Question for those who identify as a CD only?

[char GG]

How many of you put as much effort into your male appearance as you do your female presentation?

[Sallee]

Depends on whats going on and what I am doing

[Joyce Swindell]

Not me. In male mode I'm me.... I dress the part I'm doing. Uniform at work and tee shirt and shorts on the weekends... don't shave. Now if I'm singing in church I'll dress up a bit and shave.

When planning a girl outing there's the choice of clothing and makeup and shoes....etc

[NancySue]

Not me. Male = quick and casual. CD = slow and feminine. Minutes vs hour(s).

[Robertacd]

I don't need any effort at all to look like a man. as I am a man.

[AmberLeigh]

I don't put in as much effort into my male self because I'm not trying to hide those qualities. I'm definitely more high maintenance as a woman. Makeup has to be perfect, nails done, matching outfits, etc.

[Kandi Robbins]

I am not sure what would take me so long to do for my male appearance as it takes for my female appearance. It probably takes me about 10% of the time for male than female, even if I am really trying to look nice.

[Queen Bridget]

Male me is very low maintenance. Towel-dry my short hair and wash face with a bar of soap. Simple :P

Girl-mode requires way more attention.

[NicoleScott]

In guy mode, casual and comfortable. No desire to draw attention to myself.
In girl mode, it's all about achieving the desired look at any cost of comfort. Wigs can be hot (I usually lower the thermostat to mitigate the heat), constriction of shapewear, stretching of leg muscles by wearing high heels, etc., but I'm not complaining. It's all good.

[Sissy_Michelle]

Char GG,

Whenever I put on my drab clothing I honestly don’t care what I put on. Whatever is clean and on top or hanging on the left.

Since I usually only wear stockings, panties, bra under my male clothes during the week, on the weekend when I can fully dress, I try to match and look as close as I can to passable sometimes with makeup. Though I find myself falling back on the same habits “clean and on top or hanging on the left”. I do try and yes it does take longer mostly due to familiarity with the clothes and less attention to detail.

@—}——
Michelle

[Stephanie47]

I was raised not to be a slob. I have always worn clean clothes and not tattered, although I do have a pair of well worn cut off jean shorts which my wife forbids me from wearing off our property. Tee shirt, worn jeans and no sock and shoes are my fall back to total comfort.

Other than that I am respectable. I worked in a professional office environment for thirty years. If not a suit and sport coat it was a dress shirt, tie, slacks, shined shoes, clean shaven. Many times I was mistaken for the manager because I was the most professional attired on the staff. If you can image a manager wearing sandals, capri pants and top more suitable for a picnic, that was my manager. The women all seemed to come to work wearing jeans. Some wore sweat suits. It was really total embarrassment. We worked with business men and women, attorneys and certified public accountants. My artistic expression was through colored dress shirts and ties. The ties were selected on how I felt on any particular day.

After hours it has always been clean jeans and collared shirts, although I have an extensive collection of graphic tee shirts of my favorite cartoon characters; Peanuts. The shirts offer a means of expressing how I feel on any given day. The tees also cause many women to smile and offer a casual nod or short pleasantry.

Perhaps I am drawn to wear only dresses because dresses allow me to express artistry. I love floral prints and bright colors. I use to love to draw when I was a kid. I do acknowledge many women look terrific in a nice pair of jeans and tops. I'm just stuck on dresses. Frankly, I see too many women who have put zero effort in their presentation. There is a difference between a clean person wearing clean clothes and a slob, male or female. And I will give any man or woman a total bye if they are coming home after a hard day at work.

[tifftg]

During the work day, I look and dress professional. On the weekend, male me is jeans and a t-shirt. Tiffany needs a lot of attention and attention to detail.

[franlee]

I don't have too. There is a lot less to male that fem. Plus I live in the country so male is just what ever fits the need for the day. Mostly jeans, tee shirt and boots. Run the comb through my hair.

[Jaylyn]

I'm a bit more sloppy in male mode. Wranglers that have holes in the knees from welding or fencing. Usually just slap on a T Shirt usually not tucked in. I usually go four or more days not shaving and my finger nails are dirty daily. Not much effort unless it's Sunday then hair combed and usually shaved and my best Sunday Go to Meeting clothes.

[SuzyZahn]

Male,,,,10 minutes,,,,,Fem,,,,45 minutes to 1 hour, but worth every extra minute!

[Andrea Renea]

Andrea definitely requires more work. Andrew not so much.

[Nikki A.]

