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AlexisRaeMoon
11-13-2013, 12:09 AM
Hi everybody,

So I haven't been on here for awhile. I started a thread earlier this fall about the "statue of limitations" I felt might exist for a closeted-crossdresser to dress on Halloween without raising suspicion. Thanks to all the great advice (and my friend who came with the idea that I should go as Lady Gaga...), I decided to do it this year. As much fun as it was, I've been plagued by roller coasters emotions in the aftermath. I'm not quite sure what happened, but I think the intense amount of stress/excitement leading up the party (which was actually before Halloween) just took it's toll. So, I need to get it off my chest.

Full disclosure: my wife does not know that I would actually consider myself a crossdresser. This is now the third time I've crossdressed with her full knowledge, but it's always been under some guise (Halloween, practical joke, etc.), but each time I've gone to extremes. This time was going to be the most extreme. But as I mentioned in the other thread, her only reaction to my decision to be Lady Gaga was, "You always want to be the woman." And then she rolled over and went to sleep.

The first time I dressed for a Halloween party, it was a last-minute decision. This time, I had weeks to plan. I picked up an official Lady Gaga costume (that was on clearance!), that was a tight, skimpy, sparkly black dress that went over just one shoulder. This would require lots of hair removal - chest, armpits, legs. More than I had ever done before. I began obsessing over the costume. I went out and bought my own makeup. And I decided to get my own shoes. I can squeeze into my wife's, and she has some boots that might've worked, but I was going all out this time. So I found the cutest pair of stiletto "shooties" that I could not pass up. But I stuck them in the closet for a week, too afraid that if I showed them to her she'd freak out and forbid me to wear them!

So this whole time, I'm just freaking out, yet really, stupidly excited. Yet my wife is so awesome about how much she took all this in stride. For example, I knew I needed fishnet tights, and that she had some. I stressed for days about asking if I could borrow them, and when I finally did, she was just like, "oh yeah, here they are. Hope there's no holes." And the night before, I finally got up the nerve to tell her I bought my own heels for the costume, fully expecting to get "Oh my god! You did what? You're nuts!" And instead she was just like, "oh ok." Didn't even ask to see them...didn't even seem surprised that I had the nerve to go to the store by myself to purchase a pair of women's shoes, for myself.

The big day arrived, and I spent a good two hours getting ready. The hair removal alone was tedious. But as all the hair came off my legs and I saw them totally smooth for the first time in ages, it was an amazing feeling. (Note to self: never, ever, ever, use Nair on your chest. Bad news). I finally got all my makeup on, pulled on the costume and the wig, and screwed up the courage to ask to borrow a strapless bra. (Again, something I had been stressing about for weeks). She just said, "You know where I keep my bras." I was like, "well, I figured I should ask first." The final piece was revealing the shoes. She still hadn't seen them yet. I put them on and stepped out. This was the totality of the reaction. "Oh, brother."

Needless to say, I was a big hit at the party. Even days after, people were like, "that costume was f--ing amazing." Now, nobody mistook me for a girl, but I got several compliments on how good I looked. I even overheard my wife and one of her friends talking about my legs ("look at his calfs!"). Another woman said to me, "there aren't many men who could pull off wearing a dress like that, but you are really pulling it off well!" (To which my wife replied, "don't encourage him.") I danced, drank, even had to do a little lip-syncing to when a Lady Gaga song came on. And I wore those damn shoes all night. I never get to wear heels that much, and I was determined to take advantage of it!

All good, yes? Fun party, wife didn't freak out at my obviously over the top costume, everything hunky-dory. Well, the next morning I woke up and had a complete mental snap. I was depressed, and nervous. I was freaked out that my kids would notice my hairless body and get weirded out. And I was in bad shape from the Nair. I repeat: never use it on your chest. It felt like I had bad sunburn. It looked like I had tiny cuts all over the place. It felt like I had mutilated myself. I felt ashamed, embarrassed, even little disgusted. Like I had taken it too far. I could understand feeling that way if my wife had said anything to that effect. But she was acting totally normal. She was not embarrassed by me in the least bit. It was all in my head. As we were lying in bed that night, I was literally shaking. I finally had to say something, and I just stammered out that I felt like I was having a panic attack, because of how far to the extreme I went with this costume. She just said, that didn't seem like a reason to have a panic attack, and went to sleep. The next morning, before I left for work, she gave me an extra big hug and a squeeze. She didn't say anything, but it felt like encouragement.

I didn't know what to do to feel better, but I needed to try something, so you guessed it: purge. Luckily, I don't have much, so it's not a big financial thing. But this time all the online stuff went anyway: Flickr, old-email account, Taaz profile - everything but this account (and only because I couldn't figure out how to delete it!). But I'm glad I'm still on here, because I realize how valuable it is. But it really didn't make me feel any better. I should clarify that I didn't purge everything - only things my wife doesn't know about. So I still have the cute heels, and the makeup, because I'm not hiding anything with that. She knows I have it.

