Wow, what a night!

[Joyce1702]

I just had a really fun night out and about. I got out of work at 5, came home and showered and shaved, then headed to my GG friend's house. There I got dressed up in casual clothes (embroidered T, with a short sleeved shirt over that, and capris). I'm getting so I can throw myself together in about 30-35 minutes (not counting the shower and shave time).

Then we drove to the next town and had dinner at a Chinese restaurant. They seated us right in the midst of other diners, we were surrounded. Only problem was the people sitting behind us had kids that screamed durng the whole meal. Everything was smooth as could be at the restaurant. I'm getting so I'm really not nervous at all when I'm out. I've stopped looking all around to see who's there or if they're looking at me. It makes it so much more fun and relaxing.

This was only my second time eating out in public and the first was in Provincetown, MA so it doesn't really count. :) You can do anything it P-town.

After dinner, my friend needed a couple of things from the Dollar Store so we stopped there. We went all through the store. Again, everything was fine except another customer with more screaming kids.

From the Dollar Store we went to Fashion Bug. It's a good thing I haven't cashed my paycheck yet or it might have all been gone. We had so much fun in there. We browsed all the racks of clothes, including nightgowns and lingerie. If I had gone in there dressed as a guy, I'm sure the employees would have been all over me. But dressed as a women, they stayed at the register and really paid us no attention. We had fun showing things to each other, holding them up to see how they'd look, etc. Saw some really nice stuff, including summer stuff on clearance like a white longer skirt that buttoned down the front.

It's amazing how, as a woman, you can paw through the bras and no one pays any attention, but do it as a guy and they're all over you.

I'm getting more and more comfortable out and right now I feel that I could go almost anywhere dressed. My confidence is sky-high right now. I just hope nothing happens to burst my bubble.

Tomorrow night we're planning another outing. I think we're going to get more spiffed up and go to the Holiday Inn for drinks. The bar there is more upscale and we shouldn't run into any drunken rednecks.

Wish me luck!

Joyce

[Jennaie]

I do wish you luck Joyce. It will happen though, and you need to be ready for it, or it will crush you and you will spend the rest of the night alone crying.

Try to think of what you would do in any situation that envolved you being called out in front of others. Have your response at the ready and you will not find yourself put on the spot by anyone.

Have fun girl.:happy:

[vbcdgrl]

Sounds like you had fun, Joyce. I liked your comments about shopping en femme vs. in drab. As you say, there's gonna be a lot more attention focused on you shopping for femme stuff while in drab. Shopping en femme seems a lot less stressful. Having a GG friend along doesn't hurt, either.

Vikki

[sandra-leigh]

It's amazing how, as a woman, you can paw through the bras and no one pays any attention, but do it as a guy and they're all over you.

At one of the local Sears, the staff never seem to pay any attention as I look through the bras or underwear. I take a lot longer over it than most women would, too, as the majority of women are in to buy something specific, whereas I'm looking for something "interesting" (and preferably not too expensive).

The majority of the other customers pretty much ignore me at that Sears as well. None of them ever bothers me or stares or even gives me any "dirty looks", but sometimes I can tell they changed course (and that I promptly dropped out of their attention.) Not much different than how you might change course if someone happened to be standing right by something you wanted to look at. On the other hand, at that store, especially when I'm in drab, I rarely have women "sharing the space", in the "friends for the next 60 seconds" way that women sometimes have.

At The Bay that I'm at more often, I can tell that the staff know I'm there, but they leave me alone unless I ask for help. (At a different location, the staff is more likely to find me after a time and ask whether I need assistance. Definitely not "all over me", and they don't seem to care that I'm obviously buying for myself.)