From Tacky to Style - How Long?

[Bernadina]

Was looking through my closet and tossing things I thought were neat when I bought them. Over the past three years and with the help of my classy wife, I've begun to realize what really looks good and what doesn't.

I just don't go into a thrift store anymore and buy anything just because it looks like it might fit.

I was wondering if anyone has experienced or noticed their transition from looking just plain tacky to acquiring a sense of style and class and how long it took?

[Holly]

Bernadina,

OMG you are so right. I have noticed it in myself, at least. I take it as just part of the growing up and maturing process. Don't you think GG's go through phases as they learn and discover what looks and compliments their look the best. Girlfriend, we're growing up (not old... lol). Okay, small confession... I still have a few things that are strictly for fun!

[sherri]

One factor influencing my wardrobe and appearance is that of acceptance. I have found that the better the look I put together, the friendlier the people are in the clubs I go to. I guess it's not so different from "ordinary" life.

[Wendy me]

realy just depends on the mood some times long skirt .......and some times way too trashey.......i float bounce and just do what feels right at the time ........one look well easyer to have but the manny sides of me love to change around................

[stevie h]

i love all the underwear, wigs make up, nails etc but on top i prefer my jeans, heels and nice top. i am in a move away from all those dresses and bits etc. I think though i have found who and what i am. The way i dress is a reflection of my character. lol.



stevie

xx

[Melissa A.]

My only real weakness is short skirts. I'm 45 and though I look much younger, I'm getting to an age where minis may not be my best look. Problem is, I believe (and have been told) that my legs are my best feature. Guess the trick is finding the balance between 18 yr. old sexy and 40something sexy. Must be possible.

Hugs,

Melissa :)

[Maria2004]

I was wondering if anyone has experienced or noticed their transition from looking just plain tacky to acquiring a sense of style and class and how long it took?A timely post for me. In my view how long it takes, depends on how open you can be about crossdressing. Living in secret with just my idealized 20 something self, had me looking rather silly in retrospect. Coming out has provided feedback from others and helped me mature quickly into the more appropriate and acceptable 50 something person I actually look like. Even though I'm only 47, stress and exposure to the elements in climates around the world, due to the nature of my career choice have done their worst, I always have to retouch my pics. When I was researching the reasons why I felt compelled to CD, I found many plausible theories, but found one that spoke to me and seems to precisely express my experiences, and address' this post also. I'd like to share that link now for any sisters who may find it useful;http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/cathytg/anima.htm

I was going to address this in a seperate thread, but figured it would bomb but now is as good a time as any:)

Peace Sisters.

[Maddie Knight]

I voted 2 years.
When i started going out dressed with my fiance i realy got a sense of looked good.
Now my fiance respects my advice on clothes when she is looking for a new outfit and will often go with my choice rather than he mothers.

[ChristineRenee]

Even though I have been told repeatedly that I look much younger than my actual age,53, I think that I am very aware of how I present myself as a female. I want to look and dress appropriately for my age or maybe just a little younger. While I might think in my mind I could pull off the "tart" thing, I would really be fooling only myself. I also think your chances of being read and overly noticed (i.e. stared or laughed at) is less when you are dressed more like a contemporary well dressed GG.

Just my opinion and 2 cents worth.


Love,
Chrissie:)

[Amelie]

I voted,,"Don't care". I think one should dress whatever they are most comfortable with. There is no right or wrong. I have never dressed to please others, yet I am still able to go wherever I want. I will always dress like a goth girl.
I don't let society tell me how to be a CD, I also don't let society tell me how I should look. For me to give up my goth look, would be the same as telling others here to give up CDing. Goth, like Cding, is part of me. I won't change just for the sake of trying to pass or fit in with others.

[JAYNETHOMPSON]

You all look great in the style you have chosen. Personally despite being told that I too I look younger than my actual age of 39, I have a constant complex of how I pass as a female. I think Amelie's style is great you look fab. I wish I could pass off as Goth too.

Like ChristineRenee says I also want to look and dress appropriately for my age or maybe just a little younger. In my early years I thought it cool to be dresses as a Tart or Hooker; short skirt black hose and high heels. Now I prefer to look classy sexy rather than my younger image. the ulimate compliment for me is to be asked a routine question like "the time", "directions" or even a wolf whistle from a passing car or truck.

