Uncomfortable feeling

[Maria 60]

We had an appointment yesterday and it ran late and we decided to grab dinner at a patio restaurant. I was dressed male except I was wearing pantyhose with no socks. My jeans were tight leg and when I sat down I felt my pants lifting and feeling a draft around my ankles. Soon the patio was getting busy and I starting getting this uncomfortable feeling and I was trying to hide my feet. It didn't matter which way I put them I was in eye site of someone. My wife went to the washroom and when she came back she told me that my pantyhose are on display and even though there biege you can still tell there pantyhose. I asked her what she wanted me to do and if she wanted me to go and take them off. She gave me a we don't know anybody here and it's not like everyone is interested at looking at my feet so just do nothing. I felt this trapped feeling, and I guess when I'm walking it's hard to see the pantyhose but when sitting like that I guess it's more notable and obvious.
The last time I felt something like this was when my doctor booked me for blood work, after they took the blood the nurse told me the doctor called and wanted me to do a cardiogram. Again I was wearing pantyhose under my pants and my mind instantly went to shes going to put one of those sticky things on my ankle and see the pantyhose. Again I was trapped and just couldn't leave, I closed my eyes as she put those things all over my chest and then felt her lift my pant hem and heard her say "oh". She then lift my pant leg higher and asked me if I was wearing knee highs or pantyhose. I told her in a nervous voice "pantyhose" and she said may have a problem sticking that thing on the pantyhose.
I'm surprised that test went well because my heart was beating a million miles an hour. Has anyone here ever ended up in one of those situations, let's call it trapped an no where to hide and just live with outcome?

[Sandi Beech]

I used to get those kinds of feelings years ago when I was mostly into wearing pantyhose. Even just going out at night to pump gas wearing shorts and pantyhose, I would be super self conscious. Once you have done it enough, you eventually realize the only person who?s opinion matters is your wife?s. Some reason, logic does not always have control over our emotions and it is easy to become uncomfortable. Oddly enough, I seem to be ok with pushing myself right to the edge of my comfort zone on occasion. At least for me, those feelings have subsided only because of the practice of going out numerous times. It always gets easier, the more you do it, and people for the most part would not notice or care. So try to relax next time and be extra nice to your accepting wife : )

Sandi

[MonicaPVD]

Read (or re-read) The Telltale Heart by Poe. Then let it go.

[Teri Ray]

Maria I am sure you know that most people in that resturant were too busy with their own lives and expereinces to go out of their way to notice your ankles. That said I do understand the apprehensive feeling. Easy for others to say "ahh don't worry about it" when its not them. I am sure I would be self conceous as well. But I am betting that most girls here have experienced similar issues. Alls well that ends well.

[kimdl93]

I am reminded of the line from Shawshank Redemption, when Andy wears the warden?s shiny new shoes of of his office. Red observed, ?how often do you look at a mans shoes??

I think that applies to stockings as well.

Whether you’re in a restaurant or on the street, no one really looks at your feet. And as you learned, in a medical office, they really only care about getting the job done. They know much better than most that many many people have secrets, and the medical is one of the few places these secrets are kept.

[Pumped]

I have worn pantyhose for years, even under my male clothing. I actually have problems with my legs from cold weather by the end of the day I get terrible pain in my calves. If I wear pantyhose it reduces it greatly.

I had a guy at work notice it once and give me some crap about it. I just told him I have trouble with my legs and support hose helps a bunch. A month or two later he came up to me and told me thanks for the tip. Seems he was having some leg issues too and started wearing pantyhose and it help him too.

[Sometimes Steffi]

I was actually at the same restaurant as you at the same time. I did notice them because I'm always looking for a fellow traveler. LOL

I thought that they were compression hose that you wear to prevent DVTs, a well-know medical "excuse" for wearing pantihose.

[NancySue]

I can exactly identify with your first experience. I wear hose, either pantyhose or thigh highs, panties and a bra, daily. When we go out, dinner shopping, or just a ride, I always wear hose with no socks. At first, I was nervous, but over the years, my comfort is more important than what someone might think. I mow the grass and get gas in thigh highs. I?m sure at one time or another, someone?s noticed, but nothings ever been said. Once, at dinner, an attractive lady at the next table, looked down, looked up and just smiled. I smiled back. My supportive wife accepts this, but doesn?t understand how I find comfort and pleasure wearing hose and underwires. I just smile, you understand. I?ve been tempted to underdress for my physical?s, but I know and golf with the Dr, so I ?sacrifice? for an hour. As Sandi said, it gets easier and easier each time, so relax and appreciate your wife?s acceptance. She?s a keeper. Life?s too short. Enjoy.

[Donna St. Marten]

Do you really believe that strangers would be looking at your ankles? When was the last time you looked at a strangers ankle? I think you wife is just playing mind games with you.

[Stephanie47]

I had the same thought as Steffi. Perhaps another cross dresser will scope out the scenery looking for like minded guys. I know when I was in San Francisco a very long time ago two tall women drew my attention due to their height and really trying too hard to conceal their underlying manly mannerisms. Nobody else in my group of co-workers were even trying to observe their surroundings.

