Is your personality different when dressed?

[savannaxdrsser]

Hello all!!

Just wondering if personalities change when we are dressed? I find that Im a very conservative dresser and a bit reserved when Im male, but when I dress I act and dress a lot more provocatively! I find that I can be very free and upfront when Im dressed, feeling very free and somewhat liberated. Do others have this feeling?

[Beverley Sims]

My personality does not change but my actions and responses do depending on surroundings and circumstances.

[CrossJess]

No not me personally that's only because I'm feminine & dressed as a girl round the clock 52 weeks a year but my friend Dean changes a lot when he's dressed up it's quite a remarkable difference in personalty as a guy he's reserved, shy, gets embarrassed really easy and really manly with his mannerisms, yet as a girl he's the complete opposite he's out there , he display's mannerisms that are more feminine than I'm capable of lol :doh: eeek! he's as striaght as dime but it's lovely that he can express that feminine side to him, I've never seen him so happy as when he's dressed.

[Kate Simmons]

Not much really. I do tend to be meaner though. :battingeyelashes::)

[Sc0rp10N]

My wife says I'm much nicer, but generally still act like a guy. I pressure her less for sex and don't get frustrated if I don't get it and my expectations are less specific. I guess it calms me and rounds off the hard edges,, but I'm basically still me.

[Adriana Moretti]

I am pretty much the same person...the only thing that changes is the clothes ...i bite my tounge though more in girl mode...gotta be carefull once in a while.

[Annaliese]

I find I am more open, I can be me and not hiding anymore.

[Skyeyes]

I do not fully dress. I only underdress. However, I have noticed that when I put on a bra or slip I get a very strong sense of inner peace. I just feel good.

[Mickitv]

I would have to say yes my personality does change when I am dressed. I am calmer and much more open. I look to please the man I may be fortunately with and look towards his lead versus my own. And last, I just feel so much more happy and content.

[lovetobedani]

I would have to say that I'm calmer, more patient and more at ease with myself. I'm no different in my mind as I feel that I'm more female than male.

[Confucius]

I attribute the change in personality to the way your brain works. (This is part of my theory on "Cross-dressing is a form of Synesthesia).

Cross-dressers are just like other normal, healthy, heterosexuals except for one little connection in our brains. We have a connection whereby the brain interprets cross-dressing as actual contact with a female and that makes it release a host of neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, just to name a few). The dopamine is associated with compulsive behavior, sexual gratification, and reward motivation. The neurotransmitter that can affect personality is the oxytocin. This neurotransmitter is associated with social empathy, trust, and bonding. So if you feel as if cross-dressing makes you less aggressive, more open, talkative, and trusting - well, its just the oxytocin talking.

If you find that you are less reserve and more free and provocative, then I would believe that it is due to your upbringing. Were you trained to believe that males had to "tough it out", "boys shouldn't cry", etc? When you were an excited little boy, did adults tell you to stop "acting like a girl"? I believe you were taught that boys had to be stoic, while females were free to express themselves. It is common for cross-dressers to have early childhood memories that made them believe that females had it better in life.

[Felicia Dee]

I was just discussing this VERY topic with my SO today! If I had been asked this a week ago -- aside from feeling more centered and confident, I'd have said "no difference." Turns out, it's a complete 180.

En boy, I am a fairly masculine, hetorosexual guy... In an open-minded, creatively cool way, of course! ;) Very little of how I move, talk and interact with others could be described as feminine. En femme, however, it is a VERY different story... All the aspects of my personality that do not fit into the rigid "MALE MODE" way of how I was raised, get's neatly tucked away -- until I dress. As Wednesday, I have no limitations. It's a type of freedom I don't otherwise experience and from the outside, very little of how I move, talk and interact with others could be described as masculine...

I'm two VERY different sides of the same coin... Or, as my signature states: "I'm a work in progress."

xox

[Rachelakld]

I go from introvert military male, to extrovert relaxed open minded female

[Jesse Six]

Overall personality is still the same, with two small variations: I don't get angry as much, and I am slightly more confident / outgoing.

I don't know if that's a real personality change, or just because I've internalized our society's message that "anger is not feminine".

