I absolutely concur with aboywithgirls and Dudewithboobs. Very well put by both.
When you think about it, it is quite irrational for anyone to feel pressure to wear (or avoid wearing) any particular item of clothing because of perceived social pressure, and it is sad that any of us feel under that pressure in the first place. I suggest that we all have enough to deal with without it.
Personally, I’m fine with my gender identity and don’t confuse that with my physical clothing needs. I feel male, but I do have boobs which are much more comfortable in a bra than jiggling around under my shirt unsupported. I am able to hide them if I feel I need to, so am lucky to have that option. I understand that with larger cup sizes come fewer choices in that regard. I do not have a generally feminine physique, and so don’t need to wear panties for comfort, and most men’s clothing fits me fine so far. I have minor problems with shirts gaping a little, but I’m not yet at the stage where they simply don’t fit my body. Right now, a slightly looser fitting shirt is OK.
Equally, it would seem perverse for those with more generally feminine physiques to feel under any pressure to continue to wear badly-fitting male clothing, and hypocritical if any of us who wear a bra were to be judgemental of those who also need other items female clothing. My guess would be that any man who has experienced breast growth since puberty will have also had some degree of feminisation affect all part of their body. It would seem logical that if you have rounded and feminine hips and bottom you are not going to fit nicely into men’s jeans, for example. Those of us who are ‘late developers’ probably have a pretty stereotypical male body and only experience significant feminisation of the chest area, so it is likely that a bra will take care of our needs.
Either way, what does it matter? We should all of us wear the clothes that work for our bodies and not be judgemental of those who need to dress differently to us. I am in no way critical of anyone who elects to wear female clothing for whatever reason, either. If it overlaps into cross-dressing, so what? It harms nobody, and if it means a more comfortable state of mind for that person then surely that’s good all round?
I’m not sure if we on this forum are the best source of support for those with more profound gender identity issues. We should certainly be considerate of anyone struggling with these personal questions, but I guess there are more relevant and qualified sources of help elsewhere. At the same time, it doesn’t seem impossible that the shifting hormones that result in gynecomastia can continue to evolve into broader gender identity considerations for some. Perhaps they are just on a longer and more demanding journey than the rest of us?
I can absolutely believe that hormonal imbalances have a profound impact on who we are, and I’m also absolutely convinced that the effect can be subtle and insidious. I can now see emotional and mental health aspects of my own hormonal imbalance that I was oblivious to in the past. Powerful and sneaky things, these hormones.