Name and A Dress

I've noticed I have lots of skirts I love but most of my tops I'm not that fond of.  So, to balance that out, I wear dresses most of the time.

At game day, I found a combination I liked and wore a top and skirt.  I think I should take every top I have out of my closet and lay them all down.  If I decide I won't wear one I will get rid of it.  I bet I bring half of my tops to the next clothing swap.

another pre-games pic

There's a line at the loo!

Apparently, It's a Thing

"One-Legged Pants" are new to me.

From Buzzfeed:

One-Legged Pants Are A Thing

Perhaps it should just be a called a “pant,” but don’t you ever call it a skirt! This post is dedicated to the industrial goths who are awesome at dancing.

and you could find them at Hot Topic except they're out of stock.

So maybe this is the key to skirts being accepted as long as young Rayne's interpretation stays hidden ~ although I'd rather wear the "one-legged pants" he's wearing than the ones above.

Forward, Into the Past ~ Changes

I should have asked for a tour of Star's "costume closet."  She pulled out what turned out to be the standard RenFest girl costume: a white chemise (short/long/three-quarter sleeve, worn off-the-shoulder, very cool snake bracelet that coiled up her arm.

Note bracelet, fan, head piece, shoulders,
and copious boobage

a long skirt, and a lace-up bodice.  Charity was awarded a chain-mail headpiece that Star made for her (Star's) first wedding and a

A couple of under-details:  I had to switch to a strapless bra, something I had not worn before.  I suppose I could have kept my regular bra, since the straps would have been under the bodice (remember, the chemise was off-the-shoulders) but I think the strapless was a better idea, and something new to me.  I was also glad that the last thing I did before leaving the house was to touch up my shoulders and underarms with a quick shave.  I probably should have adjusted the position a bit as my forms were kinda crushed under the bodice and I lost most of my shape (such as it is), but if they were too high the bra would show.  Look at my picture to understand what I mean.

Also, I was able to jettison the cinch (because the bodice was tied pretty tightly) and the padded panty (it WAS unnecessary under those skirts).  Some discomfort was removed in favour of some other discomfort, I suppose.

I wasn't sure what shoes to wear.  In preparation for the faire, I had bought inexpensive flip-flop-type shoes but the bit between my big toe and the adjacent one was very uncomfortable, at least on my left foot.  I tried putting a band-aid over the toe-crotch.  I think that might have worked, but I had already irritated that spot and I had to drop that idea.  I wore Mary Janes, which felt odd: skirts and flats were a strange combination for me.  I brought my regular leather sandals that I wear when I'm wearing sandals in drab.  They're women's, but don't look very femme.  I do know they're pretty comfortable, and that's what I wore to the faire.  Considering we walked pretty much non-stop for seven or more hours, it was a good choice, and had a fine RenFest look.  And my pedicure got another airing.  The nails are kind of growing out now so this might be their last horrah.

The other part of the typical female costume was something I did not have and could not add: copious and obvious cleavage.  It was everywhere.

Note fan, shoulders, total lack of boobage

My skirt was one that came from a yard sale and it was definitely see-through.  Star said "no problem" and explained that underskirts were longer than skirts and made to show.  Noblewomen wore nice skirts as underskirts; other women used their worn skirts as underskirts.  She gave me a floor-length black skirt that looked pretty frayed on the bottom but looked great under my other skirt.  It was long enough that I had to quickly learn to gather up the skirts before ascending/descending steps.  And it was pretty crowded in the car driver seat, with me and all that fabric.

Star added belts under our bodices.  I had a pouch hanging from mine, which had my car fob so I could put my purse in the trunk and the car would still work.  We tied fans to the belts as well.  The fans came in handy, especially when watching the jousts.

Friday: We Arrive in the 17th Century.  Or so

Why Knot?

At a previous game night, I wore a white skirt I had never worn before.

I'm kind of getting used to the fact that I can't just put clothes in the washer and dryer and wear them.  I check the label to see what I have to do.  Hand wash, machine wash cold with like colours, dry flat, iron to restore shape if necessary, tumble dry low, dry clean only, beat on stone in creek, and so on.