[BillieAnneJean]

I become less concerned about the facade we as men must project: Strong in the face of danger, the lead on the dance floor, preferring ballroom type - as opposed to just flailing dancing, reserved in social situations, private - covering everything, the rock, and the lead in whatever my SO chooses to be the follower whether or not I would choose that.
I become more safety cautious, driving slower, unconcerned of anyone's opinions when dancing, unconcerned about leading the dance, more carefree, less long term planning, forgetting the competitive male world, using my body and appearance as a tool, more open in social situations, a social organizer. Oh and WAY more conscious of my appearance.

[Kathryn R Jones]

Putting on all the silky clothes, heels , wig changes me. My femme is released

[Karen7cd]

I find myself much more animated, and It seems my whole body just loosens up.

[Jaclyn]

The first thing I notice is I'm a lot happier. I'm constantly smiling. :) I haven't been able to fully dress a lot yet so I don't know any other changes yet.

[Linda E. Woodworth]

Yes, my personality is different.

I am more open and vivacious. I am also in my feminine persona and am acting as I feel a woman my age would act.

That being said, I have often thought about this question and feel that the change has to do with "Linda" not carrying around the mental baggage that my male side deals with daily in normal life. Linda is a blank book and I am writing the pages every time I am her.

[Steph_CD_62]

I don't think so, but wife tells me that I do act more feminine when I am dressed, not a lot but a little

[mechamoose]

Different parts of me feel more 'free' when 'en skirt' than when I'm in 'drab'. I'm still me, I just feel more comfortable letting those parts out.

- MM

[LillyAntayra]

I don't think I could be the best judge of my own character when dressed, but I have been told by my spouse that I tend to act quite feminine when dressed.

[KaceyR]

I'm not sure how well I can judge it. And I don't have a lot of others that really dig into whatever I'm doing to compare.
Thing is, as a male my personality's a bit...lacking. I'm shy, socially introverted. I don't express myself much. Don't have relationships. A bit depressive too (primarily from self esteem/aloneness issues). Mom's always said it'd take more of an aggressive lady to break thru all this and I'd agree. So 48 years later still single since I don't get out anywhere.

Now I'm not as certain about Kacey. Aside from my genderish aspects, I am calmer as her. I thought I was somewhat breaking down the shyness/social walls, like maybe I could finally figure out how to 'let myself go' more as Kacey. Well, yeah to a degree. Whether it's a Kacey influence or just pent-up tired of it all loneliness thing or age, I've come out further about my sexuality and interests with friends. (Shifting to the 'don't care what anyone else thinks' mode of thought with Kacey's outside dressing has applied in more ways than one) So rushing out and doing so much outside my apartment as Kacey counts for something. But when I've gone out with groups, clubbing, etc I still kind of just sit quietly and drink, not get out and dance and such. I'm still more verbal more on the net about issues than in person. Was at a friends house at a lake over this last holiday..3 of 4 days was as Kacey. Even there though I can't say I was that expressive..although the depression side wasn't helping. About all I got out of that mini-vacation was sunburn in a not-so-manly way (camisole and swimsuit strap tan lines up top are a bit odd as a guy :)) and frustration over other issues.
I would've loved to have become more expressive, more free, etc but guess it just doesn't work like that for me.

[sometimes_miss]

Nope, one personality, all the time. I'm one of those who believe that those who profess to have two personas, one male, and one female, develop that in order to distance themselves from the feminine feelings they have, because of the tremendous stigma our society has against any man who feel, acts or behaves female in any way. We should not have to be embarrased about these feelings, yet it's hammered into our brains from the moment we're self aware, that to be feminine in any way is the worst thing a boy can be. And often, we simply can't ever get past knowing how the rest of the world would feel about us, should they find out about our femininity.

[Gailmiles]

I don't think I change much. I don't go out dressed so I don't feel the need to act differently.

[Teresa]

Most of us say we change it's liberating and stress relieving ! The other side of this is that we are wearing a costume. I was a member of the round table and some of the fund raising events we wore costumes or blacked our faces ( Not permitted anymore ) , because no one recognised who you were you could do the most outlandish things ! So CDing is very much disguising or altering ourselves to free ourselves of guy mode.

[mariehart]

Confucious' comments are interesting and there is probably some truth that oxytocin has some bearing on it. On the opposite side of the coin give a man a uniform and some power and suddenly the mild mannered mouse is a roaring lion. It is part of the human condition that we adapt to the circumstances we find ourselves in.

