Has crossdressing become your hobby?

[Bailee]

I was thinking about my female wardrobe, make-up, accessories, shoes, etc., and like many of us I have more items than I could ever wear. My female collection is like 10 times larger than my drab stuff. In spite of this, I'm always on the look out for my next "can't live without it" skirt, that really cute pair of heels, an amazing eye shadow palette, or whatever. I've been a crossdresser all my life, and I know it doesn't take a large assortment of clothing to express my female self, but yet here I am with an ever growing collection, and no end in sight. My obsession with all things girly definitely surpasses my wife's, or any other gg I've ever known.

This started me thinking, what drives this seemingly insatiable urge in me? Then I came up with an explanation that seems to fit. Just like a carpenter who can never have enough tools, or a photographer who can never have enough lenses and accessories, crossdressing has become my hobby, my creative outlet, and my passion. I'm on an un-realizable quest to create that perfect presentation. Like all hobbies or artistic pursuits, the real joy is in the journey, and the project is me.

I guess I'm wondering if this is something that others would recognize in their lives.

[Rowan Ailbhe]

For years...yes. Now...I cannot deny that it is much deeper than that. I get pissy when I have to wear boy-clothes..sooo....

[Stacy Darling]

It in my world is most like performance art yet I don't consider myself to be performing. I then see myself as that work of art which will become my masterpiece should I live long enough!

"I'm Passionately Obsessed with myself", beyond a now!

Stacy!

[Beverley Sims]

It is a hobby I think I have outgrown.

Yes years ago it was a great hobby and also a lifestyle

[Helen_Highwater]

Bailee,

I can certainly emphasise with your post. I once wrote that explaining to someone why we crossdress is like asking someone who likes model railways what attracts them to their hobby. I think the desire to CD can be separated from the practicalities of the doing side. The doing side does become very much like a hobby, having all those things that take it that little bit more further can be exactly the same as someone who wants that gizmo, the latest thing, the must have.

What makes us CD; now that's a whole web site full of posts.

[Pat]

We have to tread carefully around the word "hobby" since that has overtones of it being an avocation; an amusement. The superficial trappings can indeed be hobby-like, with folks collecting items of clothing, makeup, etc. But there are also folks for whom this is identity and more serious and the word "hobby" can feel dismissive. As I so often say, feel free to express how you feel but do not try to speak for others. (It starts fights that the moderators have to clean up.)

[CynthiaD]

Definitely not a hobby. Never a hobby. I have a lot of female clothing, and buy more from time to time, but female clothing isn't like male clothing. With male clothing you can buy a couple of shirts and wear them on alternate days for ten or twenty years. With female clothing, styles change, tastes change, and you need to keep your wardrobe up to date. You need to have a wide variety of clothing so you don't appear to be wearing the same thing every day. Different occasions call for different types of outfits. Your shoes and your accessories need to match your outfit. I don't have more female clothing than I could ever wear. I rotate my outfits, and try to wear everything I own somewhat regularly. I paid good money for these clothes. I want to get some use out of them. If something remains unworn for too long, it goes to Goodwill.

My female clothing is my everyday clothing and it isn't a hobby any more than your male clothing is a hobby.

[Dana44]

A Life style is not a hobby.and if you don't feel like a girl. Then maybe it is.

[carhill2mn]

I have a similar situation as my fem wardrobe is many times larger than my drab one. I have had to consciously stop buying things. I am approaching the time in my life where I will have to start reducing my collection of things.

I do not consider presenting as a woman as a hobby. To me, it is a large part of my life.

[Jaylyn]

its not a hobby on days I don't feel like dressing. My moods swing to femme then back to drab. Some days are both so I have to underdress. Those times can be a wide variance in strengths. Some days I have to find time to dress fully. Other days I want just my panties under my jeans, a few days I just don't want to get dressed. I don't look at it as a hobby but more something inside that pushes me towards dressing to satisfy Jaylns urge to come out.

