Two main types of crossdresser?

[LauraCassidy]

I read that crossdressers like Eddie Izzard and Pete Burns do not crossdress for sexual fetish reasons whereas I am a fetishistic crossdresser. So, are there 2 main types: Fetish and non-fetish crossdressers? And here's a further question for any crossdressers out there belonging to the former group? What item of female clothing gets your juices firing? In my case it's sheer tights with elegant stilettos The tights (and other items) on their own wouldn't do much for me but when I then slip into the pumps....oooooooh ...that's when I overload

Laura

[Jezebella]

If those are the only two types, either they must not be mutually exclusive or I'm doing it all wrong by straddling the line.

I have a thing for elaborate gowns and dresses with long flowing skirts. Maybe in a previous life I lived in the Renaissance period.

[AKAMichelle]

A lot of it has to do with your age. When I was much younger, my crossdressing had a sexual or fetish component to it.

Being old enough to be your father, I can tell you things change.

[Stina84]

My crossdressing has both sides to it. I love the erotic part of it and wouldn't want to be without it but I also dress up to enjoy the feminine feeling and getting away from all the pressures of being male and constantly having to be strong, competitive, assertive and so on.

I fall into both categories and I am happy by having it this way.

[docrobbysherry]

We don't seem to get many from fetish dressers!

Some mite disagree with your, "two types of dressers", theory! However, as a "fetish dresser", I believe u HAVE left something important out!

Sometimes, I'm turned on by the APPEARANCE of the woman in the mirror.
Other times, it's the FEEL of what I'm wearing!
And sometimes, BOTH!

As to what "look" does it for me, they ALL DO! As long as I see an ATTRACTIVE woman in the mirror, it doesn't matter what she has, (or doesn't have), on.

I appreciate DIFFERENT looks for Sherry. The same as I do with REAL WOMEN! THEY r ALL my inspiration!

[Sally24]

So, are there 2 main types: Fetish and non-fetish crossdressers?

Sort of........
I prefer to lable it more that one is transgendered (has some kind of gender issue) and the other is attracted by the erotic component of the clothing or gender change. And of course these aren't neccesarily mutual exclusive. I consider myself borderline on TS but there is still some erotic component to all of this, not a large part of it for me, but it is there.

Some start for the excitement and then discover they have other reasons for the attraction, usually later in life.

[i_am_stefani]

A lot of it has to do with your age. When I was much younger, my crossdressing had a sexual or fetish component to it.

Being old enough to be your father, I can tell you things change.

I will have to respectfully disagree with this. Well, I don't know about everyone else, but I'm 18 years old and my 'dressing has absolutely nothing to do with a sexual fetish. I do it purely on a comfort basis. Maybe I'm just more mature than most people my age, maybe I'm not, but I know for me, it's not a fetish.

[Daniela76]

There's definitely not just 2 types of crossdresser.

I have completely accepted the feminine side of myself & get no erotic thrill from tucking & dressing during the day. At night I can wear pajamas & camis and still be content.

However I tried sleeping in tights the other night. Bad idea!!! All the feelings that tights invoke came together & I couldn't sleep. Finally gave into temptation & when done I just wore my nightshirt & panties & fell asleep quickly.

[jasmine57]

Many years ago like a bunch of the girls I was dressing for the erotic side of it. Now I dress to show my femmenine side and the erotism is all but gone. I do tend to agree that there seem to be 2 different kinds of dressers but it doesn't have to be exclusively one or the other. There seems to be a lot of girls who enjoy both sides of it.

[LauraCassidy]

Well, i'll concede that it's not completely mutually exclusive in my case: I get a huge thrill from walking down a busy public street as an elegant lady, as well as the eroticism associated with the stilettos. Quite simply I have a huge fetish for stilettos both watching GGs in them and trying them on myself. OK, you can belong to both categories. So are most of the crossdressers on this site dressing for non-fetish reasons?

Laura

[Danielle Gee]

Tere are two kind of people in this world....


one kind believes there are two kinds of people in this world

and the other kind don't

[Terrihoney]

I tend to think of a sliding scale. At one end are the fetish type, some who dress themselves or collect certain clothing articles. The drive is more for sexual arousal.
At the other end of the spectrum are those who are more comfortable in femminine wear. There is little or no sexuality involved. Getting dressed is just getting dressed.
As previously said, when younger, I was easily aroused, but just about anything had the same effect Now, I dress to relive stress and feel better. Terri has much less responsibilities. Spoiled b***h.
I can make myself look hot and sexy, because I can, that's why. It doesn't do anything for me 'down there'.
My GF is still trying to figure this out. How come, as a woman, I'm not attracted to men? Because, my dear, my brain is still the same and desires a woman as a partner. That's me anyway. There are no catagories to box us in.

Hugs, Terri

[SweetCaroline]

I don't think it's wise to say that fetish dressers are a separate group, but rather that fetish dressing is one aspect of crossdressing among many. For some it may be the only reason, for others (primarily the TS/ full time dressers) it my be non-existent, but I think for most of us it's just one part of the journey, that some of us move beyond, but we can always go back to if we so chose. It probably depends on the individual.

