Why do you crossdress?

[Danitgirl1]

I have been asked this question once or twice...
I suspect we have all asked ourselves this question more than once.

For me it has to do with the fact that I feel more 'myself' dressed and that this creates a sense of well being.
Sure the clothes themselves may be less physically comfortable than men's clothes (or not, depending on what you are wearing, your body shape etc) but the positive emotional response creates a physical sense of well being.

I have written in more detail here https://daniellaargento.wordpress.com/2015/03/20/why-do-i-crossdress-pondering-the-imponderable/ if you want to get a better sense of my thoughts.

Why do YOU crossdress?

[deebra]

Women are sexy, there bodies are sexy, there clothes are sexy and enhance all of this. I love this, so to be as close to this as possible I love to crossdress. Dressed walking in heels with the weight and projections of big boobs is a real, real turn-on; it feels oh so good to take on the female gender and I have found nothing that even comes close. It stimulates all three sences, mental, physical and emotional. I'm going to put something on in the next five minutes!

[Paula_Femme]

"Why do you Crossdress" has got to be the eternal question we all ask ourselves, and we've been asked if we have a wife/girlfriend/SO.

For me it started out purely sexual, a fetish that developed exploring BDSM in my early 20's, but as I got older the sexual component faded into the background - it hasn't gone away, but it has faded! :heehee: - now I do it because it makes me feel good; it feels "right," I get a sense of calmness, and, yes, well being.

[Kate Simmons]

The simple quick answer is that I look good as a woman. :battingeyelashes::)

[sabrinaedwards]

I wish that I did know why I love to crossdress. I think that it is a meaningful question in that how can we explain crossdressing to others if we do not understand it ourselves. I will say that it so much more than the clothing. Whenever I dress, I do my nails, I wear a wig, and use makeup. As I am fully dressed now, I just feel so euphoric and complete. As I wrote recently, it frightens me that I love to be like this.
Love, Sabrina

[Kirsty Louise]

I crossdress because it makes me feel so complete

[meganmartin]

The why I crossdress is something I've never really figured out.

But I really enjoy it and look forward to my next time I get the chance.

[cdterri]

Because it's funnnnnnnnnnnn

[Cheryl T]

I wish I knew !!
I tried to answer this for decades before finally giving up and just enjoying being me. I no longer care why and I don't have an answer for anyone that might ask.

[rockerreds]

(1)It is fun!
(2)I make a very convincing female
(3)It is relaxing

[Alvie]

I really do enjoy the femininity of it. I love makeup and soft silky underthings. How sexy I feel..

[CONSUELO]

When I started at a very young age the allure was sexual and tactile. The look and feel of women's clothing, especially lingerie was just mesmerizing for me. As I grew older I found that cross dressing made me feel comfortable and relaxed.

If I think about giving up cross dressing the overwhelming thought is that to do so would be to abandon much of myself.
After cross dressing for many years it is an integral part of me. That's why I don't believe that cross dressing can be described as merely a hobby. I have had many hobbies over the years and giving one up is more like abandoning something superficial. Cross dressing is too deep and is part of the warp and weft of my person.

[MsVal]

Short answer:
It feels "right".

Longer answer:
I have a 24/7 desire to be more feminine than masculine. Some of that desire can be satisfied through underdressing and imagination, and I employ those techniques every day. I occasionally have the opportunity to take it further, to dress in feminine clothing and makeup. That is when I have the least gender incongruity and greatest peace.

Best wishes
MsVal

[kimdl93]

Are you asking in the philosophical sense, like why climb Mount Everest, or in the causal sense, as in what biological or experiential factors underlying the manifestation of cross dressing?

[AllieSF]

Because it's funnnnnnnnnnnn

Me too!!!!! I always liked to dress up in whatever costume for costume parties (way before I ever even knew what crossdressing was about) and enjoyed playing the appropriate role to go with the costume. Well, this female role seems to have stuck quite well, to my lasting benefit.

[Jaylyn]

My only answer is for some unknown reason I just feel a calm and peaceful feeling come over me. A relaxation and takes my worries away for a time. I flat out also enjoy just dressing and feeling the clothes, hose, heels and even my makeup gives me a satisfaction that's hard to explain.