[Stephanie47]

A hobby is like collecting stamps and coins or building plastic models. I'd say having 158 dresses borders on a compulsive disorder. Currently, since I cannot find any additional full slips to ad to my collection, I've started amassing different colors of Vanity Fair full coverage briefs. Buying the panties, is that a hobby or a compulsive disorder? I'd say it is possible to have a hobby within cross dressing. But, crossdressing in itself is not a hobby. It's driven from an inner motivation.

[Jenny22]

Bailee, others have said 'hobby' before, but I'd bet that since you've been a lifetime CDer and had seriously revisted your thoughts prior to posting, you would have changed 'hobby' to something else. For me, its not a hobby. Its a compelling need as a TG.

[Jean 103]

No it's my life.

[AllieSF]

I sometimes used to call my passion a hobby. Now I do not!! LOL

[Kayliedaskope]

I can't remember the last time I saw pink fog rolling out of the smokestack on my 4-4-0 ... Yes, one of my other 'hobbies' is micro-ferroequinology.

I don't see CD'ing as a hobby, more as a need, like others have said. While I can put it off for a while, sooner or later I start looking at female clothing again and think, "I wonder how that would feel/look on me." Then there's all the pretty underpinnings, and heels, and "OMG there's a sale on panties at Soma!", and there I am, back in the cycle again. For the most part, I'm good and behave, but sexy panties, thigh-highs and garters keep drawing me back in. The model trains I can put off and put away and leave boxed up for several years. The panties and pretty stuff? Maybe a week, unless I REALLY have something else occupying my mind.

[Jaymees22]

A never ending quest to look my best, not really a hobby more of a need.

[Diane Taylor]

I've never considered crossdressing to be a hobby, but maybe to some it is. To me a hobby is something you CHOOSE to do like collecting coins, stamps, or antiques. It might be golf or bowling. Crossdressing is not a choice.

[Gillian Gigs]

I have a hobby and CD'ing to me is not a hobby, it's a lifestyle. Many people dress to a particular way of life in which they live, like wearing western clothes, or active wear, while others like us dress in a more genteel style. Historically only the wealthy could afford to live in the way that they pleased, now in our culture many live to the style that suits them. Society just has to move beyond the stigmas found in the past.

[nikkiwindsor]

It's definitely not a hobby...presenting a feminine appearance is an outward expression of who I am on the inside! My wife knows it's not a hobby. I dress up often and my wife says I need to get a hobby knowing that my femininity is no hobby, not at all!!

[Ariana225]

For me it could be a hobby, for example, like collecting 1 pair of every different kind of shoe. But the need to wear those shoes goes deeper than it just being a hobby. Most of us are on the spectrum of something deeper than that.

I think some drag queens it can be a hobby. The ones that don't feel the need to dress, and only do it for the show and/or money. That's not representing all drag queens, of course.

I don't know, it's all up to each individual to determine what crossdressing is and is not for themselves. But for me, it's part of who I am as a person. I know I couldn't stop and I know I don't want to. What drives that in me, I'll never know.

[foxy bartender]

I don’t know about y’all, but I don’t feel anxiety or depression when I’m not able to indulge in my hobbies, like cooking, or video gaming.

[Tracii G]

No hobby its the way I am everyday.

[Princess Chantal]

I treat my crossdressing as a hobby/interest and am well aware & respect that crossdressing is not a hobby for many other folks.

[Tracii G]

I have no problem with people that do consider it a hobby, to each his /her own.

[DIANEF]

It is whatever you want it to be. To some it is a hobby, to others a fetish, to others still a way of life, or whatever other label you want to put on it. You don't have to fit in to a box...

[ToniG]

Soo much more than a hobby. More of a Need Part of who I am. My photography, crafting, and other hobbies come and go. The "compulsion" to Dress has never gone away. Now, my collecting more things than I might ever wear out in public could be more of an OCD thing!. Did that with tools over the years. Downsized that, since retired. But my "wardrobe" keeps growing. :) Toni G..