The next time I was alone, I realized, I've never been this hairless before, and this may be my only opportunity to wear whatever I want without worrying about unladylike hair showing up. So, I shaved once more, and had an amazing session. I know I broke the cardinal rule of borrowing the SO's clothes without asking, but we're the same size, and the temptation was too great. Luckily, I only wear each thing for about 15 minutes, enough to take a few pics, and then it's back in the closet (I know, I'm justifying). I keep telling myself, "bucket list. Do this while you can, and then stop." But we all know how that ends...

So I'm once again back in the cycle of, "ok, tonight, I'm going to tell her," and then chickening out every time. The kicker is, based on the whole Halloween experience this year, is she's obviously not revolted by crossdressing. I mean, I know it's a different thing when your husband actually admits he likes dressing like a woman, but based on how carried away I got this time, it couldn't be a complete surprise, right?

On the other hand, she did say at one point, "you should've left the hairy chest. It would've been funnier." Which sort of tells me that she really doesn't get it. I was trying to be as feminine as possible! And last week she said to some friends of ours, when they were discussing their costumes for next year already, "my goal is that he doesn't need to borrow anything from me." But that was by way of bringing up what I was this year, because they didn't know, and showing pictures, etc.

Just this past weekend, my wife and I were in a show together that required makeup, and as the makeup person was applying my lipstick (long story), she said, "Is it weird that you and your wife are wearing the same shade of lipstick?" To which she replied. "Eh, we wear the same size anyway. Same size shoes, same size bra." I know she was just being funny, but she didn't have to say anything at all. Sometimes I think it would be easier I knew she was one of these that's just absolutely revolted by crossdressing, and then I would at least know that there's no hope of acceptance. Instead, I feel like there's a good chance it might be ok, but you never know, right? What if I'm just projecting?

Sorry again for the long post, I just really needed to get these thoughts out. In summary, Halloween was great, but I'm bummed by the fact that I had such a bad meltdown the day after. I should've been basking in the glow of my triumph!

Feeling confused...:sad:

Cynthia Anne
11-13-2013, 01:43 AM
I feel for you and I know where you are coming from! The situation is damn if you do and damn if you don't! I think it may be time for you two to have ''THE'' talk! Good luck on your decision!

Gretchen_To_Be
11-13-2013, 03:49 AM
I agonized for a long time too. Then I told her. It wasn't the end of the world. As much as this is affecting you, I think you need to tell her. Good luck!

jenni_xx
11-13-2013, 05:33 AM
In my opinion you are projecting. This is obviously a huge issue for you, because it's a significant part of who you are. It doesn't have the same resonance for your wife, simply because she doesn't know that you are a crossdresser. The comments made by her that you highlighted in your post, would be indicative of comments made by anyone upon seeing their partner dressed up as a woman for fancy dress. And you are only ascribing an importance to them because it isn't just about being in fancy dress for you.

The costume may have been amazing, and the many compliments you received confirm that. Not only was it a great costume, but you pulled it off. So people were undoubtedly impressed. But just as they would be towards anyone who put a lot of effort into their fancy dress costume, and pulled it off. Be it a man dressing as a woman, a woman dressing as a man, or someone dressing as an alien. So it's no surprise that your wife's response, upon hearing that you felt like you were having a panic attack, would be to shrug it off. I mean, to her, it's just a costume, with no underlying, hidden meaning, attached to it. Not so for you. Hence your projection.

Now, if you do tell your wife that you are a cd, one of her reactions could well be "ah, that explains the effort you went to with that costume that time for Halloween". But even if she were to say such a thing, that doesn't mean that she has any inkling or suspicion. I mean, it's just a fancy dress costume, and men the world over have dressed as women for such occasions.

I suspect that the reason why you're not "basking in the glow of your triumph" is because as far as anyone else is concerned, there was no triumph beyond creating a good costume and pulling it off. So there would have been no confirmation or compliment or reassurance made towards you by others in terms of you being a crossdresser. And in this respect, it's no surprise that you went through several emotions afterwards. It was a huge deal to you, but not to anyone else. So you have gone from one extreme to the other - purging and then dressing. The former as a reaction to how people reacted to you, the latter as a response to who you yourself really are.

My advice to you would be, while I will always advocate openness and honesty, I don't think you are ready yet to tell your wife about your crossdressing, thus I would hold off on this for the time being. I say this because I feel that if you did tell her now, you may get all excited and nervous and scared beforehand, and irrespective of how she reacts, will end up feeling down the day after - similar to how you felt both leading up to the party and in its aftermath. And if you're not ready, the chances are high that you're not ready to answer all her questions (that she would undoubtedly ask, again irrespective of whether she accepts it or not) with complete honesty and clarity. I could envisage a scenario where, if you do tell her, you will then attempt to downplay how important it is to you, which will only lead to further confusion for your wife down the line.

