Hayley (left) and Alexandra

Introduction

While I have been a crossdresser for a number of years, it had been a long time (seven years) since I dressed up, and even much longer since I had gone out in public. But the urges that I had managed to keep repressed were coming to the surface, and I realized that I could no longer deny the person that I am!

I "met" Alexandra on the internet in April of 1997, and we hit it off immediately. We have so much in common (married, two daughters, scientific backgrounds, we drive Miatas, etc.) that we often joke about it- as if it was something out of the Twilight Zone. Alexandra, besides being absolutely GORGEOUS, is one of the nicest people I have known in my life.

When I talked to Alexandra about my need to affirm my feminine self and once again give Hayley free reign to have her own identity, she had a brilliant idea- why not come out to Denver, go to Studio Lites for a makeover, and have a weekend of fun, debauchery, and shopping! (well, she didn't say debauchery). I would have the honor of being the first client of Alexandra's Transformation Service! Since I just happened to have an unused plane ticket to Denver- how could I say no! So I picked a weekend in June, and made plans.

I was so excited about the prospect- although there was one brief moment when I started to feel guilty about it, and almost canceled the whole trip. I am so thankful that I didn't! My wife did not know about my crossdressing, so I said I was going on a business trip. I find it very hard to live with being dishonest with my wife, which is why I came out to her immediately after I returned!

I had so much to do to prepare for this trip! While I had saved all of my female clothes in a few boxes in the attic, what girl wants to wear clothes that have been in the attic for seven years? So I started by getting new lingerie, hosiery, etc. I found that buying by mail order worked just fine- the few items that I guessed wrong on the sizes, I just returned (One Hanes Place has a great selection and hard to beat prices). Even though shopping was to be one of the major events, I needed to do shopping to prepare for shopping- I just love that!

The day before my flight to Denver, I drove to Boston, deciding that, since I had an early flight, I would spend the night in a hotel in the city. I did one last shopping trip that afternoon, as I still didn't have a dress to wear for my makeover and photo session. I found a pretty blue beaded dress in Macy's, but, since I was in male garb, I did not try it on. Unfortunately, when I did try it on in my hotel that night, I found that it was much too large- I'd have to do an emergency shopping trip upon arriving in Denver!

That night, I had a big decision to make- To Shave or Not to Shave! While I'm no gorilla, I am a bit hairy on my legs and chest. Over the period that I was preparing for the trip, I used a mustache trimmer to gradually reduce the thickness of the hair on my body, so that it would not be noticeable to my wife (who, again, had no knowledge at this point). I brought a couple of pairs of flesh-colored Danskins to wear under my hose. Aside from not letting my wife know, I also live in shorts in the summer, and I was concerned about friends, acquaintances at our yacht club, etc., seeing me with hairless legs. But that night in my hotel room, I just had the urge to shave- so after an hour and a half, a can of Edge gel, and three gin-and-tonics, I was hair free! And I've been hair free ever since, and loving it! Since then I've been on my boat and to the beach with friends (as a guy), and if anyone has noticed my legs, I haven't heard anything.

Now I didn't tell my wife until a week after I returned, and I'm sure that some of you are thinking- how could my wife possibly not notice the disappearance of my body hair? But those of you who have or have had very young children will understand- unfortunately, there are times when you don't see each other naked very much!

DAY ONE - ARRIVAL AND MAKEOVER!

The day was Friday, June 13, 1997. Many people might be adverse to flying on Friday the 13th, but for me, today was to be one of the most fortuitous of my life.

I arrived at Denver International Airport in the late morning. As I left the plane, I was flush with anticipation (well, it might have been from lack of air on the airplane). I saw Alexandra sitting in the terminal. I was speechless as I approached her- Alexandra is even more gorgeous in person than on the web! We left the airport, went to my B&B (The Queen Anne Inn) to get me checked in, and then made our first trip to Studio Lites.