[AllieBellema]

For me, it's more a hobby than anything else. Probably a lot due to the fact that pretty much all the stuff I crossdress in isn't exactly everyday clothing. Sure, maybe someday I'll go out and get something, but I've always been drawn to the more victorian styles... which also led me to get more involved in cross playing as Disney (and other) princesses. But I do enjoy it as much as anybody else. I sense a change in me when I take the time to dress up and pose infront of the mirror to see a whole different person than the one I've been all my life. It does make me feel good and I know I can turn to it if I have a rough day or just need a break from "everyday me"!

[Shely]

i would have called it a hobby some years ago, but now it is a passion, an obsession or maybe a compulsive behavior. It takes a lot of my creative time away from other hobbies that i used to spend time doing. I have been sculpting hip and butt pads lately instead of building models that i used to make. But i love it and can't do it enough.

[alwayshave]

It's not a hobby in that it is something that I choose to do, It is something that I must do.

[IleneD]

I think I left Hobby territory long ago.
The signposts ahead indicate I'm deep into Lifestyle territory near the Transgender border.

[Samantha981]

For me I suppose I don't exactly know. A little of both??? I do have a lot of hobbies and interests. I think in my case certain parts of CDing is a hobby - like makeup for example. Trying new products, different looks, colors, and trying to perfect challenging tasks like eyeliner or contouring. I like challenge in my hobbies and for me makeup is a challenge to perfect my look to be feminine and natural (well natural for wearing a lot of makeup...). The feminine feeling from getting dressed and being out shopping with heels on, a skirt, and a purse over my shoulder is more part of who I am.

[Bailee]

Bailee, others have said 'hobby' before, but I'd bet that since you've been a lifetime CDer and had seriously revisted your thoughts prior to posting, you would have changed 'hobby' to something else. For me, its not a hobby. Its a compelling need as a TG.

Absolutely true. Maybe what I should have said was my crossdressing isn't a hobby, but has an aspect to it that could be defined as a hobby. (The collection building, playing with different looks, working on makeup skills, etc.).

[Victoria92116]

Maybe a minor hobby. I consider my main hobbies as Dungeons and Dragons, and board games since I actually share that with my freinds and family, where crossdressing is something me and my wife only participate in (aside from 2 freinds whom I have come out to, while intoxicated.)

[Charlotte7]

Oh no, not a hobby. It's me as I am. I often do some of my indoor hobbies while dressed but it being a hobby, no.

[Rayleen]

After quite a few years, started a past time hobby, it escalated as distressing and enjoyable feminine side of life.

a part of my life that is became permanent.

[Fiona123]

Not a "hobby" for me. I find it to be more about identity and authenticity.

[Krisi]

Calling crossdressing a "hobby" gets some people pretty fired up, but for me, I consider it a hobby. My hobby is dressing up and trying to look like a woman. It's not my only hobby of course. I've had many hobbies in my day; model trains, antique clocks, woodworking, auto repair and customizing, computers, music, to name a few.

I enjoy my hobby of crossdressing of course, but it is not my whole life and I don't get irritable or suffer if I can't do it for a while.

[NancySue]

Interesting question. Speaking for myself and being a hobbyist, I see no relationship. I began dressing long before trains, planes and ships came along. I do both. Hobbies, for me, come and go and, are not, as you mentioned, a “seemingly insatiable urge”. The Pink Fog is always around. Buying and wearing female clothes are compulsive, insatiable parts of my life style. Sometimes, I’m almost embarrassed at my wardrobe...I said, “almost” lol. I can’t wait to see what Santa will bring me. 👗👠💄👜👡

[Karmen]

I could say it's a hobby, since I'm still in the closet officially. But on the other hand, it's big part of my every day life as well, since I underdress on a daily basis and wear female clothes and shoes every day at home, if I don't have any visitors.

