How do you feel when you are dressed - assuming that you are not full-time - when you are dressed? Do you feel like a woman at that time or do you feel like a happier man?

How do I feel when I am dressed?

When I put on a dress and hose, high heels, makeup, and all the finery, I feel like me. Who I am and what I feel inside does not in fact change based on the clothes I am wearing. However, I do like the way the clothes physically feel and how they make me look. I think the clothes and makeup allow me to feel pretty even though subjectively I know I am not.

But I like dressing and it does make me happy.

Jeri

Cathy
Excuse my brevity but dressing makes me happy.
hugs
Gracie

I feel more feminine which i truly love.

Hi Cathy,
For me , dressing re-enforces my internal image of who I am. But not how you might think. I'm Michelle inside and as her, I am comfortable with myself. Where dressing helps me is when I am with others and am being treated as a woman. That outside acceptance and validation sends my spirits soaring.

On the other side of the coin - When I wake up, I feel sad about putting on the Male mask and pretending to be something I'm not. I long for the day that I can be the real me all the time and simply live without pretense.

Hugz ,
MichelleLynn

Sudha-that's wonderful,I rejoice for you-xxxx-Nina Papillon

Aaahhhhhhh........THAT question......................in all honesty I can't say that I feel feminie or like a woman, but neither can I say I feel like a man or masculine......simply and bluntly, I feel like ME, and basta! For me, to say whether I feel Feminine or Masculine would require comparisons- something like an EEG or Virtual Reality Glove with the appropriate programmes-Man/Woman according to ISO standard,"And where do you fit in? With which one? And how much? ...........luckily,we haven't reached that situation yet! For all those of you who are quite clear about feeling F or M (depending upon your direction of 'travel')- this is fine by me,it's just my personal slant on the matter.

ciao

Lynn

Hi Cathy
I feel like I am the person that I was meant to be. For a long time it was just being a man dressed as a woman but it has evolved to be much more. I now realize that being Samantha is a much bigger part of my life than I could have ever imagined. I now finally feel that there is more to it than just dressing. I find myself thinking and acting more like a woman all the time and to tell you the truth I love that feeling. I am currently in a conflict of who I actually am but I feel that my feminine side is where I want to be. I only wish that it didn't take me so long to realize this. I have many issues to work out with the people that I am close to and love and I only can hope that I am accepted for who I actually am. That being Samantha. So I can say yes I feel like a woman when I am dressed. I also feel like a woman when I am not.
Hugs... Samantha

Hiya Gang!

Heres my "Penny's" worth...

Who can say what feeling like a woman feels like? Who can tell another if what they feel is what a male or female identity feels like? I just know I am female despite my natal body saying otherwise. As to wearing clothes, female clothes beat male clothes any day! wont catch me in male clothes ever again!

cya
x

Hi Penny,

I'll go along with your last sentence here. Irrespective of where I may be on the M>F scale, one observation I have made is that, quite simply, womens clothes actually FIT me. I've measured up,checked the results against a womens clothing size table and, whadyaknow, everything bunches nicely together. On the mens clothing size table, on the other hand, the results are so scattered as to be insignificant.The upshot is that, even on those rare occasions when I have to appear in M-mode, I'm actually dressed as a woman! Weird!

ciao

Lynn

hello cathy, I dont feel right if I dont have some thing on today it is too hot for bra and knickers so Ive only got stockings on
under shirt and track pants I love my womens clothes they feel right.

I feel like a woman all the time, dressed or not

When I am in girl mode, everything feels right.
When I am in drab, everything is wrong.
Tammy

I don't know if I feel like a woman or not.
Much as I'd love to I've never been a woman.
I do know I don't like wearing male clothing and feel very uncomfortable when I do.
I also know I prefer dressing and looking as feminine as I possibly can.
I love dressing as a woman.

I can only imagine what it feels like to be a woman but when i'm dressed with my makeup on and my nails done i have a feeling of completeness and comfort.

Dressed as a Woman, I feel that I am in the right ship...and heading to the right destination...
Clothing for Women evolves as a result of the emotional, physical, social, and sensual needs of Women.
We, as "transgendered" people, have had to deny these needs for a large portion of our lives. Is it any wonder that many of us "seize the moment" with Great Gusto after "crying in the wilderness" for so long.
We have a right to wear these clothes and - the right to have our needs fulfilled as by doing so.