[SandraB]

I don't know why I cross dress but I just could not resist. Embracing it though makes me feel euphoric, at peace with myself and just want to have fun with it. I really hope I can stay like this forever.

[Lollipop]

Hi - I feel in calms me down - more now than just the initial eroticism which used to be the dominant feeling
Jessie

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Dani, I've been in this program for 68yrs. . It's just who I am & It's just what I do and I'm having way too much fun.:daydreaming:

[NikiMichelle]

Most of the answers here, in my opinion, answer a slightly modified version on why we dress which is more like "why do continue to dress?" We tend to answer the simple "Why?" with answers similar to "because it makes me feel good"; but those answers refer to the outcome of dressing and not really why?

I believe we are really trying to establish "why do we ever start CD'ing; what motivates us to do so in the very first place?"

I started CD'ing around age 4 and I have absolutely no idea what made me try on that first pair of my sisters tights? But, from that moment on I have continued to CD and have progressed through many of the phases a lot of us have described in all the other threads dealing with the BIG question "Why?"

I have pretty much given up on trying to answer the question and just accept the Popeye answer of "I ams what I am".

Have a great day all of you out there!

[Lollipop]

Hi NikiMichelle - that's a really good way of turning it around - the first time I tried anything was when I was around 7, I put on my friends balerinas outfit - it felt great, I looked good in it, and better yet she liked it - guess I have been trying to get back there ever since....
Jessie

[YasminJ]

I'm still not sure if I purely want to crossdress or if I want to transition, so I guess my answer is tbc, although there is no denying there are loads more options and styles in the female sections of the shops!

[Carmen]

One day it dawned on me...'why should the women have all the fun?'. Yeah male wear has it's fashionable aspects. But it is mostly limited to pants and shirts and shoes.
However there are so many more avenues when it comes to the options that women have. Their options are endless.
Besides...sometimes I just look and feel better en femme.

[Dana44]

Hi all,
I crossdress, h'm really cannot answer it. I do have female thoughts. Both side of my brain runs pretty balanced. I'm very creative. Had feminine thoughts all of my life. Crossdressed through out the years. I feel so comfortable. It enhances my senses and creativeness as getting fully dressed and putting makeup on is a creative experience. I am both male/female and I feel comfortable in either domain, however as a part time girl, I find it fulfilling to be a girl for a while.

[Kristy 56]

Because I enjoy my femme side. I don't really know,except it's part of who I am.

[crystal37]

I gave up a few years ago trying to figure out why, all I know is that it's my favourite time of the week when I get to dress up and do my make up

[Valery L]

I hate to do it, I just lost a bet.

[Angie G]

It enhances the girl in me that so want to get out. And it just makes me feel good.:hugs:
Angie

[CountessVF]

Like many others the Genesis of the urge is a mystery. Started so young that maybe my mind was still evaluating the world sans established gender norms.

Why do I continue? Who doesn't want everything life can offer? Who orders up the same thing to eat every single morning? Plus it's interesting to walk a mile in "her" heels. I didn't know how hard it would be to stand and do the dishes in heels. While looking for friends in other places I received unwanted unsolicited advances of a sexual nature. So that was an eye opener. Was that why I started again after so many years of denying I liked it? No.

I can't nail down if it's just a taboo breaking thing or a tactile thing or perhaps power exchange dynamic. I know I don't feel more "myself", but I do feel good. I've wondered if the calm is potentially the relief of holding off and finally getting dressed.

Anyway, hope that makes sense.

[flatlander_48]

I have never been interested in the "Why". For whatever the "Why" might be, I doubt it would have any bearing on my dressing over the last 15 years.

DeeAnn

[Sweet Paulina]

Ha that's what I was going to say
It would be a total waste of a great pair of legs

Truthfully, I feel like its a way to connect with my inner feminine self
It's like a light switch that flips on when the makeup is all done and the wig goes on
It's an escape from the mundane day to day existence where I can go and be 'myself'
Then, pack it all up in a bag until the next On my way!

Actually I have no idea why I am compelled to dress, it's just a part of me

[Nadine Spirit]

Why not?

[Beverley Sims]

Like Nadine has said,

Why Not?

This was my reply to other cross dress questions in the past.

