Where to change???

[Katrina Black]

For those times when you cant dress at home .Before going out and dont want to spend money on a hotel to dress . Any great ideas on places to get made up??? like restarant bathrooms or hotel lobby bathrooms ?? any better places?

[Kaitlyn26]

Ask a friend that knows about it if you can use their bathroom.

[NathalieX66]

Katrina, that is my biggest problem.

I own a house, but it has no garage.
Worse, I share my driveway with my next door neighbor, who is a policeman in my town. The driveway is so big it could fit a Cessna 172 and 4 cars. . Sometime, many years ago his property was owned by whoever owned my house, and he/she sold that half off, and somewhere along the way a house was built next to mine.

My neighbors are homebodies, and their kids Love to play in my driveway all the time. The police cruiser is often in the driveway too.

We get along great, and drink beers on their back deck all the time......they don't know this side of me.

Sooooo.........my solution has always been to find a parking lot of a corporate office that is never open on weekends, and doesn't have a security guard patrolling the parking lot, and that's where I do my change a la Clark Kent.

Problem is it is very humid here on the east coast to the point that my car swelters. Even if I let my car running with the a/c , the lights are still on. I'm very paranoid when I have to change in a parking lot.
It actually makes me sweat more, and that's when the makeup starts to roll off.

Winter: no problem. Days are short and I can slip out of my house fully dressed during nightfall.

[AllieSF]

Well, if you can't do any prep work at home, the transformation process is much more difficult. I have prepped right down to having my femme clothes under my baggy male stuff and my foundation and blush on my face (note: I do not do dramatic looks with make-up except for the eyes a little) with my grown son in the house. I just made sure I went out of the house without a face to face meeting in the hallway. Then I would remove the male clothes, finish up the makeup and jewelry in the car, plus the wig in a BART or other parking lot, and I was off and running. Otherwise, you may want to look at safe public restrooms where you can accomplish some of the tasks like changing clothes and then other places or your car to do the makeup. I see that you are in the South Bay. You should check out Carla's on Race Street north of I-280 in downtown SJ. She has some lockers that she rents out with a 24 hour key access to the building. You dress in the locker room and then use the common restroom for your makeup. I know several people that have used their services. I do not know the rules and what she charges (under new management for the last year or so). I think you could get a key even if you did not rent a locker, but you need to confirm that. They also have Carla's Regulars, who meet up there and maybe in other locations on Tuesdays, I think. Good luck.

[Sara Jessica]

Sooooo.........my solution has always been to find a parking lot of a corporate office that is never open on weekends, and doesn't have a security guard patrolling the parking lot, and that's where I do my change a la Clark Kent.

Problem is it is very humid here on the east coast to the point that my car swelters. Even if I let my car running with the a/c , the lights are still on. I'm very paranoid when I have to change in a parking lot.
It actually makes me sweat more, and that's when the makeup starts to roll off.

Winter: no problem. Days are short and I can slip out of my house fully dressed during nightfall.

Right on Nathalie, I've done the vacant office building thing a couple times. Totally works well.

I have what I call safe spots where I can park and put the girl on, locations depending on where I'm heading out to. Sometimes it's a quiet corner of a retail parking lot before things get busy. I also use areas around stores which have permanently closed down.

Regardless, the car thing is far from ideal but it beats spending $$$ on a hotel, $$$ which could be better used in buying fun things!!! It also beats using a public restroom of some sort.

As for the heat, that's a big disadvantage that you simply have to deal with sometimes.

[linda allen]

I've done the car thing the time or two I've gotten out, but it's pretty limiting. No makeup, girl clothes under guy clothes, everything else in a bag.

I don't think walking into a restaurant or hotel restroom as a guy and coming out 15 minutes later as a girl is going to work real well. And don't forget, you have to transform back again at some point.

[PretzelGirl]

A few places that I have heard of someone changing at:

1. A store (clothing or make-up Ulta/Sephora type). If you get in good with a SA, they may not mind you borrowing the back for a few minutes.
2. A storage unit. I have heard this one more than once. Plus is you can store things there and setup a vanity. A minus is no running water.
3. A park. This one scares me because of the potential to have children or police issues.
4. A friend. Yep, if you come out to one person and they don't mind you getting a key, then you have a good place. The first friend I came out to did this for me and even though I only did it a few times, it was very helpful.

