Ever turn yourself on?

[Julie MA]

Today I looked at some photos of myself in lingerie and, for the first time, actually felt aroused by the images. I've been turned on while dressing, combined with fantasy and images of others, but never of myself. Have you?

Julie

[MonicaPVD]

That's quite common. Some people refer to this as Autogynephilia.

[Wen4cd]

I don't get "turned on" by my own image so much as "feel sexy" or confident.

But I do often domme myself in the mirror in a non-sexual way, and trance myself. If your personality is s bit fractured (like mine lol) you can get an actual power exchange this way and it's a fun way of imposing self discipline and regulating yourself.

[mbmeen12]

Apologies had to Goggle


Autogynephilia (derived from Greek for 'love of oneself as a woman') is the term Blanchard coined for "a male's propensity to be sexually aroused by the thought of himself as a female", intending for the term to refer to "the full gamut of erotically arousing cross-gender behaviors and fantasies"

Enjoy Julie, life is short hun...

[RachelH]

I am very similar to Wen4cd in that I dont get turned on by myself - nowhere near pretty enough for that. I do, however, feel extremely sexy and gorgeous when dressed. The feeling inside me when I put on bra, panties, skirt or a dress. I just feel warm and extremely happy. At this stage, I only really look in the mirror to confirm that I really do have a big grin on my face. Maybe that will change when I start doing make up, nails etc but for right now, it is all about the feeling and pleasure dressing gives me.
Love Rach

[Claire M]

Julie, I have experienced that feeling too. Its not like back when I was 13 (and even the wind blowing could be erotic ,,, LOL) but yeah, when I look a pictures of myself dressed and you see a very sexy woman it can give me a little rush.

[Kay J]

Mmmmm i think if anyone said that never happen to them they would be lying to themselves!

[Star01]

This past year I haven?t been able to dress fully but when I do I still get as much of a thrill as a 69 year old can muster. Nothing comes of it but the thought still comes up it makes my stomach flutter a bit.

In spite of no outlet I still am a sexual creature and in my case having been a cult member for 25 years one goal of my therapy is to cut through the religious guilt. I wouldn?t be as attracted to dressing if I didn?t feel that bit of a rush. If that makes me an autowhatever so be it, I will own it because that is me. Actually we have spent a lot of time peeling these kinds of layers off in an attempt to figure me out. Nothing has been off limits and I welcome the findings. Sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of.

[susanmichelle]

Apologies had to Goggle


Autogynephilia (derived from Greek for 'love of oneself as a woman') is the term Blanchard coined for "a male's propensity to be sexually aroused by the thought of himself as a female", intending for the term to refer to "the full gamut of erotically arousing cross-gender behaviors and fantasies"

Enjoy Julie, life is short hun...

I love it when we have the facts. Thank you for the google saved me a trip myself. I?d never heard of it until now.

[Lydianne]

Indirectly if this counts: I have taken the scenic route to the chills and the quickened pulse in the form of another person telling me that a pic of me turned them on. ( The gentle way it was written contributed. Other more straight-to-the-point expressions of affection have had me appreciative of the sentiment but dampened by the delivery ). And then together with the thought that that pic did that to them, it then became a turn-on to me.

If, in that emotionally-charged state, I would have seen myself walking along the street, would I have propositioned me? No.

If the other person were walking along the street, would I have propositioned them? Unlikely, but it would have been closer. ( Hesitant because I wouldn't be sure whether I'm just high on validation or whether I'm truly interested. Probably the former ).

- L.

[GretchenM]

It is pretty common to be aroused by photos of yourself as a woman. And there is nothing wrong with that. It may be a type of dissociative behavior. Over time that response normally fades away as you begin to see that image as not sexually attractive but more of a real woman. So it may be that your brain is reminded of the feelings you had when you really looked like that and is replaying those memories in the context of the present. Most of your memories are tied to what can be likened to the "stories" the brain builds to remember events and restring them into a sensible series that resembles the original event. It could also be a matter of your brain constructing a meaningful story derived from looking at the photograph so it can store the memory of the current moment and its associated feelings. The next time you view the photo your brain will play back that stored story and you will have similar feelings that may or may not be re-stored with modifications and possible enhancements that were not there when the photo was first viewed.

We like to think our brain only sees the plain and naked facts. Not so. Most facts are stored with an association to something that provides a context. That is how assumed facts can start to appear as the truth when replayed and thereby become convincingly more "factual" to the point of being illusions or delusions. Viewing things objectively requires training your brain to not associate something factual with a story that puts the fact in an emotional context. It is easy to mix them up pure objectivity is next to impossible for our brains to achieve. It just doesn't work that way.

Autogynephilia is a real thing but it is probably a matter of associating a physical look with an emotional response that was printed into your memory. The thought was that that association will always occur when your brain sees your image in a context that is similar to the original event. Thus the idea that autogynephilic people of one sex desires to have sex when that self is seen as presenting as the opposite sex is promoted into an illusion of reality. Unfortunately, the theory collapsed when it was found out the brain doesn't actually work precisely that way and the autogynephilic response is contrived and out of the context of the present. The theory has enough truth to it to think things are actually working that way when, in fact, they are not. Increasing the magnification of the microscope can show that somethings you thought were there really aren't and just look that way at low magnification. It becomes an illusion or delusion that you habitually turn to. Breaking the habit puts the train back on the tracks and, in time, the sexual response to the image of yourself as being seen as somewhat female and therefore sexually attractive your male self fades away and only rarely pops into the conscious mind to produce a bit of arousal. Instead of arousal, your thought is, "Dang, I make a pretty good looking chick." You see you as having a personality and identity and not just a sexuality.

[Star01]

Thinking about this thread in the bigger picture I am wondering what the point is. So, if we say yes, my dressing has a sexual component, what does that imply? Are we to consider ourselves to not be legitimate crossdressers or simply on a different branch of the transgender tree?

I?m wondering what it means if we say yes.

[Geena75]

How about 'soft focus?' When I get all dressed up (mask and all, sigh) I go to the big mirror in the bathroom looking down, then close my eyes, pose, and open them. I often get a 'wow' reaction and my eyes do the soft focus common when you look at that special someone. I don't know if that counts as 'turned on.' The touch of the clothes gets me more.

