Mix and Match

A quick poll first: I've joined a non-T meetup group as Meg, but I haven't gone to any meets yet.  In the past, I told the organiser about me, but that was because (a) it was a group that's almost all women and (b) she addressed me in her invitation as one of the "ladies."  That was the clothing swap group.

But this group will be a mix of men and women, and I just joined.  So the question is: should I tell the organiser what to expect, or just show up?

Saturday was a planned "get the apartment in shape, dammit!" day.  I've been kind of dressing the past few days (more to come on that) and I was wearing a waist cinch, bra, red knit top and black pleated skirt.  I put on mascara and lipstick.  That was it.  I certainly wasn't passable, but I wasn't quite in drab either.

NOT a guy colour!  But that's OK.

Mid-afternoon, I realised I had to take out the trash (the chute is right opposite my apartment) and I had a box full of recyclable materials.  I had to take that downstairs so the apartment would look a little less cluttered.  It's not much, but the more the apartment looks clean, the better my mood.  It was a bleak, cool day and I was working hard without seeing a lot of progress so a mood brightener was in order.

The problem is, I didn't want to change.

The red top has a red flower pinned to the collar.  I figured I could try my jacket over the top and remove the flower if it showed.  It did, so I did.

I removed my forms and skirt and pulled on a pair of girl jeans.  I was about to put on my sneakers when I decided my girl flats were passable enough.  I left on my mascara but wiped off my lipstick.  It was time for a refresh anyway and I could do that when I got back to the apartment.

They look GOOD with jeans, IMO.

So dressed, I went down to the basement so I could go out the side door near the recycle bins.  At the 6th floor, a man came in with a shopping cart full of garbage bags and we chatted until the lobby level, when he left.  I tossed the box and walked up the stairs to the main level.  I checked my mail and went to the elevator where a woman was wearing a red top and black running shorts and black shoes that looked more passable than mine ~ plain ballet flats, I would guess.  Other than asking me what floor (she got off on the same floor and went to an apartment near mine) we didn't speak.  She was engrossed in her mail and I doubt she gave me or my shoes or red top a second glance.  I was going to say something like "I didn't hear it was supposed to be black pants," but didn't.

I figured I was done for the day, as far as going out, so I took a couple of photos, put on a (different) skirt, put in my forms, touched up my lipstick and went back to work.

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