Shari
11-13-2013, 06:56 AM
Although I didn't experience a panic meltdown, I had a similar experience some years ago when i went to a Halloween party all dolled up. Wig, boobs, makeup, heels, the works.
When my wife and I finally got home (very late), I didn't want to take any of it off. I wanted to just blurt out and tell my wife how much this all meant to me, how much I needed it and how much it completed me.
I didn't and my one regret is that it took me so long to finally tell her.
So many lost opportunities.

kimdl93
11-13-2013, 07:08 AM
My guess is that your wife already has some sense that dressing is not just a Halloween thing for you. You know there are several good links here on how to talk to your wife...read them, plan and do it.

NicoleScott
11-13-2013, 08:59 AM
...she did say at one point, "you should've left the hairy chest. It would've been funnier." Which sort of tells me that she really doesn't get it. I was trying to be as feminine as possible!

This shows the disconnect. She sees it as a lark, a costume, a one-time thing. Indeed, a hairy chest would have been funny as it shows a man who didn't quite get the femme thing right. She doesn't see it as your need to be as feminine as possible - a real need - not just getting the costume right.
Many of us have used Halloween to dress up and go out. Coming out to a SO is a serious thing, and Halloween is probably not the best way to do this. Likewise, telling your wife "Honey, I have something I need to tell you" and then revealing yourself in full femme is probably not the best way to tell.

SherriePall
11-13-2013, 10:31 AM
I've read the entire post and I can offer no more advice than that already given, with the exception that when (not if) you do tell your wife that it is more than a one-day-a-year thing, DO NOT just blurt out to her that you are a CDer. Plan your outing with care, with lots of backup information and lots of "I love you's".
Take care and good luck.

Annaliese
11-13-2013, 10:40 AM
You can run from your fem side but it like a Shadow it always there.

CarlaWestin
11-13-2013, 11:09 AM
I've read the entire post and I can offer no more advice than that already given, with the exception that when (not if) you do tell your wife that it is more than a one-day-a-year thing, DO NOT just blurt out to her that you are a CDer. Plan your outing with care, with lots of backup information and lots of "I love you's".
Take care and good luck.

Me too. Reading down I saw that y'all were saying what I was thinking. Although, I do see a couple of things. The crossdressing and the disclosure is backwards here so you have some ground to cover. And, I do think you're lashing out at your CD'ing isn't exactly productive. As you wrote, the whole femulating experience was amazing. Come on, it's just something you enjoy and it sounds like your wife is ambivalent about it. I'm hearing that you really care a lot about your family. Try being matter-of-fact about your desires. And don't misread anything as a magic ticket to pinkfogville.

Beverley Sims
11-13-2013, 11:17 AM
I think she suspects something, now is the time to let her down gently.

Alice B
11-13-2013, 12:56 PM
It is time to have the talk and get rid of all the self imposed stress.Odds are your wife suspects and having an honest discussion could lead to some ground rules that could work for both of you. Even if she does not approve or get what it means to you, it will provide a great deal of stress relief and you will be better off than you currently are.

JamieG
11-13-2013, 01:08 PM
Hi Arianna,

I'm glad your costume was a hit. With respect to the let down, have you seriously thought about what you expected the outcome to be? Did you hope you would be outed? Did you hope that your wife would say, "I love you so much in drag, you should dress up more for me?" Maybe you were let down because the experience did not lead to some far-fetched fantasy (I say this as one who is guilty of such). I agree with the others that your wife likely doesn't suspect a thing. The problem is, when you finally do tell her, she'll put all the pieces together, and will probably revisit her ambivalence towards all of your past dressing in a negative way. The longer you wait, the more this is going to build up. Clearly this is bothering you, which means you probably need to tell her, sooner rather than later. However, I agree with jenni_xx that you might need to cool off a bit before you take the plunge. I think an SO is more likely to have a positive opinion if you are not ashamed of dressing, but are instead ashamed of keeping it a secret from her for so long. I wish the best, and am sorry to see you so confused right now. :bighug:

Stephanie47
11-13-2013, 01:14 PM
I went back and read some of your prior postings. So, your wife assisted you in getting it together for a Halloween (2008) as Sarah Palin. Then in a December you took some "gag" photos en femme with the assistance of your wife. Now, another Halloween (2013) as Lady Gaga. And, you think your wife does not suspect anything? Get real!

It sounds as if she is totally bored with you beating around the bush trying to conceal the obvious. I think she knows. I say she is tired of waiting for you to announce/confirm the obvious; "My hubby is a cross dresser!" Her comments about wearing the same size shoes, bra, etc may be a way of giving you an opening to "open up."

