A question about Halloween

[Charlotte7]

I have a question, about Halloween, which, being from the UK is something I don't really know too much about or understand. But, I do see that it's a big thing in the US. It seems to be a time when anything goes dressing-upwise and many here seem to look forwards to being able to express themselves with a degree of freedom.This has to be a good thing.

My question about Halloween is that, if, during the rest of the year dressing up as a woman would never occur to you if you're not a cross dresser, would it occur to you as something to do come Halloween? I use the term 'dress up' to refer to exactly that, not to refer to what we do here. I certainly don't 'dress up', and I'm not suggesting that anyone else here does either.

My interest here is, if my thought is correct, then, if you are dressed as a woman at Halloween, then are you in fact saying that you like to wear ladies clothes generally?

Again, if that is the case, then I'd have to say that this hidden self outing seems to be a wonderful opportunity that, if I were stateside, I like to think that I (as many here most certainly do) would jump at.

[docrobbysherry]

It's quite simply. If u wish people to think u r a CD, wear women's clothes on Halloween.
If u wish them to think u r just wearing a costume? Wear a women's costume on Halloween!:thumbsup:

That has been working for me for many years!:D

[sometimes_miss]

My question about Halloween is that, if, during the rest of the year dressing up as a woman would never occur to you if you're not a cross dresser, would it occur to you as something to do come Halloween?

Why are you asking this on a crossdresser forum? Just sayin'.

If you're trying to find out if anyone will suspect that you're a crossdresser when you dress up in women's clothing on Halloween, the answer is yes. They will.

Very few straight men want anyone ever questioning their sexuality. So you don't see them dressing up as women (other than entertainers who MIGHT do it as an exercise in acting or something).

[Teresa]

Charlotte,
Halloween is very much about dressing up , it just happens it gives some people the opportunity to dress a little feminine and maybe dip a toe in the water in coming out about deeper CDing needs .

Maybe you could asked the question of how many have used it as a way of coming out as a CDer ?

[AllieSF]

I disagree with the statements that if you as man on Halloween dress in women's clothing to portray one of multiple women's presentations, glamour, sexy, ****ty, a nun, a nurse, etc. you will be immediately portrayed or identified as a crossdress. In my experience with friends familiues and their friends and family it is not a universal truth that others may think you are a crossdresser under those circumstances. Some may, in a particular group of friends many or most may. However, not everyone, and I personally doubt that most do. I dressed up years ago and no one ever said a thing to anyone. I have had married friends crossdress in the opposite sex clothes for a costume party and no one ever thought that one or both were crossdressers. Now, if a male dresses up many times as a woman at costume parties and Halloween, then, yes, I agree that most may guess correctly or not that one is a crossdresser. The basic definition of crossdresser is "one who wears clothing of the opposite sex that they are". However, that does not mean one is a regular crossdresser like most CD's that are here on this site who have a need or drive to dress up. Some people are into Renaissance costumes or pirates and may dress up as the opposite sex just for fun for those events only and do not dress up at other times and have no desire to do so in contrast to most on this site.

[Sarah Louise]

Very few straight men want anyone ever questioning their sexuality. So you don't see them dressing up as women

Although you don't live in England and understand our ecentricity!

It doesn't take that much for a red-blooded Englishman to dress up in drag. Just Google 'fancy dress at cricket' and you'll see many dressed up as women. None are anywhere near passable but many will do it for a laugh. It's actually become quite popular on England match days.

[Beverley Sims]

If you take time to present as a woman at Halloween then I would say you like the lifestyle, if you go overboard and dress to extremes or in a comical way, you are probably doing it for fun.

[KatrinaK]

I would say that lots of non-CDs dress as women for Halloween, but that said, it’s usually a comical interpretation. If I showed up in my Katy Perry latex dress with perfect makeup to a non-LGBTQ event, it would almost certainly raise a LOT of questions. That’s when I would need to explain why I own silicone hip pads.

[Tracii G]

Most Halloween costumes seem more on the humorous side and guys dress as women in a joking manner sometimes trying to look as ridiculous as possible.
Personally I find that as making fun of trans people well MtF trans people a disgusting thing to do.
They may not realize they are doing because think they are being funny.Being trans isn't funny to me.
Men that have a CD side to them dressing as women for Halloween can be a way for them to be able to get out and have the excuse of Halloween to hide their true nature. To me that shows me they are too scared to admit who they really are.
I know some can't come out for various reasons and I'm sure some will chime in with their reasons or excuses like they always do.
So do what makes you happy and satisfies your needs.
Personally for me I would rather be honest to myself.

