Dear Readers,
I’m delighted to bring you a story today from a lady who was out and crossdressing in the 70’s. Back (when I’m told) that Disco was still alive.
Karla is 55, and has been crossdressing all her life – even when she was married. She has witnessed many changes in the last 40 years that has made crossdressing much more acceptable. She has seen first hand the progress we’ve made.
Crossdressing in the 70s
The adventures of a young crossdresser in a strange land.
In 1976 I was 20,I was tall and slim, I wore my blonde hair quite long, to the shoulders. There were no internet or mobile phones, or gay bars, or high school counselors. It was absolutely forbidden to go out dressed as a girl on the street of any city. There was no (good or bad) communication whatsoever with our parents or teachers and at school it was only appropriate to conduct oneself as a boy.
Those strange male humans who happen to like to dress as female had to hide, and wait, many weeks sometimes many months, for the little opening during parents travel or that opportunity of being alone for a while, to find our mother’s or sister’s clothes to try on.
I can still feel my heart pounding.
I would shave, put make up on, wear a white mini skirt, stockings, pink silk blouse, shoes (that was the worse part, my sister’s high heel were quite smaller than what my feet actually were ). I did put large socks inside my bra, grab a hand bag, and on top of my feminine clothes I would put a large sweater and large jeans, dark glasses and tennis shoes to be able to climb a car without my neighbors looking at my all dressed up.
I would drive away for a few blocks until finding a lonely place where I could remove my boy sweater, remove my jeans, fix my hair, put on my pumps and earnings on and drive away a girl. Let me tell you, I looked gorgeous, or so I remember. It is SO easy for boys to look good in girls clothes in their 20´s.
I can still feel my heart pounding.
Is disco still alive?
I would drive by another neighborhood and sometimes be brave enough to get out of the car and walk a little while, I am so happy I dared to do it. Easily, the must enjoyable experience of my youth. I would drive to a nearby cafe where there were boys on the sidewalk looking at girls driving by. Coming back home was not less complicated, doing the inverse process and landing safetly was very hard. Then I had to put all of the stuff back in it’s place and try not to let traces of what had happened remain. One little stain in the white mini-skirt and I was in deep trouble, since nobody else was home.
That, my darlings, in the 70´s, was something as though as climbing to the top of the Everest, because the little tale you just read did not take place in the United States, or in Switzeland, it took place nothing less than in Mexico City. Mexico City in the 70´s was like being perhaps in some place in the Middle East, radical Catholic, conservative, and ultra-macho society. Not a friendly environment for transvestites.
Young crossdressers did not have any information of what was going on inside their brains, and we had nowhere to get it, we did not know we were crossdresser and that it was “normal”.
Now I´m close to be 60. Still a crossdresser. Still happy. I see that things are far easier. I now have a private wardrobe in the fanciest TG-Club in the (same) city. I have about 60 dresses, all of them mine, more than 20 pairs of fancy shoes, all of them MY size, world class make-up, now I need a wig I didn’t need in the old days, but I have eight, each different colors and lenghts, and all of the accesories, jewelry (even real jewelry) , perfume, and everything I need.
And, sometimes, I hit the streets again, my heart pounding. Not as hard, but still pounding.
I have met Tgirls, that simply don’t dare to go out, here they call them :”closet T-Girls”. I think you should not push it, I think if you feeel like doing it go for it, but if you are too shy or to scared don’t do it. It’s in your DNA, don’t fight it.
Warm and best wishes to young crossdressers in 2015 – Be calm, it is not the end of the world, it’s just your brain playing tricks at you.
Best
Karla
Mexico City
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If you would like to share your crossdressing success story on Crossdresser Heaven, please take a moment to submit it. We’d love to hear your experiences!
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I dress whenever I like,and go out as much as possible. I am 60,and I wish I would have started hormones when I was 10 or 12,so my body would have been more feminine. My wife doesn’t like my crossdressing,but I do have all my female clothes in our closet. I am transgender,and would transition if I had the money to do so. I admire Kaytlin Jenner for going on to transition in her older life. She is blessed to have the finances to do so. My neighbors don’t like my crossdressing,but if I want to go out,or go to… Read more »
Great story! So close to my own (as I’m sure lots of us can say). Even the same age, VERY similar experiences. One time going out dressed in my wife’s clothes (in my own neighborhood in Maine), I passed 3 young men and I was scared to death! One of them whistled at me! As Karla said, when your in your early twenties, it’s easy to look girly. I do have to admit I had/have nice shapely legs, and the skirt I was wearing was QUITE short, so why wouldn’t they whistle? LOL
Thanks for sharing this story.
