Trying to figure out my gender

I’ve been questioning my gender lately and I’m trying to understand myself better. I wanted to ask people here about their experiences because I feel kinda confused about what I’m feeling.

I do enjoy a lot of feminine things — dresses, makeup, jewelry, longer hair, looking/feeling feminine in general — and it makes me really happy and comfortable. But at the same time, I keep wondering: how do you actually know if you’re trans versus just enjoying feminine expression?

What were some signs for you personally? Was it something you always knew deep down, or did it slowly become clearer over time?

Also, what helped you figure yourself out?

Did experimenting with clothes, names, pronouns, makeup, etc. help?

And once you started questioning seriously, what did you do next?