Welcome to Crossdresser Heaven, a safe and welcoming place for everyone in the crossdresser community.
Join Crossdresser Heaven today to participate in the forums.
I was at Party City, which is going out of business, to see if there were any Halloween costumes left. I had gotten my Halloween 2024 costume there' a "flappers'" dress with accessories. I was browsing the racks of Halloween costumes. There was still a good selection, but most of them were just "not me".
While perusing the racks, there was an obvious crossdresser there also perusing the racks. I've seen some girls out there who were quite convincing as girls, and could have almost passed as girls. This girl was quite obviously not a GG. "She was very tall and large, probably close to 250 pounds. She was wearing a loose-fitting green dress that was above the knee. She didn't appear to be wearing any makeup and had a buzz cut hair style.
I give her a lot of credit for being out and comfortable in her own body. I've often gone Out and About, typically with a group of like minded girls, but, sometimes just for shopping en femme. When I go out, I try to be the best girl I can be. I'm 5'9 and a size 12/14, so I fall at the high end of the normal GG size range. I always go out with makeup and a wig, and sometimes with nail polish, if I have the time to put it on and take it off.
For those who Go Out and About, what's your style guide?
@sometimessteffi When I went out en femme, it was always in proper (appropriate) feminine presentation. As a for instance, if I were grocery shopping it was not in a dress and heels with full makeup. I did my best to dress in a fashion that would not draw attention because of being over or under dressed. That said, I fully enjoyed drawing the attention that came from others who saw someone they thought attractive!
I cannot bring myself to go halfway. When I go out, I do my utmost to blend in among other women. Given my height and stature, that is admittedly a challenge, but it’s also not rare for me to see a GG that is my height or taller and many that are also considerably heavier.
At the same time, I always assume I will be read and try not to feel offended by a misgendering. Most people are remarkably courteous.
@sometimessteffi Late 70'es my mothers sister and husband was visiting me and my then GF. Back then we used normal cameras with film within and during their visit I made a few snapshots. Later after having the film processed and the pictures arrived I was going through them and all in a sudden I thought WTF a man in a dress and called my GF asking who the h... is this man in a dress, it was my mothers sister LOL. I still have the pictures and every time I see them I'm always surprised.
@clarissa2 That’s funny! I see a lot of that here where I live. (Retirement community) It’s actually inspirational to me as I think, heck, I look more like a GG than she does! Alas, many ladies reach a certain age point and give up the makeup, the hair color and all the goodies. Can’t say I blame them as they’ve been doing it all their lives and as we all know here…it’s a process.🥰
Well I'm trans and go about my daily business like anyone else. I wear casual clothes and minimal makeup because that's all I have time for. Glam is a treat that's reserved for special occasions.
/LK
@sometimessteffi Was it moi you spotted. I'm joking!
Were you tempted to talk to the person?
Whenever I've spotted a CD out, I refrain from clocking them and pretend they just fit in, like any normal girl. Though their story must be interesting, but it's not fair to ruin their moment with my curiosity.
I was at Party City, which is going out of business
Just a little correction here.
The US operation of Party City declared bankruptcy over a year ago with $1.7 billion in debt. After clearing $1 billion of that debt, the US operation couldn't last any longer.
Just as the US Toys R US operation closed, both of the Canadian operations of Toys R US and Party City are healthy and continue here. Keep in mind that the Canadian business market is really tough, so it is a good sign to see these companies prosper here.
The Canadian division of Party City was bought in 2019 by Canadian Tire, a very well run company.
@sometimessteffi For me it's fairly obvious up close that I'm not GG, but I have a thin enough figure to seem feminine from those afar. I like dresses, but my main style going out is a sporty girl attire(bike shorts, workout romper, or yoga pants with a women's running jacket) with makeup and no wig. I enjoy wearing tights so much because I like to show off the figure I'm progressively trying to build, mostly the lower body. My all time favorite is a pair of ribbed cotton/spandex biker shorts or a shorts jumpsuit of the same material since they do well to highlight my beautiful thighs and bum.
