From the Mouths of Babes

A couple of weeks ago I braided together a Twitter-centric application from Formspring with the normal bits of bloggitty goodness here on Voyages en Rose. The “Ask me anything” widget on your right is the result. I added this feature for a number of reasons including;

- Morbid curiosity. I remain skeptical of the utility of Twitter, but thought that this thingy might be, if not a “killer app”, at least an app that stunned people for a moment at a time.
- Quest for inspiration. I hoped that questions from the great internet protocol beyond might kindle the odd post thought when my well runs dry .
- Respect for the reader. I like to write about things that my readers like to read about. Your questions should help me tune my instrument so to speak.
- Concern for the environment. Here I can recycle your questions and my answers, and avoid overgrazing my brain.
- CDADHD. I have an acute case of Cross Dresser Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I am easily distracted by gadgets. And sparkly strappy sandals.

Well, there has been a trickle of questions over the last week plus, not a torrent, but good questions. Here is the blue recycle box of questions and answers:

When did you first know that you liked women's clothing?
Age 7 my dear. Everything that I saw women wearing just seemed so different, so secret, so ritualistic relative to my choices, I was drawn like moth to flame...

What's your favorite item of women's clothing?
This is almost like asking a mother which child is favorite. I must say though, that a beautifully tailored, back-zipped sheath dress is the very acme to me. I feel fully attenuated to the world when I feel the limits of my stride, the slight catches of breath, the baring of thigh when seated. A lovely exclusive privilege...

Is this spam proof? :-P
I don't think any thing is fully spam proof. Risk / Reward seems usually to tip in the favor of curiosity for me though. Perhaps you have another question?

There's a house fire, what do you save?
If it is my house, my dogs, presuming my wife can find her way out...

When did you start cross-dressing? I mean...what's your earliest cross-dressing memory? :-)
Great question, and do you know, I have not tried to pinpoint this moment yet. I suspect that I was 11 or 12. I had, before then, paid a lot of attention to how women looked. And then, the girls in my class started to change. Curves appeared, and straps started showing beneath blouses. My curiosity grew and the pressure got to be too much.

In my memory it feels like early summer. I had an afternoon at home alone, and like many others, I rifled drawers and closets in my parents room. I know there was a bra or two. Heels, yes. A dress, certainly. Not clear in my mind whether I got around to the hosiery then, but that could not have been too far off. I did not have a name for what I was doing, but I felt as though I was doing something absolutely wrong. It all felt good enough to banish the feelings of guilt and fear for the few moments. Quite a struggle, my dear, to make those things go away, decades in the waging.

You have given me a nice uber-theme to work out for my dressing through the decades which will of course show up on the blog. Thanks!

Typically, how long does it take you to get ready?
Too long, so I try to savor it. Make up is a 1 hour thing for me, from foundation up. Most of the time is lost to the eyes. Dressing itself, from foundation garments to finished layers is 30 minutes. None of it ever feels like a chore though, so it is time well spent :). Thanks!

What size bra do you wear?
I am rather a petite thing I will confess. 34 b is ideal for me. I took a pair of C cup silicon forms out for a test toddle one day, and really felt a little Dolly Parton-esque. Thanks for asking! Your question will appear on Voyages en Rose later this week.


It is a real treat to have these questions pop up on my Formspring profile page, and so they get priority attention and are answered on Twitter pretty much instantly, or whenever I see them, whichever comes first. So I do hope to see more of them.

Formspring allows anyone, you included, to ask a question, anonymously or with a Google / Facebook / Twitter / whatever ID. I promise to answer all questions, and where standards of decency allow, to publish them here again when enough accummulate, or whenever I am flat out of ideas of my own.

I really do not mind if the questions come from beyond the normal editorial orbit of the blog. We are all bigger than our closets and gender identities after all.

So go ahead, make my day … Ask me anything