It takes a real man to wear nail polish.

[Ashley S]

Hi everyone. This just happened to me, and it made me smile, so I' thought I'd share the story.

A new neighbour just moved into the apartment below me. A single mom, around my age. We've only chatted once or twice so far, in passing, and she has no idea I crossdress. Some backstory:

The first time I met her, I was changing the brake rotors and wheel bearings on my truck, so I was dressed in grubby old work clothes, covered in grease and grime, with the hubs of my truck in pieces, and a heap of tools all around me...very manly ...The other time we met, I was just getting back from a 4x4ing trip, so me and my truck were covered in mud, and I couldn't shut up about how crazy the last trail was, and how I almost swamped it...also probably one of my more manly moments.

So anyway, I was BBQing some dinner tonight, and bumped into her again, and she invited me to hang out on her patio with her. I wasn't wearing anything feminine, but I was wearing shorts and sandals, with shaved legs and painted toenails. My nail-polish is a dark metallic blue that I really like, and actually matched my guy outfit, so i just decided to leave it on.

Well, she didn't say a thing about the hairless legs, but the toes didn't go unnoticed very long. She said "Do you seriously have your toenails painted?" to which I responded "Yup", with a smile. She paused for a second and said "Wow, it takes a real man to wear nail-polish." I smiled again and said "Thanks", and she responded with "I like that blue, it's a really nice colour", and shortly thereafter the subject got changed and we chatted about other things.

So anyway, that comment just had me really chuckling to myself. If only she knew the rest.

So, always remember that apparently "It takes a real man to wear nail-polish" (Oh, that's so going in the signature)

[Persephone]

Yep! It takes a real man to wear nailpolish, but it takes a tough guy to wear pink!

[Ashley S]

lol, I saw a BIG guy wearing that shirt at the mall one time. The thing must have been double or triple XL.

I'm thinking I might try some hot pink nails next, see how they go over with the neighbours.

I'm really curious what type of opinion she's formulating...If she's actually going to figure out that I crossdress, or if she just thinks that I happen to like painting my nails.

Maybe next time I'll throw in some light mascara and eyeliner, and possibly polish on my fingers too.

[~Seana~]

Well you arent all that far from me, so in all likelyhood, no-one will notice! Or pretend not to.Or maybe just think you're a girl.

I gendertwist ALOT . I used to detest being as I called it "'half dressed"' if I was going to dress up I wanted my makeup, my wig, everything as close as I could so as not to attract attention to the fact I'm a guy in a skirt.
More recent, and due to dressing more frequently and some TG influences, this has changed. No neibour would be surprised by nailpolish on me, my hair is grown out, my brows done, I wear girl jeans or shorts most of the time in EITHER mode ( just cause i like the fit) my arms /legs are shaved, and I usually have jewelry. I dont pass very well as a guy anymore. There's always some clue, and I've stopped caring what the random people on the street think.So I've adopted more feminine touches to the male self, and somewhere along the line my male self, has become feminine. So the other day I went off to a clients ( to be fair, this was someone who's kinked, I could have shown up naked and it would have been ok) and as I'm on the bus with my laptop I realize I'm getting alot of looks, and some guy tries to chat me up, and i realize, he's trying to pick me up, and seems to have no clue I'm a guy. Did I mention I'm in drab, or sort of, presumeably?

It wasnt nail polish that gave it away, true my toenails were done but i was wearing black sneakers, he could not have seen that.
My hair is longer , my ears are pierced. That day I was cleanshaven, my arms legs and face and i did have girl's jean shorts on. And a mens shirt, although itr was pink. No breast forms , no makeup but thinking about it my male self has taken on more feminine qualities, until, I no longer quite "pass " as a guy.

And i dont try to.

Amanda

[alice clair]

I keep my toes polished all the time and every tee shirt i have for work is pink and i have a pony tail and wear a pink hairtie. It has become a sort of my image all the girls at my bank comment about my pink hairtie and tee shirts, they have no idea i am a crossdresser. But i love to talk girl talk with them, i comment on their nails clothes hair and jewelry and we talk fashion if time permits. Maybe they do suspect but never say a word about it. So yes i would agree it does take a real man to wear nail polish and pink clothes. Have a fem day. There's no place like this place so this must be the place.

Michelle

[Alice B]

Then I must be a real man because mine are almost always painted and at the moment pink. And last night my granddaughter told me she really liked the color.

[Jennifer in CO]

To be honest I don't go barefoot or wear sandals very often (in public anyway...sandals all the time around the house). So when the house burned down a couple of years ago and we're outside dealing with firemen, insurance people, etc, It wasn't till late afternoon I realized I had been barefoot the entire time with my pretty pink toes on full display. It didn't really matter tho as I had mid morning thrown on a cover shirt that was in the car over my lace-trimmed tank top and the shirt was one of our daughters puff-sleeved white eyelet cover shirts...oh well. Not much can be said during that type of situation and no one said anything as I remember.