The white skirt label said

MACHINE WASH COLD

GENTLY CYCLE WITH

LIKE COLORS

ONLY NON-CHLORINE

BLEACH WHEN NEEDED

REMOVE PROMPTLY

WHILE DAMP HOLD

BOTH ENDS TWIST

TIGHTLY AND KNOT

TUMBLE DRY LOW

DO NOT IRON

First off, the skirt is white and kind of see-thru even with the lining.  I wore a slip with it.  So why the heck did they put a black label inside?  Second, who came up with the bright idea of putting one label at the top in the back with garment construction and another lower down with the washing instructions?  Mostly, I've noticed they're near the hem; in this skirt they were about four inches below the waist.

So I tried: I twisted the skirt and knotted it but not too tightly.  I was afraid of ruining it.

The knot came out.

This was about a week ago.  Today was laundry day and I pulled out the skirt,  soaked it under a faucet, put it in the washer spin cycle.  From there, I twisted it tightly and knotted it equally tightly.

It worked!

Wrong (Smooth) on Left; Right (Crinkly) on Right

Crinkly Hem Closeup ~ click to see detail

Another Shopportunity

First, please go back to Friday's post and then take the "bride" poll.  I'm thinking "bridesmaid in a friend's wedding" for the next poll.

My current office is not far from the Springfield Mall.  This is a mostly dying mall that has a couple of typical anchor stores (Macy's and JC Penneys) and one not-so-typical (Target).

I saw an ad for Macy's for a few different dress pants and thought I'd pick up a pair or two.  At lunch, I went to their website to see if I could get some details that are important to me: pocket style and placement and belt loops are important in Pants That Pass.  Some had what I was looking for, some did not.  All were pricey ($40 and up) but I wanted something new for the new job.  I also checked out the Penney's site and found slacks for $25 to $35.  I figured I'd start there.

Curvy (L), Modern (R) ~ look the same?

They listed several styles and they had lots of pairs of each.  Most were unacceptable ~ the one I had the most hope for ("Worthington Modern Fit Dress Pants") had front pockets that were useless.  I still don't carry a bag so I have to rely on those pockets.  If winter was approaching, I'd just dump everything in my jacket pockets but the warm weather is here so that's out.

They had a similar style, "Worthington Curvy Fit Dress Pants," which allowed for a belt and had useful pockets.  I wanted to try on a pair to see if the fit was too curvy for me.  It was hard to tell from the pictures in the ad.  From the front they looked identical.  I wondered if "curvy" meant it would be too loose in the caboose, so to speak.

Curvy (L), Modern (R) ~ too much butt for me?

You can take a look at both pair in the pictures.   Do you think curvy might be too curvy?  I really can't tell.  I have no idea why the pockets should be useless in the "modern" cut.  I'm sure they had a reason.  I did see several pants in ads which said "no pockets or belt loops for a cleaner look."

They had at least twenty pair, scattered over a few different racks.  They had sizes from 4 to 18.  They had tall and short and regular.

They didn't have a single pair in size 10, which is what I expected to need.  I may still order a pair on-line.  Or I may go to a different Penney's.  There are not a lot of them around here though.

On to Macy's.

I looked at different slacks that I saw on-line in different brands.  I settled on the Charter Club "Slim It Up" pants.  They had my size and I started looking for a fitting room.

I found one near to where I picked up the pants but a teenage girl was in it, and her father was parked outside.  I didn't think he'd appreciate it if I walked into the fitting room so I continued to look at pants and other women's clothing and wandered on.

As I wandered, a pretty 30-ish woman with long blonde hair and (as it turned out) a Swedish accent asked if I needed any help.  I said not at the moment.  I then saw a very nice black pleated skirt and decided I'd pick that up as well.  I walked over to the blonde saleslady and asked if I could try them on.  She said "on you?"  I was going to point out that it would be silly for her to try them on, or to mention that I neglected to bring any other body.  I just said "yes.  On me."  She said quietly "the fitting rooms are occupied."  Then she seemed to brighten up and said "but you can try them on downstairs."  I thanked her and headed for the escalator.

