Is it important to u to look attractive?

[docrobbysherry]

As either a man or woman?

First, I've never thot of myself as an attractive man. Second, not being attracted to men, I REALLY don't know how to look that way!:brolleyes:

As for females, that's another matter!:heehee:
I've known what it is about their appearance that attracts me since I was 16! So, when I try to present as a woman, I think I KNOW if I am pretty or not! I PREFER pretty!:battingeyelashes:

That made me wonder about others. If you're an attractive male, is it important for u to be a pretty female also?

On the other hand, if u don't think you're an attractive male, is presenting as an unattractive female OK?

Maybe you're some other combinations?:straightface:

[Persephone]

Hi Sherry!

Most of the time if I'm en drab it is because I'm fixing something so looking attractive at moments like that usually doesn't happen unless someone is attracted to guys in t-shirts lying under sinks. (Actually, I believe there is a considerable female attraction to guys in t-shirts lying under sinks so long as they don't smell bad and show their butt crack, but let's leave all that aside for the moment).

I can "clean up" fairly good and look like an old guy in a business suit, and, sometimes I have to play that role.

But I'm much more particular about my look en femme most of the time. I certainly try to look nice. Whether or not I've succeeded is up to the eye of the beholder.

Hugs,
Persephone.

[Angiemead12]

Hmm I think its important to always look your best in both sexes.

[t-girlxsophie]

I think when out as a woman,I would say I am presentable,and carry myself well,bit of a stretch to say I am attractive though.In male mode I try not to look like a slob,But thats just good self image,I think most of us aim at least for that

Sophie

[Vickie_CDTV]

I have never considered myself attractive in either gender, especially as a male, in terms of being sexually attractive. I think I dress and present myself nicely as a woman, but I doubt most anyone would find me attractive. However, as a woman, I find myself attractive, and emulate the women I find most attractive.

[Danni Renee]

I do not consider myself an attractive male but it is important to me to try to be as attractive as I can be. The same in femme mode. I probably have self esteem issues ;)

[noeleena]

Hi,

To look attractive . for me theres two parts to this. oh dear. my clothes are nice look nice fit well & over all i would say with my body figure i would look like many other women of my age i do get compilments from others tho my body size is as a fit on the move women , that is where its at for me ,

the 2nd part. do i look like a female / woman in context with female facal in mind , no. i keep haveing the same augument with my self all the time i dont look like a woman. yet my peers say i do. they see my manreisims my facal expressions how i interact with others its all there as a woman. im just haveing a bloody hard time accepting my self , i keep saying i dont pass as a woman yet my friends say i do & i am.

I hated how i looked before . & im still fighting this now after 63 years,well 50 yet im infront of 100's of people .
Oh well another day to morrow to see people, im contray to my self ,

i can look nice just dont see an attractive woman. thats all. bloody mirrors

...noeleena...

[BOBBI G.]

Personally, I attempt to give the best appearance I can no matter what I am wearing or feeling. I have enough rinkles and crevices on my face and neck to be used as a model for an urban garden. So facial scrubs and skin treatments are necessary for that goal. Will I ever be handsome or even pretty, depending how I feel at the moment, I seriously doubt, but that doesn't mean I won't try.

Bobbi

[Karren H]

I'm not trying to attract anyone so hence I'm not trying to be attractive to anyone other than myself... And my self is happy with the way I look most of the time.

[Cynthia Anne]

I have never considered myself a male! So I don't worry about how I look when in male mode! As female mode I do the best I can with what I have!

[Traceyjo]

I guess I'm not bad looking as a male but I get so many compliments for being an attractive girl and I absolutely love it. Whenever I dress my aim is to be attractive and sexy, it is so important to the way I feel. I consider myself to be very fortunate to be able to present my self as an good looking girl. Being able to look in the mirror or at pics I take of myself and think wow! is probably the greatest pleasure I get from dressing. It's something I'll never have as a male

[Alisa]

Yea. It's important to me to provide pleasure or delight in both appearance and manner both drab and drag. What's the point if one can not be pleasing, charming or alluring either in appearance or personality? Might as well live under a rock.

[darla_g]

I think if I looked in the mirror and what i saw when i was dressed looked really awful I would quit dressing. who knows maybe i am kidding myself.

[abigailf]

You only need to be attractive if you are looking to attract someone...

I want to look female, which is not quite synonymous with attractive. If I can achieve both, then great, but my first goal is to look female.

[S. Lisa Smith]

I try to look as good as I am able in both modes. I am not trying to attract anyone, male or female, I just want to be "better" than presentable.