Jenn

[kimdl93]

Just had a pedicure last Saturday - with coral polish picked out by my wife. Boy, I feel so manly

[Schatten Lupus]

I've never heard the real man thing before with nail polish. The "rockstar" thing is a given, even for non-black colors (I've seen pictures of Ace Frehley with blue nail polish). But the "real man" thing is just wow.

[Ashley S]

Just had a pedicure last Saturday - with coral polish picked out by my wife. Boy, I feel so manly

That's pretty much how I was feeling when she said it. "Hmmm...Real man, eh? " is all I was thinking at the time, while laughing inwardly.

I've never heard the real man thing before with nail polish. The "rockstar" thing is a given, even for non-black colors (I've seen pictures of Ace Frehley with blue nail polish). But the "real man" thing is just wow.

Maybe she thinks it's because I'm a rocker...I'm not sure, the blue does match my guitar tho. But it was definitely the choice of words that had me laughing.

It would have been totally different if she had said "It takes real confidence", instead of "It takes a real man".

I might be able to have some fun with this

I wonder what else "takes a real man"

[Eve_WA]

Mine are almost always painted too. Right now its a metallic gold from a toga outfit I made and wore a week ago. And I often wear sandals or flops, at least outside of work. Im shaved everywhere, have shoulder length hair with high lights, trimmed brows, and 1/4 long nails. Most of the clothes I wear of female, as they fit better, and feel better. Yet here I was yesterday out working on the car all day.

[donnatracey]

Same here. Had my 1st pedicure last October and have had painted toe nails 95% of the time since. So far I have tried bright orange (for Halloween), red/green (Christmas), then dark brown and a dark blue. Last week I did them myself in Sally Hansen Platinum.

Thinking of getting a pedi with red/white/blue toe nails for 4th of July! I love holidays.....

[kimdl93]

....I wonder what else "takes a real man"

Nail polish and eye make up - it takes a REALLY manly man to wear eye make up. Oh, and breast forms and a bra....now it takes an incredible man to wear nail polish, eye make up, breast forms and a bra.

Oh I forgot some nice Manolo pumps with 3" inch + heels....mmmmm...I know I'm leaving out something else. But....it would REALLY take an incredibly manly man to wear the above!

[Jessica798]

I saw this thread and I just had to post about what happened yesterday. I wear a dark purple sparkly nail polish by OPI, I even use a top and bottom coat. I like to take some pride in how nice it looks....so I was changing at work because we were going to go teach some korean kids english offbase(yep im military) and three of my coworkers were right there to include a woman.

I didn't even think about it, I just yanked off my socks and suddenly realized my toes were getting stared at. The funny thing is, they were so cool about it. The woman even told me that was the most awesome thing ever. I told her I would paint her toes for her. lol.

[sissystephanie]

I have been wearing toe nail and finger nail polish for at over 50 years. I told my late wife I was a CD before we married abd she accepted me "as is!" I was still in the military then so couldn't wear polish. But when I got out and we got married, my dear wife took me to a salon to get my nails done correctly. I've had them done most of the time since then. Some shade of pink on my fingers, and a bright color on my toes. My finger nails are acrylic and have the rounded feminine shape. I get a lot of compliments on those nails!!

[AKAMichelle]

I don't usually have my toenails painted but they are the moment in pink of course. I guess most of the time then I am an imitation of a man. YUP - that works for me.

[regularman]

i usually keep my toes painted because that is one thing you can selectively show.. either wear no socks or put on some socks either way you know theyre painted

[giuseppina]

That was a real nice comment from your new friend, Ashley.

[Angiemead12]

I love polish! I have been more care free about this as well! Usually people don't mind it anymore. Maybe I'm a bit eccentric!

[TiffanyJoHayden]

Ashley S, you are my hero!! lol!

I spend a lot of time in manly mode and I love my truck and 4x4ing. I just picked up a new 4x4 that I can't wait to get out on the trail.

[Ruth]

Well my dears, I've got a cute little french car that would faint dead away if you tried to steer it off road. My favourite accessory is the vanity mirror in the visor.
And yes I wear nail polish 24/7.

[stacey.eyes]

Ashley, what a great story! Maybe this is the beginning of something a lot of us would love to have -- a real GG friend who's ok with CDing and with whom you can have girl talk.

[Emily_3]

Wonderful story Ashley,

I went out raving with some friends last night, I had bright orange UV reactive nail polish on my fingernails, the effect was amazing, what's more no one cared ,
also had my hair in a girly fashion
totaly epic night.

[Jay Cee]

I'm not so bold - the best I've done is clear nail strengthener (gloss) on my toenails. I do enjoy looking down and seeing that shine, though.

[crotchhiboots]

I wear polish on my toes all the time even with high heel sandals and I have grown my fingernails about 1/4 inch long and yea they are polished red like my toenails.