I chose the Queen Anne Inn both because of the description in my guide book, and also because it was included on a list of gender-friendly places I found on the web. I have absolutely the highest praise for the Queen Anne- the rooms are beautiful (it's a historic Victorian house), the innkeepers are very attentive, and I felt absolutely comfortable there (after initial apprehension about being seen out of her male disguise, Hayley made herself at home in the dining room and parlor with the other guests).

My first objective was to pick out a wig. I had looked at a lot of styles, and even did some PhotoShop special effects to see what I would look like wearing them. I had a preconceived image of myself in a pageboy style, in brown (my real color). Rick let me try several in that style, but also picked out on and said to me, "I think that this is the one you are going to end up selecting". He was absolutely right about that- this is the wig in all of these photos, which I just love.

Next, Alexandra's lovely wife (who I will refer to as Susan, not her real name!) met us downtown and we went off to dinner. Susan is a wonderful person, fun to be with, a real knockout, and she was wearing this to-die-for leather and spandex jacket with matching miniskirt that you will soon become acquainted with! We had a nice dinner together- I really enjoyed talking with Susan, and it was helpful for me to get the perspective from the spouse of another crossdresser. Hopefully, I also conveyed the impression to her that we aren't a bunch of deviants! (who knows, maybe I confirmed that impression!)

We then went to a lesbian bar, the Elle. I've been in a few gay bars in my life, but this was my first visit to a lesbian bar. I must say, I had a great time! The girls were wonderful, the music was good, and Hayley danced up a storm! Several girls, who are professional exotic dancers, put on a revue there, and they are hot! I really recommend that you visit the Elle when you are in Denver- I can't wait to go back!

That night, I just couldn't stop gazing at my new self in the mirror! I couldn't let Hayley go, so I ended up sleeping with my makeup on. I don't endorse that, however- it's not good for your pores!

DAY TWO - SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP!

I woke up and as always, my first priority was coffee! The Queen Anne has a great breakfast, but as I prepared (in male clothes) to go to the dining room, I had a bit of a problem. My fingernails were bright plum, and I had forgotten nail polish remover! I did, however, have pink nail enamel, so I put on a coat of that, figuring that it would stand out less! I soon learned to just not be concerned about such things! I went into the dining room with my hands clenched, and took a mug of coffee to my room- I decided not to sit at the breakfast table with fingernails adorned.

As I was having another makeover- this time at MAC in the Cherry Creek Mall, I dressed but left off the makeup, except for lipstick. Alexandra came by, wearing a pretty white outfit from (where else?) Gantos, and off we went. Alexandra dropped me off and parked, and made a beeline for the MAC store, not wanting to be seen dressed with no makeup.

The makeup artist at MAC, Theresa, did a superb job. I went for a different look than my makeover at Studio Lites; this time, something more appropriate for daytime. MAC is great place to go to be made up, as they are very gender attuned- in fact, their makeup artists are all trained to do men. The makeup is a bit expensive, but as in most things, you get what you pay for. I love MAC products, and I hope to be their next spokeswoman after RuPaul!

Now that I had a lovely face, I was ready to shop! Alexandra had arranged for us to go to Gantos (they were expecting us, and were all set with the dressing rooms). Gantos- at least the store in Denver- is very gender friendly, and they have great clothes besides- SHOP THERE! (no, they didn't pay me to say that- but come to think of it, they should!) I found one outfit there that I love (and I have gotten a lot of compliments after wearing it a few times!)- a pretty denim jumper with gold metal accents. I liked it so much that I left it on for the rest of the shopping excursion! I also did well at a shoe store- I found these gorgeous black suede pumps with gold heels, and a pair of gold sandals that are not only pretty but are the most comfortable shoes I own (and I'm including all my guy shoes).

I did a few salon things- since I now had an inch of polish on each fingernail, I stopped at a nail place to get a polish change (she had to use a jackhammer to strip off the old polish). I also went to Aveda, and had my eyebrows waxed. That was the first time that I had anything waxed- and I was thrilled with the results. Bushy eyebrows just don't look cute! And, it really didn't hurt at all! Subsequently, I've had electrolysis- the unibrow is gone for good!

