First time "en femme" in shops

[Petra Harper]

At 11am on Friday 12th September (tomorrow!) I am going to The Body Shop in the Crowngate precinct in Worcester (UK) for a makeover!

I have been out before "en femme", but only to local pub (surrounded by friends) and to t-girl events (again safe) but I have never ventured out into the real wide world before.

I will go on the bus. I will not be visibly "en femme" at this stage - obviously no make up yet, that's what I'm going for. I will have my wig and other extras in a bag and will be wearing hat, scarf and large coat to cover my femme bits. I intend to wear white femme trousers - they have embroidered left leg with sequins - they are definitely femme but I'm cool with them being seen. I will be wearing sneakers, for both modes - they are quite unisex anyway. So I will look like a man in funny trousers.

I will then get to shop, re-engage femme mode with wig and bling, have the make over in the centre of shop. I will leave shop "en femme" with big coat, hat and scarf in a shopping bag.

I will visit one or two shops to show myself to sales ladies who have helped me in man mode, and finally get the bus home. I may have coffee in Worcester.

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions?

Will my nerve last out?

[carolinewalker_2000]

Hi Petra, Sounds fun but very brave of you; enjoy!

[Angie G]

My suggestion to you ia have loads of fun Petra. :hugs:
Angie

[Petra Harper]

Dear Petra,

Just a question. You say "re-engage femme mode" in the middle of Worcester on a Friday morning and you won't be in your car. So where are you going to do that?

I'm sure you've thought it through but I can't see it myself. Perhaps you know a friendly person with a room, or else you're planning a clothes-shop changing cubicle...?

Good luck to you anyway. Have fun!

Katie B

Hi Katie,
I won't have much to do - essentially just put my wig on and some bling and shoes. I am planning to wear trousers and a simple top with hoodie. I will already have these on under my big coat, including breast forms and all my underwear will be in place, as far as it matters. I will have no make up on because that is what I'm doing there and they want me "blank". So I will look quite drab, except for trousers - but who's going to care about them. I may also change my shoes. Nothing much to change and I can do it in the Body Shop - I checked with them; they have small room at back of shop - the big transition to femme step is the makeup. Even if I did decide to wear a dress I don't think it would be any trickier. All the few extra femme bits are in a bag, and that bag will carry my hat, scarf and big coat when done. I will be assisted by my wife!

[Claire Cook]

Hi Katie,

It will be exciting and fun!! Watch out, shopping en femme can be addictive!!

Claire

[tamarav]

Yeah, you go girl!

Have a great time and take lots of pictures to post. We love to see these makeovers.

Be careful, you won't want to change back after this...

Your sis,

Tami

[Dalece]

Petra , Once you do go out it is great. Especially when your out and are called Maam. Good luck Enjoy and live:)

[gennee]

Petra, I have shopped en femme many times and it's fun. I have been ma'am'ed complimented, and treated with respect. You have a good time .

Gennee

:)

[Petra Harper]

Yeah, you go girl!

Have a great time and take lots of pictures to post. We love to see these makeovers.

Be careful, you won't want to change back after this...

Your sis,

Tami

Well, it was all quite ordinary really.

I left here at 10am in car to get bus at convenient place. Returned home to get earrings, perfume and go to loo! Got to bus stop eventually at 10:35am and on bus at 10:40am.

I was in femme clothes - white trousers with embroidered and sequined left leg, smokey blue top with appliqué flowers in light blue outline in silver, breast forms in place, bling (a wood bead and a pearl necklace, pearl and silver bracelet on right and multi-strand pearl and bead bracelet tied with pink ribbon in bow on the left, watch on the left, stud earrings) and quite girlie unisex sneakers. All this under scarf and hip length anorak. Wig, silver 3" multi-shape dangling earrings, mink brown velour hoodie with white stripes on sleeves and packed handbag all in hessian carry bag. My nails were varnish - Revlon Autumn Berry - last year's colour according to Tara M - but as used by Helen Mirren - OK with Helen is OK with me! I had no make up for obvious reasons.

