Pushing boundaries?

[DebsUK]

So I wore femme shoes to work on Friday (very non-femme brogues in black suede), I've been buffing my nails and they look like they have clear polish on. Last night when the wife and me went out I wore radiance-enhancing moisturiser, tinted lip balm, clear masacara on curled lashes and pencilled in my very blonde eyebrows with a pale (Boots No 7 Blonde colour) eyebrow pencil. This is on top of an androgynous hairstyle I'd gotten yesterday and wearing purple and blue women's Nike skate shoes. I've also started wearing women's deodourant. Nobody has noticed (as far as I'm aware). Thing is, if you do things like this and nobody notices, is it worth the effort? I mean, I see this as the first few steps on having a truly androgynous appearance, so I've got a long way to go (tinted moisturiser, earrings when I get them pierced, allowing my hair to get longer still maybe starting to use more makeup, maybe more femme scents)

[RachelOKC]

Your coworkers will notice soon enough and someone will say something. The question is, what will you say in return?

[BRANDYJ]

The real question is...Is it worth risking your job for? I don't know about the UK, but jobs are hard to come by here in the states. I'd be careful.

[DebsUK]

What will I say? Don't knoe. Probably try and fudge things, but I'd like to try to be a bit more enigmatic.
Oh, and I won't lose my job over this. You can't be dismissed in the UK for something like this, especially in the NHS, who are my employers. I would have NO qualms about playing the trans-phobia card if there was too much grief

[fay]

It sounds like you want to get noticed and that could be trouble at work eventually......chances are they have noticed but will backchat about it when you're out of earshot. It might be raised at appraisal time or earlier from an official direction.

Tread carefully in your new brogues and go steady with it little by little and see how it goes.

[Steph.TS]

when I first started to wear clear nail polish I didn't know about base/top nail polish apparently I got a top clear nail polish, and boy did my nails shine, I figured only I would notice it since I'm aware of it, but I was wrong, a coworker came up to me and asked me if I was wearing nail polish, I said no, he then wanted to see my hands, and he just said they my nails were shiny, I was so panic'd by that, I now when I do wear nail polish I wear a matt base clear nail polish... I wish I could wear vibrant colors on my nails... anyways nothing bad happened to me, and this happened like a year ago...

as for is it worth it, for me it's iffy, some times I just want to go the extra mile because it makes me feel good about myself (plus it's practice for when you do go out) but generally I just shave my beard, and move on...

[t-girlxsophie]

I have started to wear clear varnish on my nails at work,and also light Mascara on occasion (most my colleagues know I dress) and it feels kind liberating,Boss wont be saying much,she is well aware that I crossdress too.And As Debs says the Law here in the UK protect us very well in these situations

[Charleen]

I've been pushing the boundaries as you put it for a few years now. My hair is long, yes that's my real hair in the avatar, my nails are long and I wear a light pink polish. my ears are pierced with hoops. 7 rings and a bracelet. I also wear brown black mascara on me upper lashes and that's at work. When I'm off, I wear eye shadow and lip stick when I go out.
Not one person has said a word! I've been asked once why I wear my nails long and I answered because that's the way I like them. On the other hand, I've had GGs compliment me on my nails and ask how I got and keep them so long!

[Lorileah]

I see no reason anyone in any position of power at Deb's workplace should care about a little make up (and thanks Debs for wearing deodorant...we appreciate that ;)) or shoes. Why do you all think that these things are an issue in the workplace? My gawd.

[AnnaCalliope]

Myself and I know a few others on this site have mentioned doing it as well, is wearing femme items that are very gender neutral. All four pairs of shoes I wear on a regular basis, 2 pairs of sneakers, a pair of hiking boots and goth biker boots, all came from the women's section of various dept. stores. The biker boots even have a 2 inch blocky heel on them and my athletic sneakers have pink accents on the sides and bottom, and I've never been approached for wearing women's shoes. Same with half the jeans I own, a couple skinny and some flared bottom ones. I've even gone to work wearing mascara and navy blue nail polish. No one really seems to mind.

Now granted I work in a call center and my boss is a very apparent butch lesbian, but frankly, I think unless you are wearing something truly provocative, or work in an environment crowded with overly macho types, everyone will just let it pass. I think a lot of people are more open-minded than we're lead to believe.

Or they're just gossiping up a storm in the breakroom when we're not around.