jenniferj
07-28-2007, 10:26 PM
Thank you for that!
I don't know why but I really,really got the urge to go out this afternoon (I've been dressed since Friday morning -It's now Saturday night) and I'm home alone with just the dog.
Macys had an ad in the paper for the weekend for 9.99 bras, and I just had to see if they had anything I'd like. Do I dare go to Macys dressed?
I've gone out a couple of times in the last year to a not-local-by-a-long-shot StopandShop with no trauma, but to go and handle ladies undies in a crowd seemed like a much bigger deal.
Remembering your good advice, I dressed to blend in - jeans, white sneakers, and a red-orange ribbed top (well maybe blend not so much). With my still-in-development foam caboose and a nice bra and forms, my shape was something girlish (although about twice as big as most girls). I wore the bare minimum makeup (beard cover, foundation, setting powder, a little blush, just enough light eyeshadow to open up under my unplucked brows, a little mascara, and some natural toned lipstick. Frosted nail polish (about the same color as my natural nails), hoop earings, a couple of rings, hair pulled back softly into a ponytail - I hoped to appear well groomed, but not showy.
Guess what? Nobody said a thing. People smiled. A gentleman held a door for me (I really wanted to kiss him on his cheek for that, but...)
Starting slow I went to a Tarshay to get some dog food, pantyhose, and a few makeup items I was running low on. Actually, starting faster than I would have liked, the "low gas" light was on the car - requiring a stop at a gas staition much closer to home than I would have chosen. Pay at the pump, nobody noticed me - not even the highscool girl looking idly out her window while boyfriend pumped their gas.
At Tarshay, nobody came up to shoo me out of the cosmetic aisles and I even handed a closeby nailpolish to another female customer. She smiled and said "thankyou". The checkout girl was friendly and pleasant and even asked if I had/would like to have a Target charge card. Walking across the parking lot I couldn't help but stare at an adorable infant in a stroller. Her mom noticed and smiled that woman-to-woman smile of understanding. At me!
At Macys I deliberately parked at the far end of the garage and worked on the rhythm of my walk ( the hip/tush padding really adds some sway to my gait) By the time I was in the store, I was in the zone. I strolled to the escalators stopping to look at a unaffordable purse (I may have to get one of my own if this keeps up) and a sundress on sale.
Up and Up and into the unmentionables. I stopped and looked at a cute nightie, and then found the sales bras. Of course they were disorganized and mixed in size and I took 15-20 minutes to find 3 that I liked. The whole time, people were coming and going, paying me no attention at all. I went back and grabbed the nightie (can't wait for bedtime!) and walked up to the register. The older lady wasn't friendly, but after she rang up the sale, she said "Would you like to put this on your Macys card, Ma'am". I loitered a bit and noticed that she wasn't friendly with a GG and her spouse who were behind me in line. Leaving the store, I was approached by two girls in the cosmetics area, who smiled nicely and hoped to lure me in. One of them told me that she really liked my sweater. I smiled and said "thankyou" (all practical considerations aside, how great would it be to have that job and "have" to dress that nicely every day?) And I floated on a cloud across the garage to my car.
All done. Nope. I drove to an OrangeStore (HomeDepot) and walked in through the garden shop. The cashier smiled and waved. I wandered around the store in search of a small pump for a garden fountain - finaaly I spied a pair of salesfolk (1 guy, 1 girl) and approached. The guy was clearly uneasy, but the girl smiled and directed me to what I needed. But it was way too much (6x Harbor freight's sale price) so I left the store empty handed. The cashier waved again and smiled.
Uneventful drive home. Puppy was glad to see me - especially with food. Just another day....
BTW, I can't stress strongly enough that there is no way that anybody could look at me for 5 seconds and not know. I would fail the StevieWonder test. But everyone was nice. Maybe we're not such disgusting perverts after all :)
jj
I don't know why but I really,really got the urge to go out this afternoon (I've been dressed since Friday morning -It's now Saturday night) and I'm home alone with just the dog.
Macys had an ad in the paper for the weekend for 9.99 bras, and I just had to see if they had anything I'd like. Do I dare go to Macys dressed?
I've gone out a couple of times in the last year to a not-local-by-a-long-shot StopandShop with no trauma, but to go and handle ladies undies in a crowd seemed like a much bigger deal.
Remembering your good advice, I dressed to blend in - jeans, white sneakers, and a red-orange ribbed top (well maybe blend not so much). With my still-in-development foam caboose and a nice bra and forms, my shape was something girlish (although about twice as big as most girls). I wore the bare minimum makeup (beard cover, foundation, setting powder, a little blush, just enough light eyeshadow to open up under my unplucked brows, a little mascara, and some natural toned lipstick. Frosted nail polish (about the same color as my natural nails), hoop earings, a couple of rings, hair pulled back softly into a ponytail - I hoped to appear well groomed, but not showy.
Guess what? Nobody said a thing. People smiled. A gentleman held a door for me (I really wanted to kiss him on his cheek for that, but...)
Starting slow I went to a Tarshay to get some dog food, pantyhose, and a few makeup items I was running low on. Actually, starting faster than I would have liked, the "low gas" light was on the car - requiring a stop at a gas staition much closer to home than I would have chosen. Pay at the pump, nobody noticed me - not even the highscool girl looking idly out her window while boyfriend pumped their gas.
At Tarshay, nobody came up to shoo me out of the cosmetic aisles and I even handed a closeby nailpolish to another female customer. She smiled and said "thankyou". The checkout girl was friendly and pleasant and even asked if I had/would like to have a Target charge card. Walking across the parking lot I couldn't help but stare at an adorable infant in a stroller. Her mom noticed and smiled that woman-to-woman smile of understanding. At me!
At Macys I deliberately parked at the far end of the garage and worked on the rhythm of my walk ( the hip/tush padding really adds some sway to my gait) By the time I was in the store, I was in the zone. I strolled to the escalators stopping to look at a unaffordable purse (I may have to get one of my own if this keeps up) and a sundress on sale.
Up and Up and into the unmentionables. I stopped and looked at a cute nightie, and then found the sales bras. Of course they were disorganized and mixed in size and I took 15-20 minutes to find 3 that I liked. The whole time, people were coming and going, paying me no attention at all. I went back and grabbed the nightie (can't wait for bedtime!) and walked up to the register. The older lady wasn't friendly, but after she rang up the sale, she said "Would you like to put this on your Macys card, Ma'am". I loitered a bit and noticed that she wasn't friendly with a GG and her spouse who were behind me in line. Leaving the store, I was approached by two girls in the cosmetics area, who smiled nicely and hoped to lure me in. One of them told me that she really liked my sweater. I smiled and said "thankyou" (all practical considerations aside, how great would it be to have that job and "have" to dress that nicely every day?) And I floated on a cloud across the garage to my car.
All done. Nope. I drove to an OrangeStore (HomeDepot) and walked in through the garden shop. The cashier smiled and waved. I wandered around the store in search of a small pump for a garden fountain - finaaly I spied a pair of salesfolk (1 guy, 1 girl) and approached. The guy was clearly uneasy, but the girl smiled and directed me to what I needed. But it was way too much (6x Harbor freight's sale price) so I left the store empty handed. The cashier waved again and smiled.
Uneventful drive home. Puppy was glad to see me - especially with food. Just another day....
BTW, I can't stress strongly enough that there is no way that anybody could look at me for 5 seconds and not know. I would fail the StevieWonder test. But everyone was nice. Maybe we're not such disgusting perverts after all :)
jj