[Majella St Gerard]

Dress up as one of the Monty Pythons

[Piora]

I would say that lots of non-CDs dress as women for Halloween, but that said, it’s usually a comical interpretation. If I showed up in my Katy Perry latex dress with perfect makeup to a non-LGBTQ event, it would almost certainly raise a LOT of questions. That’s when I would need to explain why I own silicone hip pads.

Exactly, Katrina. It would certainly raise some eyebrows. Even just having women's heels when you have size 11 feet would be suspicious. You can't just borrow those to wear with a costume. And if you try to be authentic with forms and hip pads, people are going to wonder how you came to have that sort of stuff. I suppose you could tell them that you know people in theater and they "fixed you up", but it's still questionable. When non-crossdresser guys dress up as women for Hallowe'en, it's all cartoon stuff....you know, pantyhose pulled up over their jockey shorts and hairy legs, oversized water balloons or similar for boobs, silly crazy wigs and terrible makeup. Nothing authentic. Just silly caricatures.

[KatrinaK]

How did you know I was a size 11?

[ReineD]

My interest here is, if my thought is correct, then, if you are dressed as a woman at Halloween, then are you in fact saying that you like to wear ladies clothes generally?

It depends. If you dress as a male clumsily parodying a woman, you'll get away with people thinking it's a costume. Something like this:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7275/7815524868_6e5cd724e3_b.jpg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7640/26840681681_1e3c742694_b.jpg

The above pictures are from the Day of Hearts procession in central Amsterdam, a day were men dress as women and women dress as men.

But, if you aim to look your best as your feminine self, then it will be difficult to come off looking like it's a Halloween costume. In my opinion.

[Rachelakld]

My feeling,
If your in America or here in NZ and dress as a female (anytime, any day), your going to be labelled, your masculinity questioned (behind your back).
Although I did managed to get away as a witch a decade ago, one breasted, as a pretty office lady stole one of my boobs during a fondling match, which got handled by everyone at the party.
In England, well we Brits have a habit of being caught in womens clothes - From Shakespeare (1600 AD), Benny Hill, Father Ted and Mrs Brown's boys in more recent times.

[Lydianne]

This isn't quite the question, but since we go there a lot, I'll make the connection to using Hallowe'en ( first time I've written that word this year, I think :raisedeyebrow: ) as a CDing outlet without outing oneself. Teresa wrote a similar idea first, but I was thinking about the effectiveness.

Costumes versus conventional presentation: A costume has a better chance of not outing you, but would it "hit the spot" on a personal level? :thinking:. In most cases, it's not truly what you want :straightface:.

I dreamed for some 27 years about going out in a dress :daydreaming:. On my breakthrough excursion which happened after plenty of restlessness, soul searching and heartache, I wore leggings, a t-shirt and a tunic. I got back home and I just felt correct. Nothing more. Polite applause with stern face at the opera, so to speak. A month later, I was back to square one - restless for dresses :sigh:. A few months after that, I walked through the mall in a 50s-style sleeveless dress with mesh underskirt. I got back home, and I was, like, "YES!" :yahoo:. I have never again felt as unfulfilled as I was before that, even when wearing blendables. So for me, before I got what I really wanted, everything else was... :strugglin. So I think a costume on Hallowe'en could work as a thin end of a wedge, but I think it might be limited as a standalone solution.


I also wonder whether a disapproving SO would be more OK with a costume than a conventional presentation :thinking:. We have read that SOs are unlikely to be envious of looks; so the reduced realism might not be a factor. More likely the amount of time or money invested, family reputation, etc. Maybe the reduced risk of getting outed might help, but only if that's her primary gripe. So a costume could be an option on the approval side, I guess :strugglin.

- Lydianne.

[Queen Bridget]

Personally I find that as making fun of trans people well MtF trans people a disgusting thing to do.

Men dressing as women for fun has NOTHING to do with making fun of trans people. Don't be so paranoid. Jesus christ.

I can't stand this gatekeeping crap from the trans community. Like they are the only ones who are permitted crossdress. This is why RuPaul hates you.