Some posters have changed their views since this same question was asked back in March 2012.

[Alice K]

Because way back when, at about the time they call the age of reason, it dawned upon me that I could not follow the path of my mother or aunts as I had assumed I could. But rather I was required to follow the path of my fathers and uncles. While not a prospect I relished it was the only alternative "back in the day". Or suffer dire consequences. Cross dressing returns me to that path I was not able to take based on the insistence of the social order. And that is why it feels good, is a marvelous delight and allows me to truly be me for just a little while. Oh, and did I mention the clothes are prettier and feel nicer

Alice

[EllenJo]

I gave up trying to figure out why a long time ago. It's just who I am.

Hugs
Ellen Jo

[sometimes_miss]

Having grown up being told that god had made a mistake, and that I was really supposed to be a girl, I made it one of my goals to be as much like a girl as I could; I prayed every day, oh, I prayed oh so hard. I was certain that god would fix me if I was only good enough. I saw how much girls focused on their appearance, their clothes, their hair, etc.. I wanted so desperately to be a pretty girl, not the ugly boy that I was. And I loved wearing my older sister's discarded clothing as she outgrew it all. The conditioning went on for many years, at an age where our personalities are still developing. By the time I reached high school, the damage was done; I only feel normal when dressed as a girl, the rest of the time it feels like i'm in a 'boy' costume, playing the part of a normal, standard issue male, for all the world to see, while hiding my real self, knowing that well over 90% of the population considers me a pervert, a freak.
So why do I still dress up as a girl as often as I can? Easy. Because that's how I feel most comfortable. It may never be considered normal, but it's normal for me.

If you really want to know, click the link at the bottom of my sig, and read my bio. It will explain the makings of a crossdresser, or, 'How to irreversibly turn a normal boy into a crossdresser and ruin his life'. A cautionary tale, indeed.

[Krisi]

I don't know why I crossdress and I suspect most crossdressers don't know either, even if they try to answer the question.

[CarlaWestin]

I crossdress because some moron, years ago, put a fork in the road of acceptable attire based on genetic gender and I think it was wrong.

:straightface:

And, I really like having boobies!

[Ally 2112]

I gave up trying to figure it out .All i know is that i like it and realy don't want to stop at this point

[Marcelle]

WHAT?!!! I'm a cross dresser? :eek: . . . and here I thought I was a guy with a great sense of style.

All kidding aside though, I stopped trying to figure it out as it was getting me nowhere, so I just accepted it and have been quite content with that decision. :)

Hugs

Isha

[Alice Torn]

I really cannot explain it. Part of it is leaving my lonely, drab, stark, unwanted maleness for a mini vacation , into an oasis of wow! Sometimes Miss, My dad wanted all daughters, after my sister was the firstborn, but he got three sons, who he resented all his life, wishing he had all daughters. Maybe one reason.

[JocelynJames]

In the beginning , it was something new and I've never been one to shy away from that. Then it was slightly fetish as there can be millions of looks by changing your hair, makeup, clothing articles and what not. The softness and style of much of the clothing and shoes that are to die for. I see so many women that seem to care so little about their appearance and it may not be polite, but some could learn a few things from CDs. Boiling it down, it makes me feel good to look good and CDing is the thing that accomplishes that( at least to me)

[JessicaMann]

I guess I dress because I need to feel the connection with my femininity that hides deep inside, I dress like a rugged guy most of my life.... so, when Jessica wants out... it gives me the sense of freedom!!! the stockings, bras, dresses skirts, soft flowing blouses.....it sparks a sense of vulnerability in me that is almost intoxicating!!! I will dress and go about my business as usual around the house all day long when I know I'm going to be alone all day.

[je55ie]

ha ha you just made me laugh out loud, i loved that comment! xxx

sorry this was meant to be a reply to Isha's last post, i messed it up somewhat though! x

in truth i guess i mostly would be considered as crossdressing but for me i feel i am on a journey to get to the place where my transition can really start to take momentum.