[NancySue]

Yes, my pleasure principle turns on every time I dress and I dress daily. The pink fog is always with me to some degree. I don?t experience fantasy or images of others.

[Micki_Finn]

Nope, never happened to me. I might feel sexy, and I can appreciate that I look good, but I’ve never been aroused by myself.

[BrendaPDX]

Hi Julie, While I have several pictures of myself, I don't have any lingerie pictures, I do have effeminate pictures I occasionally enjoy looking at. After getting all dolled up I have paused at the mirror for way too long almost, longing for that woman. Thanks for the post, I will enjoy watching the responses. Take care, Brenda

[Stephanie47]

It's been a long time....very long time...but, probably yes. Now? At 73? Not so much. Perhaps, it is looking at a mature woman as desirable. There was a time when the visual of a woman letting it all "just hang out" as if she was looking to get in bed was a definite turn on. Now, it is a woman with a good deal of mystery. That's how I view myself when attired in pretty dress and heels.

[Lydianne]

Thinking about this thread in the bigger picture I am wondering what the point is. So, if we say yes, my dressing has a sexual component, what does that imply? Are we to consider ourselves to not be legitimate crossdressers or simply on a different branch of the transgender tree?

I?m wondering what it means if we say yes.


. . . You know how you can consider somebody attractive but not be attracted to them? Well, similarly here, ( if it's purely about attraction-to-self without a force-multiplier like third-party admiration, specifically selected attire, realisation of ambition, etc ), there would also need to be an aligning.


Fundamentally, you would need a great transformation first. That ain't easy :whew!:. And then that transformation would also need to align with what you find a turn-on. That's just a crap shoot.

So it's clear to see why many people's answer would be "no".


So if your answer is "yes" what does it imply? Well, at the very least, it implies you have a great transformation.

- L.

[Teresa]

Julie,
My image doesn't tun me on but I accept I look more attractive as a female than in male mode , that is more a connection with wearing women's clothes , they look more attractive , pretty and possibly sexy .

Monica,
Autogynephilia is a more complex subject than " Just loving yourself as a woman " . I admit I do have AGP but it's more than just sexual , the need to be seen and accepted as a woman . I dug deeper into the subject away from the forum and discovered work after Blanchard . He did get aspects of it wrong as it's also associated with TG people and not just TSs as he suggested .
It's a label I accept and live with , it's no big deal and doesn't really affect my life now .

I do feel it touches on a female side within us , we choose certain clothes possibly like a woman would to make herself pretty , attractive , glamourous or sexy . So that raises the question what drives the need in a woman , who does she do it for herself or the close people around her ? Why should we be any different and where is the harm in feeling that way ?

[darla_g]

i think there can be quite a bit of fetishism associated with crossdressing. I think people can deny it, but they can be lying to themselves. Why do you think so many people underdress?

[Star01]

A couple months ago while searching to try and understand myself better I ran across the subject of Autogynephilia and brought it up in one of our sessions. My therapist dismissed it as not relevant in the sense that human sexuality is so intertwined with everything else about us. I am working through religious quilt from twenty five years of cult indoctrination so he instead focused on that. I get the impression that the focus with me is the guilt and accepting myself (dare I say the word) as transgender. In other words, this is what I am and where I'm at in my life, now what. The sexual side is obviously a factor from the first time the soldier stood at attention until today he's a shriveled up old veteran but still remembers how to snap to attention.

[Teresa]

Darla,
Underdressing satisfies many needs , some could be sexual but to others it's the best compromise to not being free to be out .

If I had a problem with a sexual side being dressed and turned on I couldn't comfortably go out as Teresa , people are only comfortable and accept me because they see me as a woman , otherwise I might be rejected as a pervert .

Star,
Many reject AGP because of Ray Blanchard getting some facts wrong , he upset many people but I have contacted professionals in this field away from the forum and it is a very complex subject . I know the way my dressing started was very much to do with AGP , we have to accept we are all different , some labels just don't fit with some people but it doesn't mean the labels are valueless .

[docrobbysherry]

I started out being aroused by my image in the mirror and in photos 23 years ago and at age 77 still do! Looking at photos like my avatar, how could I not?:daydreaming:

Teresa, I don't wish to nitpick but I believe Blanchard's AGP involved sex and arousal, not "love" for one's fem self. Aitho I enjoy going out dressed with, and meeting up with, other dressers?
That is a COMPLETELY DIFFEREN'T feeling from AGP. Sex never enters my mind when I'm out dressed. With or without others around!:battingeyelashes:

[LilSissyStevie]

There was a time, during one of my "Why, oh why do I do this" moments, that I latched onto the idea that I was turned on by my image dressed. But, that idea was untenable since I'm not that attractive dressed as a female. So, what is it about CDing that is a turn on for me? My conclusion, for now, is that I'm turned on by the state of emasculation. The idea of being a man and especially the idea of performing sexually as a man was always attractive to me in theory but in actuality it filled me with dread. So I began to fantasize about being on the other side of the equation. Not being a "man" for a bit of time is what allowed me to experience sexual arousal without angst.

re: autogynephilia. There are two aspects of AGP that get mixed up. There is AGP the phenomenon and AGP the theory. The phenomenon is "a male's tendency to be sexually aroused by the idea or image of himself as a woman." Then there is the theory which is meant to explain the phenomenon. The theory has multiple parts. One is that there are two types of Transsexuals: The exclusively androphilic type and the AGP type. I'm not trans so this doesn't apply to me. Maybe it doesn't apply to anybody. I don't know and I don't care. Another part of the theory that supposedly applies to AGPs is the idea of erotic target location error (ETLE). Basically, this says that the AGP is attracted to himself as a woman and becomes his own girlfriend. That's kind of what this thread is about. I don't think this applies to me either as I explained above but it might be a related concept. But when I think of AGP as applied to myself, I'm only thinking of the phenomenon and not the theory.

[Beverley Sims]

I do have a gleam of satisfaction when I see a photo of myself in an attractive setting.

It means I have got it all together for once. :-)

[DianeT]

Hi Julie, I never bought the autogynephilia theory because it wasn't scientifically backed and I love that GretchenM is providing interesting information about it (interesting because at least her explanation makes some sense, compared to the many ludicrous analysis I stumbled on so far on the Net).

