something changes and I am glad for it.

[Tima]

I have noticed that more than ever late bloomers have been emerging.. I have been reading stories online of recent movie stars stepping out of the closet that are middle age.. I have also noticed the large amount of folks here whom started dressing after puberty . Some even starting in their middle ages.
This strikes me odd and I see nothing wrong with it so don't get me wrong, it strikes me odd because I have had this my whole life. I wonder if there is reason or a cause for this? Has anyone else noticed this?

I’ve been doing this my whole life, too, at least as far back as I can remember. Let me think. Was I ever completely in boy’s clothes for an extended period? Those were unhappy times. It’s good that an urge to crossdress emerges at some point in a person’s life. The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned, but better late than never! I think some of us have a golden opportunity for this MtF transformation, the opportunity (and beginning) for a lifetime of happiness. I know, I’m young. I hear that all the time, but I want to be this way no matter what.
:)

[Karinsamatha]

The surfacing of Karin is fairly recient, how ever I have always been in the background - burried by the male sterieo type for far to long! I don't quite know what was the cause - I am glad that this part of me surfaced.
I am sure I will not go back to the way I was ever - The clothes stink!

[Dora Faye]

For me it was a very long process of many steps conscious and unconscious I had to go through before I could allow myself and accept myself. Growing up in a conservative and restrictive and judgmental culture made all these steps necessary. But now I'm here and and have been adapting to my new identity very naturally and easily and the things I need seem to be coming to me easily so it's all good.

[Diane Elizabeth]

I am one of those "late bloomers". There had been times throughout that I wore femine things. But what kick started it was when I dressed as a wiman for Halloween several years ago. Then I didn't want to stop. And I haven't stopped.

[MsRachael]

I started when I was like 5, I loved wearing my moms high heels and always put my shirt neck at my waist so I'd have a skirt. Moms still has some of those pictures. But afterward, I didn't wear anything feminine until I was about 18 (mostly because I had friends over all the time, etc) But everytime I saw my cousin playing with her barbies or walked past/through the womens section in the mall/walmart, etc. I felt excited and couldn't wait to buy some for myself... then remembering that I couldn't haha. But once I turned 18 and found a place and knew I would be moving out soon, I got online on gap and started looking through the womens section one night... I ordered a bunch of stuff, panties, dresses, shirts, and skirts. I LOVED it when they came in (surprised mom didn't ask what was in my package as I rushed off to my room and shut the door lol) After I realized how much I spent I ended up taking (some) of it. I think I took back a dress and a skirt. I actually took it back to the store in person (as a guy) and told the girl at the counter that I just broke up with my GF and needed to return these haha. So anyway, after that though I have bought A TON of stuff. I've had pretty good luck getting things online and having them to fit. I usually go to a store first and find what I want, buy 1 at the store, and order more online afterwards. That way I only have to see the people at the store 1 time. So anyway, I've felt this way for like ever, but I guess I really started dressing when I was 18 (Thats when I bought my first breast forms too)

[Angie G]

I started dressing @ about age 11or 12 that makes 50 years with Some breaks early on. I just had coffee with one of the girls here that just started I think it was less then 2 years ago. That surprised my. But it may be more common then thought.:hugs:
Angie