Boredom or Curiosity?

[~Joanne~]

Hey everyone :)

Instead of hijacking a previous thread, I thought I would start this one as I am curious as to how each of us got started on this adventure we call CDing. One of the posters said they "started doing it accidentally and out of boredom" and another poster said "I wonder how many CDs really did don their first article out of boredom?".

I guess I can understand the boredom part a bit better than the "accidental" part but I am wondering if it was more out of Curiosity than boredom? We often talk about how this is part of us, something that can't be shaken, wouldn't it make more sense (if possible) that if this is part of us since we were really young that the first thing we tried on of female attire was more out of Curiosity than boredom?

I know for myself, The first article I wore was tried on out of curiosity. That first article being a pair of pantyhose. I always, since 10, have loved women that wore hosiery. There was always something that drew me to it. How great they made the legs look, how cute the feet were in them, how sheer they were that you could see every detail, how did they feel to be worn, and so forth and so on. Yes, It was a fetish at that point (still is but not as intense as it was then) but it also was the driving point that got the best of me and the Curiosity had to be answered, not the boredom. From there it grew to more Curiosity, could this look better with Heels? and grew from there not knowing what was really driving me at that time in life.

So which is it? What was the first thing You tried on? Was it out of Curiosity or Boredom? Was it ever considered "your fetish"? or was it just the starting point to this road that your now on?

Have a Great day! :D
Joanne

[charlenesomeone]

Like you I remember a pair of pantyhose very early. Also wore my Grandmothers nightgown one weekend
As for an " accident " or the accidental crossdresser ? How?
This could become a silly thread, but I don't think that is where you are going.
I'll let someone else start down that trail.
Hugs

[bridget thronton]

Curiousity not boredom for me too

[Isabella Ross]

The first item I ever tried on was panties, and it certainly wasn't boredom. In fact, I never had a choice...I was drawn to them like a moth to a flame, and I was powerless to resist. And that's the way I still am today when it comes to my entire wardrobe.

[Rachael Leigh]

Ive gone many directions in my CDing and I would for sure say it was curiosity for me. I loved skirts when I was younger but my mom mostly wore dresses. My sister too and unfortunately my moms were too big and my sisters too small because I was taller. I finally tried on my moms panties around my freshman year in highschool and it became a real part of me then, I always loved the girls skirts in HS and loved looking at panties in stores but was never able to have the nerve to buy any. I also had a thing for little girl dresses as well they were so cute and frilly just what I wanted to dress in.

[Billie Jean]

I'd have to say curiosity. My Mom used to let me and my sister wear her RHT stockings when they got runs in them. Later on I started fully dressing in my sister's clothes. Billie Jean

[Athena_]

For myself, it was definitely curiosity. I was about 8 or 9 and the first item(s) were a bra and panties. They were too big for me then, but I remember feeling so good when I wore them. I was forever hooked after that.

[Jenniferathome]

I would argue it is neither.

Men can be curious about women's clothes, but they never try them on. Only a cross dresser does that. My thesis is that there is a need to do this. Even before one has ever cross dressed, the "need" has been planted in us.

[kimdl93]

Following on Jennifer's point, tendency to identify with the female gender (to a greater or lesser extent) is a developmental trait..or simply stated, we are born as such. Chance determines particular moment when we notice and have the opportunity to try one that slip, those stockings or panties. Nine out of ten male children may notice the women's garments without any desire to try them on.

[daphne g]

well i had to,my sister made me do it

[Laura28]

For me especially in the beginning when I was about 8-10 it was a curiosity thing I believe. I would look in my mom's drawers and just wanted to touch then I finally tried on some stuff I am guessing it was a bra first. From there it progressed to her dresses tops and stuffing the bra I was always amazed to see my self with breasts. I loved it and was hooked. She worked 4 nights a week and I would dress as soon as she left. I would dress off and on from that point on always wanting to go further and be able look like a real Woman. 40 plus years later I am totally engrossed now with a full wardrobe wigs forms make up kit and many many shoes . Today it is about the feeling I get when dressed or just under dressed it just feels right to me. When I was young it seemed sexual now there is nothing related to sex and dressing it is a part of me that I need and require to be whole. Just my thoughts.

