I’m more of the intellectual, creative type myself, but there’s definitely a quite number of us who are macho types while en homme. Likewise, there’s also a lot of engineers, mechanics, programmers and other “logical” types. (Other interesting correlations I’ve heard: there’s lots of pilots, and model railroad and ham radio enthusiasts.)
My personal take on it is that dressing allows these folks to express part of themselves that they feel that can’t do in their “everyday” personality—so that sense, yes, it’s an escape.
Some girls I know have said they became macho precisely because they felt a feminine side in them and it scared them, so they went out to prove their manhood. (It’s not uncommon for late transitioning transsexuals to have been hyper-macho for similar reasons.) For others, it seems like they just grew up macho and for the most part enjoy it—but the rigidness of gender roles that tends to accompany macho leads them to
“become” women to express feminine aspects of their personalities.
For the Spock-like folks, it seems like there’s a similar dynamic—there’s this emotional, illogical part of themselves that normally they keep a lid on, and are proud of being able to do so. But it does seem to leak out in various ways. It seems like a lot of these folks
show up in various “alternative” lifestyles from Star Fleet, to the Rennaisance Faire to Burning Man, where they let loose this other side. Some, for whatever reason, end up putting on a dress instead of a Starfleet uniform.
The other factor is I think most of us have different personas that we wear for different contexts—work, visiting our parents, out with friends etc. Looked at that way, dressing is just taking things a bit further.
Myself en femme and en homme are two facets of the same personality. There are obviously differences. Some are my femme side coming out to play. For example, I’m more caring and nuturing—and I get to indulge more of my desires for pretty things. Some differences are consciously choosen. For example, my guy-self isn’t that great at
meeting new people in social situations, so en femme I consciously try to be the social butterfly. (I suppose any social awkwardness is easier to deal with if it’s not the “real” me.) Still others are “protective coloring”—I’ve worked on feminine movement and speech, since I like going out. But I also have to save they help me feel like I’m acting the part as it were.
But they’re not completely different personalities. I enjoyed decorating my home (it’s an outlet for my creative side, since I get to do less of that in my current work), but it’s clearly masculine (sort in the style Thom from Queer Eye often does). If I did as
“Marlena,” it would be a bit softer and more decorative but still modernist—think West Elm rather than Laura Ashley.
As long as you’re happy that’s the important thing. And we crossdressers have soooo much more fashion sense than the Trekkies. 
