jenni_xx
08-21-2013, 01:22 PM
Some regard dressing as a compulsion. Others shy away from that particular word, saying that in their case, it doesn't simply describe their desire/want/circumstance in which they dress.
There has also been discussions about what "causes this", from discussions that wonder whether it is something within us that has been present since birth. That is, something that lay dormant until a specific moment in our lives. This view is aligned to those who feel as though femininity, or at least an expression of femininity, is inherent within us.
Others have come across crossdressing at a later stage in life, using it as an outlet that enables them to escape the pressures of life - to reduce stress for example.
What are your reasons as to what you believe were the catalysts, the reasons, why you "turned" to, or felt "compelled" to, this particular lifestyle?
My own personal opinion is that is a behavioral "trait". A "trait" that we become attracted to as we develop as children. The reasons why we are attracted to it being wide and varied. It could be that we experienced a positive, comforting moment as a child that we hark back to as adults, that we hark back to and subconsciously try to recreate, for comfort, throughout our lives. For others, because it surfaces around the time of puberty, it is circumstantial - again subconsciously trying to align ourselves with something that we found enjoyment in at a specific moment in our lives.
Others may feel that it is deeper than that. That neurologically speaking our minds are "wired" in such a way that we don't subdue a femininity that is within all of us, but instead have chosen, again subconsciously, to embrace such feelings and express them externally. Personally, I quite like this latter explanation. An explanation that suggests that we are able to tap into a side of us that, through cultural/societal/anthropological restrictions notwithstanding, we are willing to express. The logical conclusion to adhering to such a view however is that it would require an acceptance that the capability to cross-dress, to "play around with gender roles" would then be something that is inherent in every single male of the species.
Take fancy dress parties as an example. In such scenarios, men will often dress as women. And women dress as men. Is a subconscious "desire" being expressed in such situations? Any excuse, in a socially acceptable environment, will see numerous men (and woman) take on a role that is traditionally (culturally) assigned to their opposite gender. Cultural "phenomenons" have come from this as a result (The "Rocky Horror Picture Show" being a superb example).
Many crossdressers, in their desire to dress, adopt such a "masquerade". In a theoretical sense, the reasoning behind "masquerade" is something that has been debated, from a philosopical, academic perspective for some time. In film studies for example, whereby the act of presenting oneself as someone who they are not (otherwise known as "acting") has focused upon an individuals capability to express themselves in such a way that has no bearing upon their own identity as an individual. It's one reason why entertainment - fictional entertainment - has been so popular. For it allows people an avenue to escape themselves, and portray a character that is distanced from themselves so successfully. It's why writers have been able to create characters that are wide and varied, yet what makes the characters they create so compelling is an ability to see the world from a different point of view.
Adhering to such a view requires one to take on an existential perspective. Yet isn't that something that crossdressers do, every single time they (we) dress? We create an external version our our inner selves, and in doing so, create an idealised persona that we want others to accept. What becomes jarring to outsiders - people we will encounter in every day life, be it a spouse, a friend, or a stranger just walking down the street, is that such internal expressions don't adhere to THEIR own perception of what is expected, of what they EXPECT to come across.
Yet at it's very base level, it's only fashion. It's only clothes. But then is it? If it were only clothes, then this website wouldn't have so many posts that focus upon things such as make-up, or female body forms (such as breasts). Nor would this site, and the transgendered community as a whole, have felt it necessary to refer to others using a female pronoun. A fact that suggests that we, as transgendered people strive for something more. And that something more being to forfeit our male identity and to be regarded as something that we are not. The opposite sex.
I have often wondered how a crossdreesser would feel if skirts, blouses, bras, panties, heels, etc etc, became an acceptable part of the male attire. Which is something that begs the question. Are we attracted to certain items of clothing/accessories etc BECAUSE they are traditionally associated to the opposite gender? That is a question that has the capability to invoke numerous reactions, numerous suppositions, numerous opinions. And it is a question that is important to ask, for, for me at least, it is a question that gets to the very heart of at least attempting to understand why we would be attracted to dressing and presenting ourselves in such a way.