I also have lots of clothes that I dare not wear anymore that I guess will end up in a charity bag.

Great thread Bernadina; pleased to add to it with my twopeneth worth....... (2 cents in US speak)

[Tristen Cox]

Still trying, can never decide what I want though. Just want to look as good as I can and be a normal girl. Is there such a thing? ;)



*hugs*
Tristen

[spaskinstyle]

Hello Ladies:

In my line of work as an undergarment specialist, I tend to see things before they are "ironed out" shall we say. I have been with clients when our conversations will center around the topic of how sometimes when wearing a really tight fitting dress it is best to go with that really nice shaper smoother rather than say, a super tight leather corset. What I have found is that it takes some time to attain that sense of style. Usually after a period of flamboyancy (if you will) do we go beyond the realm of flingy dingy's and then move to more classy long line bras and hourglass classic shapewear pieces - all of which are then reflected in thier outerwear choices as well.

Just a few observations. Love to all. Theresa

[wilma]

I tend to agree with Amelie. I tried to dress my age and looked old. I dress in skirts, not minies, but clothes I would consider age appropriate for someone in there 20s or 30s. I like the look and if I get the nurve to go out I will dress to please myself. It took me some time to start to coordinate my outfits. The more time I had to dress in fem the better I got, or I think I have. LOL Wilma

[Vickie-CD]

I dress according to where I am going. There is a time and place for all styles.
Love,
Vickie

[Vickie-CD]

One factor influencing my wardrobe and appearance is that of acceptance. I have found that the better the look I put together, the friendlier the people are in the clubs I go to. I guess it's not so different from "ordinary" life.
I agree Sherri, it's just ordinary life with ordinary choices.
Love,
Vickie

[Rikki]

I dress like the old lady that I am. I have never taken pictures a myself, but plan on it soon. I have always dressed in the time. As I was growing up, I would always wear what my sisters had, then when I got out on my own I would just keep with the way women dressed at the time. Now that I am fat and old, I don't think that a mini skirt would be appropiate. My wife helps keep me in line.


Rikki

[Sweet Susan]

I voted I Don't Care, but that's not accurate. I actually do care, but I don't care, if you know what I mean. What I want is to be passable, and I want to be passable whether I dress like a tart, a ****, a queen, a vamp, a matron, a business woman, a church lady, or whatever. But what I really want is to look so good that even I would want me! Yes, that's the truth, the whole truth, and nothin' but the truth. :p

[Tiffany Tuesday]

Hiyaaa gorgeous girlies,

The Encyclopedia of Tuesday Transvestia defines POUTFIT as: an outfit you just MUST wear and pout out your femme in!

YESSS you know those poutfits i mean girl ... the ones of your dreams you are dying to wear!!!

But style ... you've either got or you haven't got style ... but but but you can learn it. We can never arrive at perfection, but we can continually strive towards it .

I find it sad, and such a missed oportunity, that some tgirls finally free themselves from their gender conditioning yet can seem to get stuck in the **** rut or slump into frumpy dumpy tranny granny "Hot it's not Coutoure". Soo okay too, it is a free country, but we ALL are beautiful and i worry that some tgirls think they have become too old or are too insecure or too this or too that to ever try different styles!

It seems to me we girls here have it sorted, we've done the hard part, the inner gender battle, and we are free to enjoy being totally feminine.
There are soo many dress styles we adore and so little time for a tgirl to wear them all in .. if it is cute fun glam prom femme frilly sexy elegant bouffant virginal pronuptual or vivaciously voluptual .. hey you beautiful babe let's try em all girl! .. er okay maybe not down Safeways shopping on a Sunday and hoping to pass :)

CD motto never ever pass the chance to prance a dance of romance with the dress of your dreams!

Style is in the mirror of the tgirl ... some outfits work some don't, we learn and if we don't our grilfriends are sure to let us know :) When do we calm down and get sensible? .. never i hope ... but we do learn when to wear what where.