Female is a lot more work. I do try to dress well as a male and look respectable, but female clothing is so much more varied.

[Marguarite]

Fem definitely takes longer. I have truly become more thoughtful in my guy presentation, not to mention how much attention I pay to being healthier and conscious of everyday regimens to look heathier. Guy mode influencing Girl mode, and vice-versa.

[Sherri_Christopher]

In male mode, I'm a jeans and t-shirt type of guy. In en-femme mode, I take it to the polar opposite direction!

[Judy-Somthing]

When I was in my teens I thought it would be so nice being a girl but it seems like way to much work.

Trying to look fem especially now being a 60 year old man is a lot of work, was much easier at 16.
Now I spend about 90 min. or longer putting on makeup and trying to get the wig to look natural and put the clothes on.

As a guy I shower, shave, brush teeth, throw some clothes on and I'm off to work in 15 min.

[Joni T]

Male self--quick and comfortable. Usually t shirt and shorts. 5 minutes max to be "out the door". Femme self--2.5-3 hours for "out the door" ready.
Jon

[Taylor186]

I put as much effort into my male self as I do my femme self, or said differently, I want to look as good as I can in either mode. But, the time required for a femme transition is mush greater.

[AshleyWalker]

I absolutely spend more time being girly. But that is a great deal of why I crossdress. When I have the opportunity, I enjoy the process. All of the things that we do, the make up, the underwear (specifically foundations and padding), doing hair, doing nails etc., that stuff is really fun. The gratification of creating that other person or that other look is a huge part of the attraction.

It may sound odd, but being a CD is extremely artistic and creative. Just as a painter paints or a sculptor sculpts, a crossdresser turns something into something it wasn't before.

I would bet that most CD's have other hobby's that are of an artistic and creative nature, or even their work, the way they earn a living is creative or artistic in nature.

The end result is something that the person that created it hopefully gets some gratification from looking at, we all love mirrors. We continuously try to improve our look.

I would bet that we defiantly spend more time than a GG on ourselves. Not only because we are not as good at the mechanics, but we are also starting with a canvas that is seldom even close to the result that we want to achieve.

I think that this would be true only for someone like myself that is a CD, not in transition, or wanting to transition, or wanting to identify as female full time.

[Phoebe Reece]

My male presentation does not require all the shaving of areas other than the face or all the time putting on makeup, so it takes a lot less time. But, I do put effort into making my male presentation as good as I can make it for whatever I happen to be doing.

[Shely]

It takes way longer to dress up with ladies clothes, that's for sure, and i seldom buy men's clothes anymore. But i don't run around in worn out, baggy, dirty jeans and i keep my male appearance newt and clean. I wear women's jeans because they stretch and are softer and are more comfortable. I don't wear sweats anywhere, I shave daily, and i like to think when out in drab that I still look fairly cool. IMHO anyway.

[Jaymees22]

I have to put more effort into my female presentation because I'm not a female. A woman requires less effort to look female because she is. I try to look presentable in male mode too. I shave every day and try to look as neat as possible.

[lingerieLiz]

I was a practitioner of Dress for Success for years in male mode since the perception of my expertise relied on it. Wore a collared shirt to mow the lawn. LOL After I retired I became relaxed and wore casual boat and golf clothes.

On the fem side when young I was one of the best dressed girls in town. Spent hours making sure to have the right look. Today about the only thing I wear are women's jeans, shorts, and casual tops. If we go out I have pants and blouses.

[TheHiddenMe]

When I am planning to go out in girl mode, I always have to do a mental time line of when I need to start getting ready. The math is time I want to be there, plus travel time, plus an hour. So if I want to be somewhere at noon, and it's a 45 minute drive, then I need to start getting ready around 10:15, slightly earlier if I need a shower. I have to shave, makeup, dress, put on my limited accessories, arrange my wig, make sure my purse has everything I need--and based on experience, that takes about an hour.

Guy me would start getting ready at about 11:10 for a 11:15 departure.

As a guy, I dislike shopping for clothes. Get in, if it fits and looks ok, buy it and be done (of late, buy it at Costco, try it on at home, and keep or return).

In girl mode, a couple of weeks ago I spent 3 1/2 hours trying on dresses (probably 50 or 60) at a Savers store, and loved every minute of it. I have probably spent more time in the last 18 months shopping for girl clothes than I have in my 60 years for guy clothes.

As a guy, I don't own a suit.

Girl me has over 30 dresses.

Guy me has a ton of running shoes and two pairs of dress shoes.

