Because I crossdress,

[CarlaWestin]

I am enriched with this whole other exciting world to explore, experiencing it from the tactile softness of what a female gets to experience. And I love it.

How about you? What's your benefit from crossdressing?

[Robin414]

Great point Carla! From a phsycological perspective I find I'm A MUCH nicer person (even en drab)...and I love skinny jeans and Moncler jackets, now I get to wear them all the time 😀 seriuosly, the Moncler Berre, like wrapping yourself in cotton candy without all the sticky residue 😃

[Sarah Louise]

I honestly don't really know. I know I like doing it. I look forward to the next opportunity. I like the feel of the clothes. I like looking feminine and try to look as pretty as I can. I love posting pictures on here and people saying I look nice. When it comes to changing back, I don't really want to.

But I don't know why I like it. I just do.

[amy1989]

Yeah I love the feel of the cloths and makeup, but the biggest thing I've gotten out of being a crossdresser has been me not want anyone else to feel alone or ashamed like I have in the past. So I listen to what people say and I try not to judge. Alot of friends have opened up to me about things they don't tell anyone else because of this.

[Robin414]

Alot of friends have opened up to me about things they don't tell anyone else because of this.

Great point Amy!

[Piora]

I celebrate the inner female in me by dressing. It is fulfilling because it brings that femininity to the surface. I'm closeted. I do it for myself, and I don't go out dressed. No one has ever seen me in female attire, only those on this site, in the very occasional pictures I've posted here over the years. Dressing completes something in me that was missing for a good part of my life. I wish I had embraced it in my 20s, instead of pushing it into the back of my mind, and trying to suppress the feelings.

Since I have a bit more money available these days, I'm celebrating by dressing a bit more now, buying items online (albeit being careful not to go crazy) and giving in to the Pink Fog that before, I simply had to disregard since I was financially not able to.

[Mykaa]

I think 1 of the biggest things Ive gotten is knowing Ive helped someone else with something Ive said or done. I came here to talk about why I do what I do. What Ive gotten is priceless, Ive made new friends, Ive learned about people in general, how diverse we are. Yes I enjoy talking about fashion, clothes, boots, shoes. But the biggest thing is helping and making new friends.

[Julie Denier]

I honestly don't really know. I know I like doing it. I look forward to the next opportunity. I like the feel of the clothes. I like looking feminine and try to look as pretty as I can. I love posting pictures on here and people saying I look nice. When it comes to changing back, I don't really want to.

But I don't know why I like it. I just do.

Couldn't have said it better myself ;)

[Fiona123]

I have expanded who and what I am to include the female me.

[flatlander_48]

What's your benefit from crossdressing?

Funny thing is that I don't think that I have considered it in terms of "benefit", but surely there is.

For me, I think there's an internal part and an external part.

The internal part has to do with what I derive from looking in the mirror when dressed. It feels good that the veneer matches a specific part of the insides. And yes, the tactile sense does come into play. For me it is silk, satin and wool, in that order.

The external part has to do with a slight shift in perspective. DeeAnn is very similar to Don in thought processes, etc. but DeeAnn is probably more willing to take things as they are. DeeAnn is probably a bit more social and a bit calmer, in general, than Don. I think, from DeeAnn's point of view, that this shift is a great opportunity to learn some things that would be difficult otherwise. I would hope that greater understanding of the women in our lives would result.

DeeAnn

[Liz57]

Added to many of the previously mentioned benefits I have an unusual one to add.

Since I love to underdress all of the time it means that I'm always underdressed at work too. Most of the time I'm taking it easy just operating equipment but once in awhile things break and we have to fix them. I worry about what would happen if I got hurt and my clothes got ripped or had to be removed to do first aid so I try to be extra careful. Crossdressing has made me a safer person.

