Does laziness = less dressing?

[Isabella Ross]

I'm one of those who is comfortable with one foot in a man's world and the other in a high heel. In other words, not even close to being full-time. But every once in a while, I fall in love with the idea of living full-time for at least a few days. And every time I make an attempt, I fall flat on my face. Why? It's hard work, or at least I find it's hard work. Don't get me wrong: I love putting the effort in and seeing the result. But dressing daily does get tough! First, there's the shopping...it takes a lot to keep stocked up with everything we need (why does it seem to matter if I wear a skirt twice within a few weeks, when I have no problem wearing the same pair of jeans several times a week?). Then's the endless process of "fashionizing" one's self...does this color pantyhose go with that dress? or heels? or top? And then there's the actual dressing itself: it's so unbelievably enjoyable, but between shaving and makeup and clothes and gaffs and corsets and wigs...it does take time. And so I find myself absolutely respecting GGs and TGs who go through this process daily, and at the same time, failing miserably when I attempt even a couple of days in a row. Of course, it's not a problem; as i stated, I love my man time as well. But I'm wondering if others feel this way...and if they have any strategies for getting over that hump. Thoughts?

[suzzi]

That's why I just put on some panties and a bra with a top and enjoy the day!

[Pat]

Yeah, it's hard work to dress to 11 every day, but you can do what you're probably used to from male mode -- dial it down. Get some girl jeans and comfy tops. Skip the corset and either go natural or get some shape wear that you just pull on. Do a very light foundation (or none if you have the skin for it) a touch of neutral lipstick and whatever floats for eye makeup -- maybe just a little liner or a little mascara. You should be able to do it all in just a few minutes. Doesn't help with the outfit selection or shaving part of it, but shaving/epilating for me is a near-daily thing so it's fast-ish and is built into the time it would take me to dress male.

If you do it for a while you end up with favorite outfits just like you have in guy mode. At the end of it all you can be out the door in 20 minutes as long as you don't dither over shoes (sneakers today or sandals? Sandals. But which sandals? )

[Nadine Spirit]

I've gone to less involved processes over time as well as getting quicker at what I want to do. For example:

Nails - I keep them painted 24/7, so no waiting on that!
Wig - Pretty much comb it a bit and it is ready to go.
Padding - I only use a couple of chicken cutlets now, way less of a hassle.
Shaving - I keep up with it and do the full body at least once a week, thus I can now do it all in about 20 min, and if dressing for several days in a row, I will do the body only maybe ever 3-4 days with only the face and chest daily.
Clothing - I generally have an outfit or two in mind before I even begin to get ready.
Makeup - If I do it at least once I week then I get into a bit of a rhythm and can get it done quick.

With only shaving my face and chest I can often be out the door within 1/2 hour, if need be. Normally though I take about an hour.

Keep in mind as well, for most GGs it is far easier to appear presentable. I know for my wife, she may like to shave her legs, but she doesn't need to shave her face!

[Karen RHT]

Agree...it's hard work to dress well everyday. I've discovered that practice does make perfect, and that practice also reduces total time to accomplish the desired affect. Short cuts work, but how many of them can one take and still get to the desired end result?? At my basic skill level, applying makeup is still quite time consuming. On the other hand, I have learned to get into stockings and a 6 strap garter belt rather quickly and smoothly.

Wife has her nails done every 2 or 3 weeks. As she doesn't want me wearing outside our home, I need to do mine every time I dress if I want to look my best. As I prefer to wear skirts or dresses much more than jeans, I also need to shave my legs more frequently than my wife does. Some may call it a necessary evil, but I tend to look at getting ready to present as Karen, as time well spent.

[Adriana Moretti]

I am on a 2 week crossdressing binge right now....and yes...it DOES get exausting.....and I get lazy too....so lazy last night I just lounged in comfy clothes with no makeup....but I feel you girl....xoxo

[ReineD]

And so I find myself absolutely respecting GGs and TGs who go through this process daily,...

OK you mentioned a lot of things and I don't want to quote your entire post, but I need to tell you that after a while, there is no need to keep stocking up on clothes. Clothes don't wear out!

I shop for a few items a few times per year. I tend to choose things that will not look dated in a few years and so I wear pieces that I've owned for years. Also, I tend to stay with two basic pantyhose colors: nude and sheer black. It doesn't take long to choose which to wear with what outfit. I do the same with shoes, most of mine are either black or neutral, so they go with everything. It's just a question of deciding to wear the heels for going out, the mid-heel for work, and the flats for casual. Same with purses: I use the same purse all season (a heavier one for winter, and a lighter one for summer). My makeup does not change no matter the outfit, and it is basic: foundation, blush, darken the eyebrows a bit, mascara, lip pencil and gloss and that's it. 5-7 minutes.

