It's a cover-up

[Helen_Highwater]

Over the past few weeks folks have been posting about going out wearing face masks due to covid and the level of confidence it's given them. This made me wonder why, having a small bit of cloth covering only part of someones face nullified all the thoughts about general body shape, the wide shoulders give me away sort of thing.

Is it simply that it's the degree of anonymity that the mask provides, "it doesn't matter who sees me as they won't recognise me" that provides this level of confidence? They may recognise I'm a CD'er but not who I am.

If that's the case surely simply going to another area away from where you live achieves the same yet many still feel nervous about doing that.

[Robertacd]

Believe me Helen I am the first one to call out top heavy CD'ers.

But nobody can see how nervous you are behind a mask, so that gives a lot of people the little extra confidence they need.

Let them enjoy it.

[Julie MA]

Helen,
I definitely feel more confident, due to the anonymity factor you mention. I also go where not many know me, but it's still in the same state, and you never know who you might run into. So the mask is another layer of privacy.
Julie

[BrendaPDX]

"If that's the case surely simply going to another area away from where you live achieves the same yet many still feel nervous about doing that." I know weird right? But that's me too. LOL

[Allisa]

The problem I see is that once this need for masks is over(and it will happen)all this false confidence and anonymity will be gone and sadly those dressers will be back to hiding but with a higher urge to go out now that they have tasted freedom.

[Star01]

Probably the same type of confidence an automobile gives nose pickers or a cardboard box gives to a cat. People can still see but there is a sense of annonimity.

[Robertacd]

Alisa, maybe tasting that freedom will give them the push they need to take it to the next level, learn better makeup tecniques, balance their figure, dress more appropriate, or whatever it takes to get back out there.

[Krisi]

You can deal with that "top heavy" look with appropriate padding. At least most of us can. Your hip measurement should equal your bust measurement. So, if your bust measurement is 47", pad your hips to equal 47".

I haven't been out since the mask thing came about, but I think a mask covers one of the feminine signs, lipstick.

[kimdl93]

I don?t think any one thing gives a person?s gender identity away...its a collection of cues we take. The mask may take away a few of those cues.

I know we all dread using the word ‘pass’. Still, I know that is what I strive for, and perhaps a few times have even come close to attaining, if I am to believe what I have been told by GGs. I have all the markers we dread and yet, balancing shoulders with hips, accentuating the waist a bit, a more feminine arch to the brows...can add up. That mask might be just enough to hide another of those cues.

[Debra Russell]

For me - the ask makes me feel like I am hiding.....I don't want to hide. I feel more like I'm "Trick or Treating" .......................Debra

[Val_Blackbird]

I'm not totally with the idea that a mask is all you need, either.

Certainly, there's a factor of anonymity that comes from having most of your face covered. And, if your primary concern is just not having your face recognized, then this is pretty much the ticket, I suppose.

But, my concern is everything else that could - and in many cases will - give you away, if not your specific identity, at least what you're doing. The mask isn't going to hide larger shoulders / arms / hands. Pads, et cetera can help with overall shape, but rarely do they get exact curvatures 100% correct, and if someone is paying close attention, there's a good chance they'll be able to tell it's not natural. And, if you use a full chest plate, like me, under close scrutiny, it's obviously not real skin. I've been led to believe most GGs can spot a wig at 100 paces as well. While a wig is not a total giveaway, juxtaposed with other factors, I think it could provide the final bit of evidence, if an observer isn't completely decided. Of course, there's also absent-minded movements and similar things that are difficult to hide, if you're not hyper-vigilant. I do worry about people forgetting these sorts of things, thinking that the mask completely hides the situation.

I feel like there might be a false sense of security here. But, maybe that's just me. :idontknow:

[Robertacd]

It's so ironic seeing everyone say what I have been saying for years and always get slapped down for...

When ever I tell people here that they need to pad their hips. I get jumped on about how GG's come in all shapes and sizes so I should just shut up about the whole hip and butt pad thing...

