Types of Crossdressing (MtF)

Way too often, we tend to create boundaries between genders. Indeed, as we attribute endurance, power, and sometimes, stoicism and selflessness to manhood, womanhood is deemed soft, nurturing, loving, and perhaps colorful in the eyes of the stereotypes we built on traditional genders.

As crossdressers and trans folks, it is part of our everyday life to see through these expectations and understand that the boundaries set up for us, what clothes to wear, for example, depending on our gender, are only virtual.

Men are no different in their feelings than women. However, both are brought up to diverge. As an MtF crossdresser, a man has to deconstruct these expectations to get in touch with himself. Crossdressing can be the expression of many feelings for a man. We know it oh too well.

“As I understood that clothes had no gender, that I owned them, and therefore, I was able to own my image.”

For both Crossdressers and Trans Folks, we give this very meaning to our image, a purpose. But today’s article will be dedicated to us, MtF Crossdressers. Many reasons drive a man to open up, cross the line, and give himself this will appear as the opposite gender.* From the theatrical aspect of crossdressing to the personal point of crossdressing, we will attempt to explore the many Reasons Men Crossdress, for those of us who might need orientation.

1. Crossdressing in a Personal Setting

The world of crossdressing mainly parts in two different settings, which separate the multiple motivations behind such art in two families. Here, I am about to count down the most popular reasons men crossdress in a Personal Setting, which is usually ideal for getting in touch with internal feelings or hidden parts of our identity. A personal setting has an undertone of intimacy and existence, such notes you will retrieve in the following fields of crossdressing.

● Romantic Crossdressing

One of the main reasons one might crossdress in their privacy and individuality is their fascination, and perhaps, affection, for the female nature. What better way to establish a connection with the situation of womanhood than directly stepping into it. Emulating a woman’s condition allows us to understand them better and cherish our romantic attraction to the female nature.

Romantic Crossdressing manifests a form of empathy and comprehension that opens a man’s mind and reinforces his bond with the women surrounding him. Therefore, to the condition of our affection for the opposite gender, we, as crossdressers have every reason to root our crossdressing in the form of romanticism.

● Erotic Crossdressing

Furthermore, in our attraction to the opposite gender, it is possible to perform crossdressing to satisfy personal desires and fantasies. I already told you! Men’s feelings aren’t different than Women’s. Some women experience self-eroticism, and it is no different for men. Due to the lack of sensuality often observed in the masculine condition, we see many men searching for it by stepping into a more traditionally feminine appearance.

We can also witness other crossdressers simply cultivate their attraction to female nature through such self-eroticism. In a kinky way, of course. However, erotic crossdressing isn’t limited to self-eroticism. Anyone, including us, can perform this act with a partner to experiment with our sensuality and sexual identity. It is a very playful, intimate and experimental field of crossdressing.

● Amateur Crossdressing

As modest as it can seem, many of us find casual entertainment in the ways of crossdressing! The challenge of being commonly perceived as the opposite sex by random people can be taken as a game when passing by. The idea of developing a shape-shifting ability can, for many of us, be quite the thrill, as one might say.

The provided reactions to our image, the looks, and maybe even the attention from the games played between the crossdresser and the observer are indeed a widely spread source of satisfaction. Crossdressing can genuinely be entertaining, both socially and creatively.

● Femboys!

In the community, gender non-conforming men find a safe haven. By appearing as the opposite gender, many individuals find a way to fully express their feminine side, the taste, the extravagance, the style, the fashion that is otherwise forbidden to them to certain extents.

Simply feminine men (and we all know such a person in our social circle) feel their oaths when they crossdress, and despite the common repression of their expression, it couldn’t be more coherent to them. As a result, crossdressing can, for some, be used to certain creative or compensative extents. Clothes that aren’t worn in full time, are allowed during a crossdressing spree. It is, as we know, a freeing experience.

2. Crossdressing in a Theatrical Setting

The second main family of the crossdressing practice takes place in the Theatrical Setting. It is the world of crossdressing performers, those who transform to exude talent and entertainment and who crossdress, occasionally or consistently, to make a living, or an audience. The following profiles are considered entertainers.

● Impersonators

The art of impersonating is widely spread in the crossdressing community, especially on the drag scene. Impersonators perform to imitate a personality, either a historical figure, their surroundings, or a celebrity.

This is done to entertain. This usually involves the performance of lipsyncs, especially if the drag artist impersonates another artist and the reproduction of pop-culture references involving the impersonated character. It allows the Impersonator to create running gags, bits, empower their stage presence, and fulfill their performances.

Derrick Barry, for instance, is an American drag queen who also impersonates Britney Spears. Her career took off from the well-known TV show, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and ever since, she has made numerous appearances on television and in multiple drag shows.

● Content Creators

Although unrelated to Theater, this category still holds its ground in entertaining an audience. Content creators, such as streamers, YouTubers, and others, sometimes base their channels on crossdressing.

They can improvise themselves as comedians, become well-known in the meme culture, or simply entertain their online audience around the odds of crossdressing by inducing reactions or playing with passing, just like an amateur crossdresser would do. They become popular references and play a massive role in normalizing the world of crossdressers.

● Actors

You heard me right; you don’t have to be a regular crossdresser, to be considered as one, even temporarily, or even to be known for crossdressing. Many actors, at least once in their career, must crossdress to fulfill a missing role in the movie or the scene they play in. Multiple movies are also known for featuring crossdressers as their main characters, such as White Chicks or the classic Mrs. DoubtFire.

● Drag Performers

The drag scene is nowadays a very popular ground for crossdressing. It involves comedians, models, singers, dancers, impersonators, and many more, stepping on stage dressed as an original character of their creation, going by a scene name, and matching the gender of their character. They perform in drag shows and at LGBTQ+ clubs most of the time and are sometimes organized in Hauses, the equivalent of troops on the drag scene.

These are named after the performer which the Haus originates from. In Drag Queens, this very performer is usually referred to as the “Drag Mom” of the other performers within the Haus, as she holds the position of a teacher and manages her troop.

During the shows, drag queens are dressed to exude sensuality, an exaggerated and otherworldly version of traditional femininity, and display a form of exotic fashion, drag fashion, as Drag Culture is a knowledge of its own.

It even housed the early foundations of queer culture, as nightclubs were the only place for queer people to express their existence earlier. Any gender can perform as a drag queen, but cisgender men are most common in the world of drag queens.

Drag Queens Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova, were featured in their show, UNHhhh, the show where they talk about whatever they want, ‘cuz it’s their show, and not yours, as they would say, at least.

The Drag Scene is approximately as vast as the crossdressing world on its own, but we explored this world and the many and most popular categories of crossdressers. Based on feelings, talent or curiosity, there are even more valid reasons than I mentioned, as it relates to types of cross-dressing or at least why a cisgender man would cross-dress.

Whatever that reason may be, I am telling you, you are valid, appreciated, and have every opportunity to make this activity work for you.

We have all witnessed it; many crossdressers are successful people. Why wouldn’t you succeed too? Tell us, what motivates you to crossdress? Do you do so regularly? Please tell us in the comments section below.

And on this note,
Stay beautiful~