Girl me has probably 15 pairs of heels.

In the summer, I used to wear shorts and sneakers to work (although the company I retired from doesn't allow them anymore). The rest of the year was business casual.

Girl me loves to wear dresses, nylons and heels.

So yes, I pay a lot more attention to my female presentation than my male presentation, even though less than 5% of my time is spent in girl mode. I've lost 50 pounds in the last six years to do better in my races, but my bigger motivation was to fit into smaller dresses.

[Helen Waite]

Guy mode is no major effort. I don't have to lock up & hide my male wardrobe or shoes.

[Rachelakld]

Early next year I'm going to a wedding, so will spend 30 minutes getting dressed
It'll be my biggest effort in many years

- that's 15 minutes more than me in getting into girl mode and
- 25 minutes longer than dressing in boy mode.

[Vicky_Scot]

I certainly do not on a daily basis, saying that i do shower daily so i am not smelly....lol.

[alwayshave]

I don't put any effort into my male look, it has not changed in years.

[Laurana]

I'm the same either way. For the majority of the time it's jeans and t-shirts. I have no reason or desire to be different levels of maintenance.

[Vickie_CDTV]

I don't put much effort into my male appearance either. Though I and my clothes are always clean and sanitary, which have to be in my line of work.

[biancabellelover]

Like most here, I don't put that much effort when I go out in "male" mode. Depends on where I'm going, but if it's to the dog park, or bunnings (Aussie hardware store chain) I can outside the house within five minutes of getting out of bed. Having said that, the average male in these places looks like they've slept in their clothes, so I don't stand really.

When I dress (and I've yet to either leave the house dressed, or put on a wig or makeup) it can be several 'outfit changes' and up to half an hour deciding what to wear.

Michelle.

[Elizabeth G]

I usually like to present well in either mode unless I'm doing yard work or something else requiring I dress down a bit. I will make more of an effort en femme because there's more involved in the process.

[MarinaTwelve200]

Well, I usually wear "Business Casual" at work (Sport shirt, Dress pants)---But being a Scientist, that often might be called to go outdoors "in the field" occasionally, I buy most of my clothing from an "Upscale thrift shop" so it's really no big deal if my clothes get dirty or damaged. a 3 or 4 Dollar shirt and a 4 to 6 dollar pair of pants (some of the stuff nearly new) So I can Look good in the office AND in the field (Perhaps a bit over dressed)-------My CD stuff, however comes from "on line" or is "inherited" from females friends. Since I don't go out, my CD wardrobe is generally "role play" and different characters, along with conventional female clothing----As my big CD "fun thing" is photography and costumes---etc.

[Jillian Faith]

It takes a lot of work to turn a 59 yer old male into anything closely resembling a GG. Obviously I've been male all my life so presenting as my male self doesn't take much effort shower, shave, brush teeth, comb hair and put on clean clothes. When presenting as a female there is a lot more shaving, 30 minute worth of makeup, extra time styling my wig, more time with foundation garments (getting the right tuck and making sure my bra is not too high on my chest making my breast forms look unnatural), picking the right outfit to blend in for the time of day and occasion, selecting the right accessories (jewelry, scarf, shoes, fragrance etc). So yes I take more time and effort when presenting as my femme self.

[Stacy Darling]

It's the same amount of effort for me however I dress, possibly why it's easy for me gender blend?
Stacy!

[Krisi]

If I'm going to a formal event like a funeral (typical at my age), I'll go to a lot of effort. A good shave, suit and tie, shined shoes, trimmed nails, etc. If it's an ordinary day, I'll wear jeans or shorts and an appropriate shirt. I'll still shave but perhaps not as thoroughly. Some days I'll forget.

As Krisi, it's much the same. Getting all "fancied up", I'll spend a lot of time and effort. A casual day at home, a good shave of course, beard cover and lipstick, etc. but less time and effort than if I was going out in public.

My wife is the same except of course, she doesn't have to shave or use beard cover.

[t-girlxsophie]

On occasion i.e. Visiting parents,taking wife out, but generally I'm very casual in bloke mode, jogging pants soccer jersey. Its not as much fun of course but I do like to get suited and booted for my wife now and again, she does love me in a smart suit

[candice.aihara]

I put in the same amount of effort regardless of appearance / presentation because my wardrobes are so intertwined, it seems.