Liz:battingeyelashes:

[trisha kobichenko]

I agree with DeeAnn, there may be a 'benefit' but the bottom line is a choice to express that needs to be acknowledged.
Trisha

[Sandyhappygirl]

There are some wise replies here that resonate with me. I too feel that embracing my female side has made me a calmer, more tolerant and caring person and this change continues 24/7 regardless of what I am wearing at the time. I understand and relate better to my wife for sure. The benefits for me are huge and I feel them every minute of the day. My wife has noticed the change as well so it is not just in my head. My advise is, if you are having a bad day and feel angry or bitter about something, it is time to slip into a skirt and relax!

Sandy

[Karine]

As said before, whatever I am wearing my brain is the same even if since I embraced crossdressing I am more calmer. Crossdressing encourage me to be more opened to my own feelings and to be more considerate to others' feelings.
To be more pratical, I would say :
- I find a new very fun and very relaxing hobby,
- I understand why girls like fashion so much (so many kind of dresses, heels, makeup)
- I understand that girls' fashion can be complicated and sometimes frustrating (e.g. this dress looks great but not on me)
- I figure out why makeup is so important.

The downsides are that crossdressing costs me some money (but like any other hobby) and above all it comes with the burden of the secret.

[Michelle Girl]

Hi Carla,

I'm with you on this one, completely. Because I crossdress, I get and I take the chance to explore and experience a good part of the female world that is visible, but seemingly inaccessible, to most men.

The pleasure of wearing the wonderful fabrics that are softer and more sensual, with every conceivable hue and style available. The fun and frustration of trying to master makeup. And like many others, I feel it softens me and makes me gentler and more mellow and accepting. And it gives a sense of liberation.

Kids at some point when they're growing up will generally explore the idea of spending a day as a member of the opposite sex and guessing what it would be like. Well, I (or perhaps we collectively), have followed through on this one and have found it to be so good on the other side that I want it to be a permanent thing in my life, not for just one fleeting day.

This may sound a little odd, but I'm not just pleased that I am a crossdresser, but I am in a small way proud that I've had the courage to pursue this...and not to just stand on the outside and look through the window of the female world, but to have walked right through the front door, literally and figuratively. And I love it. It enriches my life, too, to use your words.

Love, Michelle

[Judy-Somthing]

Years ago I use to have quite a bit of time to dress up when I had my own company.
It was so exhilarating being dressed while working.

Now I'm luck to get about 3 hours maybe one a week.
And now when I dress I get a certain level of anxiety worrying about someone coming home unexpectedly.

[pamela7]

in the beginning the benefits were very much sexual in nature, but as time passed, my general happiness, other people say I'm easier to be with; I'm a better person. That is benefit enough, but there is more; getting in touch with the real me; priceless.

[Piora]

Agreed, Pamela. It was very much sexual for me as well for a good number of years, and still can be on occasion, although I have found that, as time goes by, that has become less and less. But after joining this site some years ago, and reading about others' experiences, I found that I too, have become in touch with the 'real me'.

[Martha G]

I get a great relief from stress.

I also look much younger dressed as a woman and feel younger too!

[bridget thronton]

It feels right most days

[wanda66]

I have become much more tolerant of people . I have become more at ease with myself. Cross-dressing is a great release I find it soothing to wear a dress exhilarating to wear high heels. I dress my age Which is 70 and try not to be conspicuous I do not get out very often but I enjoy my time at home as Wanda. I am in the closet and I only have myself and this site to keep me company but I am content for I have found myself.

[Tracii G]

I feel much more the person I feel inside.
Not the ugly mean nasty guy I used to be.

[Terri Andrews]

It just feels right and like others it has made me a better person

[Dana44]

I feel that we crossdressers actually live a richer life that the drab men who seems to have the highest suicide on record. I think it takes stress off and the fabrics are so soft and feel so good. The makeup, moisturizers and facial soap is really nice things we never knew about. Even the perfume is quite different and feels good to wear it.

[Shely]

I do feel much more alive in high heels, I love the sound of them on the hard floor. It does feel SO RIGHT.

