Do You Tend To Dress More As You Age?

[Martha G]

I am now seventy three and my urge to dress has increased as I age.

Do you think the aging process increases the desire?

I have also become more effeminate as well!

[mykell]

hello martha,
you must have been very busy dressing as i have not seen you here for a while,
i think my bout being unemployed during the 08 crash left me with the extra time to explore who i was and now have become,
im farther along than i ever envisioned and accept that this is part of who i am....

[reb.femme]

Hi Martha,

As many of us seem to have found ourselves as we've aged, then maybe that might suggest that the urge to dress increases with age for some. Totally unscientific I know, but I'll brook no challenge to my supposition.

I came out to my wife about four years ago, as I couldn't hold it in anymore, but maybe the real reason was that I couldn't get changed out of the clothes so fast to avoid discovery, due to age related loss of speed.

What I am finding just lately is that I am extremely reluctant to change back, especially after I've had a great time out. In fact, I find it quite emotional at times. The slippery slope beckons, but in what direction though? Currently, I don't know.

Becky

[Pat]

I think people like us tend to dress more as we get more experience dressing. Since gaining experience takes time, it may confound the effect with getting older. Even the oft-noticed fact that as you age you lose your concern over other people's opinions may well be that you're gaining experience that other people's opinions don't matter. So I don't think calendar age plays into it as much as hours of experience. Just my opinion.

[Krisi]

I don't think age has any direct influence on our dressing but once we retire, we have more time to devote to dressing, children have moved out of the house, and we become more comfortable dressed.

[Secret Drawer]

Martha, I have thought about this often. In general it seems there is a progression of sorts for many (if not most) of us. Perhaps our hormonal balance changes as we age and it in part causes our resolve to weaken. I know that I "care less" about who knows as I go along this path. I suppose we also come to terms with our own mortality as we age, and if we don't do it now, then when? Plus the whole "**** in the henhouse" competetive macho thing just isn't all that interesting after a while.
It really is the best thing about aging. We begin to allow ourselves to be who we really are.

Becky, I am with you on the reluctance to change back thing... There are "safe" places I crossdress in public but I don't consider my neighborhood one of them. I find myself with a hint of anger sometimes "hiding" by always going home in drab mode. None the less, with age on our side, one of these days I am just not going to have the energy to care, and just come home as me.

[JustWendy]

With age often comes increased opportunity - retirement, empty nest, or, sadly, divorce/separation. There may also be an aspect of needing time to understand and come to grips with who we are - to accept and to own our gender identity. At least that's what's impacted me - opportunity and acceptance. I'm 68.

Wendy

[Allisa]

Hello Martha, being a young pup at 62 I have found that I too have become more effeminate, due I believe to lower testosterone levels as I age and increasing my desire maybe from living the status quo so long that now it's my turn to live as I please, I've put in my time and now if I want to be a doting old fool than so be it.

[audreyinalbany]

I"m not sure if I dress more as I age, but, as with many things in life I probably care less about others' opinions as I age. So there might just be a bit of liberation there.

[PattyT]

I have always felt an extremely strong urge to dress. There has been no change at all with the passing of years. Judging from the postings this is rather common. The basic urge seems to be inborn for most people and remains a constant factor from a very early age. This seems to be a general rule. Of course there are always exceptions to any rule, and some variation. There may be a semantic problem here such as an "urge to dress" and a "desire to dress." The urge is inborn but the desire or wanting to dress, to ignore any social restrictions or personal inhibitions and instead to dress could increase with age.

There may be other factors giving some people a greater desire to dress, such as more experience and confidence, less care about what others might think, and just more opportunity such as retirement. Coming to terms with being a CD could take time and this could create a greater desire to dress. However, it seems that the basic urge does not change with age.

[josrphine]

Hi Martha, Yes for me, I too dress more. I will be 75 Apr. 27 My wife approves so thats not a problem, as a mater of fact we do go just about every were as sister. For me the only little problem I have is that I am accepted all most every were we go. Then i open my mouth as I am told I have a deep voice, for a women. Working on it. Jo

[Judy-Somthing]

I think it's partly due to wanting to recapture our youth, our fond memories of the good old days.
Like why people pay $400 for a GI Joe from the 60's, because they remember having so much childhood fun with it and want that feeling again.
I remember having so much fun cross-dressing and I still love it. It takes me allot more work to look fem but the feeling is better than drugs.

Side effects of cross-dressing.
*Trouble breathing do to girdles and/or corsets.
*Loss of job, wife, friends. If caught.
*spending way to much time on dressing and thinking about dressing.
*spending to much money on makeup, clothes, wigs

[RADER]

I am now at that golden age of 69; I believe "Jack Benny" was 69 Forever.
That said, I did give up the fish net hose, I stay with sun tan Hose.
I do longer skirts or dresses, in short, I try to look like I remember my
Grandmothers looked in a way. Not all the way, but a lot more conservative
than I use to be. I guess it just goes with the flow.
Rader

[Davinnia]

Strangely, since retiring last year & having more opportunities to dress, I am dressing less. This could be due to being less stressed from work & having found new interests to keep me busy. I still shave & underdress & wear women's jeans & tops but the urge to fully dress just isn't there at the moment.