[Daphne Renee]

I do try to look the best I can especially in femme mode. It does depend on the situation though. If in drab and I am not planning on going anywhere I may just be a t-shirt and sweats or something similar.

[TGMarla]

I'm not trying to attract anyone in either mode, either. And like you, I don't think I'm necessarily an attractive male. I'm not an absolute mutt either, though. My wife thought I was attractive enough that she dated me and married me. And I don't think I'd have gotten by on charm alone. I also need to attend to my clients, so I try to be as presentable as I can most of the time. But in lady-mode, I do like being pretty. So when I dress, I try to be as pretty as I am able to be. Like you said, Doc, I know what it is that I find attractive in females, and I try as best as I can to emulate that image. I think most of the time, were people to see me, they'd think, "Look, a guy in a dress!" But my experience doesn't really bear that out. To the casual observer, I pass okay unless someone takes a second look. So I think I look pretty enough for the first glance, anyway.

[Cheryl T]

I've never considered myself attractive as a male although I know someone who would argue otherwise.
As a female I always strive to be attractive, not glamorous or the like, but yes, attractive. It's not that I am trying to attract anyone of either sex, it's just that I take pride in my feminine appearance and always try to look my best, even if I'm only in jeans and t-shirt.

[Wendy_Marie]

When I dress enfemme I feel it is very important to look as cute and pretty as I can....a GG friend of mine once told me that she didn't dress up for the guys she dated, but to look her best when around other females lest she be judged on her lack of effort.
This same girl also told me that she didn't understand why a lot of guys were so much into feet and other such fetishes.
I explained it to her like this. Girls spend countless hours on their toes, trimming, polishing and pampering their feet to make them all soft and cute. Then they go out and spend countless hours shopping for just the right pair of shoes to go with an outfit and spends loads of money on them....then they wonder why and act surprised when a guy notices and is attracted to their cute little polished piggies!
Guess I got off the subject a bit...Sorry....
Yes it is important to me to look as cute and pretty as I can even though I am not trying to attract a guy.

[Debglam]

If I can borrow from Clint Eastwood: I'm a "legend in my own mind!" :brolleyes:

[jenniferoonus]

I love to look cute and pretty. Every morning I spend at least 5 to 10 minutes picking my clothes for the day, mix and match them until I am happy. My effort is worth it because I have received many complement from woman about my taste of fashion. A lot of them envy that I have the figure of a teenager to fit all the cute outfits (:

[Jilmac]

That's a very good question Doc. Ever since I can remember I have considered myself an ugly duckling. In my early years I had buck teeth which made me feel self consious, then I discovered I was nearsighted and had to wear thick glasses at about age 10. If that wasn't bad enough, in my teens I broke out with zits, and my parents took me to a dentist who recommended braces. None of the girls I knew wanted to date a guy with a pizza face, four eyes, and scrap metal mouth, so yes I was never very attractive to girls.

In my adulthood I sported a full beard which not only camouflaged my pock marked face, but also made my feel more attractive and appealing to women. All that time I was dressing in secrecy and wishing I could be as pretty as the girls I knew. Whenever I dressed, I would see myself from the neck down and would fantasize having a feminine face. It wasn't until my wife passed away and I was able to come out of the closet, that I was able to put on a pretty face. First, the beard came off, then I started using makeup and lipstick. I bought wigs of various styles and colors and my feminine persona started taking shape.

Finally, at age 64 I attended my first BeAll conference in Chicago (2009), had a complete makeover, and for the first time in my life I actually felt pretty, the ugly duckling had emerged as a beautiful swan. After that BeAll I bought two pairs of feminine glasses and had my ears pierced so I can look like a woman and blend in wherever I go. So being attractive as a woman is important to me because it makes me feel good about myself in either mode of dress.

[Annaliese2010]

Ive been oft complimented, sometimes exceedingly so, as Annaliese - by other tg's and at times a few gg's (i ignore men - am lez). Rarely is my male counterpart perceived as much to look at. I must confess it is a sweet feeling.. just sort of adds a glowiness to the day.

[Nikki A.]

I try to look good in either mode. Of course it is more work in femme mode, but it is more fun trying. To paraphrase Dirty Harry again " A wo/man gotta know his/her limitations".
I hope I don't look like Shrek or Fiona but at least a bit presentable.

[Sarah Doepner]

When I'm dressing en femme, I try to do the best I can with what I have to work with. I may not be attractive, but so far I haven't made any pigs throw up, so I'm fine with what I see in the mirror.

When I'm being a guy, there really isn't a lot of work that needs to be done to make me look the part. I get lazy and go with whatever is handy. Being attractive may have been on the agenda at one time, but once again, I'll do the best I can with what I have most of the time. Well, I'll shower and wear clean clothing if I'm caught up on the laundry.

