Are you a CD? Am I?

I enjoy the sexy feeling of wearing thigh high stockings, women's thongs and high heels all in the comfort and privacy of my bedroom and I'm guessing that many other straight men feel the same way but does that really mean I'm a cross dresser?

I'm a bit confused by this label as, typically, the moment a guy puts a few lady things on it's immediately assumed they are either cross dressing or a cross dresser but is that really true? I mean if a guy whether gay or straight regularly puts on women's underwear combined with women's clothing and make up then yes I'd say he is a cross dresser but if he tries it out once or just sticks to sexy under wear and heels then I'd say no.

So, guys (and gals), what does the word "crossdresser" mean to you?

The whole label business can be confusing. I consider myself a crossdresser even though I don't dress 24/7 and rarely do I get all dolled up. But I wear a bra and panties under my day clothes when ever I can. I like the feel and also when I can, I sleep in a nightly. Just who I am for now. Will it change? Life isn't chiseled in stone so who knows....

Elaine

Now I'm confused. I thought anyone who wears any clothing of the opposite sex is then referred to as a cross dresser. Be it male or female if they wear clothing of the opposite sex they are cross dressing. I myself enjoy being dressed like a baby girl not so much an adult female. That would make me a cross dresser as I am not wearing male clothing but "female clothing" designed for a male. It's never been confusing to me but then again I never look deep into it.

Let me say as the post above mine as reminded me(misty4u, to be clear). This is not just a fetish to me as I see it as a way of expressing my feminine side and I love the cute outfits! I know many other ladies would agree and I like that quick connection I get when talking to a woman.

For me Cross Dressing is a lifestyle not a fetish. Have been a CD for over60 years and out to everyone for over 35 years. Go where I want when I want in femme. My entire wardrobe is Female and has been ever since I came out. Even in male mode clothes are female as many female clothes are male looking. All my photos in profiles show my male and female self

Folks let's stay focused here. The whole point of this post is to find out what people think makes a cross dresser a cross dresser. Not to identify who is a CD and post a want ad. It's about the psychology of the person that leads them to believe if they are a CD or not.

Why? You ask. Well it's pretty simple. I'm sure there are many straight men here who enjoy the look and feel of panties, stockings, high heels and lingerie but would not be caught dead fully dressed as a woman out in public (or even behind closed doors for that matter). If this is you, how would you label yourself? Would you label yourself?

Let's stay focused, indeed. There's a lot of bullshit that typically swirls around this topic.

Technically speaking, anyone who wears clothing of the opposite sex (typically, but not always for sexual reasons) is a crossdresser. Doesn't mean you're genetically predisposed towards this particular fetish, or anything else; it's simply the act of cross-dressing that makes you so. (Like saying you're a pedestrian when you're walking on the street.)

And the term "transvestite" means EXACTLY the same thing as "crossdresser". CDs, TVs, all the same thing, despite the bogus distinctions one sees between these terms ("Oh, a TV is someone who looks passable, while a CD is a hairy guy who wears panties"). Whatever. Exactly the same thing, regardless of whether you're totally in the closet or a raging drag queen.

Of course, this has nothing to do with the distinctions between how individuals feel when they're crossdressing, what their motivations are for doing so, or how they perceive themselves. But the term covers all guys who wear panties, lingerie, dresses, etc. (And the answer to the question "Does one have to label oneself?" is "Of course not". But it still makes you a crossdresser to wear that stuff.)

Does that help clear things up?

I consider myself a cross dresser, even though I rarely go out wearing obviously female clothing (like skirts or dresses). All my underclothing is "female". Most of the time I wear rubber-soled "river shoes" or "tire sandals" but when I wear shoes, I use women's hose in place of men's. Around the house, I often wear leggings when it is cold, or skirts when it is warm out.

I wouldn't consider myself a crossdresser, but I do like to photograph myself in womens thongs and stockings.

