Does your personna change with your clothes?

[Alana]

Lydia,

Before this Halloween, I would have said my personality doesn't change much, if at all, between en femme and en drab. However, that was based on very little interaction with others while en femme. Until a couple of years ago, I was deep in the closet; now I'm not so deep and even getting out occasionally.

A couple of things happened on Halloween this year that started me rethinking that question. First, even though I was dressed en femme in a very public situation, I felt at ease, even comfortable. Something that just a couple of years ago wasn't the case. This was only the second time that I have been out en femme and interacted with others. I was who I am and enjoyed it. I seemed less inhibited; I didn't really care what people thought about my being dressed as a woman. Second, some thing happened that I don't think would ever have happened when en drab. At one point, my female supervisor was standing close to me while kidding me about my attire and appearance. She'd been teasing me off and on all evening and then apologizing and saying she really didn't mean it. Any way, at one point I instinctively reached out and laid my hand on her back while I replied to her tease. First, I doubt that she would have been that close and personal with me had I had been in drab. Second, I don't think I would have touched her in that manner had I been in drab.

While its not much to go on, I now think that my personality may change when dressed; I seemed to be more outgoing and less inhibited than normal. Will be a little more observant now and see if that is, in fact, true.

Like some of the others have said, perhaps confidence and self-acceptance have something to do with any changes that may occur.
A couple of years ago I dressed en femme for an office Halloween luncheon. One of my co-workers said that she saw a very different person that day. She said that she had seen a lighter, more fun side of me. I was less staid and solemn. That day, I was literally shaking because it was my first time en femme in public where I interacted with other people, people that had known me for about 14 years as a man; a very quiet, staid man.

Anyway, I think that it is a very good question. One that is worth looking at objectively.

Love ya, all!

Alana

[Anita]

First, I doubt that she would have been that close and personal with me had I had been in drab. Second, I don't think I would have touched her in that manner had I been in drab.

Like Virginia, I didn't think I was going to post twice, but here I am. Alana is reinforcing something that I mentioned, but didn’t think about too much.

My post said that I do change, which is a minority feeling on this thread. But…even I was saying that I don’t change as much around people I know, who I think would be upset by this. That would certainly include a spouse, if I had one.

If I go out and interact with people who don’t know the original “me,” then I’m surprised at the different behaviors that seem to come up without me thinking of them. The touching that Alan mentioned is one of them—I just do NOT touch people as a man, because I was socialized to never do that.

So when my femme self began touching people when she was out, it made a big impression on me. I had not realized how badly male me was starved for that kind of belonging—I’d never known any other way of being.

This kind of stands the question on its head. Maybe I’m the same person all the time—but that person only operates at about 65% of who he is when he’s presenting as a man.

[Imma]

>To Group:
>
>1. If I did everything right, you should be able to see me in the photograph.
>
>2. All comments, good, bad, and middle of road are welcome!
>
>Imma

[IMG]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m18/ ... air97K.jpg[/IMG]

[Susan]

I agree with Ms Jane

I also feel more relaxed when dressed

Susan

[Christie]

Hi Lydia

Interesting topic and very valid too!!
Yep, I change completely when I'm dressed. I'm Christie when dressed and behave that way too.

Hugs

Christie