Maybe I wouldn't crossdress

[Maria 60]

I wrote about this before but I just want to add to it a little. On Christmas morning we were getting dressed and I was putting on pantyhose under male dress pants. I told my wife it's sad that when I was younger on Christmas Day all the women would dress so nice. The women would wear dresses and skirts and I would enjoy seeing all those beautiful pantyhosed legs and always would get a glimpse of some lace from slips. I told my wife I would probably be the only one that day to be wearing pantyhose. We were having fifty guest of family and friends over for lunch and twenty were women. The men were wearing as usual dress pants and dress shirt and just like myself a sport jacket, it seams our style changes very rarely. Most of the women were wearing black pull over sweaters and what looked like leggings or loose pants and either wool socks or no socks at all. Out of twenty women finally my wife's older sister came over wearing a dress and pantyhose. Most of the women weren't even wearing heels, they were wearing those UGGS slippers/shoes, sorry I don't even know what to call them. I heard a few comments to my sister in law how she could be bothered to wear a dress and have to watch over it all the time and how she could bothered wearing pantyhose because there so uncomfortable. Some were even complaining on how they were already dreading they have to dress up for the New Years gala we are all going to.
After everyone left I told my wife I was almost the only one wearing pantyhose and that style has changed and it's more about comfort and not to get me wrong all the women looked presentable. Not that I was saying they looked like slubs. I told my wife I overheard the women already complaining about getting dressed up for New Years, and my wife told me that last year she borrowed a dress and pantyhose from me but she can't be bothered this year and she's thinking of just wearing dress pants and a top. Wow! New Years was the one day my wife would wear a dress and pantyhose and now shes not going to this year. I told her New Years Gala I may be the only person wearing pantyhose again. I told my wife it really makes me wonder if I was born in this day and age if I would become a crossdresser because everything that attracted me to it almost doesn't exist anymore. How could have I worn my mothers and sisters pantyhose and slips if they didn't own any, just like my wife doesn't.
Don't get me wrong I know a lot of women who love to dress up but the majority have really chosen comfort. As I'm sitting here writing this wearing a bra pantyhose and slip and thinking my wife doesn't own almost none of what I'm wearing. Who's to say, maybe I wouldn't be a crossdresser now and im sure a lot of you here your first attraction to dressing is very rarely seen these days.
Sorry just venting a little.

[alwayshave]

Maria, The first four or five years I was with my wife, she almost never wore pants in my presence. Other than going to a wedding or funeral, I haven't seen her in a dress in 10 years.

[susan2010]

It's true. I grew up in the days of slips, dresses; even the girls in school wore them. I even go back to the days of stockings and girdles. I probably wouldn't have been attracted to the clothes women wear today.

[kimdl93]

I grew up on a farm. The women in my life were all farm wives and daughters. Even on holidays, they tended to dress in relatively simple modest attire. Sun dresses were eventually replaced by slacks and jeans, but again pretty simple attire. So I dont think my attraction to womens clothing can be traced to nostalgia for the way women dressed in that distant past.

[Jasmine23]

I think even though a lot of women don't tend to wear skirts or dresses anymore, their clothes are still decidedly more feminine than standard male clothes; fitted tops, leggings,yoga pants, etc, all accentuating their feminine figures, so while not as appealing as dresses or skirts, they are still much more appealing than drab menswear. Look at all those femboys (new word for crossdressers?) who wear what girls of their age are wearing, fitted tops, leggings, yoga pants etc, and they look so feminine doing so, which often leads to wearing dresses and skirts. So while I agree women's clothes aren't necessarily as feminine as before they are still more appealing than drab male clothes.

[Cheryl T]

I know what you mean about the women and what they wear.
We had a family gathering and almost all were in leggings and tunic or sweater. Most wore booties, some with chunky heels and some Uggs. Even though I wasn't part of the crowd I'm sure that had I been I would have dressed pretty much the same. It's not what I would have preferred but it's how I would have dressed. These days it seems I'm more casual and more average than I ever thought I'd be and somehow that's ok.

[Davinnia]

Interesting thread. My wife owns one skirt (worn twice) & no dresses, unlike myself who owns lots of each. She used to wear skirts when working but I have inherited many of them, thank you very much.
There are so many skirts & dresses online so someone must buy them, maybe they mainly sell to people like us. I did get to wear my lovely pink maxi dress all day on Boxing Day & felt fabulous. I don't care if my wife thinks I "over dress" It is wonderful to make an effort & feel special. Needless to say, she just wore capris & a top.

[JulieC]

I don't know...maybe it's different in other areas of the world. In my world, when the weather is at least 50F, I see plenty of women in dresses and skirts, and even more so when it's over 80F. There's a cute little town near me crammed with unusual shops. People watching there can be a real treat. I would estimate that on a warm day at least 1/3rd of the women are wearing skirts or dresses.

[CynthiaD]

Many women in my area wear skirts in hot weather. Skirts are so much more comfortable than pants or shorts, especially when it’s over 100F.

[Aroara Xanthemae]

JulieC it sound like you have a lot of cross dressers in your area

[DianeT]

Maria, that is an interesting question. I can imagine that a CDer whose proclivity was born from a fetish for pantyhose would have less chances to become a CD today. But that would suppose that his CDing stemmed from the fetish, not the other way around. And in my case, I believe they are intertwined to a point where one would be hard pressed to decide between the egg and chicken. I suppose that if I had been born in a later day and age, I would still be a CDer, only attracted to different stereotypes.