I had one primary shopping objective that day (although I was not concerned with how many other things I had to buy along the way!). I brought a leather miniskirt with me that I wanted to wear that evening (I love to show off my legs- especially on this trip, since I didn't want to have shaved them for no reason!), but I had no top to wear with it. I looked at a few different things, but what I ultimately fell in love with was a leather and spandex jacket in Cache- that I had seen the night before! I put in on, and it felt fabulous- and when Alexandra said that it immediately took off 20 pounds, well, they had an easy sale. I made Alexandra call Susan just to make sure that it would be cool for me to wear the same jacket she wore the night before, and she didn't mind. I just love myself in this leather ensemble- I wish I could wear it to work!

The one last thing that I need was some kind of little top (like a cami) to wear under the jacket, just in case it was hot and I wanted to remove or unzip my jacket. That should have been easy to find, but I must have dragged poor Alexandra through a half dozen stores before I found one! Finally, I did find what I was looking for, a lacy little off-white top, in Foley's. I asked if I could try it on, and since it was in the lingerie section, that was where I tried it on. The dressing rooms were very busy that day, and there are at least a dozen of them in the lingerie department. It was quite an experience- being in a changing room, surrounded by a dozen women trying on bras!

All in all, it was a very successful shopping day- I found what I wanted to buy, and I bought a lot of other stuff besides! And while Alexandra may have been the Queen of Shopping, I think that she conceded her crown that day!

We went back to the Queen Anne to unload my bags from the car, and to prepare ourselves for the evening ahead. The Queen Anne serves wine and sherry every afternoon, and Alexandra had suggested having the day's first cocktail there. I had previously been reluctant to hang out at the inn en femme, but by this point I had become so emboldened that I said "why not", especially since I felt bad for wearing out Alexandra's feet in the mall. I was delighted to discover that they were hosting a wine tasting that afternoon. One of my favorite pastimes, other than buying and wearing dresses, is wine collecting, so this was right up Hayley's alley. They were doing a blind tasting (that's where you compare two different wines without being told what they are). The contenders here were two cabernets, one from Australia and one from Colorado. I pronounced the wine from Australia as the clear winner (Alexandra concurred), but I think that the overall vote came out slightly in favor of Colorado- well, I'm happy for the home team. But the best part of the occasion was having a nice time with all of these people, and not being concerned about whether I'm passing or what anyone might be saying. What I realized is that as long as you are relaxed and you let other people know that you like being with them- they will like being with you!

Alexandra and I prepared to go out, and I wore my leather miniskirt with my new jacket, and I looked HOT, if I say so myself (modesty is not one of Hayley's virtues!)

That evening, we once again joined Susan for dinner- this time at the 17th Avenue Grill (it's on 17th Avenue). The food is great there, and the ambiance is fine- another recommendation from Hayley's Haven. After an enjoyable dinner, it was once again time for us three to hit the clubs! This time we went to a place called Tracks 2000- dark, smoky and earsplitting music; in other words, a fun place!

After a fun night out, it was time to retire for the evening. Being the camera hound that I am, I put on a cute hot pink nightie, set up my camera on the self-timer, and took some pictures of myself languishing on the comfy bed in my room at the inn. But these pictures turned out to be just a bit too revealing to show here- sorry!

DAY THREE - TIME TO GO HOME :-(

I woke up early again, and decided that this morning Hayley would go downstairs as herself to have breakfast. Having left my makeup on again overnight (bad girl!), I was able to redo the bottom of my face and do a quick repair job around the eyes. In no time at all I looked presentable. I wore the cute denim jumper that I had bought at Gantos the day before. Since I was planning to take a walk, I didn't put on hose but instead wore my white Tretorn tennis shoes (which I had bought last year, thinking they'd be cute for Hayley to wear) with white ankle socks. The overall effect was really cute!

I went into the dining room, not at all nervous despite the fact that this was my first time dressed around other people without Alexandra by my side. One of the hosts, Dave, was very attentive and brought me my breakfast (a homemade strudel with blueberries and cream cheese- yummy!). While I still was not up to initiating conversation with other people, I found the other guests friendly, and soon they had me engaged in conversation with them.