Ashleigh
I can relate. My story was not delayed under the growing up thing. It was delayed by something much different…I was in the military from the age of 20 for 26 years. I went in during the first years of Vietnam War and to make matters worse it was the Marines. As badly as I wished to dress female it was simply not on so I pushed it down deep and stayed to myself. I finally retired in 1994. I have been out ever since. My male things were put in storage or given to Good will. I now dress… Read more »
It’s so funny that you have this article about disco and crosdressing, because it’s disco that helped get me into music when I was a kid, as I remember rollerskating to jams, and how amazing it felt being out there. I would love to be able to crossdress and skate, even iceskate, as I enjoyed both growing up, and feel that disco brought me closer to the feeling of being feminine.
🙂 Quite a coincidence Samantha! I’m glad you had an outlet to express your inner girl – I always find that music helps me get in touch with my true soul
Sorry to reply to my response, but I wanted to add more thoughts about your story, as sometimes I print out things to read later, as I like to stay busy, and informed. I thought you were very brave being able to go outside dressed when you were younger. Maybe I would go outside in my building’s hallway for a minute, or when I was in college upstate, take a quick walk outside, but I am still developing the courage to be outside around others. Everyone’s journey is different but reading about people like yourself Karla is very inspiring. Also,… Read more »
Thanks for your comment Samantha! Please keep stopping by and sharing your thoughts with others in the Crossdresser Heaven community!
I also grew up in the late 70’s and early eighties. I remember hiding my deep dark secret, and wanting to tell just one person. Back then their were more bullies than a person could only image. I was bullied cause I was short and skinny. Later on when I moved from that state I started to experiment, and went out plenty of times either with a group I belong to, or out by myself at a lesbian club, who were cool about me and other transgenders that went there. Thank you so much for sharing your story Karla. I… Read more »
I’m only new to this. Need some ideas, how to buy clothes etc.
Emma,
I can help you get ideas. I specialize in this work. Happy to give a free exploration call or Skype.
xo,
@queershoppe
Vanessa, if this is prohibited, please delete. So happy to have found your blog. I’d love to collaborate sometime!
Hi Emma, do you think we can chat sometime too about getting help shopping for the right size clothing? I have not been able to go to the store to ask someone to measure me for my female measurements because it is embarrassing for me, so when I usually buy clothes in the 99 cent stores, I try to get xl for my upper body, and L for my lower, but when I purchase clothes online, or from the shopping networks, I have a tougher time. Often I get the wrong size, so instead of sending them back to exchange,… Read more »
Hey Emma,
I’d definitely browse around a few of the articles on Crossdresser Heaven. In particular I’d look for a local support group that you can join. If you live near a large city there is likely one nearby. Take a look here at some of the crossdressing support groups
It sounds like a lot of us have fear when we go out I have only gone out dressed three times those were three of the best feelings times I have ever had I am plainsong a overnight outing for the first week of sept 2015 any one else want to cook with e mail frankan1947@gmail.com I am going to Duluth Mn
I loved this post! The only times in my life when I did go out fully dressed en femme was in 1979 & 1980 – and it was so I could go to a disco that catered to LGBT people. Yes I remember how easy it was for young men in their early 20’s to look like young women – I was one of them – and we even had long hair and were used to walking in platform shoes. I was working my way through college as a waiter, and while I often wore panties and hose to sleep… Read more »
OH the 70’s and early 80’s . I started back then myself . I was on a farm in northern Kentucky and had 2 older sisters and 2 older brothers with two younger siblings boy and girl . Free time was unheard of to say the least . I was caught one day trying on my older sisters platform heels and all she said was : if you are going to wear them let me teach you how and she gave me the pair I was wearing . She has always been supportive and made the others be supportive .… Read more »