As for being aroused by looking at your own pictures, I think what GretchenM says too (in the first section of her post), it can be explained by the bringing back of memories of an experience that may have turned you on at the time.
Also, my personal opinion, I find it difficult to believe that you can be sexually attracted to yourself, our brains have been wired to be looking for mates since (ok, a little after) dinos walked the Earth, habits so long in the making are hard to give up, and the inescapable proof of this is that a biped can't tickle himself as you probably know. I suspect that members attracted to themselves in car rear view mirrors or other types of reflective or capturing devices are reacting to the female cues their image is sending, and your imagination does the rest to build this feminine creature or concept that sends butterflies to your belly.

[Julie MA]

Ladies, this is more common, and complicated than I realized. I find many threads on CD.com to be light and polite. So I didn't expect this much response, to a, perhaps, fringe topic within our fringe CD world. Also, I expected some adversarial replies, given the social media environment of late. Overall, I'm appreciating all the responses, especially the research info. I have some homework to do.
Julie

[Karren H]

Looking at photos,,,, Maybe years ago.... but lately I require a lot more external stimulation! lol A LOT!!

[Teresa]

Sherry,
Autogynephilia translates as to "love yourself as a woman ", It is a complex subject revealed by people who continued and improved the basic work by Blanchard . I'm not prepared to reveal the professionals I contacted about tgis subject but I received a great deal of information dealing with AGP from a TG perspective , that is when the penny dropped with me . As I mentioned I now accept the label might apply to me but on a daily basis it doesn't affect me .

I also accept that being out in public or meeting other TGs sex doesn't enter my head .

Diane,
There is a grerat deal of BS connected with AGP on ther internet , like there is with many trans issues . I contacted the professionals directly and received some very useful information . If something doesn't apply to you doesn't mean it's not valid to others .

Stevie,
That is still part of the whole picture but basically what you say is right . The problem was Blanchard associated it with TSs and many aren't sexually maotivated as he suggested , you could say it applies more to many CDers .

[Lux]

I used to believe I was your average garden variety crossdresser but after reading these responses, I’d now have to say no definitely not. I have previously posted about being a fetish dresser, I think it was a docrobbysherry post; “Where are my fetish dressers at” or something like that.

I am a very sexual person (happily married!) and definitely get turned on every.. single..time.. I dress. I believe I have some non TS form of AGP (if that exists) since I love to see and get turned on by myself dressed up. As I‘ve posted before, when I go out to dinner or clubbing to dance with my wife, I prefer venues with mirrors so I can occasionally catch a glimpse of myself in said mirror. It must be some deep seated validation at some level I imagine. I have absolutely no intentions of transitioning, it just feels like I’m a creative artist that trying to take a male body and transform that male image into that of a sexy woman.

Also with my wife’s full support, I will also admit to taking a lot of lingerie photo/video shoots that absolutely turn me on. So my answer to the OP’s question is a definite Yas Queen! Maybe it’s my non Anglo Spanish/Italian ethnicity or maybe it was my liberal Uni experience but I have never been a conservative person. Again, these previous responses make me feel that I may be in the minority but I will wave the fetish flag proudly! :battingeyelashes:

[MeshelleCD]

Like many of the other girls, I dont get turned on by seeing myself in the mirror while dressed as I am not passable at all from the neck up. By the time I get enough makeup on to make me look passable, the day is over with. :)

[Lisa516]

Another Google search shows


Michael Aaron, author of Modern Sexuality: The Truth About Sex And Relationships, told Refinery29 that feeling turned on by yourself is quite common: "Some experience it more like an orientation, in that they feel more aroused by themselves than by others, and they are called autosexuals."May 20, 2019

Love
Lisa :)

[Sandi Beech]

Hi Julie,

Well I never thought about kissing myself in the mirror, but If my looks were as good as Lux, I might have to think about it. Haha. I actually get a bigger thrill about people being attracted to me , but that?s another thing.

Sandi

[Lacy PJs]

I'm not sure if this totally or directly answers the original question but there are times that I look at certain things I'm wearing and I do get a little "tingle" from what I see... :)

Lacy PJs

[MiniRock]

yes .

[Pumped]

I used to believe I was your average garden variety crossdresser but after reading these responses,


You are far above the garden variety crossdresser!!

- - - Updated - - -

I too got a tingle dressed, depending on what I am wearing. I know my new Roanyer breastplate certainly messes with my mind. It is one thing to have fake boobs balloon forms, but another thing when you look down and see realistic looking breasts!

[CD Rachel]

In the beginning of 2020 I read a lot on Blanchards theory of Autogynephilia. I was trying to find the label to explain my behaviors. I read the book Men trapped in men's bodies written by Dr. Anne Lawrence psychologist, sexologist, anesthesiologist and a trans woman. I found a lot of similarities to myself in the theory. But, I feel that Dr. Lawrence and Blanchard mistook the tree for the forest. But I also feel that many who discount the theory do so for two reasons the first being that the theory may not check off all of their own particular boxes and the fact that the theory runs counter to the accepted belief that there are only trans women and perverts.

My personal conclusion from the research that i did is I feel that I am a bisexual cross dresser on the non-binary scale closer to the trans female side then to androgynous center. So when the transgender box did not totally fit I tried labeling my self as Autogynephilic, but that box did not fit me either. But anyway, yes there have been a few occasions that I had seen a picture of my self or seen myself in a mirror and felt some arousal at seeing myself as a woman. I think that someday I will want to transition but I am still holding back on committing to it.

Either way if you are not harming anyone then who cares. If it turns you on then enjoy it. If it makes you feel like your true self then enjoy it. Do not let anyone make you feel that you are not man enough, cross dresser enough, woman enough, or trans enough. Just because someone went to advanced schooling and gets to hang an alphabet in front of their name does not give anyone the right to invalidate YOUR feelings.

YMMV,

Rachel

[SaraLin]

Um - no?

When I look in the mirror, or at photos of myself, I seem to only be able to see all the "fails" - the things that still say that under it all, there is still a male body there.
So no, I don't ever think anything like "she looks hot. I'd like to be with her"

But - I have learned that when fully en-femme, I do feel more sexual (or sensual) than when in drab. That's a dead end though. My SO isn't even remotely interested in going there!
Hey, who can blame her? I do like women, and I wouldn't be interested in me either!