I don't think it's the full story though. To some extent men are constrained in how they express emotion. Boys don't cry, that sort of thing. Dressing as a woman might give yourself permission to relax that façade. After all if being dressed as a woman is really one of the last taboos for most men. You are putting aside masculinity so acting like a woman or at least acting the way you think a woman behaves is natural.

Then again there are those of us who have a distinctly female personality even in male mode. The opposite then is true I would say. When dressed as a man you attempt to act like one, copying other men. In female mode you are just yourself. In my own case I found I relaxed into female mode even when dressed as a man, such as around people who know that side of me and interestingly around gay men.

As it happens lately I've been trying to stop maintaining the male persona I've built up over the years. So even when dressed as a man I am finding that I can relax and feel calm just like in girl mode. Although it has to be said when in girl mode now there is sometimes tension. Like now, ears open for the key in the door!

[Farrah]

My personality changes a little. In guy mode, I am so serious and conservative. When the pink cloud is thick, I am more open to try different thing. I am not as serious. However, all in all, I am mix of both my male and female self.:)

[Pippa A]

I don't think my personality changes although it's a little hard to say as I dress in private and so don't tend to interact with people when dressed other than on the phone.

I definitely feel more comfortable and relaxed though and I guess that would show through somewhat in my personality.

Interesting thread btw :)

[EllieOPKS]

My personality is definitely different when I am dressed. In guy mode I am somewhat assertive, take charge of things, and never think once about my appearance or physical actions once I am dressed and out of the house. When I am dressed I am much calmer, almost to the point of submissive. I am constantly thinking of how I look, my posture, how I walk, how I sound and how I move. I guess when I am a guy I am all guy but when I am a girl I am 100% all girl.

[Angie G]

It does make me feel that way. It also gives me a more relaxed feeling.:hugs:
Angie

[RobynC]

I certainly feel more relaxed when dressed then in male mode. It's like a whole different personality comes over me. I feel more happy and relaxed. I also like my appearance as Robyn then my male appearance. As my male self, I'm shy and withdrawn where Robyn is more open and cheerful.

[Monica XO Monroe]

I am definately more chilled out when in femme. I guess its all of those wonderful happy feelings I get when I get to be a girl! LOL!

[Eselka]

I don't see any difference, but then again I've never been out in the world (as in, the one that lies behind the door ^^) so that might be a reason. However, CDing changed my general personality a lot, it made me more self confident, I almost always smile, I'm waaay more talkative - even in guy mode. It's like there's always something (inner feminity ?) I can connect to to relax.

[Aviatrix]

When I dress up I become a little bit more giddy and I think the nervousness actually helps me to become braver. I get better posture and will walk with pride. I don't ever hide that I'm a crossdresser, some people pick it up right away but more times than not it takes a few minutes until someone says "OMG, you're not a real girl are you?" Most of the time it brings out a great laugh.

As my normal guy life, I do what I can to not attract attention to myself and am very shy.

-Charlene

[Sissy_Michelle]

Yes, my wife has said that I am more calmer and tend to listen to her more, than rushing to get stuff done around the house, like there is some requirement that I am trying to achieve. Although when I am dressed, we chat more and watch tv or read together. I have noticed that when I leave the house under dressed, I am more paranoid (though getting better) about people noticing if they can see my bra lines... I am trying though .

@--}---

[samanthasolo]

I am the same person 100% of the time, when I am dressed I adjust accordingly. I loose the truck driver mouth and just act like the lady I am dressing to be

[bianca316]

I tend to listen more and loosen up around my wife. It seems we talk about more in depth ideas.

[Lynn Marie]

Women seem to be much more approachable when I'm dressed. They find us non-threatening so it's just so much easier to flirt with them. I can get away with just about anything as long as it is in semi-good taste! So I flirt with everyone. It's way too much fun.

[Sister Rachel]

I think I'm pretty much the same person dressed either way, maybe I smile a bit more when wearing a skirt :)

[calliekat]

Considering when I dress, I am still in the closet. So if I dress I am still in the same environment as if I wasn't. Hence, just because I have a dress on, I still am the same person I am without a dress.
Now..... If I felt free to go out and enjoy life dressed. THAT would change my answer.

[StephanieCLT]

I think so. I haven't had the chance to be out dressed but once, but I definitely noticed different things than I do when in male mode. Even if I'm just wearing panties under my work clothes, I find myself with "softer" thoughts and somehow relating to women better. Not sure if I can fully explain it more than some of the other great posts here.

