a crazy question

[pamela7]

so many folks here, me included, say they feel happy and calmer, peaceful when dressed.
so i wondered, how much testosterone is actually psychosomatically induced by clothing?
is it possible we do drop our T level down when dressed, and are women more aggressive, more T-flowing in menswear?
i get the horrible feeling there's something to this.

anyone know?

[tammie]

HI Luvs: Yes there is much empirical evidence that spandex athletic wear increases performance abilities . Likewise there is empirical evidence IE before and after testosterone levels were checked pre and post rugby game and most players T levels
were elevated after a close hard competition. It follow therefore that cute feminine clothes could make t levels lower and some men more passive in a bra girdle stockings heels and a slip for example .

[Rachael Leigh]

While some of that may be true, it doesn't make sense for times when some get sexuality excited when dressed, but that's a very complicated issue I'm sure

[Nikkilovesdresses]

At my school we had to play rugby in dresses. I've always wondered whether somehow that had a formative influence on me.

[pamela7]

While some of that may be true, it doesn't make sense for times when some get sexuality excited when dressed, but that's a very complicated issue I'm sure

i am not sure that sexual arousal has anything to do with testosterone - for me - perhaps it does for other men tho?!

Nikki: lol, awesome

[Kate Simmons]

I honestly don't think that hormones are affected by the clothing we wear Pamela. :)

[pamela7]

that would be easy to test tho

[kimdl93]

Meh, I think you're looking in the wrong place. You may indeed experience something of an endorphin rush from dressing...something akin to a sexual pleasure. And if one has GID, perhaps the change into female attire provides a sense of relief in being able to wear garments consistent with ones gender identity. No hormonal shift need be postulated.

But I would seriously question the idea that either estrogen or testosterone for that matter fluctuate in response to clothing or a psychosomatic response.

Does physical exercise influence testosterone.? There appears to be some evidence.

[Beverley Sims]

Pamela,
Too much thinking here...
Take your clothes up to Bath and give them a good wash in the waters there.
That should get rid of any testosterone.

[pamela7]

oh i think the waters here in work fine enough, not many men with balls around here :-)

[RADER]

My Wife would tell me to "Go and put your bra on"
It always seemed to calm me down.
Even now, dressing is a relaxing activity, I just love to dress up.
Rader

[CynthiaD]

When I was little I thought that maybe if I wore a superman costume I would suddenly be able to fly. When I was a teenager I thought that maybe if I wore a bra I would suddenly grow breasts like all the other girls.

Surprisingly, they both worked!

Oh, no wait a minute! These aren't real! They're made out of silicone!

Drat!

(And the only direction I was ever able to fly was straight down.)

I still love the idea though. "If you wear it, they will come."

[sometimes_miss]

if one has GID, perhaps the change into female attire provides a sense of relief in being able to wear garments consistent with ones gender identity. No hormonal shift need be postulated.
^. Beat me to it. No zebra hunting necessary.

[Sophie Yang]

Pamela,

Here is something else to ponder. Some CD'ers lose their desire to dress and are diagnosed with low T, but their desire returns after receiving T. It sometimes returns with a vengeance. I always found this a little paradoxical.

[Brandy Mathews]

Pamela,
I totally agree with what you said. I know that I am a gentler, calmer, caring person when I wear womens clothes and put on makeup. A completely different person. My thoughts change too. And it feels so much better too. I think that has very much to do with me dressing. If people want to call it a split personality, then so be it. It is what it is.
Bree

[ophelia]

I thinketh not that the knavish Testosteronius be the main culprit. I do suspect that his brothers in arms Adrenalinis and Endorphnnius are the other guilty scabs in the plot.
Ophelius

[JessMe]

My girlfriend has noted on several occasions that I seem more gentle, tactile, more inclined to snuggle, emotional, and that I "seem happier" when dressed. Whether any or all of this is physical, or whether it's entirely psychological (...and whether or not the psychological can influence the physical, e.g. hormonal balance...) is way above my pay grade. I don't necessarily know the science behind it, but I do know that I enjoy the feelings and emotions that come with it!

[Kate T]

Testosterone is produced in response to Lutenising Hormone (LH) which is in turn principally influence by GoNadotrophin Releasing Hormone (GNRH). GNRH release is principally regulated by daily cyclical influences that are associated with daylight hours. I am unaware of any specific physical activities that stimulate GNRH and LH release, mostly it is just a daily cycle.
I dress daily, have done for a while and just had my testosterone levels done, they are double the upper reference range for men. So no, dressing doesn't suppress testosterone release.

[Maija Stone]

Amy Cuddy, a researcher at Harvard, has done studies that show that body language, something as simple as striking a pose, can effect a persons hormone level. Her research has focused on dominance body language and testosterone levels. So to say there may be something to taking a pose as a woman effecting hormone levels.
She has several TED talks on YouTube, you can find her research on the web.

[jeanieinabottle]

It might be just as much Serotonin than anything else. Higher serotonin.....feel good. Lower serotinin.....feel depressed. An interesting study says that testosterone possibly makes serotinin receptors in the brain more receptive to serotonin thereby enhancing the activity of serotonin, ie. better mood, relaxed, contentment. Also some studies show increased brain PET scan activity more similar to female brains in males with certain actions, such as crossdressing, or other stimuli in gender divergent individuals which may enhance the release and activity of neurotransmitters such as serotonin.
Dr. J

[docrobbysherry]

As long as we're speculating? I keep reading how many feel relaxed and more at ease dressed.

I usually feel the opposite. Enervated, excited and stimulated. However, I DO notice thots of everything else under the sun, regular thots of things I need to do that randomly pop into my head daily, disappear when I begin to dress.

Is it possible that that is what happens for many dressers also? And, the disappearance of their concerns and responsibilities when dressing is what causes their stress reduction and feelings of relaxation?

[Tracii G]

I don't see how T levels have anything to do with what clothes your are wearing.
Maybe you are reading too much into things or you feel you have to find a reason to explain why you dress.
I don't think any of us will ever know why we were born this way.Searching for answers will only drive you crazy.

[bimini1]

I dunno but am convinced there's plenty somn chemical going on. My whole body feels physically different when I dress. Any physical pain or malady simply evaporates during that time. Kind of like the feeling I get during a "runners high". Where all of a sudden all is right with the world any you are feeling no pain.

[Marcelle]

Hi Pamela,

It is hard to say. There have been some studies which show that men's t-levels can drop due to exercising too intensely, through depression, medication and other life altering changes. However, I would be more inclined that the calming effect some may feel when dressed is more psychological than hormonal in that dressing allows you to achieve the balance in your life, express that part of you and as such makes you happier hence calmer. I recently had my over 50 medical and found my t levels are very high (comparatively for my age group). I don't feel anymore aggressive due to that fact and am quite calm even when presenting en boy.

My two cents for what it is worth.

Hugs

Isha

[VAWyman]

I have low T and take shots monthly. For a few days after I find that my CD desire is slightly (very slightly) diminished. It returns rather quickly tho.