[CallieBelle]

It’s never felt like a hobby to me. Hobby is such a general word, anyway. It ranges from a distraction to a compulsion. I prefer the word enthusiast to describe myself when it’s an activity I have personal dedication to and for which I feel excited and motivated. But, I am beyond an enthusiast for this activity. It feels deeply personal and I definitely venture into OCD territory. My browsing and buying have lessened but the feeling when I do remains very personal, intimate, and often intense. It penetrates to a part of me beyond other activities I am enthusiastic about.

[sarah_hillcrest]

I have to agree with the OP. Crossdressing is not something I've been involved in all that long, but it has become a hobby for me. It's an activity done in my leisure time for pleasure, it has disrupted some other hobbies but it hasn't moved pass that. For you ladies that crossdress in more everyday life and do it less for pleasure and more just because you're being yourself then I think you are defiantly out of the realm of hobby.

[Teresa]

Bailee,
The first time I read someone call it a hobby, I wasn't amused. When you go through so much heartache and cause so much disruption in the family , when you nearly end your life through it but now I'm beginning to to accept it can be a hobby to some. From your description you could call it hobby/ obsession , maybe it's the female side out of control, some women are obsessed with handbags and shoes, which at times i can understand .

One aspect that keeps this under control is budget, " SET A LIMIT !" I promised my wife my CDing wouldn't cost a fortune , most of my stuff comes from charity shops, I probably value my wardrobe as much or more, creating a look and looking good is more of a challenge I really do enjoy that part of CDing but through space and budget it's kept under control.

No CDing is far from a hobby to me but I do now understand Cders who say this, the mistake sometimes made is they assume it's a hobby to everyone , I wouldn't insult my wife and family with that comment and need counselling if that was all it was to me .

[Sexygranny]

I agree to each his own. For me it is a life long hobby! Some take it to the next step some don't. The bride hates it but a friend or two makes it fun! I don't think my family would be comfortable with it. They don't have to be !! For myself it is a life long hobby and they do not have to know !!! Like the lady said each to his own ! Don't judge others and get all pissy with their choices !!

[Brandy Fromdaburg]

For me it's part compulsion and part hobby.
The compulsion is to occasionally dress. The hobby is collecting clothes and accessories. I feel the same way looking at a clothing catalog as I do looking at a car parts catalog. But instead of "ooh, I want that supercharger", it's "ooh, I want that skirt". Totally different things but the same response. The hobbyist in me wants to collect.

[NicoleScott]

Re-read the OP if you need to, to see that Bailee never suggested that everyone's crossdressing is a hobby. Her post was all about Bailee's hobby-like view of her own crossdressing, and asked if others felt this way. Some do, some don't. No need to get fired up over how someone describes their own crossdressing.

[Cheryl T]

This is most certainly NOT a Hobby for me.
It's just another part of who I am and the clothing allows me to express my feelings at the moment reflected in what I wear.

[Angie G]

I was like the somewhat for me. Now I'm 69 with a load of dresses - blouses a ton of shoes And 50 skirts. I'm Done buying for Angie. And I have a closet and a hafe of things that hang drawers full of bras panties and hose.:hugs:
Angie

[Princess Chantal]

Re-read the OP if you need to, to see that Bailee never suggested that everyone's crossdressing is a hobby. Her post was all about Bailee's hobby-like view of her own crossdressing, and asked if others felt this way. Some do, some don't. No need to get fired up over how someone describes their own crossdressing.

Should see how fired up people get when I describe MY own crossdressing as all fun and games. Whoa nelly does that get folks preaching and stuff, assuming that I am generalizing that all crossdressing is fun and games (in which I do know is not the case for the many, am definitely not oblivious to the diversity of crossdressing)

[sometimes_miss]

Nope. A hobby is something you do for fun, and it's something you can quit and do something else equally as fun.
Crossdressing is neither for me.

[Anna Stouf]

It is definitely not a hobby for me. My Gender Dysphoria began when I was a small child and has been with me all my life. Sure the Crossdressing ebbs and flows, but it is always there. It's just how I am. Been that way for 60 years. It will never change.