[Micki_Finn]

It’s not unheard of for straight cis-males to do the “female for halloween” thing. Usually one of those last-minute, throw it together costumes

[Eemz]

Although you don't live in England and understand our ecentricity!

It doesn't take that much for a red-blooded Englishman to dress up in drag. Just Google 'fancy dress at cricket' and you'll see many dressed up as women. None are anywhere near passable but many will do it for a laugh. It's actually become quite popular on England match days.

Yes this thread is one of those topics where your experience will vary a lot depending where you live. I'm in Ireland and even from here the perception is that English people are crazy about fancy dress and costumes and will take any excuse to dress up. There's even competition between neighbors to see who can come with better and crazier costumes than last year and cross dressing is one of the standards for both sexes, though usually as a famous person or a witch or something. At least that's how it appears from next door :)

[Queen Bridget]

It’s not unheard of for straight cis-males to do the “female for halloween” thing. Usually one of those last-minute, throw it together costumes

Here in the UK it's probably one of the most popular ones. Go to any fancy dress party here and there are always guys in drag (Same goes for cosplay cons)

I'll assume it's a culture clash that Americans think it's a something agains trans people. Over here, it's just a bit of fun and escapism for guys.

EDIT: Oh, someone else already pointed this out.

[Charlotte7]

Yes this thread is one of those topics where your experience will vary a lot depending where you live. I'm in Ireland and even from here the perception is that English people are crazy about fancy dress and costumes and will take any excuse to dress up.

Eemz, I seem to remember that pubs in Ireland on New Year's Eve can be pretty full of cross dressing fancy dress wearers. I was once in a pub in darkest Co Meath and in walks a local farmer dressed from head to toe as a pink fairy complete with wings and a wand. He wanders up to the bar and asks for his usual pint of Guinness and says as it's handed over to him "I've always wanted to come in here dressed like this." Pick the bones out from that one!!

[Meghan4now]

It’s not unheard of for straight cis-males to do the “female for halloween” thing. Usually one of those last-minute, throw it together costumes

See, now I agree. While not the most popular costume, it is still pretty big, and often is a stereotypical portrayal. Cheerleader, nurse, hooker, popular stars, etc. Seen it for years, no big deal.

[Stephanie47]

I have encountered several situations on Halloween where the wife or girlfriend was the initiator of the man dressing up as a woman. My deceased father-in-law was made up into a woman by his girlfriend. My wife and I encounter him and his girlfriend on the way to the local Eagle's club. My wife does not remember the encounter at all. I was envious.

My supervisor my work dolled up her husband in one of her old prom dresses. He is a shorter man and is the same height as her. Again I was envious. When my supervisor was discussing this in the office the other woman were really curious as to how good he may have looked. Many times when there was a march to raise money under the "CARE, walk in her shoes" program the women in the office would watch and try to identify a cross dresser by his ability to walk in high heels. Of course most of the men wore feminine colored flip flips of sandals. There was an occasional man wearing four or five inch heels who was declared a cross dresser, whether he was or not. Of course, there are numerous postings on Youtube of high school boys transformed by their girlfriends or mothers/sisters into good looking prom girls for some sort of school spirit event. Again, envious.

A man who is confident in his own sexuality does not feel threatened by what others may say of him. More power to the occasional dress up guy who sees a transformation as a challenge to do his best.

[t-girlxsophie]

Your average stag night in the UK and I'm assuming Ireland,are usually guys dressed up in female clothes,also seen at English cricket matches (so i hear) and I'm pretty sure most of them arent doing it to get a chance to crossdress.Also I dont believe poking fun at Trans ppl comes anywhere into their thinking at all,I certainly don't believe even many Trans people believe that either.

As an aside.Halloween seems to have died out over here pretty much,certainly amongst adults.Didnt even have any kids at our door last year

Sophie

[MarinaTwelve200]

In MY opinion, no one will suspect you are a crossdresser unless you Dress as a woman EVERY HALLOWEEN (or costume event) ------or don't put enough "space" between the times you do it. I last did it in 2004 with my "Gypsy Fortune teller" get- up (Madame Vera) and about 3 years ago at the church "Womanless Beauty contest".----In between then I have been "Mark Twain", "Colonel Sanders". "Slash", etc. so I do not make an obvious "Pattern" of CDing to make people "Suspicious".-----I might do another Gypsy (see avatar) This year.