[Teresa]

Rachel,
I do feel we reach a point when labels need to be placed back in their boxes and put to one side . Like you I searched and searched for reasons and explanations to make sense of my gender issues , I agree even if the cap fits at some point you just have to say OK that's me and get on with life . No point in arguing the point as we are all different , what makes me tick may not apply to others , who can say what is right and what is wrong .

[sara66]

When i look in the mirror I am more likely to scare myself. :heehee:
Sara

[alwayshave]

Julie, Maybe if I lost 40 pounds. When I was younger I did like looking at myself in lingerie in the mirror. But that is no longer the case.

[laura.lapinski]

I am. And just thinking about being dressed and pretty can turn me on. The first time I wore a nice tight dress, teased my hair, put on makeup and jewelry and looked in the mirror, I gasped with glee at how hot I looked.

I fall into some degree of the AGP group. I know it's hard for some to understand that phenomena, but for a few of us it is real.

[Natalie5004]

Constantly.

[Sometimes Steffi]

I've been out and about en femme shopping and such. Occasionally, I see a cute chick out of the corner of my eye. Other times, I practically run full on into a cute chick. Occasionally, that "cute chick" is a reflection of me in a mirror. I'll say that qualifies.

[docrobbysherry]

-------------------------------------
Either way if you are not harming anyone then who cares. If it turns you on then enjoy it. If it makes you feel like your true self then enjoy it. Do not let anyone make you feel that you are not man enough, cross dresser enough, woman enough, or trans enough. Just because someone went to advanced schooling and gets to hang an alphabet in front of their name does not give anyone the right to invalidate YOUR feelings.
YMMV,
Rachel
So beautifully said, Rachel. It brought tears to my eyes!:cry:
Reminding me of when I first arrived here those many years ago. And, I naively assumed EVERYONE was turned on by their own image. But, denial was a big thing back then. And, I was demolished by many members!:eek:
It's so nice that dressers accept threads like this now!:thumbsup:

[Julie MA]

Doc Sherry,

I am surprised, well maybe not that much, that you were attacked by members here back then. The vast majority here now are very kind. There was that one mod a few years ago...

Self-acceptance, along with acceptance of others, takes time within this safe little forum, just as it does in the big, outside, cruel world.

Julie

[audreyinalbany]

I'll say that I frequently LIKE what I see in the mirror but I can't say as I'm "turned on" by it.

[KymG]

I used to believe I was your average garden variety crossdresser but after reading these responses, I?d now have to say no definitely not. I have previously posted about being a fetish dresser, I think it was a docrobbysherry post; ?Where are my fetish dressers at? or something like that.

I am a very sexual person (happily married!) and definitely get turned on every.. single..time.. I dress. I believe I have some non TS form of AGP (if that exists) since I love to see and get turned on by myself dressed up. As I?ve posted before, when I go out to dinner or clubbing to dance with my wife, I prefer venues with mirrors so I can occasionally catch a glimpse of myself in said mirror. It must be some deep seated validation at some level I imagine. I have absolutely no intentions of transitioning, it just feels like I?m a creative artist that trying to take a male body and transform that male image into that of a sexy woman.

Also with my wife?s full support, I will also admit to taking a lot of lingerie photo/video shoots that absolutely turn me on. So my answer to the OP?s question is a definite Yas Queen! Maybe it?s my non Anglo Spanish/Italian ethnicity or maybe it was my liberal Uni experience but I have never been a conservative person. Again, these previous responses make me feel that I may be in the minority but I will wave the fetish flag proudly! :battingeyelashes:

I would say im very much the same as Lux (thanks for posting this) except that i dont go out clubbing, but the description matches how i feel.
I realise now that when im dressed i always seem to be walking past the mirror and sneaking a look at myself.
Very satisfying to see the way i look.
Im hetero and i wouldnt dream of transitioning, but i get a real enjoyment from dressing, and it makes me relax and feel (at the time) comfortable.

So, yes, i turn myself on. Eventually, not immediately.

[JennasPanties]

Never my intent, but often an ancillary result. I just think that means you feel pretty and feminine. So yes, and think it is a fun extra benefit to an already remarkable experience

[Raychel]

Never, I see myself as a man and not a very good looking one at that,
I am totally disgusted by my pictures.

Dressed enfemme, I can tolerate the look, The pictures are ok, but that is all.

[MindyCD]

I had never even heard of Autogynephilia until I read about it here on this thread. I have spent the last couple of days reading as much as I can about it and have even bought a book on kindle.

I know some people are quiet sceptical about it but it certainly describes me and my mindset very well and that's after crossdressing for nearly 50 years and wondering why do I do this for most of that time. I haven't figured out which type of Autogynephilia that describes me the best but apparently they can a d do overlap.

I also do get turned on by seeing myself in photos and when I see myself in a mirror. It's always been a turn on despite the fact I am obviously male and would never pass. That doesn't matter it's seeing myself dressed that does it for me.

[Teresa]

Mindy,
If you feel it's right for you that's fine .

The problem I had was most of Blanchards work was associated with TSs , I received some very useful information on AGP associated with TGs and then the penny really did drop . At the time it helped me to move on , my gut instinct told me it felt right so I now ignore the comments from people who haven't done their homework .

[GenevieveF]

I wouldn?t describe the feeling I get when I dress as being turned on but there is definitely a tingle. I experience what i can only describe as a mindset shift to a far more feminine me. I feel more playful. I?m more creative working. I just love the feeling.

[Alexis00]

Just got my first pair of women?s jeans so I’ve been checking out my butt in the mirror. Like, daily! :)

[MindyCD]

Hey Alexis, women's jeans are the best. I wear them every day. They are so comfy because they stretch. Will never go back to wearing men's jeans.