I think Owen is a crossdresser: If cross means going to the other side and dress means wearing clothes, then I'd say if someone wears clothes of the 'other side' meaning women, that person is a crossdresser. One could qualify the term; Owen might be a 'part time' or 'at home' secret' or 'private.' I would surmise that most men who often/regularly wear women's clothes are not full time wearers of women's clothes. It's not easy to change one's appearance & voice to make the body fit the clothing. People who make the effort are likely to be transsexuals who dress in women's clothes full time as part of their gender identity. Most people would not consider transsexuals to be cross dressers. Exceptions: perhaps if the clothes of the opposite sex are more utilitarian, the person wearing them is not a crossdresser. Examples: A woman who wears men's flannel shirts, jeans, or military uniform. Man who needs compression stockings and uses a garter belt to hold them up. Man who uses a corset or girdle for support of back or abdomen.

Please don't muddy the waters further with the term "transexual".

That term means someone who has substantially changed themselves into the opposite gender of what they were (typically male to female, but less often the other way around).

It does NOT apply to crossdressers/transvestites (the same thing, remember), although the term is often misused to refer to such.

And being a crossdresser--even one who wears women's clothing as much of the time as possible--does not necessarily imply changing one's voice, mannerisms, etc., to make one "fit the clothing". (There is a parameter to measure this, by the way--it's called whether one is "passable" or not, meaning that one could pass for a woman in the case of M-to-F transvestites. Like many of us, I am not at all passable, don't try to be, and don't really care about it. I'm not a "woman trapped in a man's body", although I recognize that there are such people out there.)

So if my hubby and I both wear jeans and a T-shirt out in the yard does that make me a crossdresser? :-D

Diane

Ha! good one.

But no, all kidding aside: folks casually wearing clothing of the opposite sex, or vaguely unisex clothing, aren't necessarily crossdressers. And I think we all know what kind of clothing does make someone a crossdresser: mainly things that (in the case of M-to-F dressers like me) are unmistakeably feminine or "sissy". You know: slutty lingerie, black lace-top stockings, panties, etc. (Crossdressers range from subtle to over-the-top, and some in the latter category tend to overdo things a bit. I sometimes find myself in that place, piling on the feminine frillies as part of my thrill-seeking behavior.)

It does make you a crossdresser if you do that. Where you go from there, of course, is entirely up to you ...

You're a crossdresser if you identify as a crossdresser.

There are no external criteria. Crossdresser has come into favour in recent years as many people feel that travestistic fetishist sounds somewhat pejorative.

I might warn you though that the whole subject is a minefield. But you might have guessed that Owen!

@ azdiane: No, wearing t shirt & jeans is not cross dressing, as you are dressing for comfort, not to make a statement. And t-shirts and jeans are gender neutral: women frequently wear both. I think 'cross dressers' wear opposite sex clothing for non-utilitarian reasons. Woman wearing men's flannel shirt and jeans to work, get dirty etc. is not a cross dresser. Woman who wears men's clothes all the time to make a statement about her gender identity is a cross dresser. Double standard: with very few exceptions man wearing anything feminine is cross dressing. When I wear Gloria Vanderbilt jeans with zipper bottom legs and a 'Love Pink' tee shirt, I'm cross dressing.

Well, sure there's a double standard--duh! If you were looking for reasons, you might attribute it to the very gender-unbalanced nature of the (human) world we live in, for the most part. So of course women can get away with wearing men's clothing with nary a slap on the wrist, while, as you point out, men get much more attention should they put on anything pink or frilly.

Unlike some people, who wring their hands and agonize about how nice it would be if "society" didn't make such arbitrary distinctions, why can't people just wear whatever they like without being labeled, yadda yadda yadda, I actually prefer the present state of affairs. Why? Because it makes the transgression of a man wearing women's clothing--especially undergarments and clothing with sexual associations--much more pungent and powerful. In other words, if nobody batted an eyelash if I were to strut down the street in panties and nylons, what would be the fun of that? Things like that need a certain sting in order to work properly.