[Pythos]

When I dress in whatever odd mode (not my normal day to day) I try to dress in a manner that will attract open minded people that would like someone that can take on and "own" an exotic apearance. Someone that is willing to try most anything (I did say most not all :P ).

[danielletorresani]

I consider myself attractive as both a man and a CD. If I couldn't lust after images of myself dressed up, I'd probably lose the a lot of the motivation to do it.

[Briana90802]

Funny that you should ask this question, a while back I asked something similar. I love wearing sexy girl clothes. And I try to present myself as sexy fem simply because I never have felt sexy as a male. I find that most women's clothing is designed to show some aspect of sexiness whether it's being tight or with lace or showing off more skin.

[NicoleScott]

I try to be passable...in guy mode. hahaha I'm just average as a guy. I try to always be neat and clean, but don't obsess over how I look. Lately, I have discovered that I like a bit of beard stubble - the Favre look - never has a beard, but always needs a shave.
In girl mode, I try to always look as pretty as possible. But I'm always aware that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I dress to my view of beauty, not anyone else's. Since I stay in more than go out, the beholder is the mirror. When I go out, I could never be accused of being underdone.

[sissystephanie]

I am very much like Karren H!! I am not trying to attract anybody, no matter what clothes I am wearing. When my late wife was alive, she could make me into a pretty good looking Stephanie. But that time is past now! I am not a bad looking man, but as I said I am not trying to attract anybody. I will just stay the way I am!!

[Jocelyn Quivers]

My own self imposed rule for girl mode is that I must be attractive, slim, pretty, beautiful, and holding myself up to competely unrealistic standards or expactations. Anything else than 100% gorgeous is unaccepatable.

All of this is the exact opposite of my male side in which appearance is not really a big deal, and does not really care about how he looks. In other words a slob....

[Kaz]

Very interesting Doc!

I am a very unattractive guy, but I have aalways tried to scrub up well given the limitations. What amazes me is how much more attractive I look when fully "Kaz". It is like I move into a different world. I really want to look good and I can! I have access to different clothes, make-up, hair etc in a way I never have had as a guy working and living in a guy's world.

[Alice B]

Doc,

yes it is for me. In either ode I want to look as best I can.

Alice

[TxKimberly]

Much as you say that you feel about yourself, I've never considered myself an attractive man but I DO think I made/make a reasonably attractive looking woman, and yes, it most certainly is important to me.
I think that is why you hear me whining in some of my posts these days. I have hit a wonderful stage in my life where every day I see new wrinkles in my face and it seriously bothers me. I fear I may be approaching the day when I look in the mirror and feel that the result just is not worth the effort.

Short answer - yes, it is important to me.

[Phoebe P.]

Until recently I never thought I was attractive, but evidently women have found me attractive. I see pictures of myself when I was younger and think that's a pretty good looking guy. I was in my mid 30's before I had ANY self confidence which is probably a good thing. Looking back I've always been very humble (even though that in itself is not a humble statement!). I've never picked up a woman and have always been the one picked up. Needless to say I was a virgin until my Sr. year in college!

My Mom always pointed out girls that were "checking me out" over my older brother (as bad as that sounds). I just thought she was patronizing me and being a Mom. I guess I should have listened to the girls in HS that called me "Bambi eyes". HS might have been more fun!

About 3 years ago I found out a/b several very attractive females that had crushes on me. I'm married so it doesn't matter, but it is flattering. I've been hit on by both sexes so I guess that's a good thing. You can really see the "Cougars" out there!

Some have called me pretty. Not sure if that is good or bad... Guys don't take you as seriously, but women do. I always try to look my best in drab or femme.

[Barbara Dugan]

I dont consider myself an attractive man but sometimes I wish I was more attractive since I am starting to get more serious on dating as a guy ..I usually try my best to present myself as an attractive woman not sure about the results..some people find me attractive other dont' but I guess is the way it is

[CaitlynRenee]

I always try to look my best, either drab or femme. I shower twice a day (sorry, that's just me), wear clean clothes and undies and socks. In other words, YEAH, I do try to look good. Not for any one in particular (alright, there IS my wife who is fantastic), but for myself.

Since I don't go out much en femme, the male mode predominates in public. There are times, like today, where I work outside all day and get truly grubby and nasty and it's a shower before I sit down to dinner. After the shower, it's back to femme dressing under my male attire. It's my way of relaxing I suppose. Kinda funny, really, off goes the Jockeys and tee-shirt and on goes the perfume, panties and nightgown under my robe or panties and 'manbra' under my drab clothes. (Manbra fits closer and isn't quite as detectable).

