Crossdressing as an Art

Pauline out and about.

There are several different types of men who dress as women. Female impersonators, who are either actors or comedians. Drag queens, who are usually gay, and also imitate women as performers; they have a tendency to emulate famous or infamous women. Then there’s us.

We have this innate desire to take on the persona of a female. This is usually deep in our subconscious and may manifest itself at a very early stage in our development. Why do we do it? There are many qualified people who have tried to offer an explanation, and in all probability most of the reasoning is correct or close to the truth. Whatever these opinions are, for or against the practice, they don’t matter too much because we are what we are, and love doing what we do.

To do this thing that we do, we have to follow a set of unwritten rules as we emulate women. Firstly, we form an opinion and develop thoughts of what we perceive women to look like. This perception must change with the age of the protagonist.I think most of the membership of TGF is on the mature side and dress accordingly. Whatever age group one might belong to our attempt to walk out on the street and be accepted as a female is probably the most significant thing we do.

Selecting a female style is not easy. One sees younger women out shopping dressed in track suits, or tight leggings with a loose tops, and hardly any makeup, or maybe none at all, then there are crossdressers disguised as “Walmartians.” This is where I tend to draw a line. I feel that as crossdressers we must put some effort into transforming ourselves into a female. I include post OP girls as well. If one has had facial surgery one will have a more feminine appearance, and will possibly pass more readily without so much work. Post OP girls can be much more relaxed about dressing. They are probably on a course of hormones which has a much greater affect on their mental state in terms of how feminine they feel, which has an  influence on their attitude toward dressing. The rest of us need to put in the time. I once met a CD who, although he had not had surgery, he was totally committed to being in his female persona all the time. He, or should I say she, had changed everything such as driver’s license, credit cards and any necessary identification documents he may require to indicate he was female. She complained that she had been asked to leave two restaurants as a result of women complaining about her using the women’s restroom. It seemed to me, if the way she was turned out when I met her was an example that she had made no effort to look female; no makeup, unkempt hair, and unattractive clothing. She looked like a guy in a dress.

Appropriate for the club?

Too tarty for the club?

How you dress depends largely on your age. If you are over 45, you can’t dress like a 22 year old. Nor should you go out in public dressed like a tart. Clubbing is a different story. Clubs have may have a dress code which permit you to dress in a certain manner, if this is raunchy, so be it. If you are serious about crossdressing, and not a fetishist hung up on female clothing, then I repeat you have to take it seriously. Fetishism is okay if you are so inclined, but it is better left at home. Mia culpa, there are certain items of lingerie that I am fixated upon, more on vintage than modern styles. I would have difficulty arguing a defense as to whether or not it was a form of fetishism. I would never wear them visibly out in public. A little lace showing is okay, but there are serious limits.

If you are over 45, I would suggest you are a mature crossdresser and if you are going out, not just to gas up the car, you should try and dress respectably. Consider appropriate clothing for what you intend to do. Check your wig or hair, make sure you make up is on okay and you look presentable. Some time you have to be careful not to over do it. Always, always, wear lipstick, and don’t over dress. I have had personal experience of this.

Pauline’s outfit after the manatee incident.

My wife and I were in the Everglades or the Okefenokee swamp, I can’t remember which, looking at manatees. My wife compared what I was wearing to other women in our vicinity, and herself of course; she had worked in the fashion industry for a time. She concluded I was decidedly over dressed, jewelry, clothing and shoes, etc. That evening we went to a couple of stores and bought things like capris, a new top and sandals. I would not dress like that  if I was going to a nice restaurant or other semi-formal outing, what I had bought  suited the occasion very well.

The upshot of this is, the ultimate question, why are you dressing? My motive when dressed is to bring my female persona, Pauline, to life.  When I walk down the street or walk around the mall, eat in a decent restaurant, I want to be taken for a woman. I am told that I pass quite well (until I open my mouth) and if I didn’t I would feel most uncomfortable. What about the people who are around you when you are out, especially women? If you deliberately dress so that what you are wearing draws undue attention to you, I feel you are demeaning women. The only conclusion I could draw would be that your motives are not those of a true crossdresser.

This is truly my opinion and if I have offended anyone I am sorry. It is a point of view I feel very strongly about and I will be happy to receive your arguments.

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Tags: crossdressing, featured, passing, style

Category: Transgender Fashion, Transgender Opinion