@sometimessteffi i saw a CD the other day on the tube, he was in full female attire , dress, handbag, heels , jewellery but male hair and no makeup and a beard. I thought yay go you! and commented on his nice bag. He looked slightly shocked but then smiled and said thank you, i said you are welcome and off the train i got. I love when people just do them!
@sometimessteffi Of course, it is entirely possible that this person is Trans and full time. For myself, only getting dolled up a few times a month, like you, makeup, wig, nails, the works - 2+ hours worth. If I had to do it every day, I can assure you I would put in a lot less effort.
Holding all cis and trans women, who would have to do this daily, up to that standard seems a bit unfair. Everyone has their own metric, but I know in guy mode I spend minimal time in my presentation. Seems perfectly reasonable that many cis and trans women may feel the same.
The thing I love about my mantra is that it's mathematical and so works equally in reverse: Your reaction to someone says everything about you and nothing about them.
Whatever makes you comfortable when out.
I personally try to dress appropriate for my surroundings when I’m out, i don’t want a lot of attention. I’m personally nervous enough already being out I don’t need to wear a short skirt and 5 inch heels to the supermarket. But if a person likes the attention, good for them. It’s just not my thing.
@melanieelizabeth Girl, you're fit and pretty. Some level of attention is coming your way, like it or not. Lean into it, says I. 😉
I love it Steffi.. Party City, at first i thought that was a night club 😆 Me, another out and aboutery girl, i like to dress for how the mood strikes and the venue.. I am a few inches taller than you & a size 12. This weekend, the weather is going to factor in big time! Its a warm sweater dress and leggings weekend for me.
'...few times a month, like you, makeup, wig, nails, the works - 2+ hours worth. If I had to do it every day, I can assure you I would put in a lot less effort.'
I went out today to meet another member of our happy band. I was in full-Becca mode and am pleased to say that no-one gave any sign that I hadn't come across as a well-dressed elderly lady. I timed myself getting ready and not including shave and shower, it took me about 21 minutes from male to fully made-up, dressed and be-wigged, female. I think I can get it down to fifteen minutes if I have everything lined up. I have to exclude doing nails as that takes bloody ages!
As far as the OP's question, my photographs show it all.
Becca
@rebeccabaxter 21 minutes is impressive. On a good day, I can get into Anna mode in about 40 minutes.
@rebeccabaxter I have been working at Walmart for almost 3 weeks now and dress fully Cassie. My daily makeup takes 15 to 20 minutes. I do moisturizer, foundation, setting powder, contouring, a little blush and lip stain.
Cassie
@rebeccabaxter 21 minutes? That might be a new record for CD’s….quick someone get the Guinness book🤣!
It had to take longer to shave your head and dye your beard blue. No wonder you traded Brutus for Becca! 🤣🥰
I go all out or not at all. Clothes, makeup, false nails, etc. Luckily I have natural long hair so no wig but I do everything I can to look like a stereotypical woman. I know that GGs don't necessarily dress the way I do nor do they do as much to get dolled up. But, I do feel like I need to go the extra step to hide the masculine traits as much as possible. I still try to blend in of course but I do as much as I can to be recognized and treated like any other woman.
I try to present appropriate to the occasion. Blending in is kind of my thing, and I believe you can do so and yet remain both feminine in appearance and stylish. Makeup is always part of the equation as I try to give myself every advantage. It's more effort to be sure, but it really heightens the fun of sometimes the most mundane of trips to the supermarket or garden store. If I am not "made" I consider it a success.
When I go out I always have my hair, nails, and makeup looking their best. I try to dress appropriately for the occasion wearing what a lady my age (early 50's) would likely wear. I don't try to overdress but given how women dress now days that's not hard to do. Its funny how many women you see wearing leggings and an oversized top with sneakers to a nice restaurant. I don't wear heels over 1.5 inches as I don't want to be extremely tall plus I have some dressier flats and kitten heels that I really enjoy.
I live 24/7 as Fiona, so most of the time I'm only going to do enough work to my presentation to make it clear that I am presenting to the world in my feminine side. I get washed & dressed as I get out of bed. If I'm not going out somewhere special, then the shave, just enough make-up, and hair in place takes about 30 minutes on top of that. That might only happen several hours later though, even towards lunchtime.