[Maria 60]

Wow, I thought I was alone on this one, I do enjoy seeing pics of myself and this goes back to my wife's theory. A little while back we had this discussion, I dressed up and I walked by a mirror and when I looked at myself I guess I smerked at what I saw. Not noticing my wife there she tells me that's why she's supports me just for that smile she sees and how much happier I am when dressed. Her theory is that I dress to how I want to view women, and when I achieve that look it's not like I'm looking at myself dressed I'm seeing what I want to see on women. From the first day I told my wife about the dressing she has more then anything found it interesting and you could say she sits in the wings and watches and observes.
She observed so much that I have become predictable to her, she noticed that when we are out, I will look and go out of my way to see a women dressed mostly in a skirt. I have wrote this on other threads that when we are out and my wife sees that my eye catches something I like, she will automatically tell me that I will try to duplicate that look and once achieved I will be turned on by the image of myself dressed like that women we seen. She backs up her theory now in then and the last time was when I was driving her around doing errons and I was dressed. That day I was driving her around and I was wearing a wrap dress and I opened it up exposing a large amount of my slip. She knows how much I love slips, I don't see much of it these days but she knows that if I do see it I will go crazy, I dont know why it's my weekness. That day she pointed out to me that I would probably get more aroused seeing a few inches of lace hanging out of the bottom of a skirt then if a women was walking with her breast totally exposed. She believed that most men would rather see a women with her dress open and view a long pair of legs, but instead I'm showing slip because that's what I want to see and that's why I get arousded on my own self.
So not to say if she's right or wrong but to answer your question, different then being arousded by the feeling of slipping those pantyhose on a pair of freshly shaves legs, I must say I do get turned on seeing pictures of my fem self. Thanks this was an interesting and educational thread.

[Mykaa]

Yup, 1 of the main drivers. I can leave for a while and seem to get pulled back, depends on how busy I am honestly, that and as many have said I feel sexy, pretty etc, in general its very distracting from everyday life and sometimes thats a good thing.

[Beverley Sims]

Gotta reply again, I was wearing a low cut bra with minimal inserts and the flow of my boobs into the bra made me want to find a low cut top to go with the look.:-)

Found the right top and went shopping :-) :-)

[Cheryl T]

Ok, yes I did.
But that was many years ago Many years ago when this was a very big part of my dressing.
It was also a big part of the guilt and shame I had to overcome to be the person I am today. That excitement would happen and of course I would run with it. Then when the emotions settled I would feel all weird and guilty. I'd immediately change and hide everything swearing never again. Well we know how that goes...
But today, no there's no excitement looking at my pictures or those of others. I suppose it's more "clinical" as I tend to view them all from afar, analyzing what makes it good from a fashion viewpoint, from a photography viewpoint, etc.

[Alice Torn]

Yes. all too often. Nothing beats seeing a great pair of legs in hose and heels!!

[XemmaX]

yeah quite often when i look at my fetish photos. i somehow look quite sexy in pvc or latex.

[Dcorr]

Yup. I have been into photography for many moons and shot lots of female fetish models. Not much in the last few years but the photos I take of myself sometimes really do it for me lol. It's sounds big headed but it's not supposed to

[CourtneyJamieson]

Yes.....Im always turned on by "myself" when I am dressed and looking feminine and feeling sexy. Love to be out (In the pre-COVID days) and catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror at a club. Really gets me excited to see myself.

[JennasPanties]

Yes.....Im always turned on by "myself" when I am dressed and looking feminine and feeling sexy. Love to be out (In the pre-COVID days) and catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror at a club. Really gets me excited to see myself.

That is the exact same for me Courtney! You hot it right on the head. Can?t wait to be able to get that glimpse again out at a club.

[Ressie]

Basically, this says that the AGP is attracted to himself as a woman and becomes his own girlfriend.

That's pretty much the way things turned out for me although I had many GFs earlier in my life. But AGP is a condition one has, it isn't the person is it?

As far as photos, there are some I've taken of myself that are very stimulating and others that are OK. Then there are some that are kind of yucky!

[Leslie Mary S]

To put it simply. Never. I wear the clothes because I like the feel.

[SouthernPeach]

If you mean ?turn on sexually? I would say that is not my response, I have more a feeling of joy and comfort.

[Blonde617]

In my 20’s and 30’s, not really since.

[Julie Slowinski]

How could I not be? Have you seen me - I?m totally hot. ��

[JennasPanties]

How could I not be? Have you seen me - I?m totally hot. ��

No arguments here!

[Vale]

In a word ? yes. When the lover and the loved are in the same body. I saw that phrase years ago but can?t remember the source. It seems to describe my experience.
Vale

[candykowal]

Oh sure, it has always been exciting to be feminine since my high school days.
I do certain thinks to contain the constant unmentionable effects that happen when you are so excited to be able to present your inner most femininity.
To be dry and fresh, pretty and clean, soft and supple....while luxuriously pampered is all part of turn on. :battingeyelashes:
It never subsides but never climaxes either, it is the euphoria of finally being myself and how I was raised.
It brings back a flood of memories of my youth, how pleasant I feel about all the things that I do, to be pretty.
Not so much sexual as it is more of a "Heavenly" feeling.

[Julie MA]

Princess Candice,
I love that angle. Well said.
Julie

[FrannGurl]

Years ago maybe a little, but now not at all. I just like the way I look and feel cute and sometimes a little sexy

[Donna42]

Every time I wear hose I always catch myself checking out my legs lol

[Julia Hendrixxx]

Sometimes I don?t even finish dressing before stuff happens ;)

[Lacey Peters]

for me, it is a definite yes. I am not turned on every time, but I do get excited looking at myself.

[stefaniec]

I suppose I'd say I do. My style of dressing has always been what I like to see women in, and men have almost always paid me their compliments for it. So I like to think I am doing something right, and I get validation in two ways I guess.

[Alice Torn]

Vale, That seems to describe my dressing up. The lovely long legged lady in the mirror, is my lover, but i do feel guilty after the act out. Sadly, have not had any chance for a real GG friend and mate. None dress in the definite style i like, either , in my age range, and other reasons. I wish i was not born with this thing, which is considered deviant and perverted by so many.

[Shely]

All the Time, every time!

[ShirleyN]

Hi Julie.
Yes it has and does happen every time I've gotten dressed en femme. I remember when I saw myself for the first time fully dressed in the mirror and thinking "Hello honey, who the hell are you?" in a good way.
Never knew what an attractive lady my female self was until that moment.

[Julie MA]

Alice, those that see us that way are fewer and fewer. Psychology experts consider CDing neither deviant nor perverted. I hope you find a way to accept it more within yourself.

Julie

[CarolynO]

In the past at age 5 up to my mid twenties it always turned me on.Already aroused, dressing up would heighten up the arousal and last for hours on end.It also brought on dysphoria which i didn't fully realize till after I turned 30.

[Mila]

Phew! Glad I'm not the only one.