[suchacutie]

I've written this before, but my wife explains my bigenderedness as "two apps running on the same database. " She has talked to Tina a lot trying to understand our differences as manifest by our gender, and there are huge differences. Tina is obsessively fastidious. Tina would never "shoot from the hip" where my guy side can and does. Just the other day my wife wanted Tina to go shopping with her...specifically Tina! My wife considers Tina her girlfriend, and definitely not an extension of her husband. And I agree with her. Transformation to me is mental as well as physical. I remember having a pile of grading to do and was grousing about it. My wife looked at me and said "justlet Tina do it." I transformed and Tina made short work of it.

We really are two parts of what is me!

Oh, Tina is left handed....male side is right handed!!

[Marcelle]

Hi Savanna,

I am going to have to go with a no on this one. I have asked my GG friends who know me both as "boy me" and "Isha" and they agree my personality does not differ. We talk about the same things when I am "en femme" as we do when I am "en boy". My taste in clothing although "girl" is similar to that of "boy me" jeans and tops. My mannerisms are definitely more female but that is for blending purposes.

Hugs

Isha

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Savana, I'm pretty much the same in both modes.:daydreaming:

[Pat]

I tell myself I don't change when I change, if you know what I mean, but my girlfriend says otherwise. She claims I get funnier, more impulsive, more social, flirty with both sexes -- she says it's like I'm already four beers into the evening (I'm a happy drunk.) We're both right in a way -- I'm the same person thinking the same thoughts the same way no matter who is at the controls. But Jennie speaks those thoughts aloud and puts them into action where my male side only thinks them and keeps his distance.

[abby054]

No, I am pretty much the same in either mode. Some different characteristics that I associate with one mode or the other tend to come out in each case, but I am the same person and tend to have the same underlying personality. Introverted, stiff engineer as a guy; Introverted, reserved engineer personality in a skirt also. The female mannerisms, smiling much more, and the cautious behavior come with the territory, changing the presentation, but the basic personality is the same. I notice this because I look a lot like my eldest sister when dressed. I act nothing like her in either mode.

[janel p.]

Well... yes. I'm A LOT more less aggressive and more laid back.

[Ginger Jameson]

I don't think my personality changes because I dressed, but it definitely changes depending on where I'm at and who I'm with. For instance, I'm much more withdrawn and serious at work. I'd never dress in the office, so there's a distinct dividing line there between who James is and who Britney is. Britney isn't going to put herself in a position where she has to maintain "office etiquette."

[RachelCross]

I definitely feel happier and at peace with myself as Rachel. I am more patient and I don't eat as much. Rachel keeps that in check. When I'm Rachel I want to be around people, I am not necessarily more extroverted but I want to connect with people as Rachel. I try to carry the feelings over to when I am in drab but I find it difficult. Still dealing with shedding the male ego bs.

[Krisi]

Nope. I don't see how strapping on a pair of boobs and a wig can change a person's personality. We are still the same person we were an hour ago.

[claire_hollinger]

My personality? No. If your personality changes while dressed, your bordering on a split personality syndrome. I tend to be more relaxed, less irritable, etc. That stems not from being en femme, but from the confidence and peace that being content brings. So def not a personality switch, more of just a mood elevator.

[Stephanie Julianna]

I take smaller bites when I eat.

[Tina_gm]

I dress alone, so I cannot truly judge, but I do not feel as if I am different. I do not take on a liking or disliking to anything different. It is likely that my mannerism, which are already on the fem side are probably more so, but that due to a stronger connection of which is already present. My wife knows that dress but has never seen me. She has however talked to me on the phone, and I have told her that on certain times I was dressed when that happened and she was surprised.

[Bryanne]

I'm certainly much more relaxed and happy. I have noticed over the years that my body language is much more feminine. It happens naturally, and I love that.