I have had hobbies at different times in my life and they have never been like my CDing. Hobbies are something you do, as time permits, for fun and enjoyment. You can start and stop when you want, and even change to a different hobby if you want.

My Crossdressing is just an expression of who I am.

[Bobbi46]

No way is it a hobby at all for me. A hobby is something you can start and stop at any time but it is not for me, for me it is a way of life which I enjoy and which brings peace of mind and contentment and a total understanding of the fact that I was born to dress and to encompass it in all that it can provide.

[Princess Chantal]

the mistake sometimes made is they assume it's a hobby to everyone.

No the mistake is often made from those that assume that when we (those that treat it as a hobby) describe our crossdressing as a hobby that we include everyone. Look at the replies in the thread. Those that have described their crossdressing as a hobby made the point of not generalizing their view (usually with adding the words like my) Where as those that described their crossdressing as not a hobby have most often generalized that crossdressing is not a hobby and even added their definition of what a hobby is. Are these people that add the definition of a hobby making a point that we (those that consider our crossdressing as a hobby) don’t know what a hobby is?
Like geez.......

[Teresa]

Chantal,
Sure I know what a hobby is , but my Cding isn't one of them. My main hobby or passion is my painting , I'm soon to combine my need to CD with my painting and hopefully run an art group now that's going to be a lovely combination .

OK I did get hot under the collar about the term " Hobby" linked to CDing some time ago, if you've never experienced what CDing can do to you and your family , how badly it can affect your health you may feel the same way about the term. I'm OK with it now but if it was just a hobby I wouldn't be doing it and put myself and my family through all this .

Some have been inclined to tar everyone with the same brush and assume it's a hobby for everyone , I only buy clothes and other items I need, I don't have hundreds of everything , very few women do and that's the way I look at it .

[Princess Chantal]

No one in this thread assumed that crossdressing is viewed as a hobby for everyone (except for those that seem to have issues with the word of hobby) There have been many posts started with the generalizing statements like “crossdressing is not a hobby” and “never is a hobby”. Has there been a statement here in this thread that generalized “crossdressing is a hobby” painting everyone with the same brush? There has been “crossdressing is a hobby for me” and “my crossdressing is a hobby” which describes their own crossdressing.

[DaisyLawrence]

Princess Chantel makes a valid point.

Presenting as female is not a hobby for me be I am glad it is for many others and I can definitely see why it would be enjoyable to spend your valuable free time crossdressing just for fun. I have many hobbies and pity those around me that never seem to find an interest in something, anything, to motivate them. I would reccomend they try crossdressing as I firmly believe it broadens the mind and the understanding in all humans, regardless of gender, to walk in others shoes once in a while. If it is your hobby then I congratulate you at being brave enough to throw off the shackles of conformity to allow you to discover an enjoyable past-time. Long may you continue. Remember, the time you choose to spend doing things you like is the only time that matters at the end of the day and you have a finite amount of it available to you. So go out and buy some more shoes.

Daisy x

[chris80]

I have hobbies but cd'ing is a way of life since desires age 4 years or so.

[Luci]

Hobby and lifestyle

[Becky Blue]

Very interesting question for me Bailee. Between the age of 12 and 40 when CDing was a turn on and very opportunistic.. I used to call it my hobby. To me it fitted exactly into the category of a hobby, something fun to do but not something I needed to do.

Then when it all changed for me and Becky emerged dressing became a need, something I had to do, it was no longer my hobby but part of who I am.

[Terri_Cross]

I think my crossdressing has become more a lifestyle or more part of my life than a hobby. Though I often call it that and even more often refer to it as a hobby. I don't think I would be the person I am if I didn't have crossdressing as a part of my life.