[kristi98]

It's the only reason I ever done it. I do it becasue it makes me feel sexy. No more to it than that. I know many of you don't feel that way about cross dressing. I worry sometimes I don't really belong on this forum for that reason. I have tried the sissy websites but they are so over the top about sex and it's too much for me.

[KimberC]

Yup.... absolutely. It's thrilling to see yourself and it's such a great feeling to feel "sexy", but its not only that but the feeling of sheer enjoyment just from putting the stuff on.

[Felicia M]

Definitely.....

Adore Candy's reply💖

[candykowal]

*blushing* Thanks Felicia...BTW, following you on Flickr, hope you don't mind.

[MysecretSummerlife]

Lord yes. I prefer a really business style dress and that has always been what turned me on growing up and still does. A woman dressed for work mmmm nothing hotter. So seeing myself in the style dress I idolize makes it even better.

[barbaralegs76]

I love to see me as Barbara... I love my legs, I love my body... I believe my makeup can be betetr, but I love my red lips and long lashes.
Result: Yes, It turn me on. A lot.

Kisses,

[docrobbysherry]

It's the only reason I ever done it. I do it becasue it makes me feel sexy. No more to it than that. I know many of you don't feel that way about cross dressing. I worry sometimes I don't really belong on this forum for that reason. I have tried the sissy websites but they are so over the top about sex and it's too much for me.

Kristi, u definitely belong here if I do. And, I've been around a long time!:devil:

CDing is like life. A long, ever changing, learning process! :thumbsup:

I arrived here thinking I had turned gay and wanted to become a woman. And, that EVERYONE was as turned on by their female image as I was/am! :o
In short order I found out many trans r disgusted my those of us aroused by our fem selves.:thumbsdn: But, almost all of us were at one time or another!:devil:

Then, I discovered other dressers were/are great company and I began attending T events and clubs. Now, my social life is geared to Sherry's identity! I found I have no interest in men or in becoming a female. I just enjoy looking like one!:battingeyelashes:

I suggest u stick around awhile and see, how or if, your dressing progresses?!:heehee:

[Deborah G]

Yes, when I put on my panties and pumps, I cannot help but get turned-on. The feeling I get just cannot be described! I take great satisfaction now in dressing and experiencing all the feelings that go with it...quite transforming!

[petticoatlisa]

110% absolutely!! the clothes, wigs, makeup, shoes, nails, freshly shaved legs, perfume, etc.!! i love the image i see in the mirror and from age 14 to...now (lol) i still get extremely aroused to the point that i ALWAYS have to..."finish". NO shame in my game and zero guilt (not that that there should be any to begin with). We dress for different reasons, all of which should be acceptable!

[Lori Ann Westlake]

I can certainly get "turned on" while dressed, and it was the original reason I started dressing in the first place. And I have been turned on by photos of myself. But the reasons are multifaceted, subtle and complex.

In particular I don't identify with this phenomenon described as "autogynephilia," and I think Gretchen was right to discount it as a theory--at least from the viewpoint of my own experience.

For one thing it was true for me, as Gretchen said, that over time the original intense sexual arousal tended to fade somewhat I began to see the image of myself more as a real woman, not just sexually attractive. That's a "toning down" of what Gretchen said, but there is truth in it nonetheless.

However, the main point is about this concept of "autogynephilia," and what I take that to mean literally is being aroused by the image of oneself as a sexually attractive woman, being fully aware--and here's the key point--that it is myself I'm looking at, as in a mirror. This is quite literally "narcissistic," in the original meaning of the term. Not a Cluster B personality disorder, but the legend of Narcissus regarding his own reflection in the water and falling in love with himself!

As far as that goes, I can look at my own image in a mirror, and if I happen to have done a good job (I'm not so passable, especially these days!) I can think I "look attractive" and feel great about it. But that doesn't mean my image "turns me on" sexually. I think that's largely because I know it's "only me," and while I might be sexually attractive to others, that doesn't make me sexually attractive to myself. It's as if "knowing it's only me" turns off that particular arousal mechanism.

What's significant here is people talking about being aroused by photographs of themselves while dressed. Yes, that's something I have experienced. But a photograph is different from looking in a mirror. Because when I look in a mirror, I know this is "me," present in the "now." When I look at a photo of myself from the past, I'm free to imagine that this is some other woman I'm looking at, and yes, she could be arousing. But this is not "autogynephilia" as I see it, and it's not the reason why I dress.

[Cassiek]

Every time I dress there is some level of being turned on. First there is the initial arousal then I am overcome with happiness and joy as I transform into my feminine self. As I get dressed do my make up the arousal part goes away and an overwhelming feeling of calmness settled over my whole body and I get the warmest feeling in my heart.

[Cacique82]

Yes, when I put on my panties and pumps, I cannot help but get turned-on. The feeling I get just cannot be described! I take great satisfaction now in dressing and experiencing all the feelings that go with it...quite transforming!

100% agree. I get turned-on by feeling sexy in lingerie. Or even by debuting a new outfit for my wife.

[Cass42]

Picking out a pair of my shoes on

[beccadeath]

Holy crap...um, hi, new here...glad I wandered into this thread. I could have written like 80% of these posts.

Like many, that's how much of this started. Even though there's a level of dysphoria when looking at myself in a mirror or photos, I feel sexy as hell...and as most have described, the calm and ease that comes with just being the en femme me. It's just wonderful.

[Jill_cd]

Every time I dress there is some level of being turned on. First there is the initial arousal then I am overcome with happiness and joy as I transform into my feminine self. As I get dressed do my make up the arousal part goes away and an overwhelming feeling of calmness settled over my whole body and I get the warmest feeling in my heart.

Wow! I couldn't have said it any better. Thanks for posting Cassie!

[Lacey New]

[QUOTE=Stephanie47;4500708]It's been a long time....very long time...but, probably yes. Now? At 73? Not so much.?

I guess I?m in the same boat as Stephanie. I think I hit my self turn on peak years ago when I was a young bachelor living in apartment by myself years ago.

[Lacyfem]

The answer to that question for me is absolutely as I've dressed since I was 10. It doesn't happen all the time but when I dress I always take photos as I love seeing how I look as a woman both in my lingerie and fully dressed. I want to see how well I can pass as well as improve on my looks as I love to dress somewhat sexy without being ****ty. As I love to dress and satisfy my love of that inside feeling of being a woman I do love when men find me attractive. So sometimes when I go over my images I find myself erotically attractive as I think I may be looking at myself then as a man looking at a hopefully attractive woman. And what man doesn't look at an attractive woman and find them sexy and exciting regardless of age.