I made a concession to "care" on the escalator.  I shifted the clothes so the skirt was under the slacks and the tags were hidden.  I found a fitting room guarded by an Indian man who asked if I was looking for a fitting room.  I said I was and walked right in.

Inside the fitting room was a sign: This room is monitored by a same-gender security guard.  I had two thoughts: first, it is most certainly not the same gender.  And second, boy is he in for a surprise! If my dark brown lacy panties didn't catch his attention, and he missed the hem of my pink camisole showing under my shirt, he should have sat up and taken notice when I tried on the skirt.  I didn't care.

Both items fit well.  The skirt was a bit longer than I like, but I loved the wide elastic waist and the tight pleats ~ it has a sort of transparent pleated layer over a pleated lining that I found very appealing.  Yes, I have enough black skirts.  Well, I was clearly short one.  I have enough now.

The Indian man wanted to take the clothes to check them out.  I said I was going to look around a bit more.  What I really wanted to do was go back to the Swedish lady to check out there.

I went back up the escalator and found her at the same register.  She said "did you try them on?"  I said yes, and that I wanted to buy them.  She rang them up, and put them in a bag.

I've mentioned before that when I go out dressed I almost always have some regret ~ something I didn't do, or didn't do in a feminine enough way, or something.  Here's my shopping regret: she looked at me and said "you need more colour!"  I smiled and said "next time."  I should have started a little discussion about that skirt, which was very pretty, or asked her for some suggestions, or mentioned that the pants were for "everyday wear" and the skirt was for "special occasions."

I did not, and now that moment is gone.  I have to remember to slow down, remember it's OK to talk clothes when the person you're talking with is OK with it.  I can think of few ways to better spend my time than to talk to a saleslady about colourful clothing I might enjoy.  But if I go back and seek her out (assuming I remember what she looks like ~ I've talked about that before!) I'm not shopping; I'm stalking.

*sigh*

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Girls' Day Out - The Next Logical Step

(Before getting to the post, I want to say again: Please consider going to a Transgender Day of Remembrance event this coming weekend.  I'll be at the Fairfax event.)

"So how did you find the women in Tucson?"
"I just opened the door marked 'women' and there they were!"

I walked up to the men's room door, turned sharply, and went into the women's room.

It was as empty as the hotel corridor.  I picked a stall, closed the door and... the door wouldn't lock.  I went into the next stall and the lock was good enough.  I hung my purse on a hook, moved everything I had to move and sat down.
A little digression here.

I bought an incredibly stretchy and tight Spanx-type camisole to replace the ones I couldn't find but knew I brought with me.  Funny thing.... Friday night, I found them in the only compartment I didn't empty completely.

I brought a "club" dress with me.  It's purple, a tad short, very stretchy and I love it.  There's a problem: there's a li'l bit of a bulge.  I thought I might buy something to hide that and be able to wear it if I went out with some of the ladies.  When I tried the dress on over this camisole it looked great and there was no sign of a bulge!  And this was without my constant companion, my waist cinch.  I found the perfect undergarment!

Click to see the cami/top effect.  Or to stare at my boobs. :D

I also picked this camisole because it had a higher neck and the scoop of the top I was planning to wear was a bit low.  I wanted a kind of "crescent moon" look.  I wasn't even looking at the slimming aspect.  I even picked a large because the straps are further apart and I'd get a better look, even though I thought a medium would work, because it was so stretchy.

In reality, it was so tight that I couldn't even pull it over my head!  I had to step into it and pull it up.  But, again, the look was great.

I had a choice of three skirts that I bought last week, as I mentioned before.  I decided to go with the longer skirt, because it just looked and felt great.  If it was a few inches shorter I wouldn't have minded, but it was swingy, pretty, and fit perfectly.  But I really needed my cinch, so I had the cinch and camisole.

