Looking Good vs. Feeling Comfy

[Paulette]

I guess I fall in with the girls on this forum who say basically "Just pull up your big girl panties and deal with it" club. Before I had my ears pierced the clip on earings where hell especially if I went for a long week enfemme, by the time the last day came along my ears were throbbing. As Karen said comfort is so over rated when you are dressing like you want. I wan t to look my best so more time does go into that. I also will subject myself to the pain of waxing from nose to toes and countless hours hooked up to the electrolysis machine. You have not lived until they start zapping the hairs on your knuckles, fingers, arch of the foot and toes. Having to suffer for beauty at least as I see it gives me the strength to tell anyone who does not like the fact that I am wearing a killer gown or just a casual top and jeans to go jump off a cliff. When I feel the cool air on my bare shoulders wearing a strapless dress all of the pain is worth it.

[Sandy Banks]

In the words of the late Fernando Lamas, "It's not how you feel, it's how you look"!!!

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Jenna, Nobody ever said being a lady was going to be easy.

When it's time for MS. Orchid to leave and MR. Drab to come back that's a [Downner].

Orchid

[makin' it real]

I spend almost every minute of time not out and about in pure girl clothes, and find them much more comfortable than wearing boy clothes. Of course, this is fully comfortable maybe only because I've not been doing the full on wig and make-up. I'm just me in women's clothing. They are softer, lighter, and generally more comfortable for me. We'll see how it goes once I start wearing a wig all the time. (I'm buying my first one tomorrow! Yay!)

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. The OP reminds me of an interaction in class one day at the University of Colorado, as related by Reader's Digest. A girl entered the classroom one day complaining of the cold weather. The professor, overhearing her complaints, asked why she didn't just put on the sweater she had tied around her waist. The coed replied, "Oh, that's for fashion." To which the professor responded, "Fashion is pain."

[docrobbysherry]

Here's why!

Name something that feels better than:

That tite laced corset taking my breath away and bruising my ribs.
The thong on my tuck rubbing me sore.
Bra straps cutting into my shoulders and chest.
Forms causing rash or blisters below my breasts.
5" heels bending my feet and straining my calves.
Hose, tite sleeves, gloves, necklace, and wig; warm, squeezing, and confining!

What could feel BETTER than that?

Maybe the next day? When, with everything off, u have aching legs and sore feet, scratches, welts, and bruises all over your body. All of which remind u of how WONDERFUL it all felt YESTERDAY!?

[Nicole Erin]

YOu don't have to go crazy with stuff.
Comfort FTMFW.

[Raychel]

I am another one that only dresses at home, No wig, Well very seldom. They are very uncomfortable. The rest of the items I feel best in. WAY more comfortible then my male clothes.

[Cristi]

98% of the time I dress, it is NOT to go out but for just around the house. Once in a while I'll go all out, but for the most part I want to be comfortable enough that I can stay dressed all day, so: comfortable shoes, minimal makeup, non-underwire bra, nothing binding or pinching. I aim to be just as comfortable (if not more so) in girl's clothes as I am in guy's.

[Sarah Doepner]

Clip earrings are torture and I'm glad I finally decided to get the ears pierced. This improved things a lot. Shoes are a different story. I sometimes look at how long I'm going to be dressed and pick outfits starting with the shoes that work for that time frame. Makeup for home is usually very light. For going out I just try to get the best look I can and hope it holds up if I'm going to be away from basecamp for too long. Usually it's not enough of a problem to make me uncomfortable, but in the hotter weather it's a different story and I don't have an answer for that one yet. I stopped using a wig cap and just wash my wig on a regular basis. This gives my head a lot of relief and more places to use bobby pins to hold the looser fitting wig on. At home I often don't wear the wig now that I've let my hair grow out. It won't work out of the house because the thinning of my hair is too advanced, but it makes home a lot more comfortable.

The goal is rarely physical comfort, but mental comfort when I dress. It's a good day when I can dress and when I hit both the comfort goals, it's a great one. Good luck.

[Frédérique]

I know some of you dress more than I do ... how do you deal with the comfort issue?

