Why do you dress?

Because if I dont, be it under or full femme, I will get depressed.  

I have no idea why I like to dress anymore than anyone else here.  But, from the moment I put on a pair of panties, I was hooked.   Then, I wanted more.  It was bras, camisoles, pantyhose, stockings, garter belts, leotards, tights, dresses, blouses, nighties and sometimes makeup.   It's just fun.  Why is it a bad thing to most people?  It just is.  

But, going to a big department store like Macy's, Dillard's, Nordstrom, and the like, wandering through the women's clothing departments.  They are huge.  There's mannequins posed in sleek, fashionable positions and looking so sexy....it's just too much to bare.  Wandering through the lingerie department is like a little taste of heaven getting to see all the wonderful styles, fabrics, various brands, mannequins showing off the various styles of bras, panties, nighties and PJs, it's just so captivating to see.  I could spend hours in there.  

Contrast that with the men's department  it's very small usually.  Everything basically looks alike to some degree.  Yawn. 

But, why the difference?    Women are so beautiful and I think many of us want to emulate them and identify with them.  We'd like to be a member of the group, if not just honorary members.

I'm not sure women in general see it quite that way.  Why?  Because we're not really women and haven't gone through all the ordeal of growing up as true females.  It's more than them having periods, cramps, headaches and whatnot.  They feel like they HAVE to wear a bra, as an example.   We GET to wear a bra but usually don't have to.  We didn't grow up getting our hair done up by our mothers in various styles like ponytails, pigtails, had to wear curlers, get perms and hair colored.  We didn't grow up worried what we'd look like in a bikini swimsuit.  (We still don't apparently).

This whole thing seems to make many women uncomfortable for many reasons.  We are crossing over onto their turf, so to speak.  It might make them feel gay?   It might simply look silly and unserious to them.  I can never quite get an answer on those questions.  It's always reversed as to why I want to dress or simply wear panties.  Are you gay?  Are you a sissy? (Probably lol)

For me, I can't really explain why i started but it's a longing, a feel that comes and goes. I've spoken a bit about it before. I dress because I enjoy it, I want to satisfy that desire to feel feminine that exists inside for a reason I've never understood.

I used to work away from home and was able to under dress which I would really enjoy. Because I'm very much the only person who knows I dress, I've never really been able to dress as fully as I would like. I've only been able to use a bit of makeup and a small wardrobe. Never had any shoes on account of my shoe size. I'd love to have the freedom to be able to use a dressing service or something like that one day.

Why do I dress? Because I can let the real me out. I love expressing my feminine side. I love women’s cloths , I love putting on makeup and styling my long hair.

I love the joy and delight of being visually female. (I am a joy addict 😀 ).

I wanted to be a girl when I was 10 (50+ years ago), but in those days there was no gender variance awareness and I sort of adapted; but I dressed when I could over the years. The last 10 years has been a voyage of self discovery, being able to dress more frequently and regularly.

I wrote an article on CDH try to grasp what motivates my need to dress, the article is here

https://www.crossdresserheaven.com/the-point-of-transformation/

I find myself pondering this question every day ever since I bought my first dress. Dressing up allows me to connect with my feminine side, my true self. I enjoy wearing the clothes I've always dreamed of, experimenting with makeup, and feeling like the girl I've longed to be. It's an indescribable feeling; I simply love feeling good

Why do I dress? I knew at the age of three, that I was supposed to be a girl. I dress in female clothing because I know I am a female, and those are the clothes I'm supposed to wear - they're not women's clothes, they're my clothes!

So I knew I was transgender, and last year, found out I am actually an intersex female, so all the years I was forced to wear male clothing, that was crossdressing...

Hugs,

Ms. Lauren M

The most useful way I've ever managed to make sense of it is the Freudian model of the brain, subdivided into the id, ego and super-ego. I'm not a psychologist or anything so I won't go into a ton of depth on this and I'm sure I'll say something not quite correct - I definitely encourage anyone to research it further. The basic gist is that the id is the instinctual, sub-conscious, do-without-thinking part of our brain. Things like eating when you're hungry or getting angry or sexuality / desires all dwell in the id. The super-ego is the socialized part of our brain where logic, ethics, self-awareness, etc live. The ego represents our ever-present state of mind, negotiating between the id and the super-ego to make decisions. 

The point is, my desire to crossdress / be female, undoubtedly resides in the id. Whether it settled there naturally or through some event, I can't be sure, but it's definitely nestled in there. This is in conflict with my super-ego which wants to fit in properly with community and do right by family members, colleagues, etc which is why I generally keep it to myself. My ego is then left to sort out how to appease both parties which, as I'm sure we all have experienced, can generate a lot of internal tension and uncertainty. The thing about the id, is that our desires will manifest themselves inevitably and so figuring out how to satiate them adequately is super important to mental wellness.

I know that's a lot so if you get this far, thanks for reading 🙂 Personally, this model has really helped me a lot and I hope someone else gets some benefit from this line of thought.

I watched my mother get dressed and it was fascinating to me.  everything she did white getting ready was appealing and mysterious.  that might have planted the seed.

Just like most of my sisters here I love wearing a bra and panties daily and all the different outfits to fit the mood for the day. I adore the feel of feminine fabrics along with the feel of a bra and hosiery and heels and it always puts me in a better state of mind for the day. Oh and not to forget the thrill of stepping out in public just to be you're real self for a day

As I have said many times, my answer is why does anyone like anything? Why do some people like football and some like ball room dancing? Football fans like to wear the shirt of their team to identify with that team. Most activities have some particular style of clothing to which people conform to signal their identity. It is the same for us, we dress to identify with a particular group, in our case that group is Women who have a lot more fun with clothing, make up, hair, shoes, etc. 

Obviously we all have our own reasons, but for me it’s both exciting and comforting. As long as a can remember my own personal tastes have veered towards feminine over masculine. I prefer elegant and pretty over more basic clothes and jewelry. 

When I am dressed I feel pretty, or sexy, or simply happy. This is why I dress, it’s an expression of who I am and it allows me to be more of my full self. 

I wear feminine clothing because it fits who I am. I have been aware of my female side since I was young. Yes, there are times we it is very arousing to be dressed in feminine attire, which is ultimately what led me down this path. Many years later I have learned that it is more than that. It is who I am. 

I will be very honest with you, I have disliked the majority of men’s clothing since I can remember. The underwear is hideous and it keeps getting longer. It is now almost down to the men’s knees. I do not want to wear that! Mens tshirts are not fitted and are loose and ill fitting. Give me something fitted. Something that shows off my body a little. I will take thong panties any day (which is what I wear daily) over men’s underwear. And where did nylons and tights go in the men’s wardrobe? It used to be a main part of it. I love wearing tights and nylons, any chance I get.

Anyways, I dress because it makes me feel complete. I dress this way because I feel pretty. I dress this way because it represents how I feel and think.

I have loved girly things since I was a little boy. I so wished I could wear one of the pretty dresses the girls wore on Easter Sunday. I wanted to wear the cheerleader skirt and top, short shorts and of course panties and bras by the dozens. I loved putting on my Mom's things and wished I was a girl. I wanted to twirl in a skirt with a petticoat underneath. As I grew up I wanted to wear skirts and dresses more and more, I find guy clothes to be just about the most boring things ever made. Beige/tan kaki's, blue or white Botton down shirt, tie and black shoes. Yeah lots of styling there. 

was hooked first time I put on a bra and dress. It is so additive for us girls here. Just love the fabric and look that allows me to feel like a woman now and live life this way.