[Suzette Muguet de Mai]

Hmmm, attractive is an interesting word. I always try to present myself as best I can when in public. I feel this presentation displays respect, and that is respect for yourself and hence others. I guess that maybe as a result you may become attractive because you are happy within yourself and hence radiate an inner beauty that is received by others in a positive way. What is interesting too is that what you see as attractiveness may not be what others see but that inner you is what others agree and look to associate with even if it is just walking past you within your personal area.

[stockinged nemo]

You only need to be attractive if you are looking to attract someone...

I want to look female, which is not quite synonymous with attractive. If I can achieve both, then great, but my first goal is to look female.

I have to agree with abigail here. I do like to achieve both though. I want to feel sexy and appearing female does make me feel that way. I May have to lose 15 pounds to look attractive in addition to feminine though! lol.

[eluuzion]

yes





sorry for the long reply...:heehee:


:love:

[GirlyBits]

In the words of my idol Jeffree Star, "If I can't be beautiful I'd rather just die." I have a need to be beautiful! I am not sure how much people think I am beautiful but I have to think so.

[Kate Lynn]

Hi Doc,not really,most of the time I shave every 3 to 4 days,let the whiskers grow out,and give myself a buzz cut every month.

[Christine1954]

I am not an attractive male and certainly not an attractie female, but that said I try to present as best that I can in either mode.
Christine.

[Amanda22]

Great thread! As a female, I try to be really attractive. I spend a lot of money and time putting together a great look. I strive for classy and a little bit sexy in a subtle way. I definitely dress my age. Dressed as a male, admittedly I do not dress with as much care. I never look sloppy, I'm always neat, but I honestly don't care as much.

[suchacutie]

Four years ago, two years after we discovered Tina, I went in for my annual physical. My Ph.D. is in chemistry, and my Dr. knows this. We were talking about some issues of getting older and he turned to me in a very serious voice and said (almost shouted), "Fight it (aging). If anyone knows how to do this it's you, so fight it hard!".

I have to admit, this made an impression. I headed to work and as I walked across campus I made a mental note of the "older" men I encountered. I was suddenly shocked to see men hunched over in one way or another as they walked, saw errant hair growing out of everywhere they showed skin, and generally saw that they looked...well..old. On the other hand, the older women I encountered were walking with careful deportment, often makeup on their faces, always well groomed, and generally looked like they cared about themselves!

So, guess what? I care, I care!!!! It's not just that I care how I look, but it's clear that how I feel and how I take care of myself feeds into how I look. Am I a suave and attractive male? Well, I don't think so. However, I am determined to look as attractive as possible for my wife, and that certainly means in both genders!

I know how to take care of the body internally, but skin is something that men are just not trained to care about. I care. Tina cares. So, Tina and I talked to my wife and started learning about skin care. Facials are fantastic! Moisturizers, stuff for dark eye circles, and all manner of grooming, nail care, all the rest that we do for our femme selves leads to a better body and a more attractive one.

It then leads to dressing better and feeling better. While Tina gets the makeup, I still get well trimmed eyebrows, nails with a strengthening matte finish, and a little clear mascara to separate and lengthen the eyelashes.

Yes, indeed, I want to look attractive, feel attractive, and be healthy. I think they all go together.

P.S., and yes, I do think my femme side is just more attractive than my homme side, but then again, I am attracted to women in either gender :)

[docrobbysherry]

Funny that you should ask this question, a while back I asked something similar. I love wearing sexy girl clothes. And I try to present myself as sexy fem simply because I never have felt sexy as a male. I find that most women's clothing is designed to show some aspect of sexiness whether it's being tight or with lace or showing off more skin.

I intentionally DIDN'T use the word, "sexy", Briana. Altho like u, THAT'S the look I usually go for!:battingeyelashes:


My own self imposed rule for girl mode is that I must be attractive, slim, pretty, beautiful, and holding myself up to competely unrealistic standards or expactations. Anything else than 100% gorgeous is unaccepatable. -----------------------------------

I feel exactly the same, Jocelyn! Because there's one particular older gentleman, or A H, that Sherry is ALWAYS hoping to attract! Me! :brolleyes:
When I screw up a dressing session, I try to learn why and vow to do BETTER next time!:thumbsup:


Hmmm, attractive is an interesting word. I always try to present myself as best I can when in public. I feel this presentation displays respect, and that is respect for yourself and hence others. I guess that maybe as a result you may become attractive because you are happy within yourself and hence radiate an inner beauty that is received by others in a positive way. What is interesting too is that what you see as attractiveness may not be what others see but that inner you is what others agree and look to associate with even if it is just walking past you within your personal area.