[Stephanie47]

My first adventure was trying on my mother's full nylon slips. My family lived in a two bedroom apartment with one bathroom. My mother hung the wash to dry in the hallway or the bathroom on clothes lines. We had a washer in the apartment, which was supposedly not allowed, but, no dryer. At an early age I became intrigued with the feel of nylon. It was a feel totally different from the boy garb I wore" jeans, flannel and cotton. At first I caressed the slips. Then I tried slipping into them as far as I could while they hung, wet or dry. Finally, I took one down and put it on. I was hooked. Next, I tried on her floor length nylon nightgowns. The family's laundry bag was in a closet right next to the head of my bed. I would pull it out and slip into it for awhile at night. If it stopped there I would probably consider it a fetish. But, as I got older I progressed into trying on her girdles and bra (one of which I broke the strap), panties (ugh on style) and hosiery. I was able to find one sun dress that fit, but, it was very tight. I don't think stretchy fabric had been developed yet.

As a teenager I began to loathe myself. I became confused. A guy in the 1960's who wore women's clothing had to be a "faggot" or "queer" or any of the names associated with the unacceptable homosexuality of the day. It wasn't until I was in the thirties that I reemerged and started acquiring my own wardrobe. Yes, I started with some nightgowns: a knee length pink peignoir, which I still have and a black floor length gown, which has since gone the way of a donation.

[Annaliese]

Curiosity, saw the clothes, the different colors, always felt a little different, the first time I was hooked, it all just felt right, there was a little sexuality attach to it, but that long gone now, this is who I am always was, trying on that first bra and panties did not lead me to this, just lead me to who I was.

[Cheryl Ann Owens]

Definitely a combination of curiousity and an inner need that cannot be defined. Growing up in a houseful of sisters and often seeing them in their undies had me wanting to try. Something about the feminine allure. I first tried a nice silky slip that felt great to wear. It all progressed from there. My sisters had suspicions but I denied all charges. LOL! As a young teen I would study the wig section of the latest Montgomery Ward catalog and endlessly try to think of a way to buy one discreetly. It wasn't until my first steady girlfriend that she went into a bargain (AKA cheap) department store with me to buy one.

Cheryl

[Ressie]

I was drawn to them like a moth to a flame, and I was powerless to resist.

I can relate!


Definitely a combination of curiousity and an inner need that cannot be defined.

I can relate!

Looking back, (way back) I believe I was compelled to try on my sister's dress at age 12. It was more than curiosity. Maybe it's because I wore panties at age 8 or my sister's coat at (age unknown) even earlier in my childhood. I can't be certain if something happened to me in my first 3 years of life, this is genetic, or there's some residue from a former life as a GG. Having an older sister seems to have been a major influence of why.

[Teresa]

Joanne,
Neither curiosity or boredom but far more intense, purely sexual aged about nine, linked closely to a GF at the time !

[carhill2mn]

The first time was curiosity, after that it was excitement.

[Beverley Sims]

I feel curiosity would take the lead.
Dressing is not something to cure boredom. :)

[Cheryl T]

It was certainly Curiosity for me being that I was about 5 or so at the time.
When I did put on those lovely panties it was something that just felt so right and so natural. After that it wasn't curiosity it was just self-expression.

[Carolana]

I believe I am an exception to Jennifer's hypothesis. I was with my two brothers in a closet at a young age playing good guys and bad guys. We were pretending to be captured and tied up. One of them asked if anyone else had a hard penis. I did and it felt kind of good. Then one brother looked at a dress hanging up and suggested I put it on. I had no idea why he would have said that. I also had zero sex education and had no idea as to what my penis was for other than peeing. Later on in private I tried on the dress out of curiosity to see if the feeling would return. It did. This was my introduction to cross dressing. It was purely for sexual pleasure in combination with not even knowing about sex. There's no way I will agree that I did it because I was inclined that way. It was purely an innocent connection that happened and it was imbedded in me quite firmly well before I even understood what sex is or the pleasure thereof. This was totally a curiosity. My first climax happened while wearing a skirt, and I was freaked out not knowing what that was, but that it felt good. My studies have led me to understand that we make many subconscious connections that affect us. These are formed. We are not born with them. To clarify, I am speaking of cd's here, not tg's. Feeling as though one is born in the wrong body is quite another subject that I don't claim any expertise on. I don't relate to it, and I don't think it applies to this thread. Sorry about being long winded.

[~Joanne~]

I would argue it is neither.

Men can be curious about women's clothes, but they never try them on. Only a cross dresser does that. My thesis is that there is a need to do this. Even before one has ever cross dressed, the "need" has been planted in us.

True, I know that this need was there from the get go but what if it was the curiosity to actually go that step further. To actually try on whatever article of clothing caught our attention, to actually trigger the CDing to the surface of where it is today.

For the record though, I don't think many guys are that curious about women's clothing other than the TG spectrum. If they are, then they most certainly would try it on. I know I wouldn't have looked at my first pair of heels, been curious, and then not had slipped my foot into at least one of them.