Phew ... only nuff left now to give everyone a ...
... big hug and er um and a little wiggle of my butt :) xxx

A message from our sponsors:
This one is not the dress of my dreams but i was soo jealous of this drop dead gorgeous haughty dommie sexy GG i saw at a Fetish party who was dressed this way .. i HAD to get a Poutfit like it or i knew i would just die! It is the ideal thing to wear to the Torture Garden, London, England, mincing male maids are an optional accessory :) hoots giggles foflol

[Helana]

When I started buying outfits, I was just buying anything which I thought fitted my larger frame and I had no idea of style. I think I have given just about everything I bought during those early years to charity - some if it was just ghastly :eek:

Also I had no idea of how to color coordinate nor about mixing patterns and solids, I was just clueless. I have learned at lot from hard studying and from my girlfriend who clued me into things which I had totally overlooked. So I went through my wardrobe again and threw away more stuff that I knew would not go with anything else.

This has takes years to get to a stage where I can pick out something an GG girl would consider wearing. Now I critique GGs on their choices. :p

[christine55]

When I first started going into thrift stores I would look for really frilly stuff. I still have a weakness for it and in some outfits look pretty good. I've bought stuff that I thought was lovely when I saw it but when I got home and tried it on yuck. Learning by experience which colors work best with what colors.
I usually cant wear much green or yellow but I have had some that look great. I have a taste for dressy stuff but you just cant be too dressy shopping unless maybe early evening and it appears you just got off work, try for that secretary or department store employee look. Last night I feel I looked better and the most appropriate for shopping than I have for a long time. Very casual but nice grayish green long skirt, brown pullover slightly dressy tee top with 3/4 sleeves and a light blue cardigan with thick heeled mary janes and knee socks. Most girls wear pants nowadays but you still see skirts. Right now I'm staying in and not going out. Kind of wearing fetish stuff for me. This would have been in style 30 years ago and would look lots better if I were 30 years younger. I still think it looks ok although I would stick out like a sore thumb If I wore it out. Might be able to get away with it in a fairly dressy occasion in the spring. GG's wearing ratty looking jeans with middy tops kind of turn me off. It does look like fashion is beginning to shift to dressier outfits. You do see a few girls around here who enjoy being a girl.
Maybe one of them would like to hook up with a guy who enjoys being a girl.
For me style is trying to at least begin to fit in with the crowd when out, trying to minimize my body shape, narrow my waist, widen my hips. When I go out I like to find nice stuff that still looks casual. Just like Sophie I really hate being read, I don't care much about being a bit embarressed it just degrades the experience of being feminine.
Hugs, Christine
http://myweb.cableone.net/rjoh2/flowerskirt.jpg

[Kate_Uhler]

I say go with the clothes that will look the best....

in a PILE on the floor... *deadpan*


kisses
kate..


ps. I'll have one of what ever Tiffany's had... :eek:

Tiff, you REALLY make a great spokes model for really cute clothes... keep that camera clicking.. you're a cute addition to the club..

[racheal]

Same here - can never decide on what I really want - there are so many things out there that I get confused - it depends on what I feel like wearing. Hmmm, maybe it's time to look over all the things that I have...

[LindaTS]

I actually have a lot of clothes that I only wear here at home and most of them are for younger women but I love wearing them. But then I also have my "going out clothes" which are about the same as all the other girls who shop during the day. That's the only time I can get out so I always try to look like the other girls and blend in. So far it seems to work. But then again, I sometimes get that so called "funny look" when I'm read. Not my problem though.

[Celeste GG]

I think style takes longer if you are a closet CD.... with no other opinions. You need a GG who will give an honest opinion!

But there's one style for passing, and ALWAYS toom for trashy and ****ty, but in the right place.

But never "daggy" (my most fav Aussie saying) get some style!

I have a throw out every season!

And my daughters tell me 20's , 50's and 60's cool but The 80's will NOT come back in fashion!

[Vallari]

I used to buy whatever was my size and in my price range, but lately I have wanted to have a certain style or whatever with my wardrobe. I guess it's something you just learn over time. Lately I've been buying more blouses and pencil-style skirts (office/career type clothes) because I think that look is intellegent, yet sexy. But now I should be able to dress a lot more now that Vallari's up here in Waco with "him", so I guess my wardrobe will mature along with the CD'ing. :)