Middle Aged CD needing advise

[_Eliza_]

I am pretty new to this, so please do bare with me, the last time I dressed, forums didn't even exist lol.

So yes, I have considered myself a Transvestite since I was a teen and for many years I contently fulfilled my life as a TV. Then as my circumstances changed and I turned 30, I slowly but surely stopped dressing and now I am in my late 40's I have once again decided it is time to get back into what makes me happiest.

Now I am much older my body shape has dramatically altered, when I was younger I was very slim, weighed barely 130Ibs and had a great little figure. so the choice of clothing was pretty much limited to my own imagination. now I am in my late 40's, my belly is much rounder and I am hitting closer to the 200Ib mark, so I have to be a little wiser about the types of dresses I buy and yes I do like to wear dresses. I have of course looked into buying a cincher, but even with one of those, I would still be quite rotund. I am not a huge person, but the poundage is most definitely noticeable in the belly (some people have commented that I look 4 months pregnant lol).

Now my knowledge of dress styles is kinda rusty, I know what an A-line dress is and that is about it. The question is, does anyone have any suggestions of dress styles for the larger lady and where I might buy them?

Another question! I also have an awful lot of hair and am quite restricted to what areas I can shave / wax as I have extremely sensitive skin and certain areas would itch so badly I actually start to sweat and come out in very unattractive red blotches. So does anyone have advice about hair removal or coverage?

Oh, I guess I should state that I live in the UK.

Eliza

[Rachelakld]

Primart.
Nah just joking.
Just look at what other large 40 year old women wear, also take a note how their breaasts sit (mostly on top of their bellies, not high up like a teenager)
Cincher won't help, just be big and proud of who you are, or hit the pools and cut down on Yorkshire puddings (I went to dinners that used a side plate and still had room to spare).
I tend to remove hair with a beard trimmer - cuts the hair low without touching the skin - but I do shave and moisturise for special occassions. Without moisturiser or my loufah I also get shaving rash and itchy as hell.

[_Eliza_]

I must admit your first comment was entirely my fear, that or I would not be able to wear a dress at all. I do love the whole feeling of dressing up and I love to look as girlie as I can, lace, satin and all the usual materials are the very reason I love to dress up. I am planning on cutting down on the Yorkshire Puds and cakes and chocolate etc etc etc. I really want to start looking my best, I think cause I have not dressed in so many years I have just become too man and less femme.

[Devi SM]

Just some comment about your questions from my viewpoint:
I lost a lot weight just with a protein diet cutting drastically sugar, starch, basically carbohydrates but drink a lot of water.
Ask first your dr about it.
I lost around 60 lbs.
When I start shavings I had a lot of irritation in the sensitive skin areas, like pubis, between legs, upper legs, low belly, chest, etc but then I found that using a fabric glove to rub your skin energically after shave, using a lot of some after shave lotion helps and I don't longer have the problem of irritation, but avoid tight clothes in those areas.
Now I depilate my upper legs with wax that lasts like 6 weeks, and shave down the knees in daily basis...

[Piora]

I am pretty new to this, so please do bare with me, the last time I dressed, forums didn't even exist lol.

So yes, I have considered myself a Transvestite since I was a teen and for many years I contently fulfilled my life as a TV. Then as my circumstances changed and I turned 30, I slowly but surely stopped dressing and now I am in my late 40's I have once again decided it is time to get back into what makes me happiest.
It never goes away, Eliza. At 64, I can assure you....it doesn't. And I can echo your sentiment. It makes almost all of us happy. VERY happy. Welcome back to Euphoria.


Now my knowledge of dress styles is kinda rusty, I know what an A-line dress is and that is about it. The question is, does anyone have any suggestions of dress styles for the larger lady and where I might buy them?
Having a little of the extra poundage, I tend to lean towards A-line dresses. I find they flatter my body and somewhat hide some of that extra bulge here and there. Please check the Clothing and Beauty section and the links at the top. Lots of suggestions there.


Another question! I also have an awful lot of hair and am quite restricted to what areas I can shave / wax as I have extremely sensitive skin and certain areas would itch so badly I actually start to sweat and come out in very unattractive red blotches. So does anyone have advice about hair removal or coverage?
I only shave my legs. I tried shaving my chest once, when I was being fitted for a 48 hour heart monitor. Never again! The itching just about drove me insane. So, I feel your pain, I assure you.