I think it is taking you a long time because you enjoy playing with the clothes and you are wanting to make a statement? Dressing for me is rather utilitarian even though I dress well. I cycle my clothes for going to work too (I also don't wear the same thing two days in a row), but deciding to not wear the outfit I wore yesterday is not time consuming. And I change into the same pair of jeans when I come home.

My SO takes about the same amount of time to get ready as I do, except maybe a few extra minutes to put on the breast forms, corset, and pads. But this doesn't take her long.

[kimdl93]

I don't spend a lot of time getting ready...normally, half hour from star to finish, unless it's a special occasion, and those are few and far between.

[Teresa]

Isabella,
I guess you'd stop being a Cder and become an average woman if you it did every day ! You'd fit in the preparations and not bother or worry as much if you really felt you needed to dress every day !
The fact is you still enjoy the thrill of the transition from drab to fem ! The clothes are part of your enjoyment but not part of everyday life !
Maybe you're one of the lucky ones being a happy CDer !!

[AngelaYVR]

I had three days to myself a while back and I made the most of that time by going out a lot, so I did get completely done up. But it was quite the routine doing that every day! If I'm staying in I go 50%, just enough that if I pass a mirror I still like what I see.

[CynthiaD]

For me, laziness=the old black tee shirt dress that looks like a potato sack. I can put it on in 5 seconds, and I don't have to worry about mussing up my good clothes.

Over the years I've found it's nice to have a few old dresses like this around for when I don't feel like putting out any effort.

[justmetoo]

I can be lazy, too. If I'm just hanging out at home I rarely bother with makeup, wig or breastforms, unless I'm trying something out or want to take some photos. When I go out during the day, which is when I usually go out, I keep the makeup relatively understated (but it still takes more to make me look okay compared to what GGs can get away with - I mean, I need enough coverage to cover any beard shadow/whisker-iness, among other things that GGs usually don't have to worry about).
I expect if one were going full time doing things like permanent beard removal would help speed up the process. And having favorite outfits and such, like Reine and others have described. Even part timers and those who only dress occasionally, like me, can have "go to" outfits for various occasions if they don't want to use up too much time figuring out what to wear each time.
Actually, I wouldn't call it laziness, but practicality. We develop routines and standard operating procedures in whatever mode or modes we live in.

[LeslieSD]

That's how I feel too. It is a lot of work.

So I practice what the girls here said, dial down and make it fast. I think I can get the process down to 10 min if I am just going out walking my dog (and expected no close interaction with anyone). In general, 30 minutes seems to be a good amount of time I need.

And picking the right clothes takes a lot of time, sometimes more than the time it takes for the makeup.

[Molly Wells]

So, here I am. The wife left Monday and wont be back till Friday. Monday evening I got all my stuff out and got dressed to go out. I got a late start and decided to just go for a short drive since it is an hours drive to where I feel safe going out. When I got home a lounged around awhile then got changed and went to bed. Today I worked from home but just stayed in guy mode all day. Went to an appt. this evening, come back home and remain in drab. So, here it sit wondering why I am squandering a great opportunity for some Molly time! Maybe I am just being lazy...perhaps tomorrow evening will be better.
Molly

[ReineD]

I need enough coverage to cover any beard shadow/whisker-iness, among other things that GGs usually don't have to worry about).

I hear what you're saying, but some of us have skin conditions we need to cover too. I have rosacea and this involves covering it up with first a light green foundation (to tone down the red), then a yellow toned concealer on the more pronounced rosacea spots, and then foundation all over the face to even everything out. If I did it only occasionally it would take me longer. But I've been doing this for so long that now it goes on almost by itself.

To the OP, if the makeup takes a long time, you could just put on full makeup each night before you go to bed and then wash it off. If you do this every night for 2-3 weeks, you will have it down pat.

[Rachelakld]

Firstly, no one in the southern hemisphere would wear coloured pantyhose (black or nude is okay)
Secondly, I don't need wigs, make up, etc to wear a dress, and if I do, I allocate 20 minutes from shave to finished to complete the process.
Actually it's probably the only thing in my life that I'm not OCD about.