[Lana Mae]

Although I do not dress that much and am more male appearing most of the time, there is a certain amount of gender dysphoria that creeps in from time to time and I MUST dress! No I do not feel it is a hobby for me! I do support those who feel it is however! Hugs Lana Mae

[Teresa]

Chantal,
Yes at one time I did have an issue with the term , it was when I first joined and the person posing the question did make the assumption that it was just a hobby to all of us. I admit my mental state when I first joined wasn't very good , I was barely functioning , my wife was not good about the whole situation so I did feel it was an insult to me and my family to lightly brush it aside as an enjoyable hobby .

OK I do enjoy being a Cder now but it's still not a hobby , it's going to be my lifestyle in a few weeks , possibly the start of transition , lets face it no TS would claim it was just a hobby to them !

[Linda P.]

I wonder if there has been a misinterpretation of what Bailee meant by the use of the term "hobby." Some seem to think that it minimizes crossdressing. However Bailee's words make it clear that that is definitely not what it was intended to convey: "my obsession", "my passion", "my creative outlet", "insatiable urge", "can't live without it". These words clearly refer to an intense and deeply felt experience that I think we can all identify with.

[DaisyLawrence]

Chantal,
Yes at one time I did have an issue with the term , it was when I first joined and the person posing the question did make the assumption that it was just a hobby to all of us. I admit my mental state when I first joined wasn't very good , I was barely functioning , my wife was not good about the whole situation so I did feel it was an insult to me and my family to lightly brush it aside as an enjoyable hobby .

OK I do enjoy being a Cder now but it's still not a hobby , it's going to be my lifestyle in a few weeks , possibly the start of transition , lets face it no TS would claim it was just a hobby to them !

Teresa. Just because crossdressing is not a hobby to you, or indeed to myself, does not mean it can not be a hobby to others and in many cases it is just that. This is a perfectly viable and legitimate option and people enjoying a bit of crosssdressing just for the fun of it in no way diminishes our, arguably more serious, gender issues. Good luck to them, I am glad they have found an interest that makes them happy, many people unfortunately never do.

Daisy.

[NicoleScott]

What words to use to describe crossdressing has been discussed many times here ...... obsession, compulsion, lifestyle, hobby, identity, urge, etc ...... and as a single word description they all fail, but collectively, taking varying amounts of several of these, it works, especially considering crossdressing is different for everyone.
I describe my crossdressing as a mysterious unknown internal drive to transform into the image of a girl/woman (different looks depending on the inspiration at the time).
What drives me to crossdress is different from the pursuit of hobbies, but there are common aspects. For example, to get better at it while enjoying the process: growing better garden vegetables, catching more fish, successful harvesting of game, better at sports/games, and better transformations (to achieve a desired look).
I can't describe my crossdressing as a hobby - it's more complex - but there is a hobby component: I like to make headbands. This started by hot-gluing wide lace ribbon onto a plain store-bought headband, as an accessory for my maid's outfit. Then others to complement other outfits. And I can sew, having and knowing how to use a sewing machine, not for making clothes but for altering and customizing.

[Emma S]

For me it's not a hobby. It's more of an urge that comes and goes but when it comes it doesn't want to be ignored. When it goes I don't think twice about it. I'm wondering if it'll become more of a part of my life as I interact on here and explore. We'll see!

[Teresa]

Daisy,
I have said now that I do understand it being a hobby to some , and I don't have a problem with it but if it was just a hobby to me I wouldn't be doing it . Yes I have also worn some clothes just for the fun of it, like the Union Jack dress at a theme night with my social group .

OK take a different view of this situation, if I'm out and someone asks why I dress and I reply it's just a hobby , then they ask does your wife know and if so what does she think and I reply she loathes it . What are people going to think of me ? They wouldn't relate to it as a hobby anymore than I can , I'm not a selfish and thoughtless person , I couldn't expect my family to accept my CDing on that basis .

[DaisyLawrence]

Daisy,

OK take a different view of this situation, if I'm out and someone asks why I dress and I reply it's just a hobby , then they ask does your wife know and if so what does she think and I reply she loathes it . What are people going to think of me ? They wouldn't relate to it as a hobby anymore than I can , I'm not a selfish and thoughtless person , I couldn't expect my family to accept my CDing on that basis .

