Highs and lows out shopping today

I wish I had your courage to go out and shop. Certainly since I am afraid of the reaction like the second lady. I am still in the 'buying for my wife' mode. Nice to hear there are people like the first lady, who just let you enjoy shopping.

Thanks for sharing!

Love, Liv

Just like Liv, I too buy for my wife in drab... However, I also buy for myself. Salesgirl has never commented on the size differences petite and regular...
Leonara

I have tried things on in John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Long Tall Sally. I went with a friend to Marks & Spencer and a couple of assistants wouldn't let me try on dresses in the men's changing room. Luckily a third assistant let me, but I was nervous about emerging from the cubicle to ask my friend to check how I looked. I went to the other two stores by myself. Long Tall Sally specialises in clothes for tall women and sells shoes up to size 13, which is good for men with big feet - I have never had petite feet for my age. I booked a special session at the women's fashion section at John Lewis. I stayed in a room while the assistant chose various items of clothing for me. It was an enjoyable experience, apart from wearing a corset that almost caused me to faint; I didn't buy it.

I may pluck up the courage to use a changing room in a charity shop. I have been told that I can wear a blue or black skirt when I do some charity work. I bought some skirts from charity shops. One was too small, but two are a bit too long. Perhaps I could have saved some money if I'd plucked up the courage to try on the skirts, but I am still nervous about the reactions of other customers. I went to an LGBT event at Friend last week and one of the organisers said I had nice legs. I'm pleased about that, as one of my friends said I didn't have nice legs. Hopefully, I can build up confidence over the next few weeks.

I've only had the courage to do this once before, but it was with jeans and I hid them to where you couldn't tell they were women's jeans. I'm not sure where the original courage came from but it felt, I don't know, right to finally tell someone face to face that I wanted to wear these beautiful dresses. I've been lying to everyone about this for so long in my life and having the first person ever to openly see this and be ok with it was SUCH a reassuring feeling...even if I'll never see this person again, she gave me a huge blessing. I don't know what I would have done if the first girl responded like the second. It just bothers me that it is such a big deal when it really shouldn't be. Most women love to look beautiful so why is it so hard to think that some men might also enjoy that same feeling? Regardless I'm SO excited about these dresses!! I wish I had a ball to go to now👗😋

Congrats Holly.  I understand how difficult it can be.  Though I have no issues trying on clothes at stores, I usually avoid the changing rooms in the women's sections, preferring instead to trek my selections halfway across the store to changing rooms in the men's sections.  I know that I do this in part out of courtesy of the female patrons - I don't want to make any uncomfortable, but some of it is still nerves on my part.  I have not yet had the opportunity to use an attended changing room, so I can't say how I would react.

Mac

I know how you feel Holly however the good ones makeup for the bad.

IIf you don't let them upset you then you have won.

Any way who cares the dresses were worth it I am certain.

Congrats, Holly. So far, the only thing I've tried on at a store was a couple pair of jeans at Target - which has one fitting room area for both genders to use at the same time. Target gives you tag with the number of items you take in, but as you said jeans are easy enough to keep vague when walking in.

It took me years before I had the courage to walk into a store and try on shoes, and eventually jeans, dresses, tops, and even bras.

Most sales people and dressing room attendants don't pay any extra attention. There have been a few on both extremes, either wonderfully supported or uncomfortably dismissing.

I too had a high and low day once. Visited one store, had a dressing room attendant that was so helpful. Visited another store in the same chain, same day, and had a disapproving dressing room attendant. It was an odd feeling to feel accepted and rejected all in one day.

I still see that rejecting dressing room attendant in one of the stores, but I built up confidence and changed my tactics. Just for my own satisfaction, if I see her, I make sure to pick up the most feminine clothing and bras to try on that day. The look of disgust on her face is priceless as she points me to dressing room - I'm still the customer, no matter what. Sometimes I just go into the dressing room, sit down for a break, and walk back out without even trying on the clothes.

Lea that's hysterical! That's definitely how I felt that day. I was so mad that she was giving me a hard time that it gave me more courage to be completely honest and defiant to that woman! Her face when I came out and said I was taking the heels and one of the dresses was priceless 😋

One of my friends said that room attendants should realise that they benefit if people buy goods from their stores, regardless of whether they agree with the choices made. I don't know whether sellers get commission or not; if they do, it is to their advantage not to be prejudiced. When I had good service at Long Tall Sally and John Lewis, I asked to be able to show my appreciation by filling in a form. I know from experience that being appreciated by customers makes me feel better.

There are some great and not so great experiences here...  I have only once tried on clothes and that was in TKMaxx on a weekday so the attendant wasn't there,  but it felt so amazing to openly walk into the changing room with a pair of skinny jeans and a floaty floral top.  I loved it, and I bought both!

I quite often visit charity shops and I always get the feeling that the older ladies who work in them are much more accepting than I expect; we chat about the clothes I'm buying, which is always obviously women's clothing.  If anyone ever asks why I'm buying women's clothes in charity shops my prepared lie is that it's for my eBay store.  Never been tested yet though!

The first time I had to courage to shop as Gina I was absolutely scared to death it would be a negative experience. I went to two different places and the saleswomen at each were absolute professionals and made me feel so at ease. Not every experience since then has been so enjoyable, but the ability to overcome the anxiety has done so much to further Gina's confidence.

Hello Holly; I also shop in drab and have not attempted to use any dressing rooms. My main reason is that I know my sizes; so I buy and try on at home, if the fit isn't to my liking I return it.

Dear Holly, Good for you that you got the dress and heels.