I wore a skirt to the store!

[jjjjohanne]

I have a store that I go to where the clerks are all very supportive and friendly. One time I bought a skirt there and ended up wearing it home. It was such a rush. That was at night. I have since gotten the craving to wear a skirt and black hose, and go back to that store to shop. I had fancied that on the same trip that I would wear the same hose with shorts and go to the mall after leaving that store. Well, I went for it yesterday!

I went to the store and pulled the skirt over my pants and removed my pants while sitting in the parking lot. I was wearing a white blouse, black skirt, black hose, and black dress flats. No make up or wig. I am a man in a skirt. I found a parking space near the store. I waited for the coast to be clear. They just kept coming. People take an incredible amount of time getting out of their car, or leaving once they are back in their car! Then a SCHOOL BUS pulled up in front of my store. Turns out they were special needs kids learing work skills. Then, I open my door, the coast was clear, I lift out my leg, then the car behind me started honking. It's freaking alarm just went off. Every one of the stores had people peeking out the doors and windows and seeing me sitting in my car that was in the direction of the honking. I thought, "Great, they're gonna call the police on me."
Finally, the coast was clear and I went for it. I got in the store with no one seeming to see me. There was a clerk by the door. She greeted me like normal. I told her I was so nervous and she acted like she didn't understand why. I shopped there for over an hour. A couple customers saw me. I tried on a lot of outfits. The clerks offered me a couple of nice things. I didn't find what I came for, but really liked this one suit.
When it was time to leave, I left there and walked down to the shoe store. The coast was not clear. One car in a parking space had people in it. They looked at me with distraught looks with their mouths hanging open. I went into the shoe store not knowing if there would be customers. I went in and decided to just go for it. There were several customers who had a chance to see me, but I don't think they ever noticed. People are largely inattentive, I believe. They had nothing I liked in my size, so I left.
I decided I would attempt the mall, not in shorts as I previously fantisized, but in my current outfit. I did it! But, I don't have time to discuss it right now. I will post more a little later!

Joe

[Sam-antha]

Jjjjohanne,
Just wonderful, great, great and brave.
I bet your tum was tight. How was the breathing and the "steady, shaky" hands.
Like you say, people are so busy with their own affairs. Which is a good thing for us.

Do it again.

[Toni]

Nice one - you must not arf have some bottle!

[jjjjohanne]

So, I went to the mall. This mall was far enough from my home, that I figured I wouldn't see anyone I know. I found a parking space. I saw by the door that there were three people talking. A man and two women. I thought, "If I'm gonna do this, I gotta do it." I got out of my car and proceeded toward the door. The man looked my way when I was visible to him. Then the woman beside him looked my way. Then she turned right back to the others and kept talking. He seemed to not look my way. They kept talking as I walked up to about 15 feet way from them. I looked at their reflections in the door and no one appeared to be looking at me. I went in and glanced back. The man was looking my way. I couldn't see if either of the others ever looked.

I entered the mall into an anchor store. I found it was crowded. I walked into the racks for cover. I navigated my way through the store staying between racks of clothes. I avoided aisles. When I did cross aisles, no one seemed to see me. I was invisible. I found my way to the entrance to the main mall. I really wanted to walk the mall in my skirt. I was on the second floor. I decided I would walk down one side and back on the other side of one of the openings that let you see down to the first floor. I wait until the coast is clear. I waited and waited. Finally, I decided I would go for it.

I walk out of the anchor store into the mall. This part of the mall is rather deserted. Not a great place to place a store. I felt like I was so exposed. There were no distractions to draw attention away from me. A lady was cleaning glass where I was walking. She never looked at me. I got to my turn around point and felt emboldened. I decided to go a little further. Then I went a little further. Soon, I was walking where people were standing in the doors of their stores and could see me. They would take their first look, and then look away so they don't appear to stare. I was an oddity, but I was being treated with reasonable respect.

The farther I walked, the more crowded it got. Soon, I am walking between people who are standing by the store they work at and people working in the little kiosks in the middle of the mall. (There were not many kiosks on the second floor). I walked into the next anchor store. I looked and saw a clerk in a jewelry store looking my way and talking to her peer who then leaned to see around a display to see me. I get up some nerve and then walk from that anchor store. I decided to walk the entire mall. I continue walking. I got bold enough to pass people who were walking slower than me. I stopped in a store along the way and the clerk was helpful and disregarded my clothes.

I made it to the other end of the mall. I walked around a little and decided to find the makeup desk. I was going to ask about how one goes about getting a makeover. I had to use an escalator. That was scary. I found the makeup desk. I talked to this extremely nice lady. She kept asking me about what I use to cover my whisker shadow, what foundation I use, what powder... I don't wear makeup. I don't care about being seen as a woman. I just like the clothes. She couldn't seem to grasp that! She finally talked me into sitting in her chair and she demonstrated some foundation on me in a couple shades. It was wonderful to be treated so considerately when my whole life I felt like I would be an outcast if anyone knew!