[Sarah-RT]

Yeah I think that's the same as me, if I only had female clothes in my wardrobe it would be fine but I work the evening shifts in work because of college so when I get home and cook dinner I'm usually too tired so I'll just watch a film on the couch rather than dress and if I'm off the following morning I'll just throw on a pair of sweat pants and tshirt to go have breakfast instead of digging out a bra and forms and a wig etc, if that's all I had to wear though it'd force me to do it but being very busy as well as lazy in my spare time cuts down on my dressing

[Marcelle]

Hi Isabella,

I will admit when I do dress on consecutive days it was very tiring at first but with time (and laser beard removal) it has got somewhat easier. If I am dressing for consecutive days and going in public, I tend to stick to jeans, tops, yoga pants, sandals, runners for clothing choice unless I doing something specific (e.g., dinner out with friends). This reduces the time it takes to get dressed because I just pull on the clothes without much concern for fashion (much like I do in guy mode). I don't use padding or breast forms as I find I can pull of a decent narrow hipped small chested body type (much like my sisters) so no time taken there. Even though I have about 70 percent of my beard removed the goatee zone is still noticeable and requires foundation to cover so with shaving and foundation that takes the majority of my time but I can have that completed (with minimalistic make-up) within 30 minutes and be out the door (with wig naturally). Is it perfect? Nope, but it is good enough to blend but then again, even if I go full bore make-up, the kid never survives first contact in the Vanilla world.

Now, if I am staying dressed at home then all bets are off . . . make-up gets washed off (not good for the complexion to wear it too long), summer time is here so it is shorts and a tee (winter would be yoga pants and long sleeve top), wig and that is all she wrote folks.

Hugs

Isha

[Isabella Ross]

Some great responses to my observation and questions. Love the "dial it down" advice...I'll have to give that some thought. The problem, as Reine seems have clued into, is that I'm much like my wife...very much a girly girl (when I'm being a girl). I love to dress as pretty as possible, and jeans just won't do it when there's a nice dress to put on. I guess I'll have to work through this a little! Thanks to all.

[Kristy 56]

Isabella,I feel the same as you do. I think ReineD gave a good explanation of why we feel that way. As I don't get out ,or danymore, when I do dress putting on jeans won't cut it. It has to be getting all dolled up,and sometimes if I don't have a lot of time, all the work involved makes it not worth it. But that's just me.

[justmetoo]

Good point, Reine (post #15). That didn't occur to me. I guess there are some of us of any gender who can't (or don't want to) head out with just some lipstick and mascara or other minimal makeup, or no makeup at all. Others can look great with little or no makeup. Lucky them.

I did spend all of last week in full makeup, wig, forms, etc. It was fun and not hard, but I wasn't heading off to work during that time. Maybe I will dress more when I retire (and live somewhere cooler). Who knows.

[Pat]

To the OP, if the makeup takes a long time, you could just put on full makeup each night before you go to bed and then wash it off. If you do this every night for 2-3 weeks, you will have it down pat.

Great advice. A while ago I got fed up with the fact that I couldn't line my eyes to save my soul. So I started lining every day twice a day (before morning shower and before bed) and in a little while I had mastered TWO great skills -- how to put it on and how to take it off (completely.) It used to take minutes to line my eyes and the lines were crap. Now it takes less than a minute and the lines are straight and confident. I'm pretty sure teenage girls go through this same phase -- I'm just a late bloomer.

[ReineD]

I'm pretty sure teenage girls go through this same phase -- I'm just a late bloomer.

Not necessarily. Look around you ... most women don't wear eyeliner. I don't, it makes it look too much like I have makeup on and therefore have not taken any time to practice.

I'm a typical GG and when we were teenagers we didn't wear much makeup. We did wear it to our proms, but it was the type of makeup that is easy to do: blush, lipstick, mascara, maybe a bit of eyeshadow. Not anything that needs a lot of practice and so it wasn't a priority. I was actually in my 50s and beginning to date my SO when I experimented for the first time in my life with more elaborate eye makeup techniques for going out to LBGT clubs (this is where my SO felt most comfortable going, when she first began dressing in public). I wanted to blend in with the crowds there!

[Beverley Sims]

You don't need to get dressed up all the time.

Sometimes my wife does not realise I am dressed.

Nothing like cool and very casual around home.

[flatlander_48]

IR:

I can see how being a bit lazy may enter into things, but usually for me it is more often a question of time. If I get home at 5:30-6:00, then there is a good chance I might dress (below the neck). If I stay late at work or do grocery shopping and don't get bck until maybe 8:00, chances are I won't change clothes.

DeeAnn