Hence the curiosity afterwards would have been the starting point down the CD/TG road.

[Jenniferathome]

Joanne, I don't know about triggers. Can it just be the opportunity? I don't think so. Here's my proof point: I remember putting on my first dress like it was yesterday. Of course there was some curiosity about how it would feel and how I would look, but that is not why I put it on. I was satisfying some need I had to "completely" dress s a girl. At that point in my life, a dress represented that. Later, I wanted some fuller transformation, so make-up and breasts were required. I'd be disingenuous to say that curiosity didn't have a place, but that is not the "why" of it.

[franlee]

This is my true story in short. I of course was curious about textures and the feeling of women's clothes like most everybody. But the thing that started me was an accident of a sort. My girlfriend and I were parking and playing around and to get her out of her dress I concocted the "dare." And she upped it and before long I was in her "complete" outfit and she in mine. Well it had worked, but to my surprise I like it being in her clothes better than I could have imagined and from that point on I was hooked. I just didn't know how bad. So here I am well over 40 years later, and still want to "dare!" And that was the first time I had ever Dressed as a woman but certainly not the last.

[kimdl93]

Darn, Franlee, that's a dare I wish I'd have thought of back in the day!

[franlee]

Yes, but it is a proof of the old adage, "be careful what you ask for, you may get it."

[~Joanne~]

I'd be disingenuous to say that curiosity didn't have a place, but that is not the "why" of it.

Oh hell Jennifer, we will never know the answer to "why?" lol We can psycho analyze this till the end of time and never even get close. At this point, My best answer is "it is what it is" ;)

[Carolana]

Between Jennifer's testimony and mine, and all others added, as far as the "why",the one thing that is for sure is that there is no absolute. I find that whenever I have tried to make a rule of thumb of something, inevitably out pops an exception. I don't think we need to try. Figuring it out after the fact is redundant anyway. We all do it. We all like it. We are all in our own personal situation with it, and we all have a first time story. Nice to hear some of them. Keep them coming. Mine was a curiosity thing connected with an incident. But since then it sure keeps me from getting bored...LOL.

[ReallyRobyn]

I was satisfying some need I had to "completely" dress s a girl. At that point in my life, a dress represented that. Later, I wanted some fuller transformation, so make-up and breasts were required. I'd be disingenuous to say that curiosity didn't have a place, but that is not the "why" of it.

For me, it was and still is identity related. My femme characteristics are obvious to me personally in many ways. Perhaps a subtle mix of the XX chromosomes caught up in the predominantly XY, lol. I don't know, but to all outward appearances I am male and I have absolutely no qualms about my gender. However, I can touch and fulfill a different, yet very real aspect of myself when dressed en femme. My admiration for the girls in their cute outfits begin quite young. I wanted pretty dresses and shoes too. :)

[Samantha Clark]

Unfortunately I don't have any early memories of the "first." Wish I did. However I'm certain boredom had nothing to do with it. I'm pretty sure it was a heart pounding moth-to-flame sweet compulsion, just like it still is today!

[CatCloud]

For me it was curiosity and having 2 sisters. when I was about 13/14 I tried their clothes and loved the soft delicate feeling and how comfortable they were on me. They just felt right to me at the time and still do.

[Paula_Femme]

I have a vague recollection of trying on my Mums stockings when I was a child, but I "got into" 'dressing with a girlfriend in my early 20's while we were exploring BDSM; I was doing some chores around the house and she decided to dress me up in her stockings, garter belt and panties - she couldn't get her bra around me or her shoes on my feet! - as a "joke!" :heehee:

She created something of a monster as we both got a huge kick out of it, so I would say my initial "serious" 'dressing experiences were purely sexual in nature.

[Julie Denier]

For me, it was a blend of curiosity and inner need. As a young boy, I was facinated by women's shoes and enjoyed clomping around in mom's and grandma's heels. Later, I added pantyhose and experimented with other articles of clothing, but never dressed fully until my late 30s and of course LOVED it. Now I don't bother dressing unless it's a full head-to-toe look ;)

[Lori Kurtz]

I was so young when I started to dress that I don't even remember specifically how it started out. But I'm pretty certain that it was, from the very earliest time, much more like a fetish than an expression of curiosity or boredom. It had an intensity and a sensation of delightful naughtiness that came from deep within me.

[JayeLefaye]

Boredom or curiosity?

Neither.

Jaye

[SandraInHose]

Similar to the OP, it was my attraction to women who wore pantyhose and the awe-inspiring feeling of what they must feel like on their legs.

