This may be more of a teenage girl thing

[RainbowDash]

Ok so I'm into Japanese anime, magical girl anime mostly. 1 of my favorites is Pretty Cure, which has been running in Japan for about 15 years, and I can only buy dvds from overseas to watch them. Shows like these are targeted for young girls, especially around 13 or 14, although that doesn't bother me, I like cartoons. Now I'm sure that most girls see all the lovely dresses the magical girls are wearing and think to themselves, "Wow! I wish I could wear that!" Well, since I'm a crossdresser, I feel the same way, even though I'm 43. But this seems like something teenage girls would be into, so does it mean I am strange for thinking the same as them? Do I need to grow up? Or is there nothing wrong with this?
Before any of u answer, I should point out that Princess Peach from Super Mario Brothers was ultimately responsible for getting me started in crossdressing, since I'm guessing that early teenage girls and younger see Princess Peach in all her beauty, elegance, and charm, and wish that they could be a princess too. That seems to be something they all grow out of as they get older, like they feel its silly and immature to want to be a princess (unless ur born into royalty) Growing up as a little boy instead of a little girl, I never went through the "princess phase", but of course that feeling hit me later on in life when I was in my 30s, and I began dressing as Princess Peach.

[Micki_Finn]

I just find it weird to be ga ga over a dress that doesn’t exist. It’s ink and animation. The clothes they wear in those cartoons don’t have to worry about the laws of physics or practical construction. Sure you can recreate the looks through Cosplay, but those are costumes, not practical clothing. There’s nothing wrong with it, I just think it’s more cosplay than crossdressing.

[Tracii G]

Yeah its immature but its what you like so I would consider it like comic books its just fantasy.
The large eyes freak me out and I find it semi creepy in a way kind of like clowns.
Cosplay yes crossdressing in a way yes but there are no rules in crossdressing.

[Tracy Irving]

I could throw out the "Age is but a number" or "You're only as old as you feel" but everyone knows those. Instead, I will say that I own and wear a large variety of prom dresses. Even though I can no longer see prom in the rear view mirror, I am not going to let someone else tell me what I want to wear. Just have fun !

[Amelie]

As Tracii has said, there are no rules to dressing, whatever you are happy with.

I am in a similar boat as you are in. I am still a goth, been this way since goth first came about. I have no reason to dress differently and I have no need to grow up as people tell me.

I sometimes wish I could get to a anime convention but seem to always miss out. Also I haven't really kept up with the many characters, my avatar is Iria from a movie Zeiram 2, they have an anime character of her.

If you enjoy doing something and are not hurting anyone, then do it, life is too short too worry about it.

[Beverley Sims]

Maybe a teenage thing, I went through a stage of pretty dresses and flowing gowns when I was twelve.

[Tracii G]

Most CDs or TG MtFs go thru a puberty of sorts when they just let go and accept who they are and thats perfectly normal.
As a guy you never had the chance to feel what it was like as a girl going thru that time of life.
I did the trashy hooker thing ,the babydoll lingerie thing all that stuff and I am where I am today. Its all a progression I suppose.

[docrobbysherry]

I believe it is, Tracii. Starting to dress at age 50 certainly put me way behind the CD learning curve! Altho, I can't say I've ever "grown out" of any of the stages I've visited. Simply added new ones onto the previous ones!:D

I've really gotten into copying the recent surge in powerful female heros. But, I only seem interested in imitating real women, not anime or cartoon females. I don't watch cartoons now. But, I can't help wondering if I was a young CD today, would copying anime and cartoon females be appealing?:straightface:

[Cassandra Lynn]

I could throw out the "Age is but a number" or "You're only as old as you feel" but everyone knows those.
There's this one too: 'We have to grow old, but growing up is optional'.

I pretty much hold to the credo that how you crossdress or what you like is yours to decide. Other's opinions of us are none of our business.

If were going to make some effort to hold true to language though; wearing a female characters outfit is cosplay AND also crossdressing.

If I was going to go cross-eyed at anything in your OP, it would be the statement that a video-game character was "ultimately responsible for you getting started in crossdressing".

[DIANEF]

Cosplay or anime is not my thing but why restrict yourself from something you enjoy. There are people older than you who like a bit of dress up so I really don't think there is anything wrong with what you do.

[Sami Brown]

I don't think there is anything wrong with thinking the same about the characters as a young teenager. As an adult, you are quite capable of acting your age when appropriate. You might as well let loose when the opportunity arises.

Sami

[OCCarly]

At the age of 55 I am 18 months into hormone driven female puberty and it has most definitely turned me into a teenage girl. Anime clothes are not my thing, though. I tend to dress as I would have if I had been a girl when I was a teenager, and that means something on the short skirted side of preppy.

But that’s just me. To each her own. I see nothing wrong with us being ourselves.

[suzanne]

Be happy and comfortable with who you are at each phase of your CD career. If you're starting to think your interests are looking a bit young for you now, perhaps that's just your tastes changing. Go with how you feel and continue having fun with it.

My femme persona has changed over time. Whe she first began to taste freedom about five years ago, I had the very real sense she was about 14 years old (I was about 52 at the time). Now, I feel she has grown to be around 27, because she is a bit less obsessed with being a girly girl and she's wearing more skirts below the knee (but not ALL the time!)

[Kiwi Primrose]

I love anime and teen comics and books and I read them long before DVDs or the internet came along.
I also have a variety of short skirts and tops that I wear regularly
So keep wearing what you like and don't worry.

[Asew]

The princess part is crossdressing for gender and the fact that teenagers typically like it is crossdressing for age. So double crossdressing for the win! :)