[Georgina]

No but if I catch a glimpse of my slip under my dress I get a warm feeling. Back in the fifties and sixties if I got a sighting of slip or petticoat that was my trigger to dress.

[Rochelle77a]

I do get turned on when I dress but it bothers me because I can't hide the bulge. I do fantasize about a lot of things.

[XemmaX]

Sure when i wear my pvc or latex maid uniform bit otherwise no.

[Kendra Sue]

Not as much as I used to. It is still thrilling

[Cheryl T]

When I was much younger it was very common for me to become excited by my dressing and also by looking at the photos I would take during the sessions when I had time.
I feel it is very natural because of the "forbidden" nature of what I was doing as well as the overt sexual nature of the clothing I chose to wear during that period.
Later I found that I become "turned on" not by the clothing or my appearance so much as the wonderful feeling that comes over me. That feeling of femininity and sensuality growing in me excites me, but in a way that is different from the sexual excitement of my youth. There are times when I just feel it emotionally, not physically and those are the best of all.

[Alice Torn]

Having never had a SO or wife, and starved for female beauty and touch, at 66yo now, I have dressed up in dresses and lingerie, and skirt outfits, to resemble the female attractiveness i have been denied all my life, and i do get turned on, to be honest, but i do not dress much anymore, as age, and health and other issues are beckoning. Mere surviving.

[alesha_cd]

I used to believe I was your average garden variety crossdresser but after reading these responses, I?d now have to say no definitely not. I have previously posted about being a fetish dresser, I think it was a docrobbysherry post; ?Where are my fetish dressers at? or something like that.

I am a very sexual person (happily married!) and definitely get turned on every.. single..time.. I dress. I believe I have some non TS form of AGP (if that exists) since I love to see and get turned on by myself dressed up. As I?ve posted before, when I go out to dinner or clubbing to dance with my wife, I prefer venues with mirrors so I can occasionally catch a glimpse of myself in said mirror. It must be some deep seated validation at some level I imagine. I have absolutely no intentions of transitioning, it just feels like I?m a creative artist that trying to take a male body and transform that male image into that of a sexy woman.

Also with my wife?s full support, I will also admit to taking a lot of lingerie photo/video shoots that absolutely turn me on. So my answer to the OP?s question is a definite Yas Queen! Maybe it?s my non Anglo Spanish/Italian ethnicity or maybe it was my liberal Uni experience but I have never been a conservative person. Again, these previous responses make me feel that I may be in the minority but I will wave the fetish flag proudly! :battingeyelashes:

Lux I would have to totally agree with you. I'm very sexual as well, happily married, and get turned on every time I dress. This was true when I was first starting to dress during puberty around age 11 and continues now that I'm in my 50s. Like you, I have no intentions of transitioning. My dressing is just a way to express myself as well as being creative and trying to transform my male self into as much of a female appearance as possible. Once the transformation is complete, I definitely get a turn on from it. It allows me to express a sexual side of me that my male self doesn't. Fortunately I'm blessed to be able to share those experiences with my wife unless of course I'm dressing by myself. She knows how beautiful she is to me because I express it to her often by my actions and words. When dressed, I don't feel as though I'm cheating her by admiring my own appearance because I still greatly admire hers.... and seeing myself transformed is an added benefit for both of us. :)

[dtride]

Yes I do, I do get excited when I put on high heels and a short skirt, I don't get to do it that much,

[Larissa Cassandra]

Yes, especially when in my teens into my early 50s, and now "only" most of the time! Back in the day I got so aroused that I would have to "take care of business" before I was even done dressing and making up!

Since I'm still in the closet (except for my wife), I don't have to worry about the embarrassing bulge in public. But I have another issue that maybe some of you have had too. As I'm dressing, and sometimes even anticipating dressing, I start to "leak" and I usually just use a tissue to protect my panties.

Anyone else experience this?

~Larissa

[Teresa.Smith.VA]

Deleted by Teresa.

[Ginni]

I always get turned on as and after getting dressed. Then I settle in being Ginni and the turn on goes away.

[Pumped]

Just the other evening I was looking through some pictures I took of myself, and ran across pics I can't post here, but heels, stockings and garter belt, some with and some without undies. I love wearing lingerie. I happened to be wearing the same outfit. Turned on? You bet I was! It felt crazy looking at erotic pictures of myself and then looking down and seeing the same clothing. It was weird, like I knew it was me, but still got me going. Lets just say I had to do something about it!

[Julie MA]

Exactly what I experienced.

[Jamie1980]

Definitely! Although when I look in a mirror it is more like admiration. When I look at old pictures of me dressed I see me as other men would see me and then i get all hot and bothered ;)

[jwilliams78]

l have looked at my pics well you know the rest

[SissieScott]

Yes......just yesterday! The wife and I went shopping for outfits for me. When we got home I did my make-up and showed off the outfits.....needless to say the clothes didn't stay on too long! :D

[rosie09]

It happens quite often.

[BustyOlivia]

Today I looked at some photos of myself in lingerie and, for the first time, actually felt aroused by the images. I've been turned on while dressing, combined with fantasy and images of others, but never of myself. Have you?

Julie

I?m the same girl! I love looking at pics now that I got my S Cup Roanyer set!

[Allieboy]

Seeing myself in lingerie is a definite turn on

[Candy]

I get excited to full dress/makeup for pics I take. I go back to look and I will admit I get excited when looking through them.. does feel weird a little turning myself on over pics of myself?

[Jay St]

Yes! I will go back and look at pics i took of myself and get turned on.

- - - Updated - - -

Nice! You look great

[Suzic]

I am working on some good pics of myself. I have a few in undies and one in particular that is very arousing!

[Gigi0366]

All the time girlfriend!
battingeyelashes:

[loricurtis]

Very well said, i mean i would have said the same thing, my wife also helps me do this thing we do

[MarinaTwelve200]

Of course! That's half the fun of the game. Of course I do other things too----experiment, take photos, unwind and relax. ----And FINALLY "relieving" my "tension" which "kills" and ends the session.