I feel inside i am feminine, i am a woman and it makes me feel natural and happy to be feminine. I just want to be accepted as the woman i aspire to be. So i guess i crossdress in the opposite way to an actor dressing to help them get into character. I crossdress to come out of character and stop pretending and just be myself! xxx

[Alice B]

It makes me feel good when I dress. That is reason enough

[je55ie]

It makes me feel good when I dress. That is reason enough

can't agree with you more Alice, go girl! You are fabulous <3

[Talisker]

Fun, sexual fetish, like look of myself in mirror, like tight clothes and feel of them, relaxing and stress relief, but does it really matter anyway why you do it. I dont wonder why i do other hobbies, i do it because i like it and if i dont like it i stop doing it.

[Sable Storm]

I suspect that I dress for some of the same reasons GG's do. I feel confident, sexy and it feels completely natural. On the other hand, wearing guy clothing makes me feel insecure, unsure and unnatural. And oh. Fun.

[Alambi]

Because I like female clothes more than man clothes.

[Tina_gm]

At age 17 I had my first feeling of wanting to be her instead of doing her. I still do not know why this happens and likely never will. Why do I do it now? it connects me. My inside becomes further connected to my outside. I do not know how else to describe it. When that happens a feeling of calm and relaxation occurs. It is not a matter of wearing mens clothing which is wrong for me, but of wearing women's clothing which feels right for me.

[Shinya]

`cause I have a closet full of cloths and heels .

[Sindyca]

Because i am sexy when i am dressed.

[Krististeph]

I like the way it feels, I like the way I feel when dressed. I like to wear things that are visually enjoyably, typically 'pretty'. I am less of a slob and less of a slug when i dress. I feel more social. I like to disassociate myself with the nastier/dumber/jerkier things men typically do or are associates with.

Even when doing 'guy' stuff: home repair, car repair, 'macho' pastimes: flying, hard exercise, the 'unmentioned topic', etc., I prefer to do it either among females, or in a some measure of femininity. It adds dimension to the activity- more mindfulness. For me, at least.

[pamela7]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJFyz73MRcg

I used to believe this, now I'm in the company of many tiggers. A tigger does not wonder why he is a tigger, he just is a tigger.

[Teri Ray]

I was hoping to find the answer as to why I crossdress in this thread. So far no luck. Keep trying girls and if you figure it out please let me know. Like many others I have pondered this question a lot and finally gave up and accepted that I have not figured out why I like sherbert ice cream, brockley, rare steaks, NFL football and crossdressing. Its just something that is part of who I am. I accept it.

I just hope I don't get caught steaming brockley by people who know me. Could be hard to explain.

[Lexi Moralas]

I gave up trying to answer that question along time ago

[Barbara Black]

Wow Alice, I don't know who to feel the sorriest for, your dad or his three kids? My dad wasn't around hardly at all, but I'm pretty sure that he was glad that I was a son. But with three daughters, I guess he was probably looking for me to be male one way or another. he's gone and I doubt if he ever knew of my eccentricity and didn't have to deal with that.

[Janice An]

Because when I am not dressed the desire and need is always there!! Without dressing I am not complete.

[Barbara Black]

gendermutt: I like the thought of connecting your inside with your outside. Like some fibrous tendons are needed that have been neglected or ignored for years. LOL

Sometimes Miss: I have to wonder how much more further along you would have been in your acceptance of yourself had not you believed that 'God had made a mistake." It's already bad enough having to deal with CD tendencies and acceptance, without having to deal with being "God's mistake.", if you still believe in that sort of thing.

[victoria76]

It's fun and an experience that cannot be described.
I just can't quit doing it! :)

[dominique]

For me it's the transformation from male to female and the feeling of contentment when its all done.

[Katey888]

1. Some of us need an alternative reality...

2. There is something warped in my gender structure that makes me seek escapism in the process of appearing feminine...

3. That same incremental quirk that complements my masculine side then allows me to feel happy and contented about myself and my appearance in my new guise...

Maybe... :thinking:

Katey x

[Brianne_bc]

Having recently come to the conclusion that I have Aspergers which can give you a heightened sense of touch and other senses the good feel of the clothing seems to increase the pleasure of the feel. The smooth leather feel of a womans shoe feel so much better to me than what we would call a neurotypical person normal if you wish. So for me, it feels good, really good, both physically and emotionally.

[Lily Catherine]

I will only speak from experience here.