There has also been discussions about what "causes this", from discussions that wonder whether it is something within us that has been present since birth. That is, something that lay dormant until a specific moment in our lives. This view is aligned to those who feel as though femininity, or at least an expression of femininity, is inherent within us.
Others have come across crossdressing at a later stage in life, using it as an outlet that enables them to escape the pressures of life - to reduce stress for example.
What are your reasons as to what you believe were the catalysts, the reasons, why you "turned" to, or felt "compelled" to, this particular lifestyle?
My own personal opinion is that is a behavioral "trait". A "trait" that we become attracted to as we develop as children. The reasons why we are attracted to it being wide and varied. It could be that we experienced a positive, comforting moment as a child that we hark back to as adults, that we hark back to and subconsciously try to recreate, for comfort, throughout our lives. For others, because it surfaces around the time of puberty, it is circumstantial - again subconsciously trying to align ourselves with something that we found enjoyment in at a specific moment in our lives.
Others may feel that it is deeper than that. That neurologically speaking our minds are "wired" in such a way that we don't subdue a femininity that is within all of us, but instead have chosen, again subconsciously, to embrace such feelings and express them externally. Personally, I quite like this latter explanation. An explanation that suggests that we are able to tap into a side of us that, through cultural/societal/anthropological restrictions notwithstanding, we are willing to express. The logical conclusion to adhering to such a view however is that it would require an acceptance that the capability to cross-dress, to "play around with gender roles" would then be something that is inherent in every single male of the species.
Take fancy dress parties as an example. In such scenarios, men will often dress as women. And women dress as men. Is a subconscious "desire" being expressed in such situations? Any excuse, in a socially acceptable environment, will see numerous men (and woman) take on a role that is traditionally (culturally) assigned to their opposite gender. Cultural "phenomenons" have come from this as a result (The "Rocky Horror Picture Show" being a superb example).
Many crossdressers, in their desire to dress, adopt such a "masquerade". In a theoretical sense, the reasoning behind "masquerade" is something that has been debated, from a philosopical, academic perspective for some time. In film studies for example, whereby the act of presenting oneself as someone who they are not (otherwise known as "acting") has focused upon an individuals capability to express themselves in such a way that has no bearing upon their own identity as an individual. It's one reason why entertainment - fictional entertainment - has been so popular. For it allows people an avenue to escape themselves, and portray a character that is distanced from themselves so successfully. It's why writers have been able to create characters that are wide and varied, yet what makes the characters they create so compelling is an ability to see the world from a different point of view.
Adhering to such a view requires one to take on an existential perspective. Yet isn't that something that crossdressers do, every single time they (we) dress? We create an external version our our inner selves, and in doing so, create an idealised persona that we want others to accept. What becomes jarring to outsiders - people we will encounter in every day life, be it a spouse, a friend, or a stranger just walking down the street, is that such internal expressions don't adhere to THEIR own perception of what is expected, of what they EXPECT to come across.
Yet at it's very base level, it's only fashion. It's only clothes. But then is it? If it were only clothes, then this website wouldn't have so many posts that focus upon things such as make-up, or female body forms (such as breasts). Nor would this site, and the transgendered community as a whole, have felt it necessary to refer to others using a female pronoun. A fact that suggests that we, as transgendered people strive for something more. And that something more being to forfeit our male identity and to be regarded as something that we are not. The opposite sex.
I have often wondered how a crossdreesser would feel if skirts, blouses, bras, panties, heels, etc etc, became an acceptable part of the male attire. Which is something that begs the question. Are we attracted to certain items of clothing/accessories etc BECAUSE they are traditionally associated to the opposite gender? That is a question that has the capability to invoke numerous reactions, numerous suppositions, numerous opinions. And it is a question that is important to ask, for, for me at least, it is a question that gets to the very heart of at least attempting to understand why we would be attracted to dressing and presenting ourselves in such a way.