Are there different stages of CDing?

[Briana90802]

So I'm wondering if there are different stages of crossdressing? Kinda like growing up? We have the sexual stage where you get sexual gratification from dressing, the Lolita stage where you like young girl clothes, the teen girl stage where you dress teenish, the LBD stage where you want to dress well....you know. What stages am I missing? Are there stages?

What's your opinion? Are you in a stage?

[Rachelakld]

Hi Briana, I think it's more "personal growth" some get to the sexual stage and never move past, some never get that stage but get other trends.
Umm, maybe trends is a better word that stages
I would like to think we are just becoming the person we want to be

[Christine.Lolita]

I believe that there are stages or development periods that many of us got through. I know that in my case this is true. I started dressing wearing little girl type clothes and now wearing Lolita style fashions.
I have been lately thinking about wear a more shall I say conventional style of dress. So yes for me I would say there are stages.

[Lynn Marie]

Are there any hobbies or other endeavors that don't have stages of growth? Do some stop progressing through the stages, absolutely. Actually everyone eventually stops progressing somewhere along the line. It doesn't seem like the stages are all that defined as far as I can tell.

Me? I'm in the silly girl stage, just having the time of my life. No hiding, no responsibility, and a great wardrobe!

[Beverley Sims]

Yes there are at least ten stages for CD'ing that I have seen.
They are in most major cities.

[Kate Simmons]

Not per se. We each set our own paradigm in this respect it seems, just like life in general.:)

[Erica Marie]

Sometimes I think the stages come with age. For me as a teen alot of my dressing was lingerie and panties, it was more of a sexual thing and experimentation. As we grow so does our dressing. I think it progresses as we find out who we are. For some dressing is nothing more than a fetish or for sexual pleasure. For some its more of an expression of who we are. If you really want to know let nature take its course.

[linda allen]

I suppose you could say there are "stages" in crossdressing, but no more than in any other interest or hobby. Are there stages in model railroading? Playing golf or tennis? Softball?

I wouldn't say there are "stages", just that some of us take it further than others. Some crossdressers wear panties to bed and that satisfies their needs. Others live theeir lives as females and that satisfies their needs. Most of us are somewhere in between these extremes. We might move one direction or the other over time or we might not. I think most of us find a level that satisfies us and that's where we stay.

[NicoleScott]

Not everyone hits all those stages or moves on to the next. Bottom line: we're all unique.

[Marleena]

I think there are different levels yes but now I refuse to put a label to them anymore.:D

Only you can define yourself so just have fun and see where it takes you.:)

[Ms. Laura]

What about the "OH crap, I shouldn't be doing this!" stage?

And the "I can't deny this, I have to dress!" stage.

And the "Ah, I accept myslef stage!"

And the "No,I shouldn't be doing this stage1!" again.

And the "Well, this dress is SO cute, I guess I'll buy it." stage.

Currently I'm vacillating between the "I want to go out and meet new friends!" stage and the "Oh crap, going out was scary!" stage.

While there are many commonalities, everyone is different.

[Crissy Kay]

Yeah, I got to the sissy stage, and never left!!!

[AllyCDTV]

So I'm wondering if there are different stages of crossdressing? Kinda like growing up? We have the sexual stage where you get sexual gratification from dressing, the Lolita stage where you like young girl clothes, the teen girl stage where you dress teenish, the LBD stage where you want to dress well....you know. What stages am I missing? Are there stages?

What's your opinion? Are you in a stage?
Started at the sexual stage, skipped the Lolita stage. went on to the teen girl state, briefly attained the LBD stage. My booster rockets must have run out of fuel because after hitting that, I dropped back down to the sexual stage and I'm very happy there.

[cathie pantyhose]

my cross dressing definitely had stages. I started by just enjoying pantyhose as a sexual thing every chance I could. It progressed to wearing skirts and heels with my pantyhose while driving home from work, to dresses, bras, panties and now wigs and experimenting with makeup recently. Today, I'm happy to be dressed as often as I can but I have to admit, it's still a sexual turn on for what ever reason to see myself dressed or other cd's. Difference these days is the minute I get excited, I don't change immediately after I "finish", I continue to enjoy the look...just with a smile on my face.

[AmyGaleRT]

I describe my experience not so much in terms of "stages" but more in terms of "awakenings" that have marked turning points in my evolution as a CD. One of the biggest of those was, for instance, when I started moving from strictly nightgown-based fetish dressing to wearing actual dresses, and finding that I didn't feel "turned on," but instead comfortable and happy. This encouraged me to continue developing into a full femme presentation. Other "awakenings" include finally telling my fiancee (and bringing it out into the open), and actually stepping out the door that first time.

- Amy

[Stevie]

Mine has evolved through levels. When I realized that I wasn't going to stop I took my dressing by doing a little more each time. I started with shoes then under garments to skirts then tops and so on till I was ready to go the whole nine yards. The other things that made me want to dress change too. I went from fantasy to being myself.

[Asche]

So I'm wondering if there are different stages of crossdressing? Kinda like growing up?
If by "stages," you mean that we change over time, then yes. People don't remain the same.

But if you mean that there is a well-defined series of stages that every CD goes through, sort of the stages of childhood those Dr. Spock or Dr. Brazelton books describe, then no. (FYI a lot of children don't follow the Dr. Spock et al. stages, either. My kids didn't. Those books were utterly useless for helping me raise my kids. YMMV.)

For myself, it's been a steady process of learning more about myself. As I get the courage to show more and more of what's inside me, first to myself (the mirror is my fashion critic :) ), then to others, it's less about me changing and more about accepting things that were always there but I was afraid to expose (or face.)

I think every CD (and every non-CD) is different. I see people posting things here that essentially say, "tell me how to be a CD," and I think it's sad. It's like they've spent most of their lives stuck in one box, and now they're asking for another box to put themselves into. I admit, there's a lot of anxiety in not following someone else's well-trodden path, but IMHO, what's the point in living someone else's life?

Safety is an illusion. Regardless of how risky or safely we live our lives, we will all end up at the same ultimate destination in the end, and we all know what that destination is. When you get there and look back, will it be with satisfaction or regret?

[CherylFlint]

Yes, I suppose there are.
The time finally comes when you have to prove to yourself that all the work, the hair, blouse, skirts, stockings, shoes, and makeup pays off when you can go out in public and pass as a woman.
It's the greatest feeling in the world.