I then went out for a walk- Hayley's first time alone out in the world, and it was an experience. I noticed several guys looking at me- not as if they suspected something, but just checking me out. I can understand why women feel a bit intimidated by men checking them out! A man riding a bicycle past me said something in Spanish- I don't know what he said, but it sounded flirtatious! Anyway, it was a lovely morning, I had a pleasant walk, and Hayley did just fine out on her own!

Alexandra, Susan, and their lovely teenage daughter came by to pick me up and we went out for brunch. Alas, Alexandra and I reverted to male drab (after all, it was Father's Day!). Again, I had nail polish on my fingernails, and didn't have any polish remover. Not wanting to make a spectacle at brunch (and not being able to find a place in downtown Denver that was open early Sunday morning to buy polish remover), I called Alexandra and asked her to bring some. However, I still had to check out of the inn before she arrived. But this time, I just went downstairs in my male clothes with my bright crimson fingernails, and checked out of the inn (I read that nail polish for men is trendy now, anyway). As I would find out when I returned home, nail polish remover (or the lack of it) would play an important role in the weekend! Once inside Alexandra's minivan, I removed the last traces of Hayley. While it was a letdown for me at this point to go back to my male self, we had a really nice time together.

Alexandra and Keri, along with another Denver girl named Sabina, managed to put together an impromptu makeup session and photo-op at Keri's house. When Alexandra said, "Would you like one more chance to be Hayley before you go home?", well- I can tell you that no arm twisting was required! Keri is quite adept with makeup, and also provided some useful tips. Once again I wore the green outfit that I wore for my makeover session, and Keri quickly made up her own face and slipped into this cute little dress. Despite standing next to this statuesque beauty, I did my best to "vogue" for the camera!

As the modeling session continued and I was getting more into it (Hayley just has that supermodel mentality!), it was about time that I had to quit and get into my boy clothes to get to the airport in time. But I didn't want to quit, and I certainly did not want to get into my boy clothes. I asked Alexandra, "How do you think it would be for HAYLEY to fly home!" Alexandra told me that, although sure, I might get read, that I would have no problem as long as I was confident. I then amazed myself by saying something that I would not have DREAMED of saying a few days ago- "Well, HAYLEY is flying home!" After all, if you get into a bad situation on an airplane, there's no escape route!

We finished the photo session, and gathered my things, and Alexandra (as boy) and Hayley (as GIRL!!!) were off to the airport! On the way, Alexandra offered some useful advice (she is one of those brave souls who has flown en femme). I was excited, and not one bit nervous! Alexandra dropped me off at the terminal, and it was hard to say goodbye to someone who has become such a dear and beloved friend!

I needed to check one of my bags. I flew out to Denver with only two carry-on bags, but somehow one of them became much too large and heavy to carry on the plane! (Hmmm, do you think the Cherry Creek Mall might have something to do with it?) Of course, when checking a bag, you have to show an ID with your picture. Since I don't have an ID with Hayley's picture (FYI, you can go en femme to your local Division of Motor Vehicles and have a picture ID card made), I had to show one with my boy face. I figured, why not go all the way? So instead of showing my driver's license, I pulled out my U.S. Naval Reserve ID card (I'm an officer in the reserves) with my name, rank and serial number! (If anyone questioned it, I could say that I was on a secret government mission!). The porter checked my bag, looked at my ID, and just said "Thank you, Mrs. ______." I noted he said "Mrs."- I must have that "well- maintained woman" look!

I then stopped to get a bottle of water and some reading material for the flight home. I started to pick up the NY Times and the Wall St. Journal, but thought, "no, that's not very girly reading!" I like to read fashion magazines, but would never read them on a plane unless I was with my wife and I was looking at hers. But Hayley bought the latest Elle and Glamour (didn't see her picture in either one, though!)