[Georgina]

As I get older I want to dress more and I don't know why. I get annoyed more now if I have to change back. I also consider it less of a big deal as well, which means that I care less about outing myself.

[BLUE ORCHID]

H Martha , I too am 73 and dress for about 3to4 hours every morning and a couple hours a couple Evenings a week.
I don't dress my age I dress in a much younger age, I'm not ready for support hose and orthopedic shoes like my GrandMother wore.

The only rule for Crossdressing is there are no rules

It's mind over matter, If you don't mind Then it doesn't matter. -......

[Daryl]

I started dressing full time when I retired at 65. About the same time my boobs started growing and are now almost C cup.
I can wear female jeans and shirts and still be able to pass as a man. I'm now 76 and when I'm home I'm in a dress or skirt
and top. I do keep my nails painted all the time. Being single I can dress pretty much how I like.

[Janet Bern]

the older you get the more you dress, I think. I believe our testosterone
falls off as we get older and we slide into a female persona.

[Jenny Doolittle]

Hmmmmm, Interesting question, and I think it has several answers as to why we dress more as we get older.

I have a feeling this will be long winded, but I will try and keep it short. I think in my case, as I get older, I have gained experience, confidence, and desire to be Jenny more and more. Also I think because those close to me now know about my alter-ego, I have less reason to hide.

But deeper then all of that, I think we all have a desire to be that person within, to allow and experience that person we have longed to be ever since a young child.


The fact that now beyond retirement, I no long feel the need to hide so I would not jeopardize my career only makes it easier to be Jenny.

I would encourage all here to try and enjoy that person you are deep within yourself, as soon as possible. I know my only regret was that I was too shy and afraid of what others would think of me that I nearly missed the joys of who I really am!

[SIZE=1]- - - Updated - - -[/SIZE]

I think it's partly due to wanting to recapture our youth, our fond memories of the good old days.
Like why people pay $400 for a GI Joe from the 60's, because they remember having so much childhood fun with it and want that feeling again.
I remember having so much fun cross-dressing and I still love it. It takes me allot more work to look fem but the feeling is better than drugs.

Side effects of cross-dressing.
*Trouble breathing do to girdles and/or corsets.
*Loss of job, wife, friends. If caught.
*spending way to much time on dressing and thinking about dressing.
*spending to much money on makeup, clothes, wigs

"GI Joe", Not Barbie?

[Jaymees22]

I tend to agree with all the old girls that have posted so far. I retired and found I had a lot of time on my hands and realized I enjoyed dressing more than anything I had tried in the past. I rarely dress my age 71 unless I'm going out and try to blend, even than I think I try too hard to be stylish. Maybe as we get older we realize we don't have that much time left and we should do what makes us feel good while we still can.

[arial]

I think so. I'm in my mid-60's and have gone close to 24/7 lately. Getting up in the morning and getting completely dressed and made up until evening (then getting dressed again) is a daily occurrence. Only thing is that it's pretty much an indoor or backyard situation.

Still not going to venture out into the public arena. That simply isn't going to work for me at all as this is a really small community. Giving some thought about attending something like Fantasia Fair someday. That might be fun I'm thinking, surely educational.

[wanda66]

Hi Martha,
Iam 69 and I dress as often as I can. The last few years my dressing has seen that escalated. Whether that will be because of getting older are more accustomed to the dressing I don't know . I dress conservatively Mostly jeans and sweaters. A little makeup With earrings and a little perfume

[Teresa]

Martha,
Yes I think we do for several reasons.
I expected my CDing to go away, the need to dress would eventually decline, instead it's gone the other way. So why? Personally I've only just come to terms and accepted it, knowing it's been there all the time and denying its needs, as we get older inhibitions tend to fade , I'd hate to think people think I look like an old man in a dress, it certainly doesn't feel like that . I'm not sure if I blame the aging process if that were the case we may be less bothered to make the effort.
I'm not sure if I've become more effeminate, or I've allowed the female side more into the open, all I know is it feels comfortable and great to be living that side of me.

[Ressie]

I'll be 63 next month so I'll get back to you in 10 years! My increase in dressing is mostly because I've been single for 11 years and living alone for most of that time. I'll admit that I've been buying more clothes as time goes on. It won't be long and I'll progress to shopping 12 hours a day!

[sometimes_miss]

Most likely it's due to having more free time on your hands. When we're busy, we focus on the job at hand. I don't feel any desire to don panties, garter belt, stockings and heels while I'm busy slicing lumber, rebuilding my brakes, hanging drywall or sucking water out of the basement with the shop vac. It's when I sit down and rest that the feelings of female come forward into my conscious thoughts.