[Tina Davis]

It definitely takes less time for the male me to get ready, I'm usually dressed in 5 minutes or less. Tina takes about 30-45 minutes, most of that is the makeup! :D

[Krea]

I don't necessarily take more time to get ready as a "miad" than i do in male mode, but i do have far more care and enthusiasm about my appearance. :daydreaming:
When dressed at home i want to look and feel as good as possible, whereas in male mode (underdressed) it's more a case of sling on some outer clothes to go out and face the world, without being that bothered how smart i loook.

[Sherri_Christopher]

Male self--quick and comfortable. Usually t shirt and shorts. 5 minutes max to be "out the door". Femme self--2.5-3 hours for "out the door" ready.
Jon

As my male self, I'm a jeans/shorts and t-shirt type of person. In the winter, it's flannel shirts and jeans. I haven't gone out in a long time en-femme and have been content dressing in private. I'm keeping the door open for this though, but I'll have to get some newer dresses, skirts, blouses as the ones I have are styles from the late 1980s.

[Ressie]

Since I started letting my hair grow I've had to put more effort into styling it. Over the last few years someone would take my picture and post it on facebook with my hair disheveled. Since I perform as an entertainer I started hating most photos taken of me while in male mode. Keeping hair looking good has always been a struggle. And as it grows I've been trying different methods to keep it in place.

If I have more of a formal event, I'll iron a shirt and maybe even shine my shoes. I like having a couple pairs of jeans that look new but I don't like paying $50 for them.

[Karen RHT]

I put relatively equal effort into both my male and female presentations. It does take longer to present as Karen for obvious reasons.


Karen

[BrendaPDX]

No comparison, I put much more effort and time into my female presentation. Probably because I am a guy:danceman: who just really enjoys presenting as a woman:doll: The prices we pay.

[Sandy Storm]

I definitely put as much time in my daily appearance, from the hair to the polished work boots

[char GG]

Thanks for all of your responses.

Interesting differences in how long it takes each of you to get ready to present as females. My husband takes a great deal of time getting ready to go out as a woman and probably half hour max to get ready as a man.

[Diane Taylor]

I take pride in the way I look whether I'm in male mode, female mode, or as I am most of the time....somewhere in between.

[Chloe St Clair]

I spend nearly as much time getting dressed as a male as I do a female.

I shave the grey hair on my face everyday, even on the weekends. I can't stand the itchy feeling of having facial hair. (Getting rid of my facial hair is what led me to initially seek Laser hair removal.)

I spend an hour getting ready when I present as a male and slightly longer, 90 minutes, getting fully into female mode.

[Jenn A116]

Very interesting question. I'm a CD rapidly approaching 70, retired for 5+ years and enjoying life in FL.

I was never much interested in (male) clothes growing up or in my professional life. Hardly ever looked at my male self in a mirror. But buying female clothes is fun. Wearing them even more so. Love to look at myself dressed. Would love it better if I looked more fem.

So, yes I spend more time with my appearance in fem mode.

[Alice B]

I call it even as I try to look my best at all times. But, I spend far more on my female clothing than male

[Scarlett398]

In Scarlett mode my goal is to put cute, sexy, and classy into every outfit I put together and every photo I take. The time I usually take to pull it all off with a complete photo shoot inclusive of several outfits is: 45 minutes putting outfits together that I'll wear for the shoot in mind and then actually getting the outfits all laid out. Then one hour or less to do my nails and makeup. After getting all my girl on, then I'll spend anywhere from 3 to 5 hours, on the average, to do a complete 200 to 350 picture photo shoot. Then it's time to put everything away in its place - another 45 minutes (I'm talking about putting away clothing, footwear, tights and hose, panties, shape wear, and jewelry. And then lastly, the most dreaded part of the entire cross dressing process, is taking off the nail polish without leaving a trace of it behind and then removing all facial makeup without leaving a trace behind followed up by a shower and getting back fully in guy mode - another hour!