I didn't get to wear that dress, but I wore the cami under my top as you can see above.

OK, back to the ladies' room.  My stockings made things a bit easier but I still had to figure out where to put the skirt, skirt lining, cinch, camisole, and the bottom of my top.  Then I had to get everything back to where it was, and make sure everything was smooth and straight.  It was a pain, but such a singularly feminine experience that I really didn't mind.  I'm always in awe, every time I do something for the first time that women do regularly.  And I'm glad my hose was hosed so I had on the stockings.  And I'm glad I at least knew that stockings/garters go on before panties do!

I touched up my lipstick in the stall and exited a still-empty ladies' room.  But that wasn't my fault or my plan.  It's like the empty hotel lobby: if someone was there and wanted to interact, that was OK, but I wasn't going to look for people to interact with.  Especially there in the ladies' room.

---

I Better Be Ready

I walked over to KMart during the day Wednesday and I picked up one of these.  They had that camo finish, or dark blue.  Neither was my first choice, but I picked a blue one up anyway.  It folds flat, weighs little, and if I can make a little room in my regular bag I can carry it on my trip, empty.  I bought it now so I could bring home my extra skirts.  I may also buy something in Tucson (if I find anything interesting or unusual) and I STILL might try the ballet flat idea.  If I do, I'll need to carry my male shoes, which are bulky and will never fit in my bag without other considerations.

I also spent five on a pack of three trouser socks.  If I wear the flats, I'll need thin socks.  Not that I'm saying I'll do it yet.  But I'm ready.

One disappointment here: I cannot wear my cami or cinch under two of my shirts.  One shows every strap; the other is a nicer material and a bit clingy.  Under either, I can see the straps (and one of my camis is shaped for my bust so even though the cup material is thin it still bunches and shows a bit.  A bit too much.  If I leave off the cami, there's a bit of a "muffin top" above my cinch.  I'll wear my denim shirt again today so I can wear my cinch and that nice cami.

The plan for today is to meet Dorothy for dinner in Tucson.  If I can get there early, Meg will meet her.  If not, well, at least I'll be wearing all women's clothing.  It's not much but it's better than nothing.

Before I left for work I got rid of as much hair as I could, except for a close facial shave.  The dress I'll probably wear has 3/4 sleeves and my top has long sleeves, but for some reason I decided to completely shave my arms and underarms.

While here, I made a list of everything I brought so I can use this as a serious starting point.  I'm going to make three lists from that one: Things I Must Bring, Things I'd Like To Have, Things I Can Replace.  I must bring my contacts.  I'd like to have my wig (because it's tricky to replace), and most makeup is easy to replace.

Wednesday night, I did a dry run, trying on my padding and shoes and top and each skirt.  And, even with all my planning, I still messed up.  I am certain I took out a white plain Flexee cami.  I remember noticing that it was very stretchy and was shaped for my bust.  But it didn't make it to Arizona.  I hope I put it away!  My top is a scoop neck and almost too low.  I wanted to wear a higher neck cami underneath so I'd get a kind of "crescent moon" shape.  I think if I'm careful it'll be fine, but I'd rather have the extra layer.

Sometimes, I amaze myself.

Oh....  One of the skirts I picked up at Goodwill had the original tags from Macy's.  It's lined, multi-gored, very swingy and I like it alot, except for the length (just below knee; I'd prefer just above).  And the original price on this $7 skirt was $59.

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Going Visual ~ Part II

My other black skirt.  I *may* switch one out for a grey skirt, but I'm not sure grey will go with the print top (coming soon to a blogpost near you!).  This skirt is made to be worn over the top, I believe.  I lightened it for the detail picture so you can see the buttons and pockets.  That, to me, says "tuck in that blouse!"

Simple, elegant, nice "office woman at lunch" skirt.

Remember to click to enlarge (like you don't know that already.)

Going Visual ~ Part I

Not too much prose for the next few days.  I'd like to present you with my outfit choices for Richmond.  Let me know what you think.