[Missy Dawn]

OMG yes And I absolutely agree with you Marina, and like you said once the tension is released then usually so is the turn on and so ends the self lust lol.
Peace and Love
Missy :Peace:

[jennspadeCD]

why yes- its part of the magic and enjoyment for me - i probably wouldn't CD if it wasn't pleasurable. but then again, im only an occasional discreet CD and am fine being and appearing as male most of the time. I have probably thousands of high quality pics - I make it into an artform as well. and yes many, not all, of those are erotic in nature and really for my own pleasure.

[Allieboy]

All part of the wonderful experience of crossdressing even if you do it in secret

[Marcie]

Yes I always get turned on when I am in my very special clothes. It can happen when I put on some nice satin frilly panties an a bra. I am several decades old now but the wonderful experiences never stop

[Vintage4sarah]

For many of us the situations vary, but we all know that we find them pleasing and exciting as well as fulfilling. For Sarah there is always this element when I transform myself to the girl of my dreams. Whether I am simply spending femme time at home, out with friends or alone, or out on dates or at parties, inevitably, whether by accident, intent or part of a passionate romantic experience, it is part of the pleasure of dressing and living my female dream.

[Gilly68]

Yes, I certainly do. Especially looking at the pictures from the makeover I had recently, all made up, with nice hair and cleavage!

Unfortunately though, looking at her, I know I'd be too shy to talk to her, as she's way out of my league! :lol:

[JessFargo]

jennspadeCD

I do the exact same thing. Dressing up short skirt, make up, wig, heels...it's definitely a turn on.

[NickieWild]

To be honest, that is the only reason im doing it. But to each is own 🤭🤭

[Janet Murray]

ha!!!! every time I dress!!!!!

[Donna Lynn]

I am in the yes group , looking down at my legs in stockings and high heels will start me right up. Dressing has been and will continue to be a form of foreplay for me . I have looked in the mirror and said I would do that girl! It has mostly been about sex or leading to sex for me most of my life.

[Allieboy]

Since an early age, just putting on panties was a huge turn - on. Has never changed. Hope it lasts.

[Ashlee]

It's very arousing to dress up. Pulling on the panties and pantyhose does it for me and keeps it that way. When I was younger (teens) starting out you could proverbially bend steel around it. I remember the times I had house sitting for 2 aunts and that one...event. I wish i could relive that.

[BustyOlivia]

I?m the same, back in my teens til today. Big difference is today we have breast forms and prosthetics available instead of some water balloons! I now transform more than dress up!

[Kris Burton]

All of this is a big sexual turn on for me...and keeps me coming back for more! Glad to see others feel the same.

[BustyOlivia]

For sure! Got to have a girls day today and I?m loving my new bigger self!! So today was a good day!

[Jeri Rene]

No. I am still just an unattractive man in women's clothes. I just like the clothing. For me (closeted) it's not a thrill anymore. Once it was but not because of how I looked... probably more because it was " taboo or wrong". Now I fully dress, alone, because I want to.

[Bobbysue]

I get turned on fondling women's cloths in a dept store

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry for the spelling.

[MarinaTwelve200]

But of course---it's almost the point of the exercise ;)

[mollymulligan]

Absolutely, it's a huge turn on for me and makes it worth dressing. I love looking at myself dressed, but not so much in male mode.

[Steph7]

I'm feel sexy...I'm aroused when my wife is close to meet and we are dressed.

[Geena75]

It is good to know I'm not alone in this regard. Just the other day, I was reviewing some Geena photos and video and I got distinctly 'turned on.' Something about it made Geena look especially feminine. It took a while to clear my head from that.

[Ms_Veronica]

After reading all of these responses I'm not sure where I am anymore in regards to this... Certainly when I was younger it was very much a turn on all on its own, now not really... I can put on what I am wanting to wear and feel sexy/pretty, but its pretty much left at that.. The idea of me being a fully featured/transitioned woman does make me happy though, so I do wonder if I'm more in the trans camp than anything else.

[Genifer Teal]

Another part of the theory that supposedly applies to AGPs is the idea of erotic target location error (ETLE). Basically, this says that the AGP is attracted to himself as a woman and becomes his own girlfriend. That's kind of what this thread is about.

Not aroused by dressing at all now. The first time I got aroused may have been the first time I wore pantyhose. I've heard it said that a natural response to sexual relief is for the brain to imprint that stimulus as something that's good. This is so we imprint on our mate and hopefully stick around for more. This etle thing you discuss could be related. It may not be an error it may just be the way our brains work. For whatever reason we turn our self on and then imprint that and then "wash rinse repeat" so to say and that reinforces the imprint to that good stimulus. If it's the female form we are attracted to it would make sense that we could be attracted to our self (if we find ourself attractive - no judgement. Lol) once that imprint is made it tends to stick around. This logical Theory it's something I've considered all along because it kind of makes sense. Now I might have a cool technical acronym for it. Thanks for that!

[TexasLegs]

Absolutely I turn myself on. I suppose it is autogynephilia. I don't know.

When I dress, I try to turn myself into the woman my guy self would want to ravage. So naturally, when I succeed, I turn myself on.

[HK SPICY GIRL]

I always turn on by my own picture , it is because all the pictures are waring sexy dresses.

[JessFargo]

It's definitely a turn on. I have a fantasy where we are all dressed up sex6 and we tease each other.

[Sallee]

Absolutely, My first bra and panties, way to many years ago, was a major turn on. Now not so much I do enjoy dressing and looking good, I won't say sexy because my desire is to blend and be fashionable which can be hard. But like may of us I think I enjoy looking in the mirror. When I am out and I catch a reflection of my self I enjoy it and usually surprised that I look so different from drab self. So yes I guess I can say it is a turn on. What that, means sexually I am not sure. Its to me, at least kind of like admiring a pretty girl, not that I would ever approach them, Like admiring a beautiful piece of art.

[brit_cd]

I admit i get turned on looking at myself in the mirror. Especially my long hair and shaved bits. Weird maybe but i like it.

[Jessica Secret]

Given that I wear beautiful/romantic lingerie & sleepwear to bed every night, OH YES. :battingeyelashes:

[MarinaTwelve200]

But of course! its HALF the fun---or more.

[Raiku1313]

i get turned on a lot. especially when i become Raiku. however my wife loves it *wink wink*. lol