I thanked her and headed back toward the mall area. Now I am on the first floor. I thought, I'll walk back on the downstairs portion of the mall. (bad idea.) The first floor of a mall is CROWDED! There are tons of kiosks in the middle of the mall with clerks everywhere. Customers were all over. There was less room to walk, so I was passing people going both directions within inches of one another. There were more popular stores on the first floor. I passed the Lady Foot Locker and the clerks were by the door. One rudely laughed out loud at me. (Boycott Lady Footlocker!)

I returned to my store of origin. I made my way back up the escalator. I went back to my car and went home... successful. Granted, I probably have done enough damage to my heart that I will die at 40, but it was quite the experience!

During my trip, I made eye contact with several people. Many looked away, so as not to stare. I sometimes have that reaction to people with handicapping conditions. They are different and I guess I want to observe their condition. But when they see me looking, I feel awkward. (Once went with a handicapped friend to the mall in his spare wheelchair. Everyone looks away when you look toward them. It is more polite to say hi when the handicapped person glances toward you.) I think it would be more polite to say "hi" to the crossdressed person as well. One girl kept eye contact and smiled. No telling if it was a friendly smile or a humorous one. But it was not mean.

During my trip, I also stopped and talked to a few clerks in the mall. Every one was completely normal with me. Acting like I should know my business about the products I was interested in. I asked most of them if they got lots of men. I figured the answer was yes because they seemed so natural. Most said no. In fact, they all seemed to say that the only men they get are shopping for their wives (this was frequently followed with "...at least I think they were.")

Here is a picture of me in the first store:
http://jjjjohanne.150m.com/other/index.html

Thanks for reading!
Joe

[DeniseNY]

Way to go!

That took ovaries! I'm glad it worked out ok and you came out of it in one piece!

But you have to admit once it's over that the rush from going out dressed is one of the best feelings there is.

Thanks for a great story.

[KatieZ]

Great story.

Thanx for sharing.


Hugs

[melissacd]

jjjjohanne,

A very amazing story. You are very brave. Braver than me. Way to go gurl!

Huggs
Melissa

[Lauren Richards]

That was quite an adventure. Thanks for sharing. It is pretty amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it, and how most of our fears regarding how people will treat us is just that - fear. The reality is that most folks are going to be accepting, and maybe amused. That is ok with me, because I am pretty amused by some of the things other people do, too.

Great photo. Reminds me of the time I went into Home Depot wearing a very similar outfit, but with a man's shirt, no makeup or wig. I don't think most of the people in there even saw me, and those that did didn't seem to care. My heart got a good workout that day, too. Not to worry; I suspect you will live way beyond 40. Looking forward to your next adventure!

Lauren

[hidden passion]

You got bigger balls then I do. I could never pull that off. I'm happy for you!

[Deanna2]

Fabulous story Joe. I loved both parts.

I nearly went into a gas station wearing a skirt one night when I was out driving at about 2.00am. I wasn't game enough to do it. Pumping the gas would be alright and I knew that I could wait for the store to be empty when I went in to pay (we have very few night windows in my drabland), but I was concerned about cars (particularly hoons) pulling up while I was in there and getting monstered on the way out.

[pinkpanther]

I was in Edmonton 2 weeks ago while on business and decided to wear a skirt in the evening.
I wore my black leather skirt with black tights and a red turtleneck. On my feet I wore my favorite shoes-Aerosoles ballet flats. I didn't wear any makeup or a wig.
The first store I went to was Danier Leather. The girl complimented me on my skirt. I tried on some ladies leather pants. I received a number of looks from female customers. The second store I went to was Michael's. Probably, 90% of the customers were female. I heard some of the younger feamles commenting "look that man is wearing a skirt". One commented "he looks good in a skirt". The next store that I went to was Winners. I tried on some shoes there. At Winners most of the people didn't even give me a second look.
Overall it was an awesome experience. I can relate to your comments about your heart pounding while you walked through the mall.
The next time I'm out of town I plan to wear my leather skirt again.

[Kaye_martin]

I realy enjoyed this whole thread. Kudos to Joe & Pinkpanther :D . Danier, Michael's and Winners go straight to the top of the class! They're definately on my visit list when I go home to Toronto (yeah, I know it was the Edmonton stores).

Anyway, more of us need to do this and start a dressing revolution. We need a 'national day' to do this when we all go out en-mass. Takes 'ovaries' or whatever but we could do it you know. Just my 02.

kaye_martin

[RachelDenise]

I am in awe of all of you girls!!! My compliments to you.

[jjjjohanne]

Right now, I am kicking myself....

I should have thought to get a picture of my legs! I could have posted it to the legs pictures thread! ARRRRGH!!!

:^) Joe