Tonight I was looking on the Internet for a babydoll nightie as my sister had let me borrow hers when I was young and I wondered when you girls started dressing and how it came about. For me I found a bag of my Mum's panties under her bed when I was about 5 and remember how great they felt when I pulled them on. I was going to sleep in them but knew it may be wrong somehow. Later my sister started to dress me in her clothes and I loved it and am still searching for a pair of the silky panties (from Dorothy Perkins - white) that I first wore.

I carried on dressing with my sister until I realised that it was again probably a bad thing to do - though I remember the great feeling of being in one of her long dresses running about the house..could not explain those feelings but knew it was sooo good.

Later I dressed alone until I confessed to my first live in partner and have now arrived at the great place I am in with my wife. Still I think of those early days with great fondness.

Susan

I remember when I first started, taking my mothers bras and panties out of the laundry basket and putting them on. It felt so right, almost as if they were made just for me...

This reminds me of a story--real life, my life--when I was a little girl about 8 years old. I am sure I have told it before.When I was little I wanted to be a boy so bad. If I never had to wear a dress again that would have been fine with me. The boys got to play a lot because they were wearing pants. But not me because I was in a dress and had to be ladylike of course.

Also, I would sneak into my brotheres room when he was outside or at school to play with his Leggos and boxcars--they were so cool and I was not allowed to have them because they were "boy" toys. They gave me baby dolls and barbie dolls wich were ok sometimes but I had this uncontrollable desire to play with the boy toys. I did it in secret until my brother caught me in his room playing with his leggos one day. He beat the livin daylights out of me and told me girls do not play with boy toys and I should go play with my dollies. I took the beating and did not say anything because I did not want my mom to find out as I may have been ebarrassed and I felt guilty--like I had done something really bad. I never messsed with his stuff again. I did however convince my mom to get me some box cars so I could play with my brother. Ha! which was a lie as I just wanted them for myself. She had no problem with that and after time I grew a very nice collection of them--bigger and better than my brothers--Ha! Then she realized I really did like collecting them and playing with them. I even got my sister to start playing with them(on rare occasion as she liked her baby dolls--which was ok). I still like them but I do like being a girl a lot. Yeah, I can wear pants and play sports all I want now and still be girlie.

Maybe so Lucy But I really do love being a girl. I love nail polish ,nylons, heels and tight little dresses. But i also love dressing sporty or tomboyish when I go to the gym. Kind of a nice even blend of both.

All I have to say is Leotard. I was so jealous that my sister got to dance and I didn't so I stole her leotard when I was like 8. I remember feeling so pretty. Oh do I like to feel pretty. lol

Summer Q

Like many I dug into my mother's dresser as a kid and tried on everything I thought I could get away with. I was probably 8 or 9 at that time. As a kid my favorite times were playing with dolls with a neighbor girl, but as a kid it was something you did not want your friends to know about.

I think you are sort of right about the tomboy thing Lucy. Possibly some transgenderism in there. I also wonder what role testosterone has in all this, we often say this is not sexual but I believe there is a varying amount of sexual excitement involved. That ties into the tomboy issue because for us on HRT we know our libido pretty much goes out the door, which may give us a good idea how things may be for girls. I think tomboy girls just want to be one of the guys without the sexual interests. I don't think they necessarily think of it as trying to play the role of a guy. I think it would be hard to pinpoint whether that rush of excitement getting dressed as a kid was brought on by sexual excitement or the feeling of liberation and being one's trueself, probably a mixture of the two. So with that said, I think most tomboys are not TG.

Marsha

Anne

You mention not wanting your mum to notice the nasty spots...I was so paranoid as I thought she had the all seeing eye and she was one frightening woman!

I have heard it mentioned that cross dressing is often associated within families where there is conflict and there certainly was in mine with a bullying abusive (pysical and verbally but not sexually) step father. I love dressing as it helped me escape I think


Susan

Anne Selene

I actually read some of Meridiths discussions and blogs so there is a lot of info there on her story, just like me and a lot of other girls here.

Depression is very common among transgenders.

As far as religion goes I do still love some things about the Baptisit religion. However, if you read up on it you will find they are very prejudice against homosexuals and transgenders. I have also studied other religions--not because I believe in them but just for interest and curiosity.

I love the condom stoiries. LOL sis.

