jenni_xx
09-09-2008, 11:53 AM
Hiya everyone
Just wanted to share with you a wonderful time I had yesterday when I went shopping.
Some of you may know that, while I often don't dress in full femme attire when out and about, I do have signifiers that single me out as a CD. I wear quite a lot of jewellry (rings, bangles, necklaces), have both ears pierced (although will only wear studs or small earrings when "en drab", and have nail extensions pretty much all the time (french manicure being my favourite), but this hardly qualifies me for being recognisable in the sense of being a man in a skirt walking down the street.
Needless to say, because of my signifiers, it's pretty obvious (and pretty quickly) that I am a CD to those who interact with me. Not to mention when in shops I have absolutely no qualms about taking a skirt, top, dress, coat etc over to a mirror and holding it up against myself.
Anyway, yesterday I went out on one of my shopping excertions in London, and had nothing but positive responses from every single place I went to. Usually, there would be one or two discerning glances, but yesterday nothing, and the confidence it instilled in me was overwhelmingly liberating. The first shop I went in was top shop on Oxford Road - looking for some nice jewellry (wanted a really big ring - the emerald ones that just about cover your entire finger). Almost straight away, a young sales assistant came over and asked me if I needed any help. Well, of course I did, so she ended up showing me loads of stuff and giving me great advice in respect of the kind of outfits that compliment such jewellry (as opposed to jewellry complimenting outfits lol!!!). We had a good chat, and I bought some lovely earrings (think Beyonce in the Crazy in Love video) and the exact ring that I was looking for.
Then off to superdrug - only a pit stop - wanted some mints and water. Anyway, the sales assistant there said she loved my nails and thought the ring I just bought looked really good on me. She wished me a good day with a smile.
By this time, I was feeling over the moon. So I hopped on the underground and off I went to Camden town (loads of markets and little stores, also lots of vintage places). The first place didn't really have anything I liked, but my next stop off resulted in me trying on 3 different skirts and a lovely top. When I went in, I saw a skirt and straight away the SA came over and said right out of the blue that I should try it on. As I was doing so, she brought over the other skirts along with the top, saying that she felt this would look really good on me. Well, she was right. I bought 2 of the skirts and the top. I kept the top on (I just had to - you know the feeling lol), and off I went.
Next was a vintage shop where I was after a coat. The SA asked me who it was for, and when I said me, she said, "well then, try it on". when I took off my jacket, she saw my top, smiled and said it really suited me. Unfortunately the jacket was a little small, but she gave me the shop's card and told me to come in at towards the end of september as they were getting a load more coats in (for their winter collection).
And with that, I was off, virtually skipping down the road - I felt on cloud nine. I got home and have been dressed ever since.
God I love this gift that has been given to me. And I love it when people are so non-judgemental and accepting.
Had to share this with you all
xx
Just wanted to share with you a wonderful time I had yesterday when I went shopping.
Some of you may know that, while I often don't dress in full femme attire when out and about, I do have signifiers that single me out as a CD. I wear quite a lot of jewellry (rings, bangles, necklaces), have both ears pierced (although will only wear studs or small earrings when "en drab", and have nail extensions pretty much all the time (french manicure being my favourite), but this hardly qualifies me for being recognisable in the sense of being a man in a skirt walking down the street.
Needless to say, because of my signifiers, it's pretty obvious (and pretty quickly) that I am a CD to those who interact with me. Not to mention when in shops I have absolutely no qualms about taking a skirt, top, dress, coat etc over to a mirror and holding it up against myself.
Anyway, yesterday I went out on one of my shopping excertions in London, and had nothing but positive responses from every single place I went to. Usually, there would be one or two discerning glances, but yesterday nothing, and the confidence it instilled in me was overwhelmingly liberating. The first shop I went in was top shop on Oxford Road - looking for some nice jewellry (wanted a really big ring - the emerald ones that just about cover your entire finger). Almost straight away, a young sales assistant came over and asked me if I needed any help. Well, of course I did, so she ended up showing me loads of stuff and giving me great advice in respect of the kind of outfits that compliment such jewellry (as opposed to jewellry complimenting outfits lol!!!). We had a good chat, and I bought some lovely earrings (think Beyonce in the Crazy in Love video) and the exact ring that I was looking for.
Then off to superdrug - only a pit stop - wanted some mints and water. Anyway, the sales assistant there said she loved my nails and thought the ring I just bought looked really good on me. She wished me a good day with a smile.
By this time, I was feeling over the moon. So I hopped on the underground and off I went to Camden town (loads of markets and little stores, also lots of vintage places). The first place didn't really have anything I liked, but my next stop off resulted in me trying on 3 different skirts and a lovely top. When I went in, I saw a skirt and straight away the SA came over and said right out of the blue that I should try it on. As I was doing so, she brought over the other skirts along with the top, saying that she felt this would look really good on me. Well, she was right. I bought 2 of the skirts and the top. I kept the top on (I just had to - you know the feeling lol), and off I went.
Next was a vintage shop where I was after a coat. The SA asked me who it was for, and when I said me, she said, "well then, try it on". when I took off my jacket, she saw my top, smiled and said it really suited me. Unfortunately the jacket was a little small, but she gave me the shop's card and told me to come in at towards the end of september as they were getting a load more coats in (for their winter collection).
And with that, I was off, virtually skipping down the road - I felt on cloud nine. I got home and have been dressed ever since.
God I love this gift that has been given to me. And I love it when people are so non-judgemental and accepting.
Had to share this with you all
xx