Add-on - I haven't heard of someone trying it unless a meeting was happening, but you could try talking a local Pride or GLBT center into letting you borrow a room or bathroom if they are open. Volunteering a little time in return wouldn't be a bad thing either.

[Ronah]

My routine is fairly simple, if I have not been able to make any dressing at home, by use of motor services or public toilets, certainly as I am too large to change in a car.. First stop is a closet in a male toilet and don bra, panties tights etc. and female trousers and top and cover with male jacket, back to car. In car fit breast forms, make up etc. & wig, female shoes. At next female toilet I can then change into skirt and any make other finishing touches. Simple and effective as no-one really notices the part transformation at the first stop and then transforming to female in car ready for next visit.

[Kerigirl2009]

Oh the things we go through to avoid the feeling of embarrassment. Why should we feel this way. (not saying I don't)
Well I am not embarrassed but I still hide from perfect strangers. (Stupid)
I have done the car thing a few times, I hate that (lighting sucks)
Did the motel room once (wife got mad)

My favorite place is my own bathroom, not to wrried about the neighbors because they dont talk to me anyway.But it is difficult getting out while family is home.
I wish I could just tell them, but my wife has asked me not too, Someday maybe
Until then I will keep going on as I have been (stealth and covering up with the guy clothes (yuk)

[t-girlxsophie]

I await the replies to this with Interest,My Opportunities to go out dressed are limited now due to a combination of factors unfortunately colliding at the same time,Even the local LGBT Centre has closed.I have thought maybe trying one of those portable loos in the high street,but knowing my luck I would get the timing wrong and the thing would open with yours truly in mid change.As for changing in the car.I actually got it down to a T,and this was in my friends small car,Hopefully theres some good tips,because I so wanna get back out there

Sophie

[Karin-the-Nerd]

A department store dressing room sounds ideal to me. Maybe Sears, Dillards, or Belk.

[Carmen]

I am fortunate in several ways when it comes to dressing. I do freelance media work as a 2nd career. The result is that I am requiered to travel to the locations. The type of events that I do are completely outdoors, so RV's are the norm. I love to travel En Femme.
I tow a reasonably large travel trailer, and at the very 1st stop I will park and do my 'transformation' in the trailer. There are several places that accomodate travelers, so I easily blend in Everything that I need is in the RV, The fun part is that I can set up the bedroom with all of my girly things and not put anything away for several days!
I dress to fit the occasion...jeans, tee-shirt, simple make-up, sandals, my long hair in a ponytail. I keep to myself. After a while I loose my male self and live as Linsey.
When not towing, I have changed in my SUV many times. also usually at a location where there are other people. The windows are tinted and there is enough room for me to move around inside. I actually enjoy climbing out and smoothing my clothes, I flip my long hair back as I give my SUV a once-over just like any other traveller would do.
I am not a fan of choosing secluded locations to change as the police here tend to look into anything unusual.
I also have a timeshare in the next state, within 4 hours travel time. The units are very isolated from each other, I can drive up En Femme any time of the day and leave just the same. We use the timeshare several times a year.

[Paulacder]

I met a very charming gal at our local C.Der's support group a number of years ago. I noticed that she drove a full size van. Because of her children at home she kept her entire wardrobe in her van, the van also served as her " Get Ready" parlor.

[Tina B.]

One of the girls here used to talk about using the rest stops on the highway, as a great place. I know a lot of the ones around here, never have that much traffic.
Tina B.

[Karren H]

I've used any unisex restroom just about anywhere... And porta pottys. The handicap ones are bigger and easier! Lol. Most of the new freeway rest areas have family or unisex facilities. I take a small tote or pc bag and do a quick gender change in about 15 minutes.... Get some stares from people who see me coming and going but that's part of the fun!

[Mandy]

[SIZE="4"]I usually put my makeup on before leaving my house. I wear trousers & a fleece to get to car then once out of the way I pull in, remove trousers & jacket put on hair piece and on my way again If you are desperate you will find a way to overcome your issues[/SIZE]

[Leslie Langford]

I'm with Karren...I've done the car change routine a number of times in the past, but that sucks for the reasons already stated - especially in the wintertime...brrr! But I have now found that the unisex "family/handicapped washrooms" are my friends.

