Hi Suzanne I can certainly see from your career choice how restrictive it was to express your feminine self, I very nearly went to Officer training in the army or navy but was talked out of it. Similar to Davina I definitely crossdressed from a young age in dressing up clothes of the opposite sex. I didn't think anything of it other than this feels comfortable. Nothing sexual, although guess it got more exciting as I got older trying to look like other girls, (still a way off, but improving). I have jumped career a few times from banking to building and construction management. I do think that maybe as I have got older I tried to out macho the feelings perhaps, although that's not to say I do not enjoy and I am good in my choice of career. I think as I've got older I've simply got sick of the overly macho idiots/bigots I've worked with and accepted myself more that I can still be me as protector, provider, family man. On the other hand I can when the opportunity arises be the more gentle feminine version of my personality. Hopefully as time goes on and before I get too old these two sides can gradually merge more with out too much problems. Thankfully I hold out hope that society is eventually coming round to accepting a more gender neutral society. I truly hope your partner becomes more accepting to your situation.

Davina, that all makes sense. Many of us started dressing in our early teens, maybe for sexual reasons initially, with the thrill of wearing lingerie a huge turn on. So, unblurring the lines, I joined the military in my 20's and, once I'd finished training, I lived in multi-man rooms for several years in a block containing 10-20 similar rooms. Eventually I moved into my own room in a block with about 30 others of my male colleagues where we all shared the facilities. This went on for 9-10 years. As you lived with the people you worked with you never knew who would knock on your door at any given time as some worked shifts, not all though. Not an environment that many experience I'll grant but different from what many would expect. Living 'behind the wire* there was no chance of me dressing, walking to my car and driving out of the gate at that time. Far less accepting an environment to be in. Imagine the surprise on the guards faces (yes we have personnel on the gate to check each and every ID) if I had drove back in and presented my ID card whilst fully dressed en femme, clothes, wig, makeup etc. 😂. I suppose you can see why I asked the question now, really just a passing thought, but my career choice I believe has had a huge impact on my ability to dress, especially in my 20s and early 30s. Getting married and moving into our home with someone who I knew did not approve of cross dressers, transvestites, lady boys etc etc was another huge influence and hence why I've had to be secretive about it since then. If I'd lived in my own flat/house for years before getting married I'm fairly sure I would have had many years of dressing opportunities and possibly found it harder to hide when I met many of my previous girlfriends. I don't regret any of it BTW, like I said, only a passing though!

I was crossdressing long before i had a career.. i was in infants school the first time i put on tights, junior school i was trying on lingerie stockings and high heels.. into comprehensive school too i was dressing fantasising about girls i fancied but was too shy to ask out and women i had a crush on same into college continued dressing tho it slowed as i was also a sports freak if i wasnt playing it was training and if not training i was out running.. university not much time for dressing then met my gf and i think it stopped and didnt start again until we'd moved in together and i was tempted back by a my gf (fiance) lingerie.. and i'm now on the working ladder having completed my degree.. dressing was more or less non existent at the start until out of the blue wife asked to dress me as a women and seeing myself in makeup was a wke up call ... stress of work in my 30s and giving up sport led to more dressing buying a wig etc.. now its not my career its an enjoyment and sometimes a need to dress to unwind.. i feel nice, sexy even as Davina but i dont think its a career choice thing .. im just a crossdresser if id been a bin man, copper, engineer whatever id be crossdressing as i enjoy it.. my escapism more from my male front as an alpha than my career.