I’m watching an episode of The Closer where a suspect appears to be a woman until Chief Johnson snatches off his wig. Something I’ve seen in other shows. Only, this guy has a full head of his own hair. So why wear a wig? Why not just grow your own hair long and style it like a woman would? There are some things that distinguish women which men lack; hair is (barring male pattern baldness) not one of them.
Depends on whether you crossdress all the time or not. Some dress up only occasionally and might have a hard time explaining long silken tresses to their families, conservative coworkers, etc.
The guy on “The Closer” called himself an illusionist. He only dressed as a woman for his job as an entertainer on a cruise ship. I think this may be true for many female impersonators/drag queens—only their onstage persona is female.
For some people wigs are a fashion accessory like shoes, and enjoy the variety without the commitment.
It depends on why the guy is cross-dressing. For the campy over-the-top drag queens, for example, wearing a wig is part of the process of getting into character.
In fact, the best female impersonator I’ve ever met looks and acts quite masculine when he’s not in drag… he’s a jeans and workboots and t-shirt kind of guy, even though his alter-ego is into slinky sequined numbers, stiletto heels, bouffant hair and bright red lipstick. Once he’s in drag, he’s a completely different person… different name, different mannerisms, different voice, and different personality. If I hadn’t seen the before and after with my own eyes, I’d have had a lot of trouble making the connection.
Plus, even assuming that long, flowy, girlie hair would be okay for a manly-man type, I don’t think he’d have done it. He was always very careful to keep his “regular” persona separate from his drag persona, so carrying over even a small part of his alter-ego into his regular life would be out of the question.
For all the reasons already mentioned . . . plus for the same reasons a woman might wear a wig.