There was certainly a time in my life were the very thought of crossdressing was an arousing thing for me, but I deliberately chose to leave that behind when I decided to go out a become a public dresser. It doesn't mean I can no longer be aroused by dressing, but I found other reasons for dressing rather than just sexual pleasure. I may have lost some (tho not all) of the the sexual aspects of dressing that dominated my teen and young adult years, but in it's place I gained a new social role and a psychological satisfaction that I didn't have when I was in the closet. So in that sense I'm closer to a non-fetish dresser, and it doesn't mean the thrill is gone entirely. But the fetish aspect of dressing isn't the only aspect of dressing for me either.

[sterling12]

I've read a couple of those "Scholarly Books." The ones that describe us as one type or the other, with an absolutism that I find bizarre. I don't believe ANY of us fall into such neatly defined categories, and I resent it when supposed experts want to make their academic reputation by creating such myths.

If I understand the term "Fetish," it describes an object that an individual MUST have, to perform The Sex Act. Ergo....if I can have Sex with someone without wearing or using some piece of clothing, I am NOT a "Fetishist!"

Personally, Joanie started dressing around the age of Four. Long before there were any feelings associated with sexuality. And, I don't think I fit "The Alternative Diagnosis Description" either. Joanie is a complete personality in her own right, and both of us refuse to be defined by others. I feel no need to find some Psychologist/Psychiatrist/Therapist somewhere who wants to put a label on my behavior, by providing a Diagnosis. I have read enough books which seem to have been written by someone on another planet, totally unaware of My World. "I ain't broke, so don't try and fix me!" "I need new tires for The Car.....that's a lot more important."

I'm not "Doggin'" our originator of this thread, my beef is with all these "Experts" who create these dumbass labels. Whoa to us, if we meekly accept their definitions.

Peace and Love, Joanie

[kayesimone]

definitions...seems a safe way to say i can justify this but i am certainly not that ! i enjoy reading about the definitions and the debate. i just enjoy being me and looking for that special guy or girl who enjoys me too...

[NathalieX66]

How come no one ever mentioned a 3rd type?....you know, the gender-bending androgynous male, with the long hair (and dyed to whatever color), earrings, maybe some black nail polish, and a glittery scarf. Call it emo or goth or glam, or whatever.....maybe even Renn Faire or hippie. You see them on every college campus, and that includes myself back in the day, high schools too!

The whole idea was to push the limits of style. No fetish here. The whole point is to challenge conventional attitudes. College kids can do that. Once employers pay you a decent salary for you to represent them, it becomes a different story, thus the kind of compromises one faces when growing up. In my case, I love what I do, therefore decisions had to be made in regard to my physical appearance. I used to have hair past my shoulders and penciled eyeliner, and nobody gave a at's rass. This is not crossdressing in my opinion, this is a personal style.
I was dissapointed when George Steinbrenner forced Johnny Damon to cut his long hair when joined the NY Yankees ( I hate this team passionately) after he left the Red Sox.

[suzypier]

Hi, I feel exactly the same when I slip into the pumps. By the way I love your avatar picture, it's very erotic. Suzy

[VeronicaMoonlit]

There are as many types of crossdressers (and other transfolk) as there are crossdressers, (and transfolk).

Sure there's some general archetypes, but within those big fuzzy clouds of data points, there's a lot of variance.

Veronica Rogers

[tanya1976]

A lot of it has to do with your age. When I was much younger, my crossdressing had a sexual or fetish component to it.

Being old enough to be your father, I can tell you things change.

God, I hope not lol!

[Elsa von Spielburg]

I agree it's most likely a "sliding scale" as opposed to two big boxes. That said, I am firmly on one side; I'm absolutely in the same boat as you, Laura. Heels alongside stockings/tights/fishnets/whathaveyou and feminine underthings are at the root of my CD-ing. Add in the woman-on-woman action thanks to my wonderful GF and we have a grand time going. It's not a "need" for me in the bedroom (which is the technical definition of a fetish), but a very big, arousing "want".

Of course, there are plenty of times where I want to go the full mile and dress as fancy and lady-like as possible, so there are plenty of varying aspects for me to explore. It'll be plenty exciting.

[Nicola2876]

Crossdressing was definately an arousing experience when I started doing it a lot. I used to race home from school to slip on a pair if tights. Now it's more of a natural thing for me to do. I really enjoy it but not as a sexual thing. It's who I am but I also have gender issues which I understand doesn't account for everyone on here.

[jenna_woods]

guess I am doing something wrong for I don't fit in ether one, for no sexual to my dressing is not sexual,

[charlie]

I would say from the replies that it appears that there is continum of the two types of crossdressers. It appears that we start with the dressing being just erotic and the clothes are used to bring on the sexy feelings. Slowly, that dressing changes into just dressing to be feminine. I seldom dress as a fetish thing where I dress, get turned on, then take everything off. I dress to be the best girl I can be and head out the door.

[Kate Simmons]

Hmm--Kind of like Pica and Elite or Beta and VHS, no?

[Jonianne]

There are only two kinds of husbands. Those who get married because their wives make them feel erotic. And those who get married because they just love their wives minds.