[Charlotte Haynes]

It covers the beard area, jawline, and wildly applied lipstick. If I wore one while dressed I would hope it might help with the illusion a bit.

[JeanTG]

For me, face masks just make it easier. No need for makeup, hiding beard shadow, etc. I'm no big fan of makeup but normally I need it to blend, with the mask I don't have to mess with that stuff. The mask also alters my profile: en femme, I look better looking straight at my face; my profile is a dead giveaway.

[alwayshave]

Helen, Bank robbers wear a mask so no one knows who they are. It just gives you a higher level of anonymity.

[Natasha.k]

I enjoy going out En femme. But I hate wearing masks. Masks ruin my makeup.

[MonicaPVD]

There are two tiers of hangups thst most experience when going out dressed. Will people recognize me as a crossdresser? Will people recognize me as me? It's easier to accept the former than the latter.

[Helen Waite]

Distance isn't always effective for anonymity. I was once on temporary assignment overseas (no CDing on this trip, DUH), and ran into TWO former co-workers, each on their own temporary assignment to the embassy. You really never know where you're going to bump into someone you know.

[docrobbysherry]

Other CD's r wearing masks, too! It's all just to make me feel normal, isn't it?

Thank u, thank u, thank u!:hugs::love:

[Stephanie47]

A mask is not going to do a thing for me. At six foot and 200 pounds I do nicely as a male. Chest is 42 inches. Waist 38 inches. Hips 40 inches. I think my body is somewhat in proportion to pass as a female form, but the height? No way. When I look at family pictures with me in them I tower over the females. My wife is five foot two. Others may be taller, but I am still six inches taller than the next tallest woman. When I choose to go out among the masses for an evening stroll I prefer it to be raining. An umbrella helps to conceal some of the height and is good for obscuring the masculine face.

As to the masks I see many CD-ers who cannot really hide their beard shine, so a mask works well for them.

[Helen_Highwater]

Thanks for all the interesting replies. It does seem that those little gremlins, the one's that sit on your shoulder whispering, "The mob's coming, everyone knows who you are" are alive and well. I know what folks mean about being away from home but still worried that you might bump into someone who knows you. I was out and about enfemme in a town 3-4 hours drive from where I live and looking for somewhere to grab a bite to eat. As I went to look at the menu of one of the eateries I spotted someone sitting in one of the window seats who I thought I knew. I know he saw me and reacted but I couldn't be sure if it was because he clocked a CD'er or he recognised me outright. Anyway I made a calm exit and looked for somewhere else to eat.

When I next met the guy, I was in drab, some months later I looked for signs, body language that would tell me if it was him and that he'd recognised me. Well I couldn't detect anything so either my look is such that I look totally different, which given some of the pics in the Picture and Video section wouldn't be surprising and I wasn't recognised or it wasn't him in the first place. Whichever it was It's not going to stop me going out dressed. The gains from being out and about for me far outweigh the possibilities of bumping into someone I know and them recognising me under the inches of makeup.

[closets]

of course a mask can't hide your body, but it does negate a lot of your face. the masks cover so much that I stopped wearing makeup first time I put on a mask. i never thought it would be possible to be in public without makeup. the amount of time saved by not having to put on makeup has been great. my outings involve the most ordinary things like running errands, grocery shopping...

[jacques]

hello Helen,
When I wear a mask no one notices that I am wearing lipstick - that has been fab!
People still recognize me if they know me.
It is under-dressing for the face!
stay healthy,
luv J

[Bailey420]

I haven't been out and about in public yet, but in this age of cell phone cameras and shaming people on social media ( "People of WalMart" videos for example), I feel a mask could give that extra layer of anonymity that would make it that much more difficult to be identified in the event that we are unknowingly "made" and filmed by some ignorant ****s

[Aunt Kelly]

How many "look at this crossdresser" posts have you seen on social media?
I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, but I've never seen it. If you dress to call attention to yourself, like a hooker or Dorothy Gale, maybe you'll get that kind of attention. Maybe, and be as deserving as those Wal-Mart clowns.

