Transgender
Forum




Main Library
Nightclubs
Personals
Photos
Pictorials
Chat
Hot Links
Resources
Events

Help &
Reaching Us


Back to TGF's
home page








Shopping For Linda

By Linda Jensen



I remember how terrified I used to be every time I went in to a store to buy some feminine clothes.

It started when I was a college student and found out that I was really turned on by the feel of slips and panties especially when I was wearing them. I had been sneaking on lingerie belonging to my mother and sister when I was home on holidays but I really needed to have my own set. I spent hours at a time studying the catalogues with their models clad in beautiful slips, panties, bras and nighties; but it took me a long time before I got up the nerve to phone the catalogue office to place an order. Then when I went to pick up my order it took me for ever before I had the nerve to approach the counter - I felt everyone would know what I was buying and why I would want it. That my purchase went without notice didn't ease my anxiety about future purchases. In those days I never felt easy about buying women's clothes and it was only with great anxiety that I acquired a suitcase full of lingerie which I could delve into when the mood struck.

However when I married my special suitcase was not part of our wedding luggage. My first slips became the objects of my first of several 'purges'. Anyway I didn't need them; my wife wore very sexy underwear which I could 'borrow' if the mood were strong enough and sometimes she even seemed turned on if I were to "kiddingly' wear one of her nighties to bed. But I never got up the nerve to try a full transformation with her. When she left me she left behind our two children and a fair bit of her clothing.

I loved the children and I raised both of them but I never gave up wanting to wear their mother's clothes. My interest had now expanded to skirts and dresses- the shorter the better. I was also now buying my own but still very furtively and afraid that someone would recognize me and/or know that the purchase wasn't a gift. I didn't want anyone, even total strangers, to think I was one of those 'pervert transvestites'. Most of my shopping excursions were to discount stores where I could buy dresses on sale.

I certainly couldn't try on any of my purchases in the store and with my occasional habit of purging my wardrobe I didn't want to invest in any big ticket items. It was during that era that I got my first wig and started to do full transformations. My makeup was horrible but I sometimes would venture out of my house at night or more likely leave my hotel room for a stroll down the hall to the ice machine. I was petrified of being seen and read by anybody.

Then one time I was in England where I came across a store specializing in services for transvestites. I learned that there were many heterosexual TV's and many of them enjoyed going out dressed. I reasoned 'if them, why not me?' and I bought more appropriate makeup and a good wig and joined a TV support group at one of their weekly meetings.

Emboldened by my new friends' accounts and still in London I tried shopping for a dress without any pretext that it was for anyone but me. When the clerk asked what size my wife wore I nervously said, "it's for me and I think I'm a 14."

"Would you like to try it on?" she asked. "Yes" and I did . After all those years of thinking that I would be run out of a store if anyone knew I was buying feminine clothing for myself, the first time I come out the lady actually encourages me to try before I buy. I was so happy I bought three outfits at that shop.

From that experience I developed several rules to follow when shopping as a male.

    1) Only try things on if the store is a small one and there aren't other customers who could be offended.

    2) Ask before using the try-on rooms. I've only been refused once.

    3) Don't try on things that obviously don't fit. Sometimes you can squeeze into an outfit but it will be impossible to get off.

    4) Be more careful with the clothes you try on than the ladies are, You don't want to wear out your welcome.

    5) Don't try it on if its going to make you so hot you'll want to masturbate. That could get you in legal trouble.

    6) Be friendly!

I once was shopping in Pensacola. It was early on a weekday morning , the Mall and stores were virtually empty. I visited a store that carried a lot of evening wear. I picked out a few dresses and asked the young salesgirl if I could try them on. She was surprised but she said yes and lead me to a dressing room. After my try-ons, she indicated she wanted to talk to me. She said her boyfriend had given her some indications that he was turned on by wearing lingerie. Did it mean that he was gay? Would he want a sex change? We had a long talk and I ended up giving her my phone number if she wanted to talk more or if her boyfriend had some questions they could call me. But they never did.

Lately, I've done little dress shopping as a male. I have now reached the point where I feel very comfortable going out en femme both nighttime and daytime. I'm tall so I do get noticed and often I feel I get read but I never seem to get hassled and sales clerks often seem to love to serve me. Their experience is probably that men in drag are serious shoppers and frequent buyers.

Some tips from experience for shopping en femme:

    1) Be careful with your foundation make-up. You'll be out in unforgiving daylight or in the bright lights of a store. On the other hand you won't want to smear your makeup all over your try-ons

    2) Dress down. Few women put on the Ritz to go to the mall and you should want to fit in with them.

    3) Avoid eye contact with other customers. It attracts unwanted attention.

    4) Watch out for group dressing rooms. You could get into big trouble if another customer reads you and takes your presence the wrong way.

    5) Wear low shoes!

    6) Don't wear a sweater or blouse that you have to pull over your head. That's very hard on your wig and make-up.

I've come a long way and I love the feeling and excitement I get from being out in public as a woman. It's hard to imagine that I used to be so afraid to even look at women's clothes in a store for fear of being seen doing something perverted. Now I spend more and more time and money living and shopping as a woman. I love it!