[PattyT]

Sarah7391 rather summed it up a lot the beniits I get from CD, expect that I don't post pictures, "I honestly don't really know. I know I like doing it. I look forward to the next opportunity. I like the feel of the clothes. I like looking feminine and try to look as pretty as I can. I love posting pictures on here and people saying I look nice. When it comes to changing back, I don't really want to."
I can also easily identify with the last statement
But I don't know why I like it. I just do."
Me too. I love corssdressing. When out en femme, I feel calmer, and more relaxed. Tension disappears. I feel that I am my real self. It is also a means of escaping from male attire which I dislike wearing. This is a major benefit, wearing the clothes I like and am comfortable in.
I too often ponder the question of the deeper reaons why I like crossdressing and have yet to come up with an answer.
One other benefit is that it is a kind of protest against the androgynous style of clothing worn by GGs. I dress in a very cute, feminine fashion, mainly the Lolita style nowadays. I get some pretty interesting looks from GGs of all ages, including the little girls, who seem to look at me with as kind of confused feeling or longing. It is not uncommon to hear the comment made among themselfves, "That looks so cute!" They often say this to me directly. My sytle and theirs are at opposite poles.

All of these are some of the benefits I get. There seems to be almosst no end to them.

[Diversity]

Enjoying the lingerie, bras, stockings, - you name it! The thrill of going out, and even wearing makeup. I just love the whole idea of dressing up and wearing so many varieties and styles of ladies clothing.
I still do not know why I enjoy it as much as I do, but I've decided to quit trying to figure it out, and just go with it because I like it!
Di

[Jenn A116]

I agree with many of the above posts. My CD'ing has given me a real appreciation for how women look at their clothing and grooming choices. I understand the need for a mani-pedi regularly. I know why she needs yet another pair of shoes. I understand frustration with clothing sizes and how it actually looks on a real body.

Its also given me a better appreciation for some of the advantages I have as a male. Especially as a married guy, I have no responsibility for how I look when I go out. If I happen to go with a mis-matched shirt/pants, or a ratty looking shirt, other wives will think "How did she let him go out like that?" :)

Seriously, I also now understand why it takes women so much longer to make a restroom stop than guys do. Its more than just the plumbing. Its the need to adjust the clothing and check the hair/makup in the mirror when done. It all takes more time. I understand that.

[NewBrendaLee]

I love to dress whenever I can because its part of who I am

[JamieMcCarthy]

I've definitely developed a more tolerant lifestyle. I can be kinda flippant with my tongue but the last 4-5 years when I was dressing more frequently I have become way more understanding. Understanding about the plight of LGBT people. Understanding about how women are treated in the world. Understanding about why clothes can be so fun and so overwhelming at times. Just become a better all around person.

[Tina Davis]

I agree with Sarah's response, I don't know why but I like it.

[Mindy Fey]

I think the physcological benefits I get from crossdressing are twofold: First, it helps me unwind and relieve stress and second, it allows me to feel closer to my wife, I get to share something with her that is intimate and she accepts that part of me.

[sometimes_miss]

For me, it's mostly a better understanding of all the problems women go through. With the fit of their clothes, all the work involved in make up, skin and hair care, dangers of daily life, the urgency of finding a mate and having children by a certain age as well as the social pressures of those. Because I subscribe to women's magazines, I also get continually bombarded with articles about things that I sort of ignored, because I wasn't part of the problems: Glass ceilings at work and school, prejudices about their abilities and hormone caused behavior changes, physical intimidation and potential fear of their mates, etc.. A big one was shoes; because I've always had big feet, I never had the option of wearing heels for most of my life, there simply weren't any size 16 heels out there anywhere. So I just believed my GF's that the shoes 'didn't really hurt that bad', even though time and again at parties and formal events, they would shuck their shoes off when they could. I think that still, most men have no idea how much their SO wants them to massage their feet after a night out in those horrible heels.