[playful tam]

thank you for that - i adore the two of you for getting to that point in your relationship and being creative with it. i dress for myself only but i sense what you meant about a personality change. i suspect the girls who feel less change might dress for a different reason and it plays out differently in them.
and i am in awe that you could go shopping with your wife. i will never get there, but when i am feeling tammy's influence; that excites me as a fantasy. i could see girlfriends being a wonderful experience - sharing thoughts as two women. husband speaks his feminine mind and wife,being with another woman, could find herself talking girl talk.
frankly my dears, tammy is jealous

[Vale]

I am a Friday evening, inside the house type of CD. From others' perspective, both of my wives, who accepted me dressed (well, most of the time), said both of my presentations had the same underlying values, but clearly different ways of expressing them. Does that constitute a different personality? Inside myself, when dressed I feel more in touch with my surroundings, more sensual, and more sensitive to aesthetic things. I can do this to some extent without dressing but it is more fun en femme. I wonder if I'm using the clothes as a kind of talisman?

[bimini1]

The whole thing is incredibly spell-binding. How I could go from this perfectly masculine man to this ultra femme female just by putting on clothes. Yet this female is buried within me, locked away in some cranny of a library in my mind somewhere. Yet she is there. It's boggles the mind.
Presenting femme is like being on a psychedelic drug. Everything, colors, sensations is intensified.
I've used the coin analogy before. Same coin different sides. Now if i could just keep up the balancing act. When I am male I want to look like a man, nothing tight or too colorful. In femme mode just the opposite. In the words of the immortal Mr Spock....fascinating.

[Stephanie47]

Being en femme around the house does not change my personality. Actually, I truly forget I'm en femme. It feels as if I just plain selected something different to wear for the day. This week I had no desire to be en femme (recovering from an operation) when I did the laundry and baked some goodies. Next week you'll probably find me dolled up in heels, hosiery, bra, panty, slip, dress and wig sitting in the back yard enjoying some warm blueberry muffins and hot coffee.

[LeeAnne]

Donning my femme clothes enables me to become LeeAnne. She is vulnerable and shy, but feels pretty when she tries new things. As a guy, though, those aspects stay more hidden. So yes, I do feel and become different when dressing.

[Aspen K]

When I'm dressed I feel much more confident. I don't know what it is but when I am a woman I feel as if I could take on the world!

[AKADonna]

Just putting on the bra, panties, dress and wig don't really do it by themselves, but when I go 'all the way' with makeup, accessories, and heels and then go out of the relative safety of my home, my feminine side takes over and I become so much more soft, gentle, graceful, and peaceful. I think that I'm much easier to be around as Donna and I really care so much more about the people with whom I interchange.

[Rachel Morley]

Does my personality change? ... I would say its about the same. I have the same beliefs and values and so the way I think is the same .... but ... I would say there is a slight change in my behavior as I tend to move a little bit differently (feminine deportment?) and I eat and drive slower too! :)

[Nadine Spirit]

I think I act differently but I think my wife possibly has a better perspective than me. She says that what she really likes about how I approach cross dressing is that I am the same person regardless of how I am dressed. She says that any changes that I do exhibit are so minor that they are irrelevant.

[Renee]

I dont feel different when dressed, however my wife says that when she calls and talks to me on the phone she can tell by my voice if I am dressed. She knows that I dress often when she is gone so it is alright and sometimes she will ask or I will just tell her.

[AmyGaleRT]

There is something of a shift when I become Amy; I'm quite a bit more social, for instance. That helps me out in my group event organizer role! I also make the shift to Amy-voice almost automatically when dressed; it can take actual mental effort for me to "disengage" it and speak in my "normal" voice! Also, one odd quirk: I never curse as Amy, I suppose it's just not ladylike. :) In a situation where my male self would be likely to say some colorful phrase involving one or more of the "Seven Words You Can't Say On Television," I-as-Amy will probably say, "Oh, good heavens!" or similar.

- Amy

[Ally.Nichole25]

My boyfriend tends to let his more femme side come out when he is dressed. And even sometimes when he is just talking about being dressed.

[Pink Susan]

Yes I'm different dressed as the real me

I'm calm , I'm happy

[Melody1]

I'm way more extroverted, enthusiasm is much much higher, quicker to take a risk, frivolous with money(more so ). Way different en femme

[Charla McBee]

Yes, I am bigender. I am always the same person basically but there are changes in mannerisms, musical taste, confidence, anxiety level. A lot of it depends on what I can do about it when I suddenly flip into girl mode. Even before I figured this out about myself my wife has told me I act a little different dressed. I am letting out a deeply suppressed part of myself that has always been there.

[Alex PL]

Strong sexual arousal of feeling like a girl. I can reach up to 10 orgasms during 1 day with my GF.