I do cheat a bit, by having my eyebrows tinted and waxed. I also have my nails done in colour gel every three weeks. My ears are pierced and I wear a nice 'live-in' set of little silver hoops in them.
Clothing wise, at the moment I wear very much what I did in my former male life, lots of single-colour jumpers and jeans, but now with much nicer fabrics and textures. I do like skirts and dresses as the weather warms up though, even though they generally aren't the done thing so much these days 🙂
My objective when I first started going out in public was to try and dress like a stylish middle-aged lady. So whether its being dressed up or casual, I try to look nice and blend in wherever I go. Dressing nicely really helps you appear as a confident trans woman. That confidence in turn goes a long way in making it easier for someone to accept or tolerate the trans you.
Also, dressing nicely takes a few years off my apparent age. I need all the help I can get!
We've had it mentioned before on CDH but it's worth repeating. If there is one thing that is consistent throughout this thread and across the site in general, it is the fact that we are truly a well-dressed bunch. Dressing smartly and elegantly seems to be de riguer within the cross-dressing community, in general far out-dressing genetic girls. Whenever I do spot 'one of us' out there (and it's not usually very easy to do) the person concerned is always wearing clean, neat clothes, makeup and at least a small amount of jewellery. Yes, I know we have to work harder than your average GG to look the part but it's nice to see everyone pulling their weight regarding the cross-dressing community.
Well done us, I say, well done indeed.
Becca
If your timing is right, you can even go grocery shopping in a skirt and heals with full makeup. I call this look "office girl doing errands on the way home from work."
@sometimessteffi I love it when I spot one of those “office girls doing errands” - when I pop into the grocery store. They have become rare sightings nowadays. I’d be happy to see a CD doing it. What store do you like to get your groceries at Steffi???🤣
I shop many different stores, all in the same week. Typically Harris Teeter, Traders Joes, and Whole Foods and Mom's, plus occasional visits to Wegmans, Safeway and Giant. I buy the same things every week or other week. I like Boar's Head deli, which I can only get at Harris Teeter, although I just noticed that Giant carries it also. Thursday is my typical shopping day because I qualify for the senior discount at Harris Teeter. I know the prices of the items I typically, so I will go to another store if the Price at Harris Teeter is too high. Today, almost everyrhing that I bought at Harris Teeter was on sale.
@sometimessteffi Well Steffi I was only being facetious when I asked where you shop.🥰 I do love Harris Teeter though - as we never had them in California.
@sometimessteffi You can even get by with a Wal Mart run on Sunday in a dress. People will think you're on the way home from church
I have seen other crossdresser out as well and have always thought should I approach them and compliment them on being out and dressed and telling them that I was a crossdresser also or would this be to forward of me?
@kimberlyannvictoria That depends on the situation. Maybe you go part way on that idea and see how comfortable they are.
Cassie
Steffi, Well I know that you did not spot me, I live on the left coast, out west!! But based on your description it could just as well been me. I don’t pass well, unfortunately. I’m too tall (6-3 in flats), 185 lbs and due to “rules” established by wifey, no makeup; but I do have long somewhat fem looking hair, well you get the idea.
My attire is not that glamorous, sort of a “soccer mom” look, cute jeans and top or a simple dress with flat sandals or low heels – too tall remember.
I’m pretty certain I don’t look like a gal, but I have actually gotten a few smiles and compliments over the years, even been called “mam” a few times.
If things were different, wifey more understanding; I would probably try to look more fem but for now it is the fine crossdressing line I walk. Wifey knows, I like that, I love wearing gals clothes and I like that too. So it is a balance.
I am just thankful for what I am able to do, very good for my psyche.
Have fun…. Staci…
I'm in a Meetup group in the DC area for girls like us. We meet every month or so in a public place. It's great to be out among so many girl, and it's very safe. The venue welcomes us and provides extra bartenders and servers. And if someone is upset, there are 50 girls on your side.