As to the ploy of calling the hosiery "compression" hosiery I have worn support pantyhose for that very reason. I did a search on-line for compression hosiery and found such hosiery comes in various degrees of compression. I found it was cheaper to buy women's support pantyhose than pay outrageous prices for "medical grade" hosiery.

Maybe, the next time you need to carry a pair of men's socks in your pocket. My wife use to store a pair of pantyhose in the glove box of the car for emergency purposes when she developed a run in her hosiery.

[BTWimRobin]

Hi Maria,

I once went to a Supercuts for a haircut. I was wearing a cami under my sweatshirt. The hairdresser must have noticed the strsps when she put the cape on me. She made a couple of remarks which made me feel slightly uncomfortable.

[Bianca Fay]

"Has anyone here ever ended up in one of those situations, let's call it trapped an no where to hide and just live with outcome?"

Maria, I recently had a 'trapped' experience that I posted about 2 months ago. My tenant walked into the kitchen while I was wearing a pair of nude pantyhose under my cargo shorts. I was standing at the sink and there was no way out.
We had a brief, casual conversation for about 3 minutes and she gave no indication that she noticed that I was wearing nylons. My heart was racing the entire time. We maintained eye contact but I was terrified that she would look down at some point.
She has never mentioned the incident. Maybe I'm in denial, but I believe that she didn't notice my pantyhose because the last thing she would have been expecting was to see me wearing a pair.

[Laura912]

Though I can sympathize with your anxiety, I have been wearing thigh highs year round for five years with shorts and long pants. It has helped with end of the day leg swelling, varicose vein development, and nightly leg cramps that used to cause me to leap out of the bed screaming. No one has ever said a word. If they do, they will be told of the reasons why. Not my problem but theirs.

[Kandi Robbins]

Maria, I has been having severe back problems this past week. So I made an appointment with my doctor on Wednesday. She entered the exam room to tell me I was wearing a very pretty dress (a denim, full button, knee length dress). We talked, she did her exam and sent me down the hall to get an x-ray. Two x-ray technicians walked me back to the x-ray room and asked that I remove my dress and put the gown on while they stepped out of the room. I told them I would need help tying the gown as my back rendered me unable to do that. We took the x-rays, they left the room and I got redressed. I joked with them that I should not have worn a dress with so many buttons.

The morale of the story? While you should always respect your spouse's wishes, NO ONE CARES! It's all in your head. Breathe, relax and be you.

[NancySue]

I definitely believe there are many more men out there who regularly wear pantyhose and thigh high stockings. I have two friends who admit to wearing hose, but they wear them onlywhen they go hunting..yeah right. I think we are keeping the hose industry in business. They?re pretty, soft, comfortable, keep my legs warm, and like Laura, help with leg aches. What?s there not to enjoy? I keep my legs always shaved, followed with scented body lotion. It?s almost a ritual each morning deciding on a color, putting on gloves and slipping on my thigh highs. I wash all my hose by hand and gently hang them up to dry.

[alwayshave]

Maria, I have dress socks that I wear with suits that are as sheer as pantyhose. I wouldn't worry so much.

[BobbiKay]

1. Nobody's looking at your ankles.

2. I have several pair of compression socks. They are black, and somewhat sheer. Nobody's ever said boo about them.

3. A couple of years ago my wife and I were thrift shopping. I found a new-with-tags pair of socks that were thin and had a nice pattern, so I put them in my basket. My wife asked why I was buying women's socks. I showed her the tag that said they were men's, and that shut down that line of inquiry.

[kimmy p]

"If" anyone ever says anything just tell them that you need extra compression for the circulation in your legs. I wore hose on Fr's orders for two years while working on concrete all day.

[Rachael Fernandez]

I, too, felt very uncomfortable once when 'caught out' wearing stockings. It was a Saturday morning on a weekend my wife was away. I had built up the courage to buy some heels and a dress. Being excited I was ready before the shop opened and decided to drop into a coffee shop for a cuppa. I ordered and sat down to wait for the coffee to arrive at my table. I wasn't wearing socks and little did I realize, my jeans exposed my ankles when I sat down. A lady sitting opposite me noticed my black stockings and sat there and stared at my legs and me with a look of disdain on her face. What could I do? Nothing! So I slowly drank my coffee, gave her a smile and left. Yes, I was a little embarrassed for a while, but she didn't know me, I didn't know her or anyone else in the area and I went about achieving my goal for the day.

[suzanne]

To add to the Shawshank reference. Men don't look at shoes, but women might. But even if they do, they're not expecting to see pantyhose and would probably give benefit of the doubt to it being a droopy sock or something else. Your wife knew what it was because she knows what you out on that day. No one else would guess. But mostly, nobody cares, unless your outfit is visibly flamboyant. You have better taste than that.

