Company Christmas Parties

[stephenie3756]

It is the time of the year for the company christmas parties. Whereas I go to mine all dressed in drab :(, I am jealous of the women that get to get all dressed up for the occasion. Today, was the party the plant manager holds for the mgmt staff. My boss's wife shows up in a LBD, with pearl decorations on the shoulder straps, and a pair of 4" high open toe stilettos showing off her painted nails. Could not help but look at the dress and imagine myself in the same dress or in one of the LBD's that I own wearing one of my stilettos. I will go through the same thoughts when I attend the party sponsored by the employee activities group. It would be great to attend a party all dressed up but alas, I only get to imagine all of this in my head. Anyone else go through the same thoughts while attending their company's christmas party, wishing you could be all dressed up instead of wearing a suit?

[MindiB]

Yep I feel your pain.

[Connie.Marie]

Stephenie,
I do EXACTLY the same thing!! Not just at Christmas parties but ANY fancy party.
Did it just this past week at an awards banquet.

And I'm sure if you look, you can find places where this can happen.
If you are in Western PA, try the GNO in Warren OH in the spring when they have their prom.
Funky Skunk, 3rd Saturday night every month. Check with Marsha Clark on this site..
I'm not sure where or when in eastern PA.

Hope that helps, Hugs, Connie

[DIANEF]

I used to work in a store with an all female staff apart from myself. We'd have nights out in the city and I was so jealous of the outfits the girls would wear, and I had to go looking like every other guy.

[Rogina B]

It isn't work..It's a party ! Wear your dress if you can handle your performance ! I remember strolling into a business related Christmas party held aboard a ship at the yard. All eyes were on me and my green dress !

[Elizabeth G]

Hi Stephenie,

I know exactly how you feel. I couldn't agree more.

Elizabeth

[Beverley Sims]

It's a party......

The first time I went dressed I was absolutely mortified, I was encouraged by a couple of the office girls to go and as I was attractive as a girl they wanted to see if the office romeo would try to pick me up.

No one recognised me and I was hit on by the O.R. and gave him a big lipstick swapping kiss under the mistletoe.

I did not know how prickly mens faces were till then.

I was twenty and had little or no beard growth.

About six months later the girls let on to who he had been passionately kissing under the mistletoe. :-)

After that I was invited to a lot of parties, never as my drab self, as I could not make the cut, but always asked to come as Beverley...........

[jazmine]

...Oh I know exactly what you mean!

[Teresa]

Stephenie,
One solution to all this , find yourself a social group then you can go dressed to your own Xmas Party.

My group party will be next Saturday night , I hope to drive to the hotel dressed , we will be staying over so I can change in to my little black cocktail dress and slip my 4" heels on and join the rest of the group and members of the public .

I wonder who will be thinking I wish I could be wearing that LBD but there's no chance it's mine and I'm going to enjoy wearing it .

[Connie D50]

Steph I agree 100% I feel that way sometimes just watching my wife get dress in the morning.

[Jillian Faith]

Of course I'm jealous of the pretty outfits, shoes, jewelry etc. that all the ladies wear to any function. Recently I've started playing a game of what would Jill wear. I go into my Jill closet and try on outfits for my wife of what I would wear to whatever function we were planning o attend.

[CynthiaD]

I try to avoid company Christmas parties if at all possible. Thankfully, I'm at an age where I no longer need to shmooze.

[jazzysherry]

I play in a band that does lots of weddings and parties - its a constant frustration looking out onto the dance floor thinking one of two things:

1. I look so much better than that girl/lady when I am dressed
2. I wish I was out there wearing a dress like that

[Jean 103]

Lucky for me I don't have to deal with this as they don't have one.

I am going to a Christmas party. I have a the dress picked out that I'll be wearing, that is unless I find a better one.

[Stephanielawrence]

This sounds so familiar, unfortunately! I so wish it was me wearing the great dress when I attend. Maybe someday!

[stephenie3756]

Thanks Teresa for the idea. Long, long time ago, I was able to attend a support group in Harrisburg and enjoyed getting dressed with others. Best I can do now is to take some outfits with me on my business trips to San Fran and head to Diva's or another nightclub. But I still wish I could wear a LBD to my company's christmas party along with all of my co-workers dressing to the nines for the party. Glad to hear that there are others on the forum that have the same frustration attending their company's christmas parties.

[Karyn Marie]

Oh yes, I do this too, only I don't do it just at Christmas time. I look at ladies outfits all year and wish I were her, and wearing the pretty dresses, skirts, tops, tight jeans, short shorts, sweaters, sandals, wedges, heels, etc. Sometimes it makes me feel like a creeper, but I have to remind myself I am not stealing glances at her, but at her outfit.

[CD Tammy]

I do that same exact thing, year round when I am attending meetings, gatherings, or company events. There are still a number of women that dress very well within the organization. Even some of the younger women in management still wear pantyhose or tights. I think mentally, I pay more attention to their ideas.