[HollyGreene]

Apart from covering the beard shadow, I guess a mask would help anyone with a very masculine jaw-line.
Personally, I believe that I look unrecognisable in full makeup and wig, so it wouldn't make much difference in confidence to me.

[Bella.CD]

The mask gives a sense of mystery, lol, good or bad, you decide.

[Brandi17]

For me, it's easier cross dressing with a mask in public not because I feel it gives it more privacy (which I suppose it does make it harder to be recognized), but mainly because it means I don't have to bother with makeup to cover the slight beard shadows I have (up close) even when clean shaven. I never liked doing makeup (nor am I much good at it lol).

[SophyV]

In the specific instance we are talking about I don?t see how one can have a false sense of security since the insecurities are mostly internal. You all know what it is like when you make those first steps out and I have seen your advice to take it slow. The self consciousness and nervousness are real. It is a lot like taking your first dive off the high board. But like the high board once you do it you see it is not so bad. The villagers usually don?t care but the newly venturing CDer has to discover that for themselves. If a mask allows them to do that then it is a security that isn?t false. Because there is no harm when it is no longer there. If after masks are no longer required that confidence didn?t take hold. Then at least some progress toward the CDers desire to go out dressed was made because they at least got to experience it. And if the thrill was such that they want to do it again they will find a way.

[abby054]

Yes, a mask may add a level of confidence but thinking it completely hides the fact that you are a cross dresser reminds me of a cat hiding under a sofa while its tail sticks out.

[MonicaPVD]

I wouldn't be so sure that a small mask actually throws people off. Maybe the mask in combination with different hair does. My guess is that it just makes you a little more anonymous, blending easier into the crowd.

However, people who know you well will always recognize your eyes despite a mask, if they look at you directly and are paying attention, not to mention your particular posture, walking style, etc etc etc. If wearing a mask gives you confidence, that's great. Whatever helps you be you is a win.

[Cheshire girl]

I don?t think masks do anything to make you look more convincing. It?s the whole look that matters. I just find the mask likely to smudge my lipstick. I have got used to them though and just touch up my makeup a bit more often than usual.

[foxy bartender]

If anything, wearing a mask in public has made me get better at doing my makeup, and now I can do a full face, that barely budges under it, including my lipstick. I’m out as non binary, so I’m not exactly worried about passing anymore, but I definitely feel like the anonymity gives me a little more confidence. Personally, I think I’ll be continuing to wear a mask for a long time after the pandemic is under control. I’m a bit of a germaphobe and an introvert, so I don’t go out much to begin with. I definitely feel a bit safer from germs wearing them, and now it seems like they are the new normal. People in Japan have been wearing masks in public for years, when they’re sick, and I absolutely appreciate that.

[Ececem]

Probably the same type of confidence an automobile gives nose pickers or a cardboard box gives to a cat. People can still see but there is a sense of annonimity.

[Teresa]

Helen,
Personally I can't wait to see the back of mask wearing , I agree with the need but find it hard to wear glasses at times and have had to stop wearing my hearing aids . Obvioulsy I have no fears about being seen or recognised and my mask doesn't prevent anyone from reconising me . If your body shape doesn't work then it's more to do with a choice of suitable clothes and accessories , to a point that dictates how much upper and lower padding worn . Going out of your area doesn't remove any of those problems whether you wear a mask or not , people will still read you for what you appear as .

I would also ask to spare a thought for GGs who struggle with their body shape , mask or not they can't revert back to another gender , Cders are lucky , they can .

[Jacqueline Vivaldi]

I think that the important message here is that I am who I am and am proud of it. If someone does not like the way I dress it is not my problem. This gives me great confidence to go anywhere. However, I do not go out in my small town but go into the city where there is little chance of meeting an acquaintance. If I came face to face with one, I doubt that they would recognize me even with no mask. I look forward to when I can go out again with no mask and enjoy the beautiful feelings that I experience. I have been read many times by other women, but in all cases they have made very positive comments of acceptance and how attractive I looked. Just go out and enjoy yourself and don't let either confidence or masks be an issue. Just do it.