[Brandie.n]

I crossdress every halloween.I call myself a halloween dresser.sometimes its a womans costume sometimes as a woman all depends on how I feel.

[AllieBellema]

I've worn a dress at the same Halloween party I've gone to for about 7 years now... ranging from a southern belle to one of my crossplays. Nobody questions it, but then again everybody is used to it and/or expects me to wear something every year!

[Lydianne]

In MY opinion, no one will suspect you are a crossdresser unless you Dress as a woman EVERY HALLOWEEN (or costume event). [SNIP] In between then I have been "Mark Twain" . . .

:thinking:.

Reports of the demise of my masculinity . . . . .

*ahem!* . . . have been greatly accurate :o :gorgeous:.

- Lydianne.

[Teresa]

Eemz,
I should have mentioned that one year my social group wanted members to dress for Halloween , I didn't fancy doing all that stuff and then drive the thirty miles looking like a witch . Any way Carole mentioned it was also close to Trafalgar Day so the thought clicked with me to do something with Union Jacks ,so I bought a Spice Girl Union Jack dress , with a hat , I made a choker and bracelet and found a Next sequined Union Jack handbag in a charity shop , it was a lot of fun . Now to your comment about the English and dressing up well you should see my St Patrick's Day outfit !

https://www.crossdressers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=274384&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1489847007

[t-girlxsophie]

Attend any large Darts tournament,or watch mad Englishmen at cricket matches and the venues are rife with guys in drag,...and women too for that matter

Sophie

[Taylor186]

My interest here is . . . if you are dressed as a woman at Halloween, then are you in fact saying that you like to wear ladies clothes . . . if that is the case, then I'd have to say that this hidden self outing seems to be a wonderful opportunity . . . stateside . . .

First, I live stateside and have crossdressed every Halloween for the last fifteen years and intermittently for the fifteen years before that.

Second, I generally agree with Sherry that: Dressing as a woman (and doing it well) signals that you are a crossdresser. Dressing in a women's costume (and doing it well) may or may not signal you are a crossdresser, though on Halloween most will give you the benefit of the doubt.

But, as Marina suggests that if you do it every year (as I do); and you go to the same event each year (as I do) and you see many of the same people each year (as I do) then you are certainly signaling that you are more than a guy in a dress on a lark.

Third, I assume that "hidden self outing" means you are subtly outing yourself without actually declaring it. That would be a "wonderful opportunity" or a nightmare, depending on your personal motives and goals.

Lastly, I am speaking as a crossdresser and only a crossdresser. If I were transition minded I would never use Halloween to signal this kind of serious change.

[Wildaboutheels]

I know you fully realize that your Q was asked at a place where PARANOIA rules/runs rampant. So many here can read minds. They KNOW what their friends and relatives will THINK and also will say! So of course, they also KNOW what every last member of JD Public will THINK.

That's not the Reality of the RW. It is nothing more than wild SPECULATION.

But it IS the baseless speculation of the vast majority here.

Which still doesn't make it true.

It does make it a convenient excuse though.

I have "dressed" AND gone out to parties probably 6 or 8 times for Haloween.

WON best costume in 3 of the 5 contests I entered.

The reaction of the ladies was overwhelmingly positive.

The end.

[RebeccaV]

I've never had the ability or nerve to dress at Halloween. That said i want to buck that trend if I settle down in the right area.

[GemmaK]

I don't do Halloween, as it isn't as big a "thing" in the UK although it is moving that way. I have done NYE for about 15 years, and generally dress as a woman in a a goth style rather than in a costume. Have I been asked if I cross-dress during the rest of the year? Yes.

I said "no" but didn't say that is because my wife would not like it if I did. I do wear women's clothing - jeans, underwear, tights, nightwear, etc., most days. Frankly, I don't/wouldn't care if anyone thought I did crossdress more frequently. In fact, a friend did my makeup for last NYE and if she didn't suss it out, I'd be surprised, if only for the amount of makeup I had for her to use.

[Alexis00]

Personally, if I meet someone else crossdressing on Halloween, I ask them their bra size. If they know, I assume they are crossdressers.

We went to a big Halloween party in Boston and there were so many French Maids the MC joked they should have their own category for costume awards. And I overheard a couple of them talking about how many girls were hitting on them. So there's potential!