First up is a black tiered skirt. You've seen this skirt before ~ here and here.  I like this skirt.  I have a pleated bottom black skirt I also like a lot, but that's not making the cut this trip.

Click to see it up close and personal.

Jeans

On my way to that outlet mall, I was thinking ~ I have a long denim skirt. I bet if I wore that in a public place, most people would assume it was jeans. Most people who see that it's a skirt probably wouldn't care.

Then I thought, maybe I could find a similar skirt at the outlet mall and wear it home. I could easily change to regular jeans in the airport. It would definitely make the trip more fun.

But as I pulled up to the mall, I remembered.... My manager will be flying with me. As I mentioned she is not ready for Meg.

But it's a possibility for next time. I might change into the skirt at the airport so the neighbors can't see. I sometimes see people I know at the airport, so maybe flying out is not a great idea. But flying back.... I can certainly leave the hotel, drive to the airport, make my connection (there are no direct flights from Washington to El Paso) and change into jeans after I get my bag back. Since I won't be lingering at the airport, just landing and changing, there would be little risk of being caught by a friend. Or worse, a friend of my wife.

It's certainly worth thinking about. And that's what I'm going to do. Next time I have a few minutes alone, I'll try it on and make sure it fits properly.

I did wear this to the office on Halloween long before I ever went out dressed. I owe you that story, along with Halloween 2008, Halloween 2009, and Mardi Gras 2004.

So if you're not sick of me, I'm not done with this blog yet.

Tuesday in El Paso

My hotel is adjacent to the UTEP (University of Texas El Paso) campus. I drove through campus yesterday because it's the most direct route to the interstate. Since the temperature was oppressive, skirts and dresses abounded. I really enjoyed that short trip.

Today, I was up at 530 to prepare for the day's meetings. Thirteen hours later, I was back in my room. And I have at least two more hours of work to prepare for tomorrow's meeting. If I wanted to be completely honest, based on what they gave me today, I have at least two more weeks of work to prepare for tomorrow's meeting.

So there's no way I can really dress up tonight.

So it's now about 930 and I'm wearing a blouse and skirt and everything else except makeup and jewelry. Hey, I brought all this stuff with me ~ I don't want to bring it all back home without wearing anything! And yes, I did remember to bring a dress, a top, and two skirts, even though I left that off my list. The skirt I'm wearing I hadn't worn before. I got it through freecycle shortly before my trip. It's gored, with a roses pattern. It's very full and falls below my knee (a bit longer than I like ~ but cute) and just a bit too big around the waist. I think it'll go to the next clothing swap. I should change into the other skirt before I get too attached to this one. And I should get back to work. I still have two weeks work to do tonight. I love working in my room!

Still Agonising....

The quick shots I took the other day all stink, so I don't have a good photo of the top I'll probably wear. This is an old picture of the skirt I'm considering. It fits well, is about the right length and has a 3" or so pleat at the bottom. It's a bit longer than I like, but I'm not trying to attract attention, am I? No, I'm not. Definitely not.

I think many of us have the same problem: we want to look feminine, which means we want to turn heads, which means we want to get male attention, which we don't really want. (I did say many. I know some gurls who welcome male attention. I know others who welcome gurl attention.)

I've had some admirers approach me for dates. They found me in a support group I used to belong to, although I never managed to go to a meeting. The reason I never went to a meeting is, they seemed open to hooking up, which is not where I'm at. Or, they found me on URNotAlone, a site I really should get more serious about. I say the same thing about LinkedIn though. There's never enough time.

Where was I? Oh yeah. I've had admirers approach me for dates. They are generally very nice, they assure me that we'd meet on my terms and in public, and there wouldn't be any funny stuff, unless I was interested. They're also uniformly extremely persistent. I think dating as a woman would be an interesting female experience. I think getting pressure from a man to date is also a very female experience. I also think they send an offer to every gurl within a 50 mile radius, hence the offers to me.

I wish I made a prettier woman. I wish I was younger and sexier. I also do not want male attention.

I also wish I could explain the last paragraph.