No as far as my male side of fashion, it's no less important to me than my female side of fashion, however, much less time consuming for sure! My goal in male mode is to look handsome, sharp, and well put together. A lot of guys, and girls as well, have no idea how to put themselves together in the way of proper and classy fashion. Just take a stroll through your local mall or Walmart and take a long look around! Ya see what I mean! When I am dressed for church or taking photos on the sidelines of the SEC game of the week, I'm wearing one of my fifteen slim cute Joseph A. Banks suits. They are usually in navy, gray, or black solid colors but I do have three window pane pattern suits that you see the guys on ESPN all of the time. I pair them with pin point cotton shirts which are listed as slim cut as well with a 16.5 inch neck size and a perfect 32 inch sleeve. None of this 32/33 inch crap. The sleeve length is critical when wearing a sharp suit! The shirts may have a point collar or a button down collar and are ordered on line from Paul Fredrick or Joseph A. Banks. The shirts will be white, pink, or light blue and very permanent pressed! The ties are all silk and I buy them at Belks or Dillards. They have usually tight patterns to them that always have a small amount of color in them that match the suit collar and blend well with the suits and shirts. The socks will be always solid and just a shade darker than the suit unless of course I'm wearing a black suite. The shoes are always top of the line Johnston and Murphy. I used to sell them at my last job. Time for dress prep in suit mode can be pulled off in less than 20 minutes - 15 if I'm late for church! The shower before all of that - 15 minutes and that includes shaving my legs!

In casual guy mode, you'll see me in Izod khaki shorts with a long sleeved black comfortable T shirt with no pockets on them and the sleeves rolled up about 3 times. If my shirt is tucked in, I'll have on an almost new black belt and maybe some sharp Sperry deck shoes or Nike running shoes usually with no socks at all. Sometimes I leave the shirt tail out and when I do that, I might not wear a belt. Gotta run the wife just walked in...

[Territx]

I want Scarlett to help me dress -- in both modes!!! :)

[DIANEF]

I dress smartly as a male when the need arises, though obviously getting dressed en femme takes considerably longer.

[sometimes_miss]

I'm not out, nor do I use make up. As a guy, I have a standard men's haircut, which doesn't require more than a few moment's combing. When dressed as a girl, i wear a wig.
After the divorce, I wanted to figure out just why I wasn't very successful with women. So, I started reading all the material by the dating experts. And one thing became very clear; women prefer well dressed men who appear to have money. I know, I know, there are plenty of men who dress like slobs who make a good living. But they're not helping themselves by looking like slobs. Sure, there are times when it's perfectly acceptable for a man to wear jeans and a T shirt. But not many, not nearly as many as those men think.
So I started discarding anything that looked sloppy. Sneakers were the first to go. Why? Because most people's sneakers are dirty. New, they look nice. But that doesn't last. Nice shoes instead.
Next were the windbreakers with the sports logos. Gone. Almost always replaced with a blazer of some sort.
Baseball caps? Especially worn backwards? Never.
Polo and rugby shirts were then relegated to times when I would play rugby or polo, which meant, never. But I kept them for any outdoor sports (boating, fishing, rock climbing, and such). But for casual times just hanging out, when you might wind up at a restaurant or a bar? Long sleeve dress shirts; maybe with a pattern, or button down.
A nice watch, and not a giant thick clown watch which are all the rage among so many men.
I believe the look is referred to as looking like 'old money'. Not trying to hard. But well put together.
And it all comes together in about 25 minutes including the shave & shower.

[CaseyAdams]

There is just so much more to do when dressed en femme! I do try to look nice in either mode, though. It seems that there are different expectations on how good one needs to look in public, at least in my area. Plus there is only so much I can do I guy mode!

[CONSUELO]

I always try to look as well-groomed and as presentable as possible in either dress mode. I make sure that I am well-dressed with shoes that are well-polished and pants or slacks that are clean and well-creased and I often wear a jacket also and a tie.
I abhor the slob look that is so prevalent. Whenever I go to a restaurant I am surprised at the sloppy attire and presentation of male patrons. In contrast, most women groom themselves and dress well before going out in public and the contrast with their slob-looking partners is sometimes shocking to me.
If you dress carelessly in male mode the chances are your lack of attention to good grooming will bleed across into your female dressing.

[tammy1]

i'm spending a lot of time on my property right now preparing for fire season in the high sierra. That means working cloths consisting of jenes, t shirt and tennis shoes most of the time. Casual but well dressed daily. When going into town i'll wear some of the same for simple shopping; but dress to impress appropriately for each seeperate occassion when going out to events, especially with my wife.
Not much time for either.

When dressing in fem...it's hours! Always wanting to look sharp!

[Alyssa Lane]

About 10-15 min as the male me, when I go female, its more like an hour or so.

[Robbiegirl]

Well Char, in my fantasy life i would love to take my time and put my hair in curlers.

But can you imagine trying to explain yourself to your girlfriend if you got caught looking like this ?

Any suggestions on what to say to ease the tension once she hopefully stops Giggling

291087

[Ressie]

Robbiegirl, I don't know where you keep finding these photos of me. Please stop posting them! :)