[SIZE="2"]There’s a point where discomfort becomes comfort, since it is a definite boundary between male and female, at least in terms of clothing. If you like wearing women’s clothing, and who around here doesn’t, then you can be pre-disposed to embrace discomfort as a form of masochism – you LIKE the discomfort, because it’s the only way to attain a certain mental state. Personally, I wear some very comfortable things, so any discomfiture I may feel is a tacit acknowledgement of “being over on the other side,” a place I long to be. I like feeling non-male, so I put up with the physical consequences…
[/SIZE]

[Andy is Andi Too]

I do like to get back into my most comfy guy jeans after hours dressed. I guess it's just habit. But I got some advice early on to try and feminize my everyday presentation as a guy so there are little touches of fem that never leave me. I wear my hair very long, I pluck my eyebrows, keep my nails nice but unpainted, wear clogs, wear more form fitting tops, etc. So I don't think of my male mode as quite so drab.
Hugs,
Andie

[Stephanie47]

I do not feel comfortable en femme unless I have on a pretty dress, lacy slip, matching bra and panties, garter belt, stockings and heels. The wig is also essential. I can do without the makeup, if I have freshly shaved my face, and stay away from a closeup with the mirror. I don't have one pair of feminine pants or tops. That reminds me too much of guy mode. If I want to feel comfortable as a guy, it's a cut of jeans and a holey tee shirt.

[Roberta Marie]

It is possible to look good and be comfortable. There are some very comfortable, good looking clothes out there. But I find one of the things that effects both comfort and looks the most is fit. If clothes don't fit right, the are neither comfortable or good looking. And women's clothes that fit a guy's body can be hard to find, so I am learning to sew, and making many of my own clothes. That way I can get both comfort and good looks.'

Shoes are the same. I have some 4" heels that fit well and are so comfortable that I can, and have worn them all day. Then I have some 2" heels that fit poorly, and I can't wait to get out of them, when I do on rare occasion wear them.

As for the hair, I too have the receding hairline in the front, and some thinning in the back. One of the best things I did when I went to replace my first wig was to go to a wig shop where they recommended a hair piece. This has a small cap that sits on the top of my head, and some clips that clip into the little hair that I have. My natural hair is about the same length as my hairpiece, just below the shoulders, and they got the color match almost perfect. It's very comfortable, and most of the time I don't even realize that I'm wearing it.

The only thing that I have yet to concur is my beard. I do still have to wear quite a bit of foundation and beard cover. But, I still like the knowledge that I can grow a beard or mustache if I want to. I guess I still want to have my cake and eat it too, in that sense.

Grace,
Bobbi

[Jenna Lynne]

I don't have one pair of feminine pants or tops. That reminds me too much of guy mode.

I love skirts, but if you go to the mall and have a look at the shoppers, you'll see maybe 1 woman in 10 (at most) wearing a skirt. Last year I bought a pair of ... I think they're called capris. White pants that end at mid-calf. That length is totally femme, and they can be worn with my cute beaded flat sandals and toenail polish (ditto). It's not my favorite outfit, but it doesn't call attention to me the way a miniskirt would.

Anyway, skirts aren't uncomfortable, so I'm not stressing over skirts. I think Roberta is right about the fit making a huge difference. Honestly, that's one of the reasons why I want a few outfits that blend in -- so I can go shopping and try things on in the store!

[Melinda G]

The wig may be a bit too tight.

I wear mid heels, 2 3/4 inch around the house a lot, to keep my feet and legs conditioned for wearing heels. Then, an inch higher always feels special for going out. I don't wear bras around the house. I like to just wear a thong and a little short house dress and mid heels at home, and no stockings. I'm kind of into that bare and breezy feeling around the house. Then a bra, pantyhose and higher heels feels more dressy when going out. No need for a wig around the house either.

[Janine cd]

I could dress forever if it were possible. The feeling of wearing a bra and panties with a wig and total feminine clothes and makeup is awesome.

[Janine cd]

I discovered how comfortable proper fitting women's shoes can be. I have recently acquired a pair of platform shoes that are so nice that I feel as if I've been introduced to a new level of comfort.

[Pythos]

It is funny. I learned that my GG friend cannot have the waistband of her leggings or tights over her abdomen...it makes her feel sick. She also cannot wear a hat without inducing a head ace after a while.

I love the feel of the control top of my hose around my torso, I find the gentle squeeze to be comfortable. My poor GG could not wear my favorite item being my spandex disco pant from AA. If the control top of my hose is snug, these things are down right tight, but not in a way that is uncomfortable.

I find if funny how she can wear jeans with no issues, but leggings she can't....I wonder if it is all in her head. (she loves leggings but folds the top down in what looks to be a very unflattering manner. She could not do that with the Disco pant)