LOL, I just have to share this as yes I agree there is a double standard. When I was pregnant with both of my kids I always wore boxer briefs when started to show. I did that because boxer briefs provide a lot of support to my growing belly that I found very comfortable. I accidentally wore them one time to my doctors appointment. I was so embarrassed but it was too late. He wanted to do an ultrasound so I had no choice but to show him. I told him why I was wearing them and he just laughed and said that actually a lot of pregnant women wear boxer briefs because they are more supportive.

So, we can wear mens undies and it's acceptable, lol......as long as we are pregnant I'm guessing, lol.

Mashie

Sometimes I'll wear women's G-string thongs for the simple reason that it's an extremely thin "string" riding up the crack of my ass and not a half inch wide strip like regular thongs which for extended wear I find uncomfortable. The thing I like best is that the pouch keeps my nut sack from sticking to my thighs in hot weather and I NEVER have to adjust to get material out of my butt crack. I find them very comfortable and supportive where I need it.

Seriously, why the HELL do men's underwear have a super thick and tight waistband???? It's sooooo uncomfortable and non functional in my opinion. women's G-strings are far more effective in the comfort and functionality department.

G-strings i see are narrow pieces of material, usually flimsy. They are designed to cover female genitals, the flatish vulva. If the penis isn't retracted, and the testes aren't 5 ml marbles, they'll bulge out of the G-String. Anyone with genitals approaching average adult male isn't going to fit the little flimsies i see in the stores. I wear an artificial vulva that compresses me and hides the natural anatomy. Only then can I wear a 'G-String.

Nevertheless, it suits me just fine and holds everything in place. In the event I have to take part in a men's 100 meter sprint, I'll wear jockey's

As with many " What defines X?" queries, there's a shedload of qualifiers and situation elements to consider. Ones that really might make a huge difference in the meaning of is or is not X... We've already covered the " Female Dressing For Comfort" in male clothes...

Don't overlook - there's a lot of males that wear support garments for purely medical reasons and oftentimes a mass marketed female item is waay cheaper than a limited production "male" model as such. Examples would take some time to cover but there's enough that it indeed counts. Like my later mentioned use of Ladypads as they;re cheaper plus more comfy.

Now- when we get into a situation where a male is wearing a full on female wardrobe from comefuckmeheels on up to a platinum blondie wig... with stops along the way for fanny padding, a tucking gaff so the boybits dasn't show/maybe looks like a lady wearing an overnight maxipad...and total investments like the premium Amoena Prosthetic Grade Breast Forms I thought were DAMNED worth every penny even for the cheapest ones- That's a lifestyle or maybe an "Art Form" dresser:>

Handwaving away as to when I first went far enough to get a proper fitting for Amoena's Best Breasts leaves it as - Yeah.. done that paid a lot but some of us pay more:> I thought I'd been a spendy bitch one year when I'd totaled up what "Femme Me" spent on "Femme Defining" stuff= just the clothes/makeup/shoes/perfumes/lotions etc and was duly sobered. Being a hot lady even if only 99% of the time for me alone, can be still&all a CHEAP form of therapy.

Some of us think little to nothing about spending close to a grand on our tits, counting fittings and maintenance supplies. Hmnnn, That might define the difference between a mere shallow kink or Being really into this.

Same with if we've no longer got a single piece of our birth gender's style of some garment category. And yeah- ladies going 100% to boyshorts might count as cross or she's as said- for comfort?

And thence my closer- post cancer- Gotta love my Lunapads as they;re lots cheaper than Depends for men disposables. Medical need and cd thrills might overlap? In the end- It's to me - all good if everyone is mutually respectful.

I fantasize about crossdressing.

I also enjoy the silky feeling of satin and nylon. I mostly like to (under dress) now and then i"ll put on a skirt or dress I only have one of each. I am very discrete and secret usually dressing in private. But in the colder weather I will go out wearing a bra panties sometimes adding pantyhose and a camisole. It is especially fun to go shopping for feminine things dressed that way nobody knowing I'm wearing women's underwear. As far as a label I have thought of myself as a form of a cross dresser a private one and I don't go as far as trying to pass as a female and definitely not at all public about it.