Mounted bus, but scarf wasn't covering pearl necklace. Driver smiled as I tried to hide it, but he didn't care.

Got to The Body Shop at exactly 11.am.

Jo (the girl to do makeover) was really pleased to see me and showed me and my wife Anne to back room where I donned wig and earrings, took up handbag, tidied up bob-mode possessions into other bag and went back into shop. She had remembered me well because she said "Oh I was expecting auburn hair, this is brown. However, it is nice.". I explained that I had been auburn but had not found an auburn wig of correct shade. She said I was warm coloured and set about it.

Seaweed cleanser, seaweed toner, seaweed daydream moisturizer for slightly oily skin.
Foundation brush applied Flawless Foundation 03, Flawless concealer 01, Summerwaves 01 powder.
Eyebrow liner 03, Eye definer 02, Bronze Shimmer waves for eyelids, super volume mascara 02
Cheek and jaw line bronzing
Nude lip liner, Hi-Shine Lip Treatment 10 Perfectly Pink

Everybody in the shop and my wife was happy. Jo was genuinely thrilled with her efforts and said, "There. you are a sophisticated lady going to lunch, so off you go!"

However, I still looked like me as bad as I am. Nothing wrong with the makeover, it was good. The problem is in me plus I am colour blind so subtle make up passes me by. Goes to show you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear...

I gave Jo a hug and we left shop happy though and went to rear entrance of Debenhams. I could feel people clocking me as I went the 50 yards, but nobody actually guffawed or pointed at me.

In Debenhams, I spoke to sale's lady who had helped me before in man mode. She was really delighted to see me. She like the makeup. We talked for 10mins, had a hug and we left. Took a walk through Debenhams in to High Street, from there through M & S to The Shambles. I was less aware of people looking at me but a few women did smile at me, but no than they usually do because I tend to look into their faces and smile at them even in bob-mode. We then went to Nero's for coffee; Anne had biscuits and I had a sandwich. Again other tan a few exchanged smiles - nothing.

Came out of Nero's to find it raining. Used new M & S pink rose umbrella and walked back to Crowngate bus station. We passed my optician and he came out of shop to greet me "Why, hello Petra", he said, "Nice to see you.". He already knew about me because he supplied ladies spectacles for me.

Moving on , girl that we know on card stall in market in Angel Place gave me an "O hello. I really like your hair." and one of her huge smiles. She is not into make up so I wouldn't expect her to comment.

Next the bus stop. Uneventful, until 2 ladies, one in crutches and younger one with baby buggy. They fiddled with buggie with first lady bent over it, she straightened to be right in my face about 9" away. "Oh my god!" she said. I thought this is it, I'm in for it now. But, a huge grin exploded on her face and she "Oh! My hubby's a TV also!". I told her, jokingly, that she had now spoilt my journey home because I was hoping to ride in apprehension with people staring but now we were going to have friendly company! I got on bus, driver was unmoved by huge difference between my photo on bus pass and me, Petra! I guess he just wasn't interested, he didn't look at either really.

So ride home was chatty with new found SO of unmet TV. Got off bus, went to Boots for nail varnish remover, drove home.

Later on, female friend dropped in "Oo, I like your look today". She thought makeover was good. Now I live in confusion between what I feel I look like, what I think I look, what I do look like and what other people think I look like. Does this confusion ever go?

Later, I went to Waitrose shopping. Again nothing really happened.

[Lilith Moon]

Petra,

Love your pics....especially that last one in front of the makeup counter...you look great.

[Karren H]

Awesome!!! You look fantastic!! Just goes to show you that people either don't care or their lives are too busy to worry about what we wear!!!

[Jocelyn Renee]

Petra, awesome story and lovely pics - you look amazingly like my sister-in-law. So glad you had a good time.

That feeling you alluded to comes about because very few of us can pass 100% day in and day out. The important part is do YOU feel comfortable. As you discovered, the world didn't stop spinning and quite a few folks went out of their way to make you feel comfortable. From time to time we all have a bad experience, but the majority of people will welcome you into the world.