Sorry but you just don't get it. You project the belief that those who enjoy crossdressing as 'just' a hobby are doing something bad. It's like you must be transgendered to justify it. Why couldn't you expect your family to accept your crossdressing on the basis of it being something you simply enjoyed? What would be so hard, if anything they would most likely find it easier to accept it as a hobby than accept a desire to transition (which by your own accounts your wife does not accept). You really need to accept that crossdressing is not a bad thing even if, and let me make this perfectly clear, even IF it is 'just' a hobby. I don't like lots of hobbies, say golf for example, but I have lots of friends with such hobbies who I accept despite the fact that they engage in some of their freetime in activities that do not interest me. The simple fact is that wearing clothes that many may consider inappropriate for your gender is NOT a bad thing regardless of why anyone chooses to do it. Your comment about your wife is incredible. How many wives go through their life loathing the hobbies of their husbands? Hunting, fishing, motorbike racing, they can all qualify. What do people think of them? They don't think "oh he's all right but you know what, he rides a motorbike even though his wife loathes motorbikes so he must be a selfish and thoughtless person".

[HollyGreene]

No, it's not a hobby.
A hobby is a pastime that you choose to do in your spare time.
I didn't choose to be a CD. I just am one.

Thankfully,

[Teresa]

Daisy,
I have never said it's a bad thing for others to adopt Cding as a hobby , I PERSONALLY believe I would be insulting my family to call it that, that's the point you don't appear to get, I'm in a deep DADT situation and my wife now accepts my needs and understands the need to separate for me to go down that road . I do admit I finally admitted to her that now I've come to terms with it I do enjoy it .

You also may have missed I nearly ended my life twenty years ago over the CDing situation , hobbies do not lead to that . I've finally come to the point where the shame and guilt of CDing has gone, but for most of my life I felt it was wrong , something no normal man should want to do . To live in solitary confinement all those years the last thing I would have called it was a hobby ! I was astounded when I first joined the forum that another member actually called it that but you just don't see it from my angle .

Again go read the TS section and see how many call it a hobby , how many boast of drawers overflowing with underwear and closets bursting at the seams , that could be the road I'm about to embark on . I don't collect clothes I buy them to live the female part of me ,going full time will be a challenge and far from a hobby .

[DaisyLawrence]

Daisy,
I have never said it's a bad thing for others to adopt Cding as a hobby , I PERSONALLY believe I would be insulting my family to call it that, that's the point you don't appear to get, I'm in a deep DADT situation and my wife now accepts my needs and understands the need to separate for me to go down that road . I do admit I finally admitted to her that now I've come to terms with it I do enjoy it .

You also may have missed I nearly ended my life twenty years ago over the CDing situation , hobbies do not lead to that . I've finally come to the point where the shame and guilt of CDing has gone, but for most of my life I felt it was wrong , something no normal man should want to do . To live in solitary confinement all those years the last thing I would have called it was a hobby ! I was astounded when I first joined the forum that another member actually called it that but you just don't see it from my angle .

Again go read the TS section and see how many call it a hobby , how many boast of drawers overflowing with underwear and closets bursting at the seams , that could be the road I'm about to embark on . I don't collect clothes I buy them to live the female part of me ,going full time will be a challenge and far from a hobby .

I get your point clearly Teresa but you can't say that crossdressing as a hobby is an insult to family (as you just did) whilst at the same time saying you do not think it is a bad thing. The two are mutually exclusive. What you fail to grasp is that this thread is not about you so I didn't need 2 more paragraphs about your history and why it is not a hobby for you. I get it. I got it the first time and no doubt I will get it next time. I do 'see it' from your angle because I am in the exact same boat as you but I do have the capacity to accept other people have the right to spend their free time as they wish without being looked down on, which your posts (which I have been reading for years by the way) suggest you do.

[Princess Chantal]

Love the respect you have shown Daisy and those few folks in which have the capacity to acknowledge that crossdressing could be and treated as a hobby for some of us.
Thank you!