Revisiting this post after a few months and a lot of soul searching I've come to the realization that I am NOT a cross dresser by my interpretation of what this label means. To me a cross dresser dresses as a woman and has the desire to act as a woman. I don't take pleasure nor do I have the desire to dress as a woman but I do find it arousing to wear the under wear and stockings and heels.

I like, no - LOVE women and my attraction to a cross dresser or trans sexual woman would merely come from their appearance and if they look like women down to their hair and makeup then who cares what's between their legs. Does this make me gay or bisexual? Again a label that I despise but I would say it makes me straight with a bi curious inclination. Either way the rationalizing that many of you may think I'm doing does not concern me the least little bit.

Eddie izzard put it best when he was asked why he wears women's clothing. His response was; "They are not women's clothes they are MY clothes and I'm a man."

I never got real caught up about labels myself. I do love wearing girls intimates, I do fantasize about be a sexy girl. I could never pass as a girl. But the mrs says I have more lingirie that four genetic girls. I love silky intimates, stockings, garter belts & nighties.

After coming out and going full time since November, I have been trough a "few" life changes, so to speak. As my doctor asked me last week how I experienced the real life experience, or as I call the "new me", I told her that at first I was focusing to much on acting, behaving and responding as a woman. But once I started to forget thinking like that and just be myself, all the pieces fit and I felt just right... myself.

I have given up on labels as they can be disturbing. I spent years searching for that label myself. Forget the labels just be your self, whether you are male and like to dress in woman's clothing or feel you are a woman in a male body, and anywhere in between.

Be yourself and have piece with your self and don't give a care about what others think when they watch you. I know I am.

And I used to go out in public with a wig and makeup, but after I started my facial works (mostly laser and dermatologist) I can't wear make up on these visits anyway, so now I only go all the way with makeup and wig in my weekends. During the week I go without makeup and wig but still 24/7 dressed in woman clothing, because I feel right about it and above all, myself. (also my nightshift calls for wearing hardhat and in this cold weather a facer mask, it will be unpractical to wear makeup and a wig)

PS, I am transgender or TG if we are labeling. And yes on HRT.

PS2 I have nothing but positive feedback and congratulations and support from most all genetic woman I meet, where ever I go, with or without makeup and wig. AKA looking in the face like a male or female.

I think a person is a CD or TV if the act is for sexual stimulation or enhancement. I wear panties with a maxi pad 24/7. It's a turn on for me. When home, I'll put on stockings and lingerie, panties and pad of course, then masturbate. Usually with a prostate massager too. When I'm finished I take off the lingerie, but leave my panty and pad on. The pads are my fetish. It started when I was three. I saw my mother wearing a short mesh baby doll with nothing else on but a belted kotex. I saw her like that all the time. I found the box of kotex and took one. I put it on. The softness made me hard. Rubbing the kotex against my little penis felt really really good. I would actually have dry orgasms. I didn't know why my mom wore them, I just assumed it was because they feel really good. I never grew out of it. Even after learning what the kotex was really used for. The sight of a woman wearing a pad is a huge turn on for me. I'm not into the blood though, or used products.

I am never sure either. I primarily enjoy wearing panties, but do have some dresses and others women's clothes and so forth. I never go out dressed or try to pass. Just enjoy putting the things on feeling feminine and getting aroused . . . not sure exactly what that makes me.

I don't see myself as a "cross-dresser" per say because I don't really dress fully as a female; I like the feel of wearing a bra, panties, stockings and suspenders, it's sensual, erotic and I masturbate hard when aroused like this. Besides that I'm not a convincing as a female anyway so its purely sexual gratification I guess.

I'm not sure either I enjoy wearing panties an lingerie while I'm home .i do like the way it makes me feel I got so turned on my wearing panties and lingerie that my ex left here as I'm writing this I'm weAring panties

Hi. I am new to this forum and I also like to dress in ladies clothing and lingerie. Yes, I would say I am a crossdresser but only in private. You too are a crossdresser.