Your preferred term?

I can't call it just wearing cloths since there's also wigs, makeup and jewelry involved. Trying to walk like a woman in heels isn't just cloths either. I don't call it anything other than crossdressing.

I call it "Running the Gauntlet" When I go out every creep, idiot, nut job seems to be on the same street I walk down.

My wife will ask me if I had a chance to Dress. So I call it Dressing.

When I'm out of the house I call it "not subject to arrest for being naked".

Yes, it's comfortable, but it's not the only thing that makes me comfortable. Not a hobby in itself, although developing a sense of fashion that works for me has the creative aspect associated with a hobby. Getting Pretty is a relative term, maybe attempting to approach pretty? Way of Life extends well beyond just the female clothing I might wear, because in my life I wear male stuff as well, sometimes both at the same time. It's not my only secret so I can't use that. Dressing implies there is a realistic option for being naked and I'm just not that much of a sadist to push that on others. I've tried "Getting my Girl On" from time to time and that approaches the outward expression, but there probably isn't a single word that doesn't already have other meanings.

Maybe I have to call it "Outwardly Expressing Sarah" or maybe "Showing Sarah", since my insides don't necessarily change regardless of the clothes, makeup, hair, forms, shoes and accessories I choose to wear.

h-m-m-m. Let's see now...
Well, I wear panties all the time. They're just my undies. In fact, if I have to put on a male pair (I own two) for things like doctor visits - they're my 'boy undies'
At nights or lounging about the house, I'll be in nighties and possibly a robe. This the wife is OK with, and will even suggest "Why don't you go and get comfy?"
I don't do anything else around her (She doesn't want to see it and I respect her wishes - a limitation *I* can live with), but if I mention it, I'll say something like "getting more girly."
In my heart of hearts, I think of it as being able to express the 'real, inner' me.

I call it relaxing my wife will ask me what I am doing when out of town and I say relaxing and she will say oh I see I am talking to Laura tonight. I describe my self as a crossdresser

I call it "Tranny'ing". Sometimes perhaps "doing drag full time". I live this full time.

Not PC terms by a long shot but I am not good at PC

Before I found this forum, it was probably my dirty little secret. Now I know that there are others like me, and while crossdressing is still not "normal" it is far from totally unique. So now, my crossdressing is just my secret - no longer a dirty one.

I agree with pretty much all the above descriptions at some point . I tell my wife Susan`s my `alter ego` . She understands that and agrees that my different side of me `comes out`when i`m fem and she finds me a `nicer` ,easier to talk with person as that I`m much more relaxed. Hmmmmm

I call it Living my Truth as a gender fluid person.

Hi Little G :hugs:, It's just who I am and it's just what I do, No labels needed.>Orchid...:daydreaming:...

If I had to describe crossdressing. I would describe it just as "ME." It is so much a part of ME that describing it would be impossible for ME.

A way of life

I call it 'breaking gender norms' that say how men have to dress and what men can wear.

hello,
"dressing up" is one of my hobbies; one that I do in private but not in secret,
luv J

OMG "relieving stress" (my preferred term). My dressing is a perfect storm of sexuality, job related issues and how it just feels right. Also its a win win with my GF when I tell her; hey do mind if I dress or she will say, you should dress today?

Although I'm not "out" I think of it similarly to Tracii, it is just part of who "me" is.

Simply put, it's who I am.

No two people are exactly the same.

If someone wants to put a label on me, that is beyond my control of course. :)

An art form. I have fun with it. :battingeyelashes::)

For me, its a form of acting. I like being able to get myself into a skirt or dress and then start adopting female mannerism action. I've been told that when I'm dressed as a woman that my eye contact is so much better than when I'm in drab.

I just think of it as the way I am. I am out to the people closest to me, but I can't help thinking that there is residual guilt , or social programming, that keeps me from being out to the larger world. In can't help thinking that I would be of greater service to the community if I could just get over those last barriers to living as my true self.

It is a way of life for me. I would call it dressing.

I call it dressing, my hobby, an art form or one of my favorite pastimes. My wife ask me what I did on my day off the other day and I just smiled, she said, ah, you were taking selfies again! That's why you're is such a great mood.

I started calling it a secret hobby. Till eventually it became a secret life style. Now it is a semi-secret life style.

It's more about gender and less about clothing for me.....

And I misplaced my current issue of the international glossary of terms, but there's many to choose from for folks who identify as mid-spectrum trans: non-binary, gender fluid, gender non-conforming, gender variant, dual/bi-gendered.....etc, etc.