DianeDeBris
11-13-2013, 01:50 PM
"And last week she said to some friends of ours, when they were discussing their costumes for next year already, "my goal is that he doesn't need to borrow anything from me.""
Your wife is fully aware and has given you repeated openings, inviting you to be open with her. She tells her friends, in your hearing, that she hopes by next year not that you'll be over it, or quit doing it, but that you'll have all your own stuff so you won't have to borrow hers! She's earned your trust and is asking you to be open with her. Good luck!

Chickhe
11-13-2013, 02:28 PM
I think you are in much the same situation I was in. The blues are normal after the huge adrenaline rush of doing it. My wife knows I like to CD on Halloween and I have done it many times...I've never explained much to her and it works. I think you get in to trouble being emotional and attempting to explain CDing because she can't understand it...she will understand that you are emotional and that will scare her. My advice is, deal with the emotional stuff on your own. You are normal, you feel bad because of past guilt and shame that is created in your own mind. I used to feel really guilty (most of my life), but once I learned to respect myself and I now know I'm normal and I just like to CD sometimes...the need to explain went away. I just do what I do, its just me, no need to explain or justify what I do or how I feel.

AlexisRaeMoon
11-13-2013, 07:38 PM
Thanks for all the advice. From the variety of opinions I see here, you can see my confusion. You all make valid points, and I can see both side of the issue.


In my opinion you are projecting.

My advice to you would be, while I will always advocate openness and honesty, I don't think you are ready yet to tell your wife about your crossdressing, thus I would hold off on this for the time being. I say this because I feel that if you did tell her now, you may get all excited and nervous and scared beforehand, and irrespective of how she reacts, will end up feeling down the day after - similar to how you felt both leading up to the party and in its aftermath. And if you're not ready, the chances are high that you're not ready to answer all her questions (that she would undoubtedly ask, again irrespective of whether she accepts it or not) with complete honesty and clarity. I could envisage a scenario where, if you do tell her, you will then attempt to downplay how important it is to you, which will only lead to further confusion for your wife down the line.

I've been trying to tell her for over 2 years now. Waiting is what led to my current situation. I went overboard on Halloween because i'm not able to openly dress the rest of the year! I see your point, but it might seem more awkward to go back to her 6 months from now and say, "so, remember how I got all dressed up for Halloween, and then had a nervous breakdown?"


My guess is that your wife already has some sense that dressing is not just a Halloween thing for you. You know there are several good links here on how to talk to your wife...read them, plan and do it.


I think she suspects something, now is the time to let her down gently.


It is time to have the talk and get rid of all the self imposed stress.Odds are your wife suspects and having an honest discussion could lead to some ground rules that could work for both of you. Even if she does not approve or get what it means to you, it will provide a great deal of stress relief and you will be better off than you currently are.

And this what I think I'm projecting about. I wish you gals were right. It certainly seems likely, but there's certainly no guarantees....right?


Hi Arianna,

I'm glad your costume was a hit. With respect to the let down, have you seriously thought about what you expected the outcome to be? Did you hope you would be outed? Did you hope that your wife would say, "I love you so much in drag, you should dress up more for me?" Maybe you were let down because the experience did not lead to some far-fetched fantasy (I say this as one who is guilty of such). I agree with the others that your wife likely doesn't suspect a thing. :bighug:

Thanks for the hug. I don't know what I expected, but I certainly was hoping that I would least feel good that I got to dress for an evening without hiding. But I suppose, in some respects, it was hiding in plain sight. One female friend asked me, "So, how did this come about? Did you just say, I want to wear a dress and heels, and then go from there?" I didn't admit it, but she couldn't have been more right.


I went back and read some of your prior postings. So, your wife assisted you in getting it together for a Halloween (2008) as Sarah Palin. Then in a December you took some "gag" photos en femme with the assistance of your wife. Now, another Halloween (2013) as Lady Gaga. And, you think your wife does not suspect anything? Get real!

It sounds as if she is totally bored with you beating around the bush trying to conceal the obvious. I think she knows. I say she is tired of waiting for you to announce/confirm the obvious; "My hubby is a cross dresser!" Her comments about wearing the same size shoes, bra, etc may be a way of giving you an opening to "open up."


"And last week she said to some friends of ours, when they were discussing their costumes for next year already, "my goal is that he doesn't need to borrow anything from me.""
Your wife is fully aware and has given you repeated openings, inviting you to be open with her. She tells her friends, in your hearing, that she hopes by next year not that you'll be over it, or quit doing it, but that you'll have all your own stuff so you won't have to borrow hers! She's earned your trust and is asking you to be open with her. Good luck!

Again, my deepest desire is that you are spot on here! But, who knows? I'm going to at least give it a couple of days. Like I said, I've been avoiding if for years, mostly because I'm just chicken! I guess what I'm really looking for is the "courage." Where's the Wizard of Oz when you need him!!!!