[DaisyLawrence]

Love your respect you have shown Daisy and those few folks that have the capacity to accept that crossdressing could be and treated as a hobby for some of us.
Thank you!

You are welcome Chantel. Having a crossdressing hobby should be celebrated. I for one know how rewarding people could find it. If everyone enjoyed a bit of dressing up every now and again the transgender population wouldn't suffer any of the bigotry that we sometimes do. Time for a new dress I think, there is a sale on at my favourite shop!

Daisy

[Rebecca60]

My hobbies are totally different. I don't think crossdressing is a hobby. Not at all. Sure I know a few that only do it on Halloween maybe then it's a hobby

[Teresa]

Daisy,
We appear to be playing on the same football team but refuse the pass the ball to each other !

I did stress Personally in my reply because it applies to me and not others. I have come to accept what others choose to do is their business , we are all different and so are our lifestyles , yes I will defend mine when someone else suggests it isn't right because they fail to understand it. I'm sorry if you feel I'm being condescending , maybe that's years of being brainwashed in a DADT situation , yes I have strong views on that issue as well but now is not the time !

Maybe you didn't need to read my history I know other members are in the same boat as me , they don't all come forward with replies but I do get a great deal of feedback in PMs . Coming to terms with being a CDder and what may be beyond is a gradual process which I now realise is constantly on going and evolving .

[Princess Chantal]

My hobbies are totally different. I don't think crossdressing is a hobby. Not at all. Sure I know a few that only do it on Halloween maybe then it's a hobby
I have been doing more than Halloween and It is a hobby for me.....
Read my many shared outings and try to point out what you see that may reflect why it isn’t a hobby for me.

[ms.joann]

At one time I considered it as a "hobby"...of sorts....yeah, I was only fooling myself. Now after 25 years or so of this, it has been part of who I am. No escaping or turning back. My GF of 25 years knows but I don't let her see me fully. Although she doesn't support it, she understands somewhat. Most of my clothing is stored in boxes and kept away from her. She does see the things that I keep stored in plain sight. I had a good way of explaining to her that it is a art, merely a form of self expression just as one who uses a brush and easel. Only my "tools" are clothing and make-up and the canvas is my face and body. As long as there is no drug involvement or jail duties, I consider myself harmless. My good advice to others in similar situations is to keep it toned down around the gals.

[Vanessa maria]

Yes I love crossdressing . i have been doing so since i was seven years old. Even though i was severely beat made fun of and called names by most of my family. I still chosen to dress up as a girl as I still dress as a grown gurly girl still yet to this day.

[BrendaPDX]

Hi Ballee, This a well written and thoughtful post, thanks this will be fun. For me it isn't a hobby because a hobby is by choice. I enjoy crossdressing and being enfemme but I seem to have very little choice in the matter. I hate the following terms but for me it is an obsession, or possibly even a fetish. Thanks for asking! Brenda

[Asew]

If you ask me my hobbies, I would respond for sure that running is my biggest hobby. I like to do it often, I study it, I get better at it, it is a stress reliever, it bothers me if I can't make time for it, sometimes I get obsessed about it, I get excited to do new things with it, and if I stop doing it for a bit I always come back to it. All these same things apply to my dressing so for me it does seem like a hobby by comparison.

If I look at some of other things it could be such as obsession, compulsion, lifestyle, hobby, identity, urge, etc, I feel these can also describe my running in the same way. I think at this point, the truly best word is that I have a need for dressing which is similar to my need for running. It is just a part of who I am and I need these components to be the best version of myself.

[MarinaTwelve200]

I believe it is MY hobby too---And goes beyond Just cross dressing. I like MALE character Costumes too for Halloween and Theater skits(in church, etc) But Cross Dressing really gives me a "charge", so to speak, I do not get with the male costumes. I am one of those people, like Lon Chaney, Who can be ANYBODY--or at least many different people of either gender.---and with minimal makeup.