Now, it was on to the gate and through the metal detector. I was wearing a beautiful belt that I bought to go with this SENSATIONAL outfit I got in Denver. As pretty as this belt is, it's about the size of the belts worn by the world heavyweight champion. So I knew to take that off in advance- I handed it through and placed my purse and carry-on bag on the conveyor. But I still set off the metal detector. I had to walk through a second one, and then I was "wanded". I had to stand in the middle of the terminal with my arms outstretched, facing one way and then the opposite while I was carefully sensored. The offending spot was on my midriff- it was the clasps on my waist cincher! (note to myself- do NOT wear a cincher on a plane!) The guard was insistent on inspecting the source of the signal. Fortunately, my outfit consisted of a loose-fitting top over a skirt with an elastic waistband (don't forget the lovely matching jacket!), so I was easily able to show it to him without flashing the rest of the airport. Had I been wearing a different outfit, I might have been half-naked in front of all the passengers!

Next, I went to the gate to check in. Again, I showed my Naval Reserve ID (the Navy has never had a better spokeswoman!), and again there was not a bit of a problem. Well, except one. Because I hadn't called in advance to confirm my flight and get a seat assignment, I could only get the dreaded middle seat (note to myself- when flying en femme, don't use my free frequent flyer tickets- just go first class!). But, I thought maybe I'll be seated between Elle McPherson and Julia Roberts. Well, not quite. As I approached my seat, I saw that one of my neighbors was the woman I had followed onto the plane, who- how can I say this politely- had an ass the size of a Pontiac. The aisle seat was taken by a man who was nearly as large. Between them was a space that Kate Moss might have fit into if she cinched up enough. So I went to the back of the plane, waited for everyone to board, and fortunately found another seat- again in the middle, but at least in between a young man and a young woman, both thin.

The remainder of the flight was pleasant and uneventful. I ate little of the dinner because, well, first of all it's airline food, and I had enjoyed a big brunch earlier in the day- and after my experience with the metal detector, I want to be able to do away with cinchers! But I did have two glasses of wine to celebrate my fantastic weekend! Having developed more confidence in my voice (and everything else!), I not only could now speak when I had to with no hesitation- I actually initiated conversations with people! The young girl, Catherine, sitting next to me was heading to Harvard to begin graduate school. I overheard the girl in the seat in front of me tell someone that she was an engineer- so being an engineer myself I had to talk to her. It turned out that she was also a Harvard grad student- she was going for her MBA. And she used to be an avid sailing racer, so of course we talked about that. I had a great time talking to both of these very nice young women. And I think that our conversation was much more enjoyable, because as a man when you talk to a woman she is likely to view you as attempting to "pick her up", but as another girl I was less threatening. Do I believe that someone sitting next to me and talking with me for a few hours could possibly not know my true gender? Not on your life! But so what- the important thing is to be yourself, be confident, be nice to people- and unless they have a real hang-up- they'll like you for the person that you are. I'm sure that Catherine, who was going to be visiting her family, will tell them, "Guess what- I was sitting next to a crossdresser on the plane, and he/she was the neatest person!". If either of the girls possibly did not pick up on my identity, I gave them each Hayley's business card with her URL, so they'll find out when they check out my web site.

I also, on a trip forward to use the ladies' room, stopped and chatted with Susan, a very nice flight attendant. We talked about the all the cities to which we both had traveled. If she hadn't already guessed, I told her my true identity, and asked her if she would be so kind as to take a few pictures of me (can't keep Hayley away from that camera!) as I was so excited to be on an airplane en femme for the first time and had to document the occasion! She was happy to oblige, and said I looked great and she thought that what I was doing was really cool!

I left the plane and picked up my now heavy bag at the carousel- unfortunately, no fellow came by to help me with it- hard to find a true gentleman these days! (do you know why it's hard to find a true gentleman these days- they're all becoming girls!). I was still on an euphoric buzz as I left the airport (which I'm still on as I type this the next day). It was a new woman that got off of that plane- a confident, together, beautiful BABE! And now that Hayley has been unleashed, LOOK OUT WORLD!!!

Copywright 1997 Hayley E. Rogers

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