Oh, I guess I should state that I live in the UK.
Perhaps some of the UK girls can help with some clothing links. Check the Clothing and beauty section for shaving methods and suggestions.

[_Eliza_]

Thank you all for your advise, I have just found a wonderful website for dresses that make them to measure. I explained that I was Trans and they were very helpful, so I have ordered a gorgeous A-line lace dress and as soon as I get it and dress up I will post a photo. If it is really nice and fits well I will likely order one or two more as they have hundreds of designs, but I will admit many are targeted for younger women, so I will keep my search going. I know what I really need to do to lose my weight, I started working in an office about 12 years ago and the lack of physical exercise at work is why I gained so much, so I need to supplement that with something else and of course cut out a lot of the rubbish I tend to eat.

[Marianne T]

You can accessorize to give yourself a good look. A drapey cardigan, sweater or jacket hides a bulging waistline.

[Sometimes Steffi]

There's a girl that I met here and subsequently FtF that lost quite a bit of weight on doctor's orders.

She also said that a second motivation was to be able to wear cute dresses.

And she succeeded on both counts. So, it is possible, even at your age.

I'm not providing her name to protect her privacy, but maybe she'll chime in on her own.

[Teresa]

Eliza,
Welcome to the forum, good to talk to another Brit !
First you appear to think that you've hit a certain age where you can't control your weight, I lost two stone in three months simply when I got a new dog and upped my walking rate . I'm very happy being mid sixties and can slip into most size twelve clothes, please don't believe you can't do it !
The shaving takes some getting use to, you have to find what works for you, I find I get less irritation on my legs by shaving every day, just shower gel and a throw away razor. I've gone back to shaving my chest every day now I've found shaving foam causes less irritation, my back is another story , I do it twice a month I am considering getting it waxed. I meant to add that I sweat far less now my body is clean shaven the bonus is I don't smell either , I certainly don't miss underarm hair.
Please don't take this the wrong way but oversized people do often suffer from sensitive skin, when you were younger and slimmer did you have the same problem ?

You ask about styles, if you're just about the house wear what takes your fancy, if you're planning eventually to be out the door you'll have to consider clothes styles that suite your shape. I will admit that now I'm out socially at meetings I've seen some people that just don't care what they wear, but then we've seen GGs sometimes that dress the same way, that's life !

[kimberlyx]

Hi Eliza,

From a Uk gurl, I too stopped dressing a number of years ago, about the time I started to pile the weight on. It has taken me 5 years to accept that I ain't a 16 anymore but a 18-20. But here I am, only very recently dressing again. Life is too short and best to just make the best of what shape we are. tried lots of different cinchers myself, but the lumpy bits just pop out elsewhere..ha

With regards to shaving body hair, I too agree with Rachelakld. Trimmers do the job well for me. Just too much suffering with shaving, waxing or creaming. Ingrown hairs are not worth the mess it makes with our skin.

Hope I can help?

Hugs Kim..xx

[Mollyanne]

Welcome "Sister" Eliza, the shaving can be a chore and the irritation from it can be quiet annoying. When I shave my legs (in the shower) I apply a conditioner first then shave with a new blade. This softens the hair and softens the skin at the same time. The first time is the hardest, and don't try to get everything the first time. All the other parts of the body can be done the same way, just take your time. When drying yourself, use the "pat dry method", this method DOES NOT irritate the shaved areas. when dry, apply a moisturizer to all areas that where shaved. I watched my wife do this and asked her about it, her reply was simple------"this is the method that works for me and that's why my skin is so smooth and soft". got it!!!!! Works for me as well!!!!!

Molly

[_Eliza_]

Thank you all for the great advise, the shaving thing is certainly an issue which I have suffered from all my life, as I had eczema when I was younger and still have the odd break out now and again. I will try the trimmer idea though and maybe work my way from there, just shave or wax small areas at a time to get an idea of what I can tolerate.

[Anne K]

Hi Eliza,
FYI, I just lost 10 pounds by just cutting out the carbs and sweets. Portion control is very important. I stopped drinking completely. Not that I was ever a big drinker, but it's empty calories I didn't need. I'm not big on exercise, so the next 10 will be difficult.