At the tactile level certain fabrics appeal much to me, plus the way some garments hug me and move on me.
Then there's also the issue of looking and feeling pretty (to give my own image a boost, and likely some degree of confidence). The change in gait and the flow of fabric are considerable factors here.

When presenting as male I survive on identical looking shirts (and city names being a massive running gag) and jeans, so I guess the wider variety and form-fitting silhouettes in women's fashion also appeals to me.
Perhaps in presenting as female I am able to emulate if not acquire physical characteristics I find desirable in women.
I have caught myself wanting to look like attractive women I have seen, many times. Perhaps it is self reinforcing at worst. Heck I have even said "I wish I were prettier" out loud.
Needless to say escapism plays a massive role in this, though I don't consider the proverbial closet an EXIT door.

Some less savory reasons on my part appear to include being considered girly, failing to live up to unusually high notions of 'being a man', identifying with the girls while in primary school and a general disinterest in the boorishness that eventually became an infectious disease among boys growing up. And then there are things that I hide even from myself...

[VictoriaW]

I dress for many reasons.
I love the feeling of the clothes, the panties, the bras, the outfits, the weight of the breast forms on my chest. The art of makeup and transforming in front of my own eyes. The hair and how it feels around my face and on my shoulders. How the makeup smells, the body wash, the perfume..

How 5-6" stilletos make me walk. How long French nails look and make me hold things and do things differently

How great feeling and being feminine is. How I look head to toe!

Most importantly, how at peace I feel . The stress and racing mind of my day to day, simply melts away.

[Barbara Black]

OverTheStarlight: I have so many of the same reasons for dressing that you do. I agree with your experience.

[CherylFlint]

Q. Why do I crossdress?
A. 1. For fun
2. Peace of mind
3. To fulfill an overwhelming need

[chelyann]

why do i CD
because if i did not it would be beer and wild women, this way i dont have the money to do the rest :)

[Patrica Gil]

Because I like it, all of it, heels, hose, dresses, cosmetics, painted nails, besides it is just so much fun.

[Stephanie_CD_64]

Because it makes me feel feminine. I adore feeling feminine!

[joanna4]

Because it's the closest I can get to being a girl.

[chris80]

At the age of three or four I wanted to wear the clothes that girls wore and have long hair with a ribbon. Girls clothes looked and felt much nicer than the rougher materials of boys clothes. Now I can wear them and project the right image for me.

[JeanetteX]

Because women's clothes feel and look so good. The softness of a silk blouse, a skirt and a pair of stockings combined with the sexy look of high heels...it still makes me feel like I'm in heaven

[Mollyanne]

I x-dress because I feel better when I am dressed as a woman. I love the snugness of my bra, I love the feel of my nylon panties, I love the silkiness of my stockings, I love how I feel when I wear a skirt, blouse, make-up, high heels and everything else a woman wears. I have been doing this all my life. If I could, I would trade my maleness for femininity in a "New York minute"

Molly

[sami1952]

Mostly because thats who I am.

[Vicky Peters]

I don't know why and I don't care why. Too much time has pasted this is now part of me. To me this is a never ending adventure, so many bras & panties, hose, dress and now wigs and makeup.

[Alice_2014_B]

It started with high heels for me at a young age. I tried on bras and pantyhose a few times as well. High heels just stuck with me throughout my life. Now the entire ensemble is part of me. It just feels good; its also like an art to me.
:)

[AnotherCuteTGirl]

I notice I don't like dressing up like I feel it is a hassle and don't dress much because of it but how I look when I dress amazes me, although I don't think I am very passable yet (don't shave or use makeup) it still surprises me how cute of a girl I become and it's just fun being that girl. Guess it's looking the looking attractive to some but mainly just myself since I noticed I dress a lot like or at least try to dress how girls I think look cute dress.
But yea I don't like to dress up but being dressed is fun when I think I look good haha I like being a cute girl :)

[veronicapvc]

i crossdress for the same reasons as most others, it feels good, its relaxing and can be thrilling

i think the question we should be asking is 'why should'nt we cross dress'. it never fails to amaze me how many men do this (not to mention the ones who keep the desire totally to themselves). it can be quite destructive to inhibit ones feelings and think its time for society to get over this and be accepting of crossdressers.

