You ladies have it right

[PaulaQ]

I'm going to start wearing more dresses and skirts. Jeans and cute tops? What was I thinking?!?

I look and feel better when I am dressed in a more feminine style. I'm tired of walking around looking like "Debbie the dumpy****." (We'll ignore for a moment that this is actually who I AM, I don't have to dress like it anyway.)

Anyway, my hat is off to the lovely CD ladies of this forum who've had it right all along. :)

[AllieSF]

Good for you Paula. The main thing is that you are happy when going out whatever way that you are dressed. However, just because one does not always wear a dress, skirt or fancy pants and tops, does not mean that they are dressing dumpy and less feminine. Dumpy to me are ill fitting, usually way too tight, sweatpants, baggy over sized tops, slacks or jeans. Dumpy means messy looking. Some of my favorite looks on women are properly fitting clothes that look neat, like tighter fitting jeans and a nice top from a white button down shirts, to simple clean and neat Tee shirts.

[PaulaQ]

Thanks Allie. I'm not really dumpy looking. But I've been wearing pants all my life. I hate dressing like a guy. And now that I'm a woman, I'm wearing - pants. Blending in is great and all, and sometimes jeans really are convenient, but still - screw this noise.

Now to find cute stuff in size 18...

[AllieSF]

I totally get what you are saying. You have and are making big changes, and if dressing in a particular way makes you happy and meets your needs, the hell with everyone else and just do your own thing. I prefer to wear skirts or dresses, but have a lot of other options (slacks, jeans and shorts) that I bring out just to vary my regular dressed up look by dressing down a bit, with style of course!

[LaraPeterson]

I can just see me going down the highway at 70+ miles per hour on my Hog wearing a nice skirt. Sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes I feel just as feminine in jeans as I do in a dress--especially if the jeans are pretty tight, the riding boots have sufficiently high heels, and the crop top shows a little belly.

That reminds me, it winter-time here in Tennessee now, but ponytail riding time will be here soon!

Paula, enjoy your dresses and skirts, but don't get down on yourself when you need to wear or just decide to wear pants. I bet your butt looks good sashaying down the street!

[Katey888]

Nice one Paula - Bloody well said! - Do what you wanna do but do it in style... :hugs:
Katey x

[lovetobedani]

You go girl................For me what's the point in dressing fem if you're going to wear jeans or slacks of any kind. I wear thoes as a male all the time.

[PaulaQ]

:love:
See, this is why I love this forum. Sometimes you just need to hear "you go girl!"

[Zylia]

More skirts and dresses is fine, but PLEASE don't listen to any other style advice on this board :D
Pants are fine though, I like pants. I'm just not allowed to wear them while cross-dressing. It's the rules.

[PaulaQ]

@Zylia - well, for me, heels are pretty much out, and I think I'm a lot more shy and demure than many others on this forum, so I suspect I'll still be pretty toned down in comparison to some of the gorgeous ladies of this forum. I'm just mousey, I guess. (I think I look like a librarian, especially with my glasses on.)

I have no problem with pants - I'm just tired of wearing them all the time. I think it's wonderful that women have the choice of either skirts or pants. I am simply exercising my choice, is all.

[Cheryl T]

I don't know...I love my jeans and slacks. They have a great place in my wardrobe alongside my skirts and dresses. I find that I feel just as good in either style and can surely feel sexy in a nice pair of slacks or jeans. They all have a place in my style.

[kimdl93]

I do try to blend, but not to the extent of looking dowdy. Jeans and a cute to maybe at the grocery, but if a skirt isn't totally overboard, I'll do it anyway. At my height, heels don't matter, so I tower a little bit more. No bigs!

[Michelle789]

Paula, I've been noticing more women lately are wearing skirts & dresses - I've even seen an increase in hosiery. Dressing more feminine may be the new blending :)

But seriously I'm happy to hear you're exercising your choice. That's one of the perks of being a woman.

[Marcelle]

Sounds like you are going to incur some shopping debt Paula . . . enjoy. I love to wear my jeans but it is also nice to just go out in a skirt or dress sometimes.

Hugs

Isha

[Beverley Sims]

Paula,
to get rid of "Debbie the dumpy ***." you need to polish your shopping skills a little.
When I was fourteen I bought some lovely clothes for myself, but they looked like crap.
The girl next door showed me how to wear it a lot better.

[PaulaQ]

So I'm showing my friends in AA a picture of myself and my girlfriend. I'm dressed in my usual 11PM meeting manner - no makeup, jeans, cami and leather jacket. I was in a dress, hose, glasses, and full makeup in the photo. My friend in AA exclaims "hey, you look totally different! Were you drunk or something? You NEVER dress like that for AA!" LOL, I'd worn that same dress two other times, once the day before, and I'd made a point to talk to my friend, and had asked him "tell me I look good tonight" just the night before. It cracked me up that he didn't remember that. The stereotype about gay guys and fashion is NOT true universally, lol. (He really is a good friend, just not a very observant one!)

[teri g]

....and there are lots of different ways to go with dresses and skirts. The look changes seasonally of course but you've got casual, formal, business, party etc.

[PaulaQ]

I'm thinking many of the underwear / lingerie styles preferred here are also the way to go, too. Apparently, I'm a girly-girl.

[Jordan]

I am not a fan of pants not that I don't own a pair or two but dresses and skirts is it for me they make me feel so much like a girl

[suzanne]

Size 18? I have a website you need to see:

www.laura.ca

They have a plus size department with more style and class than any other place I know. I prefer to shop there in person because the staff has been awesome to me, but they do ship anywhere.

[Caden Lane]

Good on you Paula. Excellent choice. Having been saddled by means clothes for so long, why wear pants?

[gwencd158]

I love leggings, gym capris and yoga pants -- even purchased a pair of the knee high flat boots are the woman are wearing with skinny jeans and leggings.