[BLUE ORCHID]

I Grew up in the Late 40s' & the 50s' when the Ladies & Girls always dressed nicely,

[JesseVF]

For me nothing would change as my main initial attraction was bras. Don?t think they will ever go away and noticing any department store massive bra section there are more options than ever!

[Geena75]

Albeit it's a home improvement store, but I rarely see a dress and nylons anymore (it is an eye-catcher for me), so I settle for tasteful tight leggings and a dress length top. I'm always a little amazed at hearing of women complaining about uncomfortable pantyhose when I find them so delightful, even for a long day. I could understand the shoes, but not the hose.

[JulieC]

Well Geena, I wouldn't expect to see anyone in a dress and pantyhose in a home improvement store

I'm an avid wearer of pantyhose. I wear them just about every day. I love pantyhose, and can't imagine being not wearing them. That said, I understand the complaints people have about them:

• In hot weather, they can make you hotter
• Even if you get the right size, there's still problems with sagging sometimes at the crotch
• You have to pay special attention to them when putting them on and taking them off so as not to rip them
• Likewise, when going to the bathroom, you have to be extra special too
• You have to be constantly cognizant of what you are near, especially when sitting, so as not to catch them and rip them
• If you have dogs and cats, you have to ward them off all the time, lest they rip them
• Even with constant special attention, it's hard to get more than 6-8 wearings out of a pair before they run
• Even in brands/styles that claim the waist band won't roll, they do. This can create discomfort.
• Matching up the toe seam with your toes can be awkward when putting them on

I'm sure there's other things that people complain about pantyhose. For me though, it's absolutely worth it in every respect as it is central to my crossdressing experience. To me, there are sooo many pros that outweigh the cons. For women, I'm sure it's like they're just sheer socks, things you feel obligated to wear from time to time. It's likely not worth it for many women. Society, sadly, has changed.

[GaleWarning]

Maria, you talk of the men all wearing dress shirts, and dress pants, and sports coats. That sounds as though the men all dressed semi-formally.
Admittedly, I usually live in a part of the world where Christmas is in summer, so we all don shorts and tee-shirts and flip-flops.
I think all the men should follow the lead of the ladies and dress down. Comfort, rather than style.
If any of them complain, you know what to say.
I, too, love to wear pantihose!

[OrdinaryAverageGuy]

I wore leggings for christmas, the kids are so used to me in them they didn't bat an eye. My wife wore jeans, which is normal for her, and the girls wore jeans or leggings.

When I grew up the women would be in dresses, the men in suits. I hated having to dress up and pretend to love everything about it, part of why I don't like christmas to this day. I don't blame the women for dressing down and I'm glad I'm not expected to wear slacks and a tie anymore.

[Lacey New]

I was cruisimg the Vanity Fair website the other day and discovered that Vanity Fair no longer offers a nice silky nylon camisole with a little lace trim. Seems as if a lot of the things many of us enjoy are disappearing

[BrendaPDX]

I wear a dresses and skirts more often than my wife, but that's just me. Oh yes I also own more dresses, skirts, and heels than my wife. They are getting harder to find, I seem to do most of my shopping at thrift shops now.

[Stacy Darling]

You wearing panty hose is like me waxing my legs before Christmas day or any other occasion. Its who we are and how we feel. Summer here and shorts up my ass, but come winter ill be more fully DRESSED than my partner.
P.s. DON'T STOP!

[Heather76]

The 12 dresses I have are more than the 7 my wife has. The bras and bralettes I have far outnumber what my wife has. I haven't seen her wear pantyhose for years. If she wears a dress, it is mid-calf length and she wears knee high hose. She has an obscene number of pants and tops as that's what she wears almost exclusively.

[rachellegsep]

I'm so blessed I have only seen the new lady in my life wear dresses with either tights or leggings for the 3 weeks we have been together. In fact I had to buy her a pair of jeans the other day to go out on a bike ride. I have really found a unicorn.

[Stephanie47]

Maria, I get what you mean: "If I was born in this day and age, if I would become a cross dresser?" I am a child of the 1950's (77 now). When I was a little kid and pre-puberty I had zero interest in girls or anything related to girls. It was sports, playing cowboys & Indians or war, playing with cars in the dirt, riding bikes, etc. Women in my neighborhood did not wear pants. There was one woman who did and she was shunned by the other women. Enter puberty and something clicked with the raging hormones. Why did I gravitate to my mother's clothing which was the only outlet for female attire; having no female cousins and no sister until I was twelve. I have to assume, given the same genetic profile, I was feel the need or pull to wear in feminized male attire. When I affirm on this site that it's dresses, heels and hosiery for me, it is because that is what I grew up with. In the days before mega sized department stores in my community (Had to go to Herald Square for Macy's and Gimbel's) it was women's stores whose mannequins were adorned with dresses and foundation garments.

I understand a woman's desire to wear comfortable clothes. When my wife and I waited for the Flushing line train to roll into the station to get to work, she cursed the frigid temperatures and the office dress code that required dresses/skirts, heels and hosiery. My wife was drop dead gorgeous (still is) and knew the power of her body and how it was adorned. Maybe it was the times of the allure of the forbidden that, perhaps, women knew what attracted men? Now? I see more cleavage and almost bare butts on television than I ever saw in my youth with the exception of Playboy magazine.