New to Crossdressing

[cd_britney_426]

Hi, I was kind of hoping for a bit of advice from the experts here. I do have a few TS friends as well as some drag queens and the interest in crossdressing eventually surfaced. I am not one of those cases like perhaps most where we've done it since we were kids so I guess that makes me a bit different. Long story short, I decided to try it *one* time as an experiment just to see what it would be like and had three TS friends do me up. They did the makeup for me, gave me the clothes and wigs and taught me in a crash-course how to walk in 4" heels and otherwise how to be lady-like. So I went to the club (a TG friendly one) and it was a success. However, I realized that this is clearly not a one-time thing (as they originally warned me it wouldn't). Now I want to do this regularly like every weekend.

The problem is that I don't really have a lot of experience at this obviously and I cannot keep asking friends to devote more time to helping me as they have already put quite a bit into it. Sad to say, some of them have agendas as well and naturally each person has their own style which means that mine will be different from theirs. This is perhaps of a different topic but I run into TSs who cannot understand the CDs and then the DQs who cannot understand us either. The second time I did it a different friend did me up and did teach me some tips but the third time I did it all by myself. I did get some constructive feedback from others and generally I could use some more work.

I guess the question is where do I begin or where do I continue from? I cannot keep showing up to the club wearing the same outfit. I do need some more practice with the makeup and in fact need to buy components of it that I don't currently have. What about the whole shopping thing? When I went it was with a TS who knew what she was doing. If I go by myself I probably won't know what I am doing and get more than a fair share of stares. This is something I already enjoy but feel a bit trapped by my lack of experience with it and how to correct that. Any thoughts? Thanks, Britney

[Paula Rae]

Hey Britney,
You were very lucky to have friends to help you out at first, most of us didn't have this great of an experience.
Speaking for myself only! The secret is trial and error and practice, practice, practice. Keep visiting this Forum,
it's a treasure trove of information and you'll make a lot of friends too.

Paula Rae

[trannie T]

Observe what other people do, it is just another excuse to look at pretty women. read the forums here, you can learn much about makeup and clothing and link to other sites.
Your friends can help you too, you have a big advantage over many of us in having people who will help you dress. Welcome, have a good time!

[vivianann]

Hi CD Britney, sounds like the crossdressing bug has got you hooked, I understand because my mother made me put dresses on when I was young, I grew to love wearing dresses. Since you are a beginner you need to like the others have said, read the forum, go to online stores such as the breastformstore.com, and other such online stores and look at the products that they have so you can get an idea of what is out there that will help you with your transformation when you want to crossdress. I noticed that you are in Arizona, if you are not too far from Vegas you should go and visit Amy at glamour boutique. she will give you great advice on what to do when you transform to femme mode, you need to get breast forms that will look right on you, and wigs that will match your hair color. You should not wear heals that are more that 3 inches tall so they will be comfortable to wear all day long. What you will need to do is find a GG (genetic girl) that you can trust who will help you with your crossdressing, she will tell you what you need to wear, how to do your makeup, and go with you when you go shopping for clothes and other feminine accesories. And most of all observe what the women are wearing so you can get an idea of how to dress so you can blend in. I can understand how you feel about the agenda of the drag queens and others who do things that you are not comfortable with, sounds like you just want to dress like a woman because of your desires to wear the clothes. I am happy for you and your newfound hobby. I wish you good luck in your learning process of crossdressing, and be safe. If you want to you can send me a p.m. if you like. :hugs: Vivian

[noname]

Style is something you'll have to find yourself. The best I can recommend is go the Mac store, they will be happy to help you. They will probably use 200 dollars of product, of course you by no means need to buy everything. Just ask them what the essentials are. Clothing again is something you'll have to find for yourself.

[Amy Hepker]

Practice makes perfect and you have opened yourself up to a whole new world and life.

[amber 07]

Make your 3 favourite places to shop, Salvos (Salvation Army), Vinnies (St. Vincent DePaul), and Goodies (Goodwill) and in Australia there is also The Smith Family. You'll find bargains galore its almost sinful. Ebay is another excellent place to shop for everything femme, with many CD stores. Practice, practice, practice with the make-up and you'll soon be there. I hope this helps a little. Hugs, Amber

[bobbie_1048]

Hiya Britney. There's lotsa good advice here for you to look at already. Watching women is something you can do anytime, practicing their actions is a good thing to do when the chance arises. clothes ? look around at the malls and stores and see what you like. kmart is a favorite of mine. I'm lucky in the aspect that my wife goes shopping with me, on the down side we have totally different tastes in clothing. heels that are 3" or under with stubby heels are a good place to start to learn how to walk, their comfortable and more stable. Lotsa luck to you on your wonderful journey. lotsa huggzzz,bobbie

[charlie]

Hello Britney!
I must assume that you are close to Phoenix and were going to Cruzin7th or the Pumphouse II. Both are very accepting of CD. Where I go in Phoenix for my clothes is the Goodwill on Camelback at 17th Street. You can get great clothes there that fit, you can try them on in privacy, and nobody cares that you are pouring over the clothes in the women's section. After a second of feeling strange, you just go through and find lots of clothes at very cheap prices. Be sure to check out the "Better Clothes" rack for more up to date fashions. Many of these still have tags on them. I go to Phoenix every two weeks and always stop at the Goodwill! If you would like me to call you when I'm there, write a private message.
Charlie

[Kate Simmons]

Actually, like anything else, there is a learning curve but to be "real" it has to be based on who you are as a person, so there is really no "right" or "wrong" way to do things. You find out what works out best for yourself with experience. Look at it this way, girls did not learn to be women overnight. They learned as they went and grew. No different with us really although we most often get impatient to catch up.

Give yourself time Hon, experience, enjoy because if we get in a rush we tend to lose the flavor of the whole experience. Most of us certainly did not get to where we are overnight. It came from endless hours of practicing and experiencing and interacting with others. The real "payoff" is when you can be comfortable being yourself no matter how you present and that is really the best part.:)

[cd_britney_426]

I appreciate everyone's replies here! I agree that practice makes perfect. I already went out a fourth time and at the last minute just through on a dress that I didn't even have time to iron and people said it wasn't too bad. I guess I just have the "bug" and want to instantly be a star at this when in reality it takes time to get everything right. The more I think about it, the main thing I am having trouble getting used to is people and their stares. If I go to a TG-friendly club and get stares then that is the whole idea! But if I am trying to grab a few outfits from a clothing store, it just makes me a bit nervous to have numerous men and women giving me weird looks and funny faces. I guess I have to get used to it or simply be blunt and tell the customer service clerk that I am a crossdresser and then ask the relevant questions about the products I am thinking of buying. I am still a little concerned about the safety aspects of it all because I live in a rough area and while no one bothers me where I live, people just loiter in the parking lots standing around and sitting in their cars in the middle of night. I'd rather the neighbors not know I'm a crossdresser but that is obviously too late. Not sure if there is any solution other than to just get used to it all. Again, thanks for everyone's responses. Britney

[Angie G]

Your a lucky girl you have the help most of us naver had Both with your and here read all you can you can get info on how to apply make up. :hugs:
Angie