I'm confused. I've heard lots of gals here and at other websites talk about being denied, so please don't think I'm picking on any one individual. But what have you been denied? As I see it, you gals were not denied anything by others, but instead, because of your own fears, if anything you have denied yourself. Don't take it wrong, I think all or at least most of us experience these fears of rejection and that is what I believe it is more than denial. I see "transgender" as a big spectrum with gals scattered everywhere. Just as I might wonder what makes someone want to dress extreme, others probably wonder why I am so conservative, such is life. As for feeling like a woman, I don't know how to describe it for me other than when I stopped trying to be two different people and became just Marsha, I could finally relax and know I was the person I was suppose to be. To me it is not making myself up nice to go out and have fun, instead, it is not wanting anyone to look at me and see a guy, ever.
Hugs,
Marsha

Obviously, you haven't been harassed - or "swarmed" by a bunch of homophobes....
Lucky for you...

Those are some inspired and encouraging thoughts Marsha. Sometimes I wonder if we’re our own worst enemy inside.

Compared to the old days, I believe people have become more accepting and we can thank many of our TG sisters that have openly and bravely Pioneered the way and taken the lumps and arrows along their path. As I move forward and explore the freedom to express the woman I feel within from day-to-day, I have good people like you to thank.

Jennifer

Thank you Jennifer. I honestly believe we often are our own worst enemy. I think in this period we live in, people tend to want to blame others for everything that doesn't go their way. Does that mean others are not sometimes to blame? Of course not, but to often we just don't face our fears and allow the "what ifs" to dictate how we live our lives. Like you, I admire and respect those who came before us and pioneered everything from living their dream to laying on the operating table prior to the Suporn's and Brassard's. I don't expect everyone to like or agree with what I say, but I hope it helps someone face their fears so they can live the life they believe is right for them.

My wife has a saying about this type of issue. "It is like a crab pot." Think about it, a crab pot has an opening that allows the crabs to go in. And in actuality, in most cases they could go right back out the same opening. The problem with going out is that the other crabs will pull an escaping crab right back in. I see the same thing happening in our community. The fear stories continue to get spread and we are told it is a bad world out there, so we allow ourselves to be pulled back into the closet. I like many others have made it out of the crab pot and we have found life really isn't so bad out here. Yes, there sadly are a few bad people out here, the key words being "a few."

Doanna, in response to "Obviously, you haven't been harassed - or "swarmed" by a bunch of homophobes....
Lucky for you..." The simple answer is YES I HAVE.

-I have stood up to a 6000+ member Christian mega church. You can search through the forums here at TW and read all about it.
-I live in what my psychologist calls the buckle of the Bible Belt, here in Savannah, GA.
-I own my own business and after 16 years with my nearly 300 customers knowing me as Mark, they met Marsha for the first time.
-And not least by any respect, I remain married to my wife of 31 years and have the acceptance of my entire family and in-laws.

So yes, I know the difference between fear and denial. Nobody denied me anything. I believed the fear of rejection that is so rampant in our community is what caused the delay in my living my life as I do today.

Hugs,
Marsha

Cristine,
"Rather a unique person I think."
Oh yes .
Rather a unique person methinks.

I think Cristine is exactly right. That is similar to what I said earlier when I stopped trying to be two different people and became just Marsha, I could finally relax and know I was the person I was suppose to be. It is all about being yourself no matter what you are doing.

Another way to look at It is how would I answer the question "What is it like to be Marsha?" I don't know, I just am me. I have likes and dislikes, good days and bad days.

Hugs,
Marsha

Hi Cathy

For me, the main thing I feel when I'm Judith is peaceful. When in masculine mode, I always feel driven to be doing something, going somewhere - make, build, fix, whatever.Even when I'm doing those things, I'm looking towards the next item on the schedule. As Judith, I seem to have the freedom to live in the moment and fully experience it. It's a real attitude shift, and I'm coming to treasure it more all the time.

Hugs,

Judith

Hi Cathy,

Having never been a natal female, I can't say if I feel like one. I have from childhood felt that I was more feminine than masculine and have been drawn to all things female. I've been dressing since before puberty and have not stopped, with varying degrees of intensity, ever since. I don't think the clothes are all that important, just cloth and leather and the like after all, but they help me express the inner person I am. If I never put on a dress, I'd still be me.

I'll never experience much of what a GG lives through, her monthly cycle or pregnancy, but I can empathize and love who I am.

Best,
Melody

I must agree with many of the comments here - I am who I am regardless if I am wearing jeans and a shirt as opposed to my adorable burgundy dress.