Most of my outings as "Leslie" are to go shopping, and I now have a list of all those malls and/or department stores that I generally go to which offer such options beyond the traditional male/female washrooms. I simply make sure that I am in such a mall or store about 1/2 hour before closing time, enter as "Leslie" with my bag of drab clothes and face wipes to remove my make up, and - ipso! presto! - the reverse transformation back to boy mode proceeds in total privacy and without any undue muss or fuss.

I have yet to have anybody bang frantically on the door while I was in there, and I simply re-emerge when finished with all my "Leslie" clothes in my bag instead. I'm usually in there long enough so that no one will have noticed that a different person entered the washroom than who emerged - except maybe for any security cams that might be in the vicinity (assuming that anyone is watching in real time...what a boring channel that must be! ) - but so far, no one has challenged me either way.

Leaving the house is easier. I generally go out only after my wife has already left for work, so I have plenty of uninterrupted time to choose an outfit, shave thoroughly, and apply my make up etc. The only thing I don't do is put on my wig or my jewellery and I throw an old coat over my "femme" attire because most of my neighbors are either retired or stay-at-home parents. As a result, they are always around - especially my next door neighbor Pete, who practically lives outdoors in the summertime and is as chatty as any GG I've ever met. Since I don't want to run into any of them as I prepare to go on my outings, my tactic is to enter my car in the garage with the door still closed, put both sun visors down to obscure my face as much as possible, and then quickly emerge like Batman from the Bat-cave before anyone has had the opportunity to intercept me. I then pull over to a secluded spot, put on my wig and remaining accessories, and voila - "Leslie" is ready to rock.

I've been going out "en femme" for over 3 years now, and have honed this process to a fine art which works very well for me at this point. All I worry about now is potentially getting a flat tire or having someone rear-end me while out as "Leslie", but I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it...

[linda allen]

A few places that I have heard of someone changing at:
2. A storage unit. I have heard this one more than once. Plus is you can store things there and setup a vanity. A minus is no running water.

Just remember that most storage places have video surveillance. Not in each unit, but in the entrance and outside of the units. So you go in as a male, come out as a female, and then the reverse a few hours later. Does it matter? It might to some folks and not to others. Just keep it in mind.

[Sometimes Steffi]

I've changed back into boy mode in the car quite a bit, and I have selected a number of places that are lightly travelled, not not totally out of the way should a dangerous situation come up. My car is particularly small and it's not much fun, but doable. The main problems are leaving something on like a ring, or losing something incriminating in the car. After dark, it's pretty hard to make sure al the makeup is off.

I rarely use parking lots to get into girl mode. I usually go out before dark, and it's much mre difficult and time consuming to get girly than to take girly off. When I'm able to leave the house mostly dressed, I'll do finishing touches like wig and makeup in the car.

I've had mixed luck at family bathrooms. The only ones I know are it the mall. Once it went flawlessly, the next time someone was banging on the door when I was half way done. I wouldn't even consider doing it in a store bathroom; it looks too much like shoplifitng.

I do go en femme to a girls clothing swap which is held in a meeting room at the local Government Center. I slip into the men's room and change back o boy mode in the hanicp stall. BTW. This Gov't Center houses the local Police Dept.

My latest discovery is that my local community center rents out rooms to residents for $6 an hour. The last one I got even had a bathroom.

[Debglam]

I see that you are in the South Bay. You should check out Carla's on Race Street north of I-280 in downtown SJ. She has some lockers that she rents out with a 24 hour key access to the building. You dress in the locker room and then use the common restroom for your makeup. I know several people that have used their services. I do not know the rules and what she charges (under new management for the last year or so). I think you could get a key even if you did not rent a locker, but you need to confirm that. They also have Carla's Regulars, who meet up there and maybe in other locations on Tuesdays, I think. Good luck.

Definitely check Carla's out! If you are close, you are really lucky! New owner, Aejaie is a real doll.

I've changed in the car a couple of times but hate it. Problem is it still takes me over an hour to get ready! Fortunately my wife has been awesome in getting the kids someplace else when I need to dress and leave.