That's why I chose the word, "attractive", Tania. It can mean so many different things to different folks! Especially in a "CD/TS" context!:heehee:
Look at the wonderful array of replies!

I really care very little what others think about Sherry's looks. Affirmation of your fem looks is ALWAYS nice, of course!:D
But, if I think Sherry looks good, THAT'S all that really counts!:devil:

[Miranda09]

Yes Sherry...for me, it is important to look attractive. I'm not into guys, but I do want to look attractive when I present myself. For me, why else bother going thru all the makeup and other primping!!! :)

[NathalieX66]

I agree with Abigailf's post (number #14). Femininity & attractiveness are not the same thing.
Looking feminine & passing is all I want. My favorite beautiful actress is Zooey Deschanel. I have no desire to go under the knife to look as beautiful as she does.....because that's what it would take.

[Nancie64]

I like to look good in male mode but I try harder to look good in femme. I try to dress younger looking in the female mode. I may dress a little to young looking since I really don't like the tops that they sell for middle aged women. I like skirts, but don't like them to long. Maybe some one should introduce a line of womens tops that are still sexy but fit us older ladies.

[erickka]

Either way, I try to dress in clean and at least coordinated clothes. I ain't no beauty king or queen, so I at least try not to accentuate that fact.

[amielts]

I prefer to look attractive (as a woman), but I'm okay if others don't consider me to be attractive.

[Kerigirl2009]

Its not that I want to be attractive as a woman, What is important to me is that I do not stick out in a crowd as the man trying to look like a woman. So to look presentable as a woman is more of what I want in my life. And if I was to choose to go out as a woman I want to be accepted as a woman should. Just a person living life and sharing parts of ourselves with others.

I want to be treated the same as when I am presenting just as I do a man. Only with more closeness such that women share with eachother.

[CaitlynRenee]

I always try to look my best, regardless of mode. It's a matter of pride to appear clean, neat and well groomed, no matter where I am or how I'm dressed. I don't need to impress anyone but myself. If I'm satisfied, then all is right with the world. I'm quite hard on myself.

[MsKimiko]

I think i always try to look attractive whether it be my male or female persona. Although it is only in my female persona that I get to feel empowered and sexy because of the clothing.

[PattiMichaels]

For me, it's always been about being considered attractive as Patti.

That being said, we all have our own reasons for doing what we do. There is really no right or wrong answer to this question.

I've always had low self-esteem issues concerning my male side. Transforming into Patti has definitely helped me to overcome some of these issues. As a teen, I had horrible luck with girls. I always wanted to date and be accepted as an attractive guy by the "hot" girls my age. Subconsciously, I wanted to BE the "hot" girl who got.all the attention.

Luckily for me, Mom's genetics (she's 5'3" & 100lbs) weren't drowned in Dad's gene pool (he's 6'1" & 185lbs). If the tables were turned in the opposite direction, who knows what might have resulted.

As Patti, I've always pushed myself to look as convincingly feminine as possible. Being seen as an attractive woman led me down a path where I did everything short of hormones and breast implants to achieve that goal.

At the risk of sounding narcissistic, being thought of as an attractive woman has always been important to me.

[joanna4]

It is very important for me to look good both as a guy and girl

[StarrOfDelite]

As a man, I've always had jobs which require that I wear quality suits, shirts, neckties and shoes, so it's ingrained that I have to take care to look my best out in the business world. This has carried over into my casual male attire, and I mostly wear things like good-fitting shorts, chinos, and Levi 501's with Hilfiger, Polo, et cetera, tops in drab.

As a Cross-dresser, most of the time it's very important to me to look as pretty and feminine as possible, but I've noticed a change in my habits. When I first started dressing I would take the process to the Max almost every time I got started. As I've gotten more comfortable with myself psychologically about both cross-dressing and gay/bi-sexuality I've discovered it's also nice to take off the male clothing, put on a wig and basic makeup, sit back to watch TV in a bathrobe and flip-flops while sipping a glass of wine, and not worry if my legs, chest and chin need a touch-up.

EDIT: To actually answer what probably was the original question, yes, it is very important for me to appear attractive to other people whether I'm in Drab or Drag. I am an unabashed Nacissist, too, so that is probably more of an imperative than worrying about what anyone else thinks of my appearance.

[Loni]

i would not say i dress to attract, but to look good. i try to dress better, but not over do it.
not much worse than a sloppily dressed woman.

[renee elizabeth]

i enjoy seeing myself as an attractive woman, but as a man i tend to lean toward the t-shirt and jean look,