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Julie1123
05-10-2016, 02:21 PM
First a little back story. About 8 years ago I told my girlfriend at the time now fiancee that I had tried on women's underwear a handful of times in my life and liked wearing them. She said that it wouldn't bother her too much if I did as long as I didn't wear her's and I didn't wear them when we were around friends or family. After about 4 years of underdressing I started to wonder what it would be like to wear other women's clothes as well. While my girlfriend was away on a trip I bought a few items and tried them out and found that I liked wearing them. A little while after she got back I brought it up with her because I didn't want it to be a secret. I knew it had the potential to be a rough discussion because she had mentioned in the past that she had issues even as a kid with men dressed like women. Couldn't even watch Mrs. Doubtfire. After a very emotional conversation where I tried to address as much of her fears as I possibly could without knowing where all of it was going we settled on a DADT out of sight, out of mind agreement. After about a year, we had to live in separate households in separate states due to the availability of work. This was great for me being able to explore this aspect of myself but the long distance was really hard on both of us. That came to an end late last year when we were finally able to be under the same roof again. Since then, I've been wanting to broach the subject again, just because I have a much clearer picture of what I do and don't want to do and to make sure and reestablish comfortable boundaries for us both. She goes through periods at work where she works hellish hours, 10-12 hours a day six days a week, so I had been waiting until she was on one of the slow periods so that she wouldn't be as tired when I asked her to talk about it. We recently had one of our cats come down very sick, most likely doesn't have long to live so she's been spending a majority of her time in the bedroom where he tends to hangout. I tend to go through periods where I wear women's underwear several days in a row but then don't for awhile. But with her in the bedroom, she was able to see exactly how many days in a row I was wearing them which prompted the ubiquitous...

"Do you have more women's underwear than I do???"

I responded a sheepish, "Yes." and told her that I had gone through a period where I was buying a lot, every VS sale that came around and then finally realized that whoa, I had way more than I needed, considering I don't wear them out as fast. I told her that I had slowed down my underwear purchasing since then and limited myself to only buying a pair if I really liked the design. I also mentioned that I had been wanting to talk to her more about my crossdressing but was waiting until she wasn't so busy with work. She said we could go ahead and talk about it right then as she had brought it up. For the most part it went really well. I was able to give definite answers on some of the major concerns. That I don't want to make any permanent physical changes, no surgery or hormones. I talked about the limited sexual fantasies I had about being dressed in women's clothes, both of which involve her. I told her that I wasn't asking her to fulfill them but just wanted her to know so that there wasn't room for doubts to creep in on what kind of crazy stuff I might want to do. Told her that I didn't have any fantasies involving me being dressed like a woman and being with other men. I told her that I like wearing all kinds of women's clothes and that I liked the idea of makeup but was pretty rubbish at putting it on. We talked about how often I get the urge to dress.

I told her that I don't think I would care if other people knew that I was a crossdresser but that I was in no real need of being out of the closet about it. The one really rough patch came when we talked about going out dressed. I expressed that it was a curiosity but not something that I felt strongly about needing to do. That if I did do it, I would want it to be some sort of socially acceptable place, Halloween, a crossdressing convention, or an LGBT bar or club. She started crying at this point and said that she doesn't think she could be with someone that went out publicly crossdressed, that it would be too embarrassing for her, and that she realized it was a very bigoted view to have but didn't know if she could ever change it. I reassured her that going out dressed wasn't something that was at all high on my priority list. She said that if it was, we shouldn't get married, even though I'm her best friend and she loves me very much. I told her that if it was I wouldn't go through with the marriage, that I wouldn't put her through that. We talked about underdressing. That I enjoyed wearing women's underwear under my guy clothes but I never wore them around friends and family and had extended that to her coworkers as well. She said she wasn't really comfortable with me wearing underwear outside of the house, that she would be embarrassed if someone saw, if say my pants slipped down. I said that in all the years I had been doing it I had never heard any comments or snickers and she said that it must not happen often as she has never been able to tell when I was wearing them and when I wasn't when we were out. I agreed to not wear them out though if it was going to make her uncomfortable. More on that later.

I mentioned how I loved shopping with her both in stores and when she's looking at stuff online and when she asks me what I think about stuff. I told her about how when I first started crossdressing I always felt really awkward about expressing my opinions on the clothes because I didn't want her to be uncomfortable but now that I was more ok with it all that I was having an easier time giving more enthusiastic and detailed replies, which she has been smiling a lot about lately. I told her that I really like that connection we have and being able to do that with her and that was thanks to the crossdressing. She laughed and smiled at that. She told me she didn't think she could ever buy me anything and I told her that if she ever did it would be so incredibly amazing and would mean a lot to me.