Anne - sounds like you got your toes stepped on don't get your feelings hurt. I've been a TW're for more years than most and I've learned it's very easy to misinterpret a response you might receive.

Back to the thread.
Seems like my early interest wasn't in clothing or dressing in my sisters clothes. I liked my Mom's jewelry; I'd repair what she broke and used to design jewelry for fun. (men didn't wear jewelry as such)The dressing part didn't start until I was 40 or so- and I bought my own clothes, starting with hosery. The unisex clothes came out in the 1960s and I was into that all the way....odd? When I remarried I made my wife a bunch of necklaces, bracelets and cuffs...she taught me makeup techniques and has critiqued my dressing. (Fair exchange) Now I make jewelry for both of us. "A girl can't have too much jewelry." Bye the bye, she told me this morning I could go out in this neighborhood when she thought I could pass totally. She said "You're almost there."

Anarchist!

I honestly can't really remember how or when it came about. I seem to have always had girls clothes on at some point. It helped having sisters but it wasn't them that dressed me, I just felt I should dress that way. I can't remember the first time, first outfit etc but I remember the first time my mother saw me dressed as a girl.

It was when we had visitors over the house, I don't know who but there was about four of them plus my own family and I kept running in and out of the house and garden in my sisters clothes. Everyone had a giggle and I remember asking if I could wear them all the time. (No prizes for guessing the answer!) Although it seemed to be allowed every now and then. I even have old photos of me in a swimming costume somewhere. I wonder if my sister has all the old photos since she inherited the house.

I think I may have to do some rummaging around.....

Nikki

That’s interesting Josi. You know, I think in today’s society girls can express their male side without even thinking of transgenderism. Girls can wear whatever they want, jeans, Doc Martens, baseball cap… no-one thinks twice. If a guy walks down the street wearing a skirt everyone will turn their heads. Girls can go mountaineering, do kick boxing, go hunting… you name it, it’s normal, but a guy who likes sewing, a boy who plays with dolls…? They gotta be transgender, right?
Seems to me there are many girls who could be considered transgender to some degree, but it’s just not an issue for them, so no-one even mentions it. Hopefully one day men will have this sort of equality in gender behavioural issues, and shame and guilt amongst trannies will cease to exist, just as women are allowed to do what they like and wear what they like without anyone blinking an eye.
A tomboy is basically the female equivalent of a tranny, but without the social stigma.
Do you think your wanting to play with boys’ toys and not wanting to wear dresses and so on hints at some degree of transgenderism, Josi?
xx

When I was young we had a house full. My sisters husband left her with 4 kids. Having no choise she moved back in with us. I was 5. My niece was 4 & had the prettiest clothes I'd ever seen. My sister was 10. She saw me looking at a dress & being mean she dressed me in it.
I didn't start trying on other things untill I was about 8. Then one day I was sick & had to stay home from school. I was alone in the house. I dressed up in my sisters clothes as though I were a girl.
GOD that felt so great!!!!
Never stopped doing it whenever I could.

My sister dressing me at 5 is something I didn't remember. She told me about it during Thanksgiving dinner. So she is taking the credit or blame for me being TS. Which is wrong but I can be mean to sometimes.

You folks have to remember that Josie grew up in a VERY devout Baptist household. The so-called "traditional" gender rules were enforced, as were other certain forms of behavior. Josie did not go to the movies until "Star Wars" came out. Their minister saw the film, and the idea was that if it was okay for him to do so, Josie's family could as well.

My first dressing is a lot like a lot of yours - sneaking around. My one younger sister - NOT Jen Jen - was a very vindictive and nosy person, so I had to be so careful with anything. When I did start buying my own feminie items I hid them where I knew she would never look (she used to think my room was her own social center and trashed the place on a regular basis). Remember, I did not start coming out until four years ago when I joined this site.

Even in my married life I had to be careful. Since I struggled with underemployment, I had some free time at home. Then came the one day when my ex found something. I have told this story a few times before.

After I got kicked out, and lived with that friend for a while, some people thought I could be "cured." Lotsa luck. Even my friend used to criticize my choice of items (like he's an expert!). I stayed true to myself. I cannot think of the last time I was 100% drab. It's been years. Literally.

Mere

Anne I think we'd fight over the color of our skin or the shape of our eyes.
Wars will be as long as people think different, look different, or act different.

(Meredith sighs. Again).

It's getting to the point that I don't want to post anything anymore because someone is going to take it out of context.