what, why, when?

[jacques]

hello,
a while ago (2009) I had a website about men wearing pantyhose and crossdressing.
I analysed when, why and how we started. This was not any sort of controlled survey but the data was mostly gathered from members' posts on this and other web based groups.
I though I would share the information again here. I had done the research to try to understand my own crossdressing, which started with tights (pantyhose) when I was young.
I hope you find the info interesting. I paste the conclusions below and will post more details in other pasts.
luv J

Age

The most common age for starting to cross-dress or wear tights is 12 years old (10 % and 17% respectively).

The cross dressing men seem to start wearing female clothing at a younger age than the pantyhose wearers - 49 % had started before they were 9 years old compared with 39% of the pantyhose wearers.

Who's clothing.

The majority of men first wore their mothers' pantyhose, whereas a larger proportion of cross-dressers started by wearing their sisters' clothes. About 11 percent of men first wore their wives' or girlfriends' hosiery, whereas only about 5 percent of cross-dressers started wearing the partners clothing.

Reason for starting.

Men often were attracted to wearing pantyhose by the feel of the fabric and general curiosity about the garment. Others started when they started to notice women in a sexual way, several remember noticing their schoolteacher wearing them. Six percent started as part of "bedroom games" with the female partner. Some started out of practical reasons - for sport, outdoor work or to relieve aching legs.

Cross-dressing men often wished to be female or dress as a female. Others were dressed in girls' clothing by parents, childminders, female relatives or friends. Some started as a result of having to dress as a female for an event such as a play of halloween (a much stronger tradition in the USA than the UK). A few started following a stressful event or even some sort of abuse.

What did they wear first?

I have assumed that men who wear pantyhose did not start wearing other women's clothing first.

Cross-dressing men mostly started wearing underwear, rather than the garments that give an outward appearance of being female. A minority were influenced such things by makeup, hairstyles or even playing with a doll. Some of the answers are dependent on the current fashions when the man started - tights only became available in the mid-1960s so men starting before then would not have worn them; legwarmers were an 1980s fashion.

p.s. a recent medical issue has made me realise that I should share this again, I hope you don't mind.

[jacques]

hello
this is my research that I published in 2009,
luv J

36.5% - mother

31.9% - sister

5.6% - girls - friends, sisters of friends, daughter's of neighbours

5.4% - girlfriends and wives

4.9% - bought own

4.8% - female cousin

2.3% - grandmother

2.1% - found them

2.1% - aunt

2.0% - adult neighbour

1.0% - stole

1.0% adapted own clothing or bedding

0.5% adult female room mate

[jacques]

hello,
this is my research published in 2009
luv J

16.6% - panties

16.0% - tights or pantyhose

7.8% - bra

7.7% - dress

7.6% - stockings, nylons or thigh high hold-ups

4.1% - skirt

4.0% - high heels

3.8% - girdle

3.4% - shoes

3.1% - slip

3.1% - make up

3.0% - leotard

2.5% - swimwear

2.0% - lingerie

1.6% - top (including blouse, jumper...)

1.4% - nightie

1.3% - petticoat

1.2% - suspender belt (garter belt)

1.1% - socks (including knee highs)

1.1% - boots

0.9% - nail varnish

0.9% - played with doll

0.7% - girls gym uniform

0/7% - girls school uniform

0.6% - jeans (or other trousers)

0.5% - cheerleaders uniform

0.4% - jewellery

0.4% - tutu

0.3% - wig

0.3% - shorts

0.2% - hat

0.2% - dressing gown

0.2% - scarf

0.2% - coat

0.2% - breast forms

0.1% - other

0.1% - pyjamas

0.1% - perfume

0.1% - leg warmers

0.1% - leggings

0.1% - jacket

0.1% - gloves

0.1% - apron

0.1% - vest

[Kitty Sue]

Interesting. I started around age 4 I think. I liked the idea of being a woman. I was surrounded by strong and capable women who I thought were amazing. I loved spending time with them.

I remember dressing in my mums clothing a couple of times and she did not mind. I think she even put makeup on. I remember thinking how much I enjoyed that experience.

However, it was not until age 12 or 14 that I really started to get into cross dressing by wearing under garments of family members.
Age 17 I went into a lingerie store and bought my first garter belt and matching stockings.

[jacques]

hello Kitty Sue,
I think many of us go through phases of crossdressing.
for me I first wore my sister's tights when I was about 7 years old because I wanted to dress like Robin Hood! Then in my early teens is was an erotic thing. Then I stopped until a couple of years after I married - that was caused by stress. When our children left home I could crossdress any evening I wished. Now it is just a part of me - my feminine side.
I am so lucky to have such a supportive wife - she says "it is only clothes" and treats it perfectly naturally.
thank you for your reply,
I wish you good health and happiness,
luv J

[Robbiegirl]

My mother and Aunt made me switch clothes with my sister to tey and fool anold Nanny wo was coming to visit when I was about 5.
In those days girls wore dresses alomost everyday !

[Kris Burton]

As I've mentioned in this forum before and as I've outlined in your earlier post. the first time it even entered my mind was as a joke with my (soon to be) wife, as I put on her nightgown. I like dit a lot, even though i denied it at the time. For a couple of years I would occasionally sneak on a pair of her stockings or dress when she was not around. I stopped for a good 30 years in between before starting again last summer, when I purchased some clothes of my own and began actively - very actively! Like you, my wife is supportive and sees it as just clothes, and seems to enjoy sharing that interest with me.

[NancySue]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting. I started around 5 at the invitation of next door sisters to play ?dress up?, which was no big deal, until I put on nylon stockings?then my Mom?s hose, bra, girdle, underdressed, etc. The rest is history. I?m blessed with a supportive wife and continue to dress daily.