Lastly, we talked about DADT and keeping stuff out of sight and out of mind. She said that she didn't really want to see me dressed but maybe it would be a possibility in a few years as some sort of bedroom role play but not a guarantee. I told her that I would like to have a closet to hang stuff up in and put shoes in instead of having all my stuff crammed in a few drawers and my shoes in a cardboard box in the closet. I told her that I wouldn't care if she looked in the closet but at least she would know where everything was if she wanted to avoid it. She was agreeable to that. I asked her whether I should keep a separate laundry basket for the clothes, she said she didn't really care about the underwear being in the joint laundry but that seeing dresses in there would probably bother her. I brought up three things that I enjoy doing that are easy to keep out of public eyes but would be near impossible from keeping out of her sight, which were shaving my armpits and legs and painting my toenails. I told her that I tended to keep my armpits shaved pretty regularly but only shaved my legs now and then because it took me forever to shave them. She laughed and said, "I know! Right?" I mentioned that she might not see the toenails because I tend to wear socks most of the time when I'm home but I couldn't guarantee she wouldn't ever see them. She said she didn't care about the shaving and that she wasn't sure about the toenails, that it might bother her if she saw them, but that we could play it by ear. We ended the conversation on a good note.

The next morning I realized that not wearing underwear out of the house was actually kind of a big deal for me and decided that I would ask her to reconsider. That day was kind of a rough work day so I put it off until this morning. I explained that it was the one thing we had taken a step backwards on and that I really enjoyed doing it. That I would stick to not wearing them if I knew we were going to be around family, friends or her coworkers and re-iterated that after all these years of wearing them out of the house no one had ever made a comment about it. She consented and I told her that I tended to be pretty cautious about making sure they wouldn't show but that if she ever did see them showing to let me know because I don't want them to.

After all of this, she's her typical happy self and no change in how she reacts to me in general. My armpits are shaved for the first time in several months and I picked up a couple new bottles of nail polish. Will wait awhile before I shave my legs and paint my nails though. Don't want to overwhelm with a bunch of stuff right off the bat.

For those of you that have read this far, thank you very much. It feels good to be able to say all this.

And for those of you who feel you might need to comment about her bigoted leanings, a few days prior to this she was ranting about how awful the NC bathroom law was. "Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes." ~Walt Whitman

Teresa
05-10-2016, 02:45 PM
Julie,
Thanks for telling us your story, most of it sounds very familiar, and I know its' not easy to balance how you feel against your partners feelings. You have tried to be honest with her but don't make promises you can't keep especially if you make them without fully understanding your CDing yourself.
If there are aspects you are unsure of tell her so and offer to find help to find those answers.
I will say that most of us progress beyond the underdressing at some point eventually the need to be open and totally honest with everyone usually happens , the hiding behind closed doors and closet dressing does progress. I never thought my wife would accept me walking out the door fully dressed jumping in my car and driving to meet other CDers, but it has happened. If you feel you need or want that you may have to be patient, try not to push too hard, if she won't shop with you accept that and do it alone, I now prefer it that way, I have so much fun with SAs.

I have learned that it's always going to be a compromise, I have to accept I live a double life, yes sometimes it's very hard .

Julie1123
05-10-2016, 02:47 PM
Thank you for the reply Teresa. I will take your words to heart. As it stands right now, I have no strong feelings about needing to be out of the closet or out of the house. If that ever does change, I will absolutely be up front with her about it and hope for the best.

bridget thronton
05-11-2016, 02:19 AM
Being honest with her is key - that she can tolerate some dressing may suggest hope for a more accepting future

AprilR
05-11-2016, 02:39 AM
For me I never told my exgirlfriend that I like to cd and it did get me in trouble. It's not the reason why we broke up but I know with my current girlfriend I want to be open with her as I discover more about myself. I haven't told her anything yet so if and when I do I'll will surely be honest and keep an open dialogue.

ReineD
05-11-2016, 02:39 AM
This is one shining example of excellent communication skills between a couple, with negotiation towards a compromise, then trying things out and renegotiating when they don't work out. No hiding, no lying, with honest attempts at stretching on both sides. Excellent!!!

You clearly prioritize your fiancée's feelings and she feels it, she knows it. I'm sure that in time, you'll both be taking baby steps until you've reached a place where you are both very comfortable.

Everyone should read this thread.

Nashmau
05-11-2016, 04:05 AM
funny that is the exact same agreement i have with my husband. works now since a year ( in case you wonder about a timeline). If he wants more he usually lets me know and we try to arrange that he either goes to a hotel or i am leaving for a day.

one thing you might want to consider. the colour of the Nailpolish start with something very light, because the first time she sees it and its something super bright, it is rather a turnoff. ( at least it was in my case)

otherwise your communication A+!! :)

Pat
05-11-2016, 05:20 AM
Awesome communication skills! It's heartening to read your story. If you both stay flexible and open to change then I'm sure you guys are a success story. Those same communication skills are key to so many other parts of a relationship. Good luck!

BLUE ORCHID
05-11-2016, 06:08 AM
Hi Julie :hugs: , I made it all the way to the end of your story and I have been there,

If Crossdressing was easy , everyone would be doing it ...:daydreaming:...

josrphine
05-11-2016, 06:19 AM
Hi Julie, Dose she know you are on here. I think that maybe BIG ? ????? u can see if she might like to read some of these blogs. That she is not in the only women that is concerned . Might help. For me when I met my wife 10 yrs ago , I am older, I had told her right off the bat. Worked very well an we moved in together , an being she had been a widow for 2 yrs she like my cloths as we were the same size . Guess what she wore more of my cloths then I did . Yep very good match. I now live as a women about 75 % of the time an we go every were as sisters. Good luck Jo:eek::D:D:thumbsup:

Genni
05-11-2016, 06:44 AM
Hi Julie,

Thank you for sharing. As others have pointed out, you and your SO have done a great job of communicating to work through a deeply personal and sensitive challenge. There is nothing more important to a relationship than the ability to share what you think and how you feel. Good luck to you both!

