how to experiment while in the closet

It's easier for ftm to get away with things than for mtf. Ftm can get quite maleish and still be considered 'tomboy' which is quite safe. Which can be problematic because nobody considers me as anything more than a girl.
Mtf need 'unisex' things. Accessories, longer hair, a certain type of clothes etc.

 

My experience is that if you don't pass and haven't come out yet, most people will just assume you're a tomboy or a lesbian. A lot of people don't even know tranguys exist, which can be annoying at times but has it advantages.
I'd recommend buying something from the "men's" section and see how it feels, maybe get a haircut, try (safe) binding if you have access to that. Stuff that is reversible and easy to accomplish.
Nobody is going to come up to you and be like "Sooo, I notice you're wearing different clothes, surely you must be trans." Most people don't care.

 

People are calling me a lady even if I talk around them using male pronouns etc. All that in male haircut, male glasses, male clothes and binder on. It sucks.

Cheers.

 

Yeah, there's no line between tomboy and transboy, not until nobody knows you were ever designated female. :dry: And at that point, socially, you're just a boy - I really wouldn't be too worried about other people. If they assume anything it's going to be that you're a tomboy or a lesbian, not that it's a gender identity thing.

So if you feel like experimenting...

 

Try pinning your hair up with Bobby pins if you have long hair. That's what I did today.

 

It's understandable to be scared, but I somewhat agree with what's already been said; unless you live in a very unsafe place to play around with gender expression, people won't really care that much if you dress more masculine and it should be fine. Most people's stereotypes about people who look certain ways tend to skew more towards sexuality rather than gender. I live in a ~fairly~ accepting space, and have been dressing androgynous/masculine for several years. People don't care, and if they don't approve they have mainly kept it to themselves. I don't think anyone has assumed it's because of my gender.

You can try binding (safely) at home, maybe with two sports bras and a t shirt over top. You can also buy some more gender-neutral clothing, or clothing from the men's section if you feel up for that. There's usually some more androgynous clothing even in the women's section too. If you want to pack with a sock or something feel free to do that too. A lot of this can be done in the privacy of home if you don't want to go out in public dressed differently. Good luck, stay safe ~

 

I'm still "stealth"-questioning as well. But at the moment I'm living away from my home town/family/ordinary contacts. I caught up with some friends the other week and they didn't even mention anything really. One of them speculated like, "Oh, you cut your hair short? It hasn't been that short since high school" but that was pretty much it. This was while binding, and wearing guys clothes soooo...

*shrug*

I think outside of those who know me, I get mistaken for a guy or a question mark or a non-conforming female? All in all, just be wary of who it might spark a bad reaction with and try to avoid that. Otherwise, do whatever makes you feel comfortable. I agree with what others have said, people are more likely to associate expression with sexuality, usually, rather than gender, so maybe be wary also of that if there are not so accepting people around.