[stephenie3756]

So last night was the employee's christmas party. Once again, I had lots of envy for the dresses my co-workers wore to the party, wishing I could have worn one of my LBDs and high heels. The head of purchasing wore a pair of beautiful pumps that my wife thought were very pretty. I am tempted to ask her where she got them under the disguise of asking for my wife since it is me that really wants them. The party was good time although I would have enjoyed it more in a LBD. :)

[Glenda58]

Did the same thing last night. Had dinner with friends at a nice restaurant in Detroit. Looking at all the women dressed up wishing I was doing that.

[Tanya J]

Completley understand.

[Teresa]

Stepenie,
You're welcome, I do wonder how many of the male party goers watched me on the dance floor and wished they could do the same thing at the Xmas party, never thought that situation could arise at one time !

The one on my bucket list is to attend the evening functions on a cruise, I must admit I sit there in my DJ and wish I could be in my cocktail dress and heels as well , maybe one day !!

[Brynna M]

I think this is everyday of my life. I see a woman in something pretty or fun or deliciosiouly soft or smooth and I so much wat to be able to wear that.( and pull it off well of course)

[Krisi]

Our "Christmas Party" was a couple of hours before the end of the last day of work before Christmas. They cleared part of the shop and put paper tablecloths on the lunch tables. They had food and sodas (no alcohol allowed but there was some kept in the lockers). As often as not there was an emergency call and I would have to leave and miss half of it. Eventually they changed it to a "winter party" because one guy's religion did not recognize Christmas.

Then I took a promotion and that bunch was too "PC" to have a Christmas party or even think about one.

[NancySue]

Absolutely! I’m basically in this mode all year. I even include store mannequins. I assume the store puts the best on display, which is, many times, true. We go to our Christmas office party right after work, so the women all change in the office. What I wouldn’t give to be in there dressing with them. I am dressed underneath, but it’s not the same. (Really?) lol My imagination is in high gear.

[stephenie3756]

So while I am surfing the web, I came across the dress one of my co-workers was wearing - From Venus.com. She looked absolutely beautiful in the dress. She paired the dress with black hosiery and black stilettos. Just the type of outfit I would have worn to the party. 286040.

[ambigendrous]

Wow! That is a stunning dress! I would pair it with black hose, and these shoes:

[stephenie3756]

Great choice! These would be the ones that I would pair with the dress286069286070286071. Can't beat a pair of platforms..

[LindaAnne]

Stephenie, I know exactly what you mean. I had 2 parties this year and all I did was observe what all the other ladies were wearing and thinking of what I'd like to wear to the party. I also was making lots of mental checklists of how they put together their outfits, what jewelry they wore, heels, etc. It was a unique time to be observant as most of them only get dressed up like this once or twice a year. I was so envious of some of the dresses and heels some had. Hopefully next year I'll be out at a party, but en femme for once!

[Jackie7]

Going to a party this afternoon here in manhattan. Will be wearing a cute short black dress with spangly hose and Xmas flashing light necklace. But flat shoes boo hoo, arthritis in my feet.

[stephanie203]

I've always felt the same way and not just Christmas parties but birthdays, holidays, funerals etc and it gets almost unbearable if I see an outfit I'd really love to wearing myself. It's brutal suffering from this dysphoria with few outlets to relieve it and almost nobody to share it with.

[Rogina B]

Come out and end it !

[Samantha981]

At least your company still has a Christmas or Holiday party.... we're down to a potluck the week before at lunchtime. my wife does not have parties at her work either.

That said... I feel your pain, if we did I certainly would be paying attention and wishing I was en femme. Much more fun fashion options. Certainly have that feeling at weddings - we have 3 in the next 5 months... will be wishing I was dressed in one of my party dresses

[Jennifer in CO]

I made my way to the dark side (or is it the light side) in the early 80's including "transitioning" at work. One of the best photos of my wife and I during this time was at a company Christmas party in 84. We wore matching gowns (style) with hers red and mine green (yeah...it was a hokey - kinda of "Christmas" themed). It was a very enjoyable time and one of the few times/places we could actually show affection for one-another and not get strange or dirty looks since most everyone knew the who/what/wheres of why I was now presenting as a woman. We even won "best-dressed" of the evening.

[Dana44]

I went to a Halloween party at the club dressed and only the women talked to me. the men stayed away from the lady's. LOL

[Tania75]

I work for a large multinational company, and our Christmas parties are always a big thing. Over the years they have been themed parties, such as a beach party, 1920's, Bollywood, 1980's, school uniform etc, however they have never been the right time to turn up dressed, especially given that my department is 95% men, and men who believe that men are men, so crossdressing would not go down very well.
Strangely enough, a Christmas party where I did crossdress was with my local church youth group (believe it or not) many years ago, and my mother and older sister helped me dress and did my makeup for me. There is no way that they would do that for me now.

[Jeanettew]

We had a work Christmas dinner and I found myself looking at all the women head to toes and thinking how I would like to wear the outfit some had on and how lucky they were to go out dressed at least I had a bra, Panties and stockings on under my suit