Late Bloomers?

On another thread there's a discussion on "How I started..." and it seems more often than not the ladies here either began, or at least identified an affinity for, crossdressing from a relatively early age in life. Whether open or hidden, CD appears to have been part of their entire adult life for many (most?) here. (I'm really trying not to make any generalities, this is my observation from reading similar themed threads).

I just didn't have these early-mid life experiences or feelings. It was in my mid 60's that I bought a dress in which all I have been able to come up with was "out of curiosity". Within a few months I had purchased my own wardrobe, wigs, forms, etc. and have been dressing whenever possible since then. Sure, that curiosity I felt probably had been lurking in the background for a couple of years and took a while to come to taking action but even with that, the stage of life when I discovered this aspect of myself appears uncommon although I doubt I'm alone.

Does anyone else here consider themselves a CD "late bloomer"? If so, what were/are your challenges and successes related to this? Question for the "early bloomers": Do you think this makes any significant difference other than the unavoidable lifetime of experience gap?

Gail

PS: I'm genuinely curious what others think so please feel free to PM me if you don't want to post on the open forum

Look up Heather76 I think. 70+ and only really started five years ago.

As for me, probably started with my mothers things anywhere from 9-12 years old. I really don?t remember exactly. Roughly a 50 year veteran. I?ve joked with my wife that I?ve probably been wearing bras longer than she has.

I experimented in my early teens then walked away, except for the occasional pantyhose purchase, for many years. I really didn't begin to experiment again until in my early 50's. Going to group meetings I notice that most of those attending are closer to my age and most of them seem to be late bloomers. I think there's a fair amount of "I want to try this while I still can."

I'm not a late bloomer. First interest in woman's clothes started around 9 years old.

My husband started in his sixties.

MY experience is a lot like yours Gail. I had no crossdressing experiences as a child or a teen - the notion of same never even occurred to me. I experimented a bit with my wifes pantyhose in my early 40s - but it was little more than a try-on out of curiosity. I did like it, but put this inclination away considering little more than a kink of sorts. Five years ago my wife was called out of town for a few days and I decided to experiment again, this time with my own things. The fact that these were my garments seemed to make the difference. My femme identity emerged quickly thereafter. I came out to my wife within a few weeks, she was accepting and supportive, and now here we are.

So yes, I'm a late bloomer too - and the better person for it!

Same here Gail. I bought my first skirt, top, heels, and gaff mainly to get the obsession with trans out of my system at the age of 56. Well 8 years have passed now and the obsessions haven't left yet...

Up until my 50's it never occurred to me to try on women's things. Altho I had plenty of opportunities with girl friends and wife.:battingeyelashes:

I credit it to a hormonal change caused by meds I began taking then for my prostate!:eek:

More like a cicada. This part of me was lying dormant seemingly hidden underground, for decades, and then emerged to see the light of day. I hope I persist longer post emergence than the average cicada.

VERY early bloomer here.

As soon as I knew that there was a difference (3-4?), I wanted to be a girl, and I think that in my very young mind, that if I put on girl things, maybe it would somehow help change me into one. So - I would "borrow" my sister's things to wear.

It didn't work.
I got caught and in trouble for it.
So I learned to hide, and for the most part still do, even to this day.

I bloomed early in my early teens. Now I?m pretty well wilted

Gail, I started early I think around 5th grade I dressed as a girl for my school Halloween party, I remember my early teens dressing every opportunity possible then wearing some of my wifes clothes in my twenties and thirties after that in my mid fifties I started dressing on overnight business trips that is when I started venturing out to malls, restaurants and hotels dressed as a woman. I would consider myself a late bloomer when it comes to dressing in public and as I have aged the dressing desire is very high.

Gail, not a late bloomer at all. I remember being drawn to women's clothes from 4ish on.

Hi Gail :hugs:, I started at 4 or 5 with moms Nylons, >Orchid**O:daydreaming:O**

I;m in the 8-12 age group, starting with my sister and mom things.

I started at around 11-12 but remember when I was 8 that I wanted to be a girl, wear a leotard and go to ballet school

I started much younger.

I consider myself to be a late bloomer. I was in my mid 50s when I first put on a pair of panties. As far as I can remember, I never had any experiences with my mothers clothes at any time, neither did I have any inclination to try my wifes clothes. I was looking for some new male thongs, couldn't find any nice ones, so asked the wife if we could look in the womens dept. That was the moment that I went down the slippery slope.

I?m not a late bloomer, but these stories of such are quite interesting. Seems like none of us understand the pull no matter when it happens.

Wow! That's quite an array of answers.
Early 40s for me, and i thought that i woz late to the party. Evidently not....

My experience I guess is kind of a mixed bag - always felt my body was missing breasts as a kid - my body felt strangely incomplete without them, but I didn?t really have a huge desire for fem clothing, makeup wigs etc? until after coming out to wife 3 - 4 years ago. Never really wanted to actually be a girl when younger but that has changed with aging- still don?t know.
Very interesting that the CD desires don?t start until later in life for some but in end I don?t think it really matters as we end up in the same place anyway.

Not me. It's among my very earliest memories.

Didn't discover the woman within until I was 55. Now, 11 years later, we are happily non-binary!

Compared to other members who started before 5, I was a pretty late bloomer, starting at the ripe age of 11.

Not the story for me.
I'm never late, LOL. I began this 70 years ago (that's actually shocking to say) and have enjoyed it ever since.

Early bloomer here. Around 6, I think. Couldn?t believe the wonderful feeling of nylons. Nothing has changed to this day. Off black today

For me i was in my teens when I first started dressing. At that point it was mostly underwear.
It was not until I was in my mid 40's that I tried other clothes, Bras, Undergarments and dresses.
Then I was REALLY hooked. No going back now.

I tried on my mom?s and sister?s bras a few times when they were left hanging in the bathroom as a young teen. After marrying at 18, I tried a couple. Of items on out of curiosity. It didn?t take.

I was 55 when it went from curiosity to a desire.to have my own femme things. Now, at 70,half (and my favorite part ) of my wardrobe femme.

Early starter. My mother had given my sister some old clothes to play dress-up. I was secretly wearing those around the age of 8 if I was alone in the house. I'd wanted to wear dresses since I was about 4. At that age I'd never really seen girls - all the kids in my street were boys until a family with a pretty little girl moved in. When I saw her, I wanted to be like her.
By the time I was in my early teens I was secretly dressing in my sister's clothes.
I remember my mother buying my sister her first pairs of panties that were women's rather than kids. I was so envious of those. They were a stretchy, purple nylon mesh with ruffles. I didn't care for the colour, but loved the look and feel. My sister didn't like them so they ended up at the back of her underwear drawer, never to see the light of day (or so she thought - they did get worn from time to time!).
One day she filled a bag with clothes she no longer wanted and put them near the trash.
I got the opportunity to go through them and rescued those panties and a bikini. They were the first female items I legitimately owned. I think I was about 17.