[tifftg]

Interesting data. My personal experience, age 13 in my mother's panty drawer. Then stockings and an open bottom girdle. A year later my sister went off to college and left some boxes behind, that was heaven. I can still close my eyes and picture the light pink and light blue girdles. Off and on for the next 50 plus years. Wishing I was starting now, the world is a very different place in terms of acceptance and support.

[AndyB]

I was about 11 in the laundry basket with my mum's tights - all tan in her case, no black or other colours :( I've loved pantyhose and tights on my skin ever since.

[Debbie Denier]

As mentioned in other post. Mothers tights. Like Andy B tan at the time. I went to mixed sex secondary school . Most of the female teachers wore tights. So did many of the fem pupils . I was fascinated and drawn to the girls that wore nylons aged 14 onwards.. The subtle differences in shades and deniers and how sheer some were. Aged 16 one fem class mate wore a pair of barely black sheers. This inspired me to buy my own . We went on holiday with female cousin . First time a saw her with full make up ,white dress , black tights and stilleto heels.I had a strange feeling and desire to look and be like her. This started a journey of full dressing, guilt, shame and purges.Finally self acceptance but not by my family. Would love to see your website if still available Jacques.

[docrobbysherry]

Thank goodness! I'm way up there in this category, .06%.

I feel so normal now!:)

[SaraLin]

More data for you -

I'm not sure about age - I guess I'd say 6 or 7 when I first started actively dressing. Before that, I can't really remember what I was up to.
First items - dresses or skirts "borrowed" from my sister. Soon after, I found boxes of old outfits in my grandparents' attic. Again dresses - but now with slips underneath.
I'm not sure when panties, etc. came into the mix. I just knew somewhere along the line that boy undies just weren't "right."

[alwayshave]

I was 4 or 5 and it was a Merry Widow that my mother wore under her wedding dress.

[GretchenM]

Jacques, your "research" into all of this is very, very interesting indeed. Of course, it is not a scientific sampling, but it is still very interesting and seems to follow patterns that are well recognized among the experts. I am going to save your posts here as well as in the other thread regarding this subject so I can examine it all much more closely. Actually, it is not a lot different from what some of the scientific studies have done simply because this kind of information that is gathered in a structured sampling plan is next to impossible to do and be completely representative with controlled variables. So, in my mind, it is useful and telling information, indeed.

Personally, I started about 6 or 7 years old although I had those weird internal feelings that I was maybe different or possibly actually a girl much earlier. I liked the boy things and activities as well, but I loved the girl things and activities so much better. I consider that as being the initiation of what, about 60 years later, would work out to being a non-binary identity of the mix and match type with no clearly defined gender identity in the binary sense, but definitely a female-like preference.

I began dressing with my mother's clothes (only child). Then I got caught and quickly ended up going into stealth mode (in the closet). I really wished I had been born a girl, but the dastardly deed was done and I was a boy. There have been a vast variety of ups and downs along the way until 2012 when I had to come out or do something drastic. I could no longer continue the deception of being thoroughly male. A terrifying step but it has worked out pretty well and I have settled into a comfortable pattern of female-like thinking and full expression on rare occasions. But now mostly a lot of deeper female-like behaviors people like and a mild mix and match type of gender expression that isn't too hard to figure out what is going on in the core of my identity.

Thank you for your contribution to furthering our understanding.

[marieclaire]

I love pantyhose and the feel of it on my body. I love touching the tights when I'm wearing them.
On another forum, I did a search on "At what age did you first wear a bra" (2020). 53% started between 10 and 15 y/o, during puberty. It's in this range that girls start wearing bras - and that boys discover they start wearing bras.

[ScientiaMetallum]

As I've already related elsewhere:

When: I was 8 or 9, I think. Maybe younger, actually. Honestly, I don't really remember when, but I remember my mindset was that of a child (see "why"), but I was already relatively tall (then again, I was always the tallest in class).
What: My first item was a one-piece swimsuit. It was my mother's and somewhat fit, which is why I say I was relatively tall.
Why: Curiosity. I just wondered why women and men dressed differently. Specifically, at the pool I wondered why women had different swimsuits and how it would be to wear one. I think I didn't like having my chest bare, I was already quite prude in childhood.

These days, I own quite a few items of women's clothing, but specifically a lot of skirts and nightgowns (short and long). I wear panties everyday, except the odd occasion like a doctor's appointment, and nightgowns every night. A camisole under my T-shirt and sweater in colder months.
Skirts whenever I'm at home, sometimes with a blouse depending on whether I'm expecting to videoconference or not that day.

I look ridiculous in women's clothing with a beard and thinning hair (no wig), but I'm the only one who sees it, so it doesn't matter too much.

[Karren H]

Well I was 7 and pantyhose had not been invented yet! Ok so Wikipedia says it was just invented but my mother did not wear them for years. I do not remember the first thing I tried on but it may have either been a frilly pink baby doll nightie, a girdle, or a bra. Probably all three in that order, all on the same fateful evening. Do not know exactly why but my mother always told me I was supposed to have born a girl and my sister had just been born when I started.

Can not remember when I first tried on pantyhose but I do remember that it was the first fem thing I bought for myself. At age 17. Really did not do anything for me compared to a bra and a girdle. They were my go to items.

[Jade P]

Age: I started crossdressing when I was around 10 yo.

Who?s Clothing: My mother?s pantyhose and makeup

Reason: I was curious about how they would look and feel on my legs. How I could look in makeup.

As an Adult: I would buy my own womens clothing mostly pantyhose but once I bought a wig, dress and high heels). Purged when I was engaged. After marriage I would occasionally wear pantyhose until 2018. Now its pantyhose, panties, lipstick and removing body hair. I also just purchased a satin nightgown. I want to dress more feminine in the future