[Jodi Yardley]

Hi all...yesterday dressed under the radar, unisex looking sweater, women's hip hugger sweat pants, mule clogs and the necessities underneath..white bra with small forms, panties and thi highs.
I stopped at the local chain store pharmacy for my flu shot, after the insurance and personal info I went into the small room they have set up for the pharmacist to give the shot. I pulled sweater arm up as far as I could and she said she needed to go higher on my arm. She said to just pull my arm out and that will work, I wasn't expecting this so when I did it exposed the bra strap and band around my chest.
I never thought about being embarrassed and was just like **** it, who cares...I'm sure it isn't the first or last time she has seen this.
Today I need to return for the pneumonia shot, so lets see what happens .

[Raiku1313]

at first when i crossdressed i had an uncomfortable feeling generally about how the public would react. ive heard stories about it and was scared. but now that i move to a more conservative town i am a little iffy if you will going in public. any ideas on how to overcome this?

[Linda K.]

Raiku - For me it's baby steps. If you wear hose underneath your "guy" clothes, you will get comfortable with that and try something more. The more comfortable you get with each step, the less you will care about what others think. I too have worn knee highs under my pants to the doctors office for a test. Sitting in the chair, I realized my hose were showing and anybody could have seen them. I tried hard to hide them under the chair but all I could do was worry about who might see them. As I left, I realized that nobody made any comment or even looked at my ankles. I started doing the same when I go grocery shopping. I will wear pantyhose under my pants knowing full well my ankles were showing and you could see I was wearing the hosiery. I didn't care because I realized this, I have never seen these people before in my life and will probably never see them again. I really don't care what they think if they did see it.

Here's the money question, ask yourself this. How many of those people that you think are looking at you are asking, "Is he wearing pantyhose under those pants", and are actually wearing pantyhose themselves? They could be covering it better than you or I do. Do you look at ankles when you shop? Do you notice what everyone is wearing when you go to a restaurant? I know I don't. Don't stress over this and present yourself at your pace. Reveal what you want to reveal when you are ready.

[RachelB.]

Your wife wasn't upset, so you shouldn't be. Why care about what other people think. As long as my darling wife isn't upset I stopped caring about other people's opinion of me. Their opinion of me is none of my business.

I under went radiation treatments for prostate cancer a few years ago. The ladies at the treatment center rearranged my panties everyday. I had a couple compliment what i was wearing that day. Not a big deal, they have seen it all.

[Jane G]

Have to say the only persons opinion that matters to me is that of my wife. Others may observe and think what they wish. I'm sure 99% would never even notice. Possible options are simple, either don't display your pantyhose when out, or forget about the 1% and get on with life.

[ColleenCD]

Your wife noticed and she?s the one that matters . The funny thing is men don?t notice the details like visible hose, but women do. They just rarely say anything directly to you. Your wife did because you needed to know. The best part is it didn?t bother her.

Here is your confidence line. Wear hose and don?t worry who sees it or how they react, Or wear socks over your hose. Both are fine. But perfume and flowers for your wife?just because.

[Phoebe Reece]

I went to a local barbershop a couple of weeks ago to get a haircut. There was one guy in the chair getting his haircut and another guy sitting waiting. A couple more guys came in after I did and sat down to wait. I happened to notice that the guy getting a haircut was wearing shorts and skin tone pantyhose with some slip on loafer shoes. Nobody else in there seemed to notice and if they did they certainly didn't show it. There were no women in there, just guys. The guy finished his haircut, paid and left. No one made any comments after he left. Most guys just don't notice details like that. Wear what you want to. Nobody cares.

[Laura912]

Phoebe, if you were two states further north, that would have been me.

[ronny0]

My 2 cents.......
I am still not comfortable going out dressed, so like you I feel everyone is watching / looking.
BUT the reality is, most people glance about and accept what the 'big picture' is w/o trying to find faults in others appearance.
Looking back at how I dressed the first few times I went out, anyone that really looked could tell I was a guy dressed as a woman.
STILL that being said, I walked the full length of the local mall and back. I avoided looking at guys, but did watch the women.
I have to say they were ALL smiles and a few mouthed Hi's as I walked past. I was far more accepted dressed en-fem than in guy mode.
My point is, 99.9% of the people out in public are not stressed out looking to find the cross dresser. They are more concerned about
how they look, and how others are reacting to their appearance. And (in my experience) those that do grasp that you MIGHT BE a guy dressed as a woman.
They don't give a darn, and even might appreciate that a male is putting forth the effort to appear as a attractive woman.
Think I have said it b-4, most of the adult population doesn't care what others are doing, as long as you are not trying to force something onto them.
And IMO Women & Girls (for me) appear to enjoy seeing another person out in the world trying to get along and be accepted.
I have no point of view on how guys might react, though multiple times while I have been dressed in male / guy mode I have had servers / service people address me as Miss / Mam
with only seeing my pony tail and not my full face. I take it as a complement, but still if I am with friends that see me as 100% male. I know it might bring a question to their opinion of me.
Sorry for the long reply.
Summation: Most People really go on the premise of live and let live, and are not out looking for guys in a dress or wearing pantyhose.
Still, from my experience Women / Girls might be the first to grasp that we are dressing up. Although if you happen to catch the 'eye' of a aggressive guy.
That could turn out to be a bad encounter. IMO women / girls for the most part accept us as we try to appear in public w/o major judgement.