Wore my nails out painted... sort of

[cdmorganashley]

well i recently bought a few female items online as i am trying to revive my dressing and the first thing to come was some nude nail polish that i thought i might try wearing in guy or drab mode as some call it... anyway i wore my nails out today painted and they look a bit darker than normal in some light and shinier but all in all not that noticable... i went to a meeting and to two stores im applying at for part time work and to the gym at my apartment complex and no one noticed or at least didnt say anything but i felt great that i at least wasnt 100% repressed as normal even if its only a 1% improvement... to be honest i think guys would look good in a flesh colored nail polish anyway (and that is kinda my closet explaination along with "i thought it would look good")... of course i would prefer sparkly pink but im taking baby steps here - also im wondering if anyone would really think that much about my nails being painted as although i am not effeminate in male mode really at all i do have pierced ears and wear stud earrings and have multiple tattoos so im thinking i get some leeway (spelling) as i guess i might get categorized as more alternative or whatever - anyway whenever i see my nails shine a little it makes me feel like i am being a little more my true self and hopefully i can become more comfortable with the person i am which is still a challenge for me even though i have accepted i like being girly even though i wasnt born a female

[TxCassie]

Not At All, Morgan Ashley.

I am growing in my own journey. I plan to attend a Gay Pride event that will be a showing of a film and a panel discussion on transgender individuals and our lives. I plan to go 'en drab'. However, in preparation, I have let my finger nails grow out. While no one has said anything about the nails, I'm sure some have noticed but have not received any comments. One may notice, but probably think, 'oh he just needs to trim his nails."

Most of my co-workers know how much I love to play with my grand-niece (my niece's four-year-old) and if asked, I always can say, that my niece and I have a play date Saturday and she will be painting my nails. So, while I didn't go around waving my hands this week, I was too busy at work to try to hide them from view. I plan to paint them with a clear polish for the event. No, it's not color, but like you said, it's baby steps. I also plan to wear some casual walking shorts and that will show my shaved legs. If I wear sandals, I might go ahead and paint my toes with some pink polish I just bought. So, while I'm not stepping out fully dressed as Cassie. I am, like you taking baby steps to allow a bit of Cassie out of the closet, at least with others that can understand and accept you at whatever stage you may be at the time.

So, do what is comfortable for you and most of all, Be Happy!

Cassie

[Erica2Sweet]

It takes much too long to do my nails on the spur of the moment, so for the last couple years I've been keeping mine long and painted. Lately I've done some pretty wild colors (right now, they're sparkle blue-green) and I've not gotten a nasty comment yet. We attended a church ice cream social here in our small town yesterday, and I'm sure people noticed the bright color, but I still got no comments at all. These details just don't seem to matter much to strangers these days.

Another bonus in all this is that my wife and I often sit down on Thursday or Friday evenings and repaint our nails together. It's a nice bit of time we share that I really hold dear, and I wouldn't give that up for anything.

The real truth of the matter for me when I started doing this was the conflict that came from within myself which manifested in the form of a fear of being stared at (or laughed at) by others around me. I know that would be tough on my ego because I realize I don't have particularly thick skin to start with. Letting go of that sort of baggage was the key to experiencing some very real freedom of expression. I know form experience that embracing simple displays of femininity is a process that takes some time to get comfortable with. Encouragement from our loved ones is also extremely helpful to see that expressing ourselves in ways that are true to who we are is often really not as hard as we make it out to be.

[Tracii G]

You can get a nail buffer at Sally's and just buff them to a shine no polish needed.
People don't care if your nails are painted trust me.
I wear whatever color that suits my fancy that day.Purple sparkle was todays color.

[Eryn]

It is perfectly acceptable for a well-groomed male to have manicured nails. Go to any upper-crust soirée and you'll see plenty of shiny clear polish on captains of business and industry.

I keep clear base coat (Orly Tough Cookie) on my nails all the time because it makes adding color a snap when I go out. If I'm stuck in male mode and need a little subtle fun I add Nina Ultra Pro in Pink Frost (don't let the name fool you, it's not very pink!) for a bit of iridescence or Orly Love Each Other for minute purple sparkles in a clear base. Both of these are only seen if you really look at them so I can enjoy pretty nails in normal public situations without standing out. I wouldn't wear them to a conservative job, but they are fine for all other situations.

[Shannon C.]

I have worn many colors on both my fingers and toes while out and about in drab. Occasionally I will get the weird look or glance from strangers as I pass them, but nothing negative or harmful. I think that most of the time it just takes people by surprise. If they do say anything it is never to my face, and what I don't know won't hurt me.

A few weeks ago I was at the grocery store with neon orange nail polish on and a little girl about the age of 4 asked me why I had my nails pained. To which I smiled and replied that I liked them that way and this seemed to satisfy her curiosity enough. It was a pretty cute moment that I smile about when I think of it. So, I say wear the colors that you want to wear when you want to wear them. For me this week it is a metallic royal blue that I quite like on me

[Misty G]

I have acrylic nails and usually done in an american manicure with white tips and clear backs but lately I have been doing the thumb on my left hand and the index finger in full color with the tips on the other fingers to match. This week they are a pretty lavender with sparkles and very shiney as I put a new coat of clear every other day. I have been to church and out, met many people and as of yet no mention of the colors at all except for a few friends saying they like the color.

[Beverley Sims]

Whatever pleases you and makes you happy, do it.
I only say try and keep yourself free of ridicule if you try to do something different.