Genni

Julie1123
05-11-2016, 07:13 AM
First off, thank you all for the compliments on communication. We've both always had the view point that honesty was one of the most important things in a relationship. There have only been a couple times where I wasn't honest with her in our 12 years together and when it finally came to light it was really hard on us but we worked through it. (The dishonesty was unrelated to crossdressing or sex for anyone that is curious.)

To answer josrphine's question, when I first joined the site I told her about it. At that time, she said she wasn't interested in it. It's possible she's forgotten about it since then. I meant to bring it up during the conversation the other night, just to remind her that I do talk about this online but it fell through the cracks. I think for where she is right now, she would get frustrated really quickly if she started reading things here. Just because although we all have a lot of shared experiences our end results vary quite a lot and it would be a lot for her to sift through and I'm not sure she would be comfortable asking questions out right. I definitely think it might be good in the future though if things start opening up a bit.

Di
05-11-2016, 08:19 AM
Perfect A+ from me too made me so happy seeing a couple talk openly. Yes when you talk again remind her about Fab if she ever wants a place to talk to other GGs.
Well done you two!

BillieAnneJean
05-11-2016, 08:51 AM
I congratulate you for being honest with her.

Although the typical emotional reception is difficult, it likely is always less emotional if, in addition to the crossdressing, she discovers that she has been deceived.

Krisi
05-11-2016, 09:24 AM
......... To answer josrphine's question, when I first joined the site I told her about it. At that time, she said she wasn't interested in it. It's possible she's forgotten about it since then. I meant to bring it up during the conversation the other night, just to remind her that I do talk about this online but it fell through the cracks. I think for where she is right now, she would get frustrated really quickly if she started reading things here. Just because although we all have a lot of shared experiences our end results vary quite a lot and it would be a lot for her to sift through and I'm not sure she would be comfortable asking questions out right. I definitely think it might be good in the future though if things start opening up a bit.

I would never suggest that my wife join this forum or even read the posts. The crossdressing stuff is fine, but the posts about dating men, being "gender fluid" and living as or becoming a woman are exactly what I promised her I wasn't and would not do. I don't want her thinking it might happen. Same for the divorce and DADT posts. If she has questions, she can ask me and I will answer.

Sorry if this offends anyone, but that's how I feel.

IamWren
05-11-2016, 10:20 AM
I completely agree with Krisi about the forum.
Honestly some of the conversations that are started don't apply to me at all and many instances I find them to be almost juvenile. If I were to come out, I wouldn't want my spouse to sift through some of the posts that are borderline obsessive-compulsive about panties, pantyhose, Lolita fetish, owning 300 pairs of heels and so on.

I know some of the silly posts are intended to be just that and for levity... just to have some fun that allows us to tell some inside jokes about CDing. But for a spouse who is having such a hard time and difficulty processing this I think the last thing they are looking for is to read about a bunch of dudes debating whether they should be wearing white heels after Labor Day (which we all know the answer is no. :D See what I did there... brought a little levity.)

In reading Julie's post, I was certainly in awe of how she described the communication she and her wife had over her CDing but wow.... my heart was hurting for her. This is one of (if not THE) first post where I REALLY felt the turmoil a spouse must go through at a husband coming clean about crossdressing.

My thoughts are with you both. I hope for the best and that things settle to a comfortable place where you two can live out your days happily.

hugs,
Sayyidah

deebra
05-11-2016, 10:25 AM
Julie sorry you are having to tip toe through this with your S.O. compared to other relationships where the woman says no big deal, it's just clothes or I like seeing you in see thru bikini panties compared to those God awful tighty whities or it's really neat that we are on the same page with this, I love the two of us spending a day together girl shopping for cute little outfits and lingerie. This is just what's at the finish line, I hope you and your S.O. get there.

pamela7
05-11-2016, 10:58 AM
You're both doing really well, the right things, talking about it all as soon as you can, allowing time to discuss, having questions, really this should help settle her mind not awaken worries.

char GG
05-11-2016, 04:29 PM
I agree with Krisi. I joined this site to learn more about CDing after my husband started three years ago. The site was informative but sometimes too informative. It caused a lot of additional anxiety and problems. There are so many posts about fantasies, lying, dating men, urge to go further, etc. that I don't think it was as helpful as I had originally hoped.

Keep the communication open - good job!

Diversity
05-12-2016, 02:52 PM
Thanks for sharing your story. It is evident that your partner is willing to listen and to compromise with you in order to seek solutions which are mutually agreeable. True, it is not at a speed which you may desire, but it is progress just the same.
Stay open and honest in your talks and be patient and understanding as things unfold moving forward.
A foundation is being built, and I wish you both all the best.
Di