[Krististeph]

A picture is worth a thousand words: I would like to be this.

[XemmaX]

because of the feeling of the clothes and i guess just of some unexplanable desire to do it.

[cheryl reeves]

i started at a early age also,for me it was more normal too play with girls then boys for i better relate to females..the clothes fit me better then mens clothes for ive always been in between sizes so my guy clothes fit lousy.as for the sexual aspect i'll leave that to y'alls imagination...

[julie marie1]

Honestly, I can't really answer the question. I started cross dressing in my teens, and for many years suppressed the desired because it felt weird or made me think I was not normal. With the advent of the internet I began to explore, trying to understand who I am. While I am not young anymore and have no hope of being an attractive women, I have come to accept my self as normal (just a different normal), and do not hold back at all when dressing. Although I am definitely heterosexual, I do thoroughly enjoy looking in a mirror and seeing Julie Marie looking back. Going out for a walk dressed is really quite a thrill, and I hope to gradually build up to being more adventurous.

[CynthiaD]

When I was young, 3-5 years old, I couldn't understand why I couldn't have long hair, why I couldn't wear pretty dresses, why I couldn't have ribbons in my hair. When I got a little older, 10-12, I finally began to realize that most boys didn't want to sneak into their mother's closet and try on her things. When puberty hit, I used to think that maybe if I wished or prayed hard enough that I would grow breasts. My fondest wish was to have a fancy dress, all my own, that I could wear whenever I wanted.

Well, now I'm old. I have lots of fancy dresses that I can wear whenever I want. I never grew breasts, but I have several sets of breastforms that I can wear whenever I want. My hair all fell out, but I have several long wigs. And I can tie ribbons in them any time I want. I have nail polish, lipstick, makeup, jewelry, all the things I wanted when I was young, but couldn't have.

What was the question again?

[janicecd]

For me it started around puberty when I had a dream about me wearing a woman's one piece swim suit.

I dress for the sexual arousal I receive. Sometimes I think that I divert my desire that I feel for a well dressed beautiful woman from the woman to the clothes she is wearing. And that wearing her clothes brings me closer to achieving intimacy with her.

I do not dress because it makes me feel good, or puts me more in touch with my feminine side, or because I like looking like a woman.

[mechamoose]

Because the way I dress runs counter to how my biology presents.

I *love* my bull-male body, it gives me so much strength and security!

But that isn't how I feel inside. Psychologically I feel like I'm small, like I need the investment and support, like I'm NOT big.

I don't think that GG's are weak, FAR from it. GG's are required to be strong in a very ALIEN way than GMales. I just feel like males like myself have muscle and genetics available to make excuses for ourselves.

A big, bad GM will break down and cry out of 'weakness' as easily as a GG will, just for different reasons. We are two sides of the same coin, one isn't better than the other, we just speak to different needs. I just want more than this, please. It isn't as 'simple' as strength.

We didn't get to choose our genetic role. but we DO get to choose how we act on that assigned role.

I don't *feel* male. I feel somewhere in between. I wish I could feel as girly as my wife sees me, but that does not quite either.

I guess I feel that we are pretty complicated critters, and doing Binary Logic on us isn't going to work out so well.

Be YOU!!!!

Please keep in perspective who's approval you are seeking and why.

Do you want them to accept YOU, or are YOU to be accepted by THEM?

I hope it is the latter.

<3

- MM

[amanda2]

Because it feels so right as well as giving a heightened awareness of aliveness.

[ErikaS]

I do it because I want to express the women inside of me I know who I am it's just getting her out to see. I have hid from my self for a long time and wearing is just right it may be jeans and a thirty but it's all woman. This is why I dress.

Erika

[pattyjones954]

I crossdress because it makes me feel like a woman love to wear sexy skirt and dress

[bobie]

I too dress for many reasons,some for arousal but mostly im so fascinated with the look of a woman's body(FRONT&back) fully dressed in a nice tight pair of pants(love the flat front) and a short,tighter shirt(to show off the front of the pants).Though for me,looking isnt enough. I want to feel like im one of those woman. When i dress i am well aware of how tight my clothes are on me,and how pulled up my pants are. I love the feel of it