So one day when circumstances allowed, I tried on a pair. And in the 40 years since, I've never gotten tired of how they feel or how they make me feel.

Curiosity may have killed the proverbial cat, but it woke up quite a beast deep inside me! LOL

[Kandi Robbins]

How I can remember something that happened to me 48 years ago (I'm 53) is remarkable. I was the first born, quickly followed each year by one sister after another (3 in total). I'm sure that had some effect. My only playmates on the street (remember when kids could come and go and play on the street?) were 2 sisters. Behind the garage, tried on a dress and, I believe that is when dressing became hardwired in my brain. Did it often throughout my childhood, went to college, then it stopped for quite some time (more on this later).

Got married and had 2 daughters, women's clothes all around me and it started back up again, only periodically. Then it really began accelerating about a decade ago, fueled by a business failure with significant collateral damage. The stress was intense, dressing was the only escape.

Looking back, I have lived with almost exclusively women all of my life. The longest period without dressing, without even thinking about it, was my college years and the few years after. Not one urge and I had my own apartment (only time) and could have really had some dressing freedom. The common element: not living with women.

To answer the question, it was neither curiosity or boredom. I don't believe I had a real choice and now that I have come to accept it, am very happy I have this blessing! We'll see how I feel when I have my first outing (in the works!) and I get a good look at myself fully dressed as a woman (never done make-up just yet).

[justmetoo]

It was too long ago! Honestly, I can't remember, but I'm sure I had an interest and a desire while still in early elementary school. I don't remember the first times I dressed specifically, but I know I did it as soon as I had the opportunity. I would say it was definitely more than curiosity, and nothing to do with boredom, for me. I expect, like most things, the answer is different for each person.

[MissTee]

I joke sometimes that this is like being born a werewolf. The moon turns full and you change. In our case we dress because that's a calling we have.

I very vaguely recall my first article of fem clothing was panties. Mom's or an aunt's, I don't remember. Since that moment the calling has been something I've lived with.

[Kelley Anne]

I guess you could ultimately call it curiosity for me.
When I was in grade school I got curious and tried on some of my mothers clothes, I was caught and was totally mortified and didn't do it again (well, until now. ;)).
About 20 years later I was at an adult function and ran into some friends (awkward) and I was talking to them and when I told him I was bi his wife asked if I was a crossdresser. I told her no but in the days that followed I found myself thinking about crossdressing and it seemed like a great idea. One day I decided to go to the department store where my friends wife worked and she helped me pick out some pantyhose.
As soon as I got home I tried them on and BOOM the switch was flipped. At that moment I knew I was a crossdresser and I've been getting my girl on ever since. :D

[BeckySmith]

It starts with curiosity, then catches fire

[closetdresser1985]

For me it was curiosity also, I was about 5 when I wore my first pair of pantyhose...I remember helping my.mom with the laundry and found one of her pairs...I asked what they felt like on your skin...so she let me try them on and I was instantly hooked...she would let me wear them all the time...whenever we went out to the store or to my grandparents house...then I remember when I was 10 she asked me what I wanted to be for Halloween and I said a girl....so she dressed me up in her clothes and I went out for Halloween...I remember the looks I got and the complements and that's when the cross dressing began for me...

[Jackmore]

Curiosity for me. As a young boy I was fascinated by women in stockings and heels. This moved on to enjoying the sight of panties, bras. I have no sisters, so enjoyed seeing my mother in partial dress. When I started dating, loved the feel of girls stockings, bras, panties... to the point of how would they feel on me...... years later, I still enjoy how it feels.

[leggspantyhose]

Does anyone think it might be genetic?

[Jenniferathome]

Yes, I am a firm believer it is genetic. Nothing else explains it.

[Stephanie_83]

Oh yes, it was curiosity for me too. I think it started when I was young - when we went to the mall, my mom would always enter through the women's underwear section of Macy's. When I was young, it was merely mortifying; as I got older, it became a siren call, and I secretly thrilled to walk through those aisles and secretly try on every bra and panty set through the corners of my eyes. Eventually it turned into a few pairs of panties secreted in a drawer... and finally in the last year, getting fully dressed. I relish coming home to put on a skirt, even if I'm otherwise in "boy mode." The only trouble for me is that as a guy, I think I look much better with a beard - so having my girlie weekends is a bit more of a process!

[Mia27]

Definitely curiosity! I had four sisters, and I always got to see the pretty outfits and things they worn. I got curious to what it was like, started out with bras and panties, and it only got better from there:)

[Jenniferathome]

Curiosity is not a reasonable explanation. One can be curious about something and have no desire to participate in that thing. I'm curious how some people can free climb cliffs, but I do not engage in that activity. Every boy must be "curious" about girl's clothing, it's all a mystery, but the vast majority of boys do not try on girl's clothing. Cross dressers do!

It's far more innate than simple curiosity. Why is the curiosity of a cross dresser different than that of a non-cross dresser?

[victoria76]

Definitely started as curiosity and quickly became an addiction!

[leggspantyhose]

Curiosity is not a reasonable explanation. One can be curious about something and have no desire to participate in that thing. I'm curious how some people can free climb cliffs, but I do not engage in that activity. Every boy must be "curious" about girl's clothing, it's all a mystery, but the vast majority of boys do not try on girl's clothing. Cross dressers do!

It's far more innate than simple curiosity. Why is the curiosity of a cross dresser different than that of a non-cross dresser?

I think you are on to something

[jsunic_1978]

I THINK my most comfortable pairs of women's shoes are my UGGS... ;) THEY make them in high heels now I WANT MY FIRST PAIR OF UGG HIGH HEELS ;)

[Vicky Peters]

Sometimes I would stay at my aunts house on the weekends. Aunt Liz came into the spare bedroom that I was staying in and asked me to zip her up. I did but wondered how she got into her the clothes. The next weekend I went through her draws and found a long line bra and side zip OBG. I was hooked. Don't remember my exact age, somewhere before high school.

[belacd]

No doubt it was due to boredom I dressed in women's clothes for the first time. But I always wanted to do so. As I was bored, I thought of something interesting to do and finally decided to do this. In short, I took boredom to do something I've wanted to do for a long time.

[Genifer Teal]

For me it was a curiosity about walking in high heels. I quickly mastered walking in six inch heels and could not wait to wear them everywhere and show off. The rest is history.

[Diedre]

My mother did sewing and alterations and started using me as the dress dummy for clothes in my size range around age 12. At the time she had no problem putting me in a panty girdle, bra, nylons, slip and heels for a fitting.

After I started showing a little too much interest staying dressed I was replaced one day with a dress form from a second hand store. After that I went stealth until my female cousin learned of my desires and encouraged me to dress with her. She had amazing makeup skills. Our fun lasted until I was almost 17 and full blown puberty set in taking away any chance at presenting as female.

[~Joanne~]

Does anyone think it might be genetic?

Without a doubt I believe this is genetic, in our DNA to begin with but I think Curiosity is what "set it off", or the trigger if you will. Who's to say this isn't in all men? Only those that go and actually try something on does it become where we are today?

I wasn't trying to answer to the question "why?" here. We all know we will NEVER find that answer. We can psycho analyze this till the day of our deaths and we will never have a solid answer or solid proof as to why we do this. This is of coarse from a CD point of view, not a TG/TS point of view.

For majority of us here, Curiosity was , and is, the reason we are now dressing. It started the ball rolling. For those that said it was boredom, it could have been just that.

Thank You to everyone that has responded, there is no right or wrong answer here ;)

[CarlaWestin]

Mom's bras.

Curiously, I had to find out what they were all about. Ladies undergarments were so taboo.

[Tonya Rose]

For me it was Pantyhose sexy long legs and sexy red nails under them had me from age 9. it had nothing to do with bordom. (thats bullshit) it`s a fetish with all of us GF.. we like what we like... no matter what turns each one of us on it aint bordom it`s what we as individuales find sexy and are atracted to. tiz what we emulate..aint a one of us look in the mirror and are atracted to bordom.... i don`t think so. LOL my point...:2c:

[Barbara Jo]

For me is was curiosity in part.......

I grew up in the '50s with all those feminine styles, lingerie, etc.

Also, I had an older sister who had recently entered her teen years and loved to dress very feminine. She developed physically a bit early for her age and was just beginning to get a bit boy crazy and usually dressed the part.

I remember a bit of a heated discussion between her and my mom.
My sister said that she now wanted nylon panties (no more cotton ones) and said she now wanted nylons and a garter belt, etc
My mother was a a feminine woman herself and used to be a professional dancer. So, she agreed and allowed her to have her feminine finery....as long as she maintained a bit of maturity about it.

Anyway.....
I was a bit effeminate as a child.
I began to wonder how it felt to wear all that feminine lingerie and clothing .
Eventually, I absolutely had to find out and started by putting on her panties, bra and a full slip.
It made me feel so feminine..... and so right......I was hooked! :)

I would add that my mother also initially inadvertently promoted my CDing but, that is a story in its self . ;)