Most Memorable SA Experience

It was one of my first times going to a store to try on dresses. I went to the next town to a Ross Dress for Less equipped with a bra and panties set. I wore a tank top that kinda revealed the bra strap. I showed up early enough thinking it would be peaceful but there were quite a few people shopping to my surprise. Middle of the morning and middle of the week no less.

I searched the isles and racks of dresses trying to blend in. I saw one dress that caught my eye. It was a black A line dress with cute purple polkadots. I thought ok girl let?s try this on, you can do it! I took it to the change room and the sweet woman working there didn?t bat an eyelash. She gave me a number and ushered me to the change room. It was empty on that side. I changed out of my boy clothes and couldn?t believe I was in the dressing room in just my bra and panties. I was so excited. I slid the dress over me and up my body and to my surprise, it was a perfect fit!! did a quick peek outside the door and did something I never thought I could do, step outside the dressing room and admired myself in the large three way mirror. My little heart was pounding!! Omg!

Then I walked out of the dressing room entirely and to the sweet woman and freaking asked her opinion!! I didn?t know I had this strength tbh. She said I looked very pretty and suggested I wear a little heel with the dress. It was the first time anyone has seen me dressed.

Many times I've gone to the dressing room with some women clothes while in drab, and almost always the SA who manages the dressing room (counts the items and checks for alarm pins) says the same: "You know these are women clothes?". Those times I answer "Yes, I know". Nothing more to say, I got into and tried those clothes. When leaving the room, I'm requested to return those clothes back to the women's dept.

Once, while enfemme, I went to a ladies dressing room with some nice jumpsuits to try, and the SA said that I should go to the men's room. I didn't comply (I don't pass), and went there. The SA in that other room sent me back to the ladies one!!! As I didn't want to cause more problems, I requested to stay there, and he agreed. I could even went out to model in front of the big mirror and took some photos ;-)

I've had many great experiences with sales associates over the years. Probably the best though was at a Lane Bryant in a small outlet mall that was going out of business; the mall and the Lane Bryant.
At the time, I was commuting 200 miles each way to work, go up on Mondays and come home on Thursdays, and the mall was about halfway so no chance of me seeing anyone I knew and with a parking lot that was completely empty, why not?
I was up front with the sales associates admitting that I cross dressed and I probably wasn't actually going to buy anything.
They were bored to tears so when I asked if it was OK for me to try something on, they lit up like Christmas trees assuring me that they had several men just like me that had shopped there for years..
The measured me to get my sizes, fitted me properly for a bra they let me borrow. Even Lane Bryant sales associates stuff bras with stockings, by the way. LOL

They then spent a little over two hours digging through everything they had left in the store for anything in my size while I changed and modeled each outfit for them.

We had so much fun and they made me feel just like one of the girls, I still remember their names.

Kate and Bethany, if you somehow happen to see this, I still love you guys for making me feel so special and so normal at the same time...

Or, every time an SA asks if I want to start a room! And, they write Christine on the name board on the door. I do love that.

I?ve had quite a few good experiences with Sales Associates over the years. Probably the best and most memorable one was trying on and buying a dress at Dress Barn. I was in drab but underdressed in bra and panties. I had picked out the dress I was interested in online and then I shyly asked if I could try it on. Her face lit up like a mas tree and with a big smile, she ushered me into a changing room and wrote my name on the door. When I bought the dress, I asked if she had many gentlemen customers, she smiled and said yes, we do. On other occasions, I remember buying a few pairs of panties , a lovely nylon camisole with a nice lace bodice and some petit pants at a Vanity Fair outlet and the SA was very helpful finding the sizes that I was looking for. While I never came out and said the items were for me, when I asked for a size 42 camisole, her eyes lit up, she smiled and commented on how it was a shame that not many people appreciated some of the soft silky nylon lingerie these days. On other occasions, I have gone into several other stores, Pennys and Macys and have purchased several pairs of panties. When I got to the check out counter, I have had the SA tell me that there is an in store sale and that if I bought another pair, I would get another pair for free and she encouraged me to go back and pick out another pair or two. And how could I forget Catherine?s where I bought several beautiful, comfortable Glamorize soft cup size 42 A style 1010 bras. They have closed Catherine?s and Glamorise no longer makes that style, but I sure miss, the store, the bras and the SAs that were very helpful there.

I don't go out dressed and I don't shop in stores anymore, but my best experience was the time I was buying a couple of lipsticks at a big box store and after the girl rang it up, I looked at the total and did an obvious double take. The girl said, yeah, I can't believe sometimes how expensive makeup is. That made me feel totally ok doing what I was doing.

My worst experience was during a trip to a grocery store. I had bought a few manly things like razors and shaving cream and found a lipstick I liked. The SA said "Just ran out of lipstick, eh"? in her most sarcastic tone. And that was the last time I've bought stuff for myself in a brick & mortar store.

I would also have to say Dress Barn. So sad they closed. Would go underdressed, but with my forms in my jacket pocket. I would show the SA photos of outfits and dresses I saw online that I wanted to try on. They would start a room, put my name on the door, encourage me to step out to the mirror, even help zip up dresses if needed. Dress Barn was definitely trans friendly. I bought my first dress there! Nancy

My best experience was at a David’s Bridal shop in Kalamazoo, MI. When I walked in wearing my business attire. I was greeted by an SA, having gotten over the fear of saying, I am shopping for myself long ago, I told her I was looking for a dress, but not going to purchase. It was early afternoon and not busy. We talked about styles and selected several dresses to try on. As we entered the dressing room, she said ‘let me get you a bra to wear.’ I replied by saying that I had my breast forms in the car, she replied, ‘what are you waiting for, go get them.’ When I came back in she had a long line strapless bra and petticoat waiting. She allowed me to change out of my drab attire and get ready for her. We spent the next hour trying on the dresses, modeling for the other SA’s, sharing opinions, and having fun.

Once we decided on a favorite, the SA proceed to gather a veil, shoes, and jewelry to complete the look. The whole experience made me feel so special and to understand what a GG experiences when picking out a wedding dress.

I used to purposely go to a particular check out lane at big box store because of the cashier. She was likely someone's grandma and had the demeanor to match. She was always good to me without saying a thing. I once bought a pile of bins and she noticed one was cracked. I told her I didn't mind it, but she called it in and a supervisor came and now I'm holding up the line :(

T shirt and skirt is my usual, but I once went through in a blazer and slacks and her eyes lit up and she literally gave me a nod. She never verbally commented about my outfits, but I liked her pleasantness and ease w me

It was about 6 years ago. I hadn't dressed in quite some time sometime as there was just no desire. Then the pink fog came raging back and I had to do some shopping since I had no women's clothes at all at that time due to a purge some time back.

I decided to go to a small consignment shop thinking that there would be fewer people and I would be more comfortable shopping there. I went in and was greeted warmly. I explained that I was shopping for myself for myself and told the woman there that if she was uncomfortable with that that was OK and I understood. She assured me it was no problem at all and she helped me pick out a few things. It was like having a personal shopper! We talked for quite a bit and over the ensuing years I shopped there frequently, becoming friends with this woman in the process. I learned that she has a child who is trans so she is quite supportive of the LGBTQ community. She is actually the person who recommended my first therapist to me and when that therapist retired she made another recommendation for the therapist that my wife and I continue to see now.

Sadly she has since closed her shop but we remain friends to this day.

In regards to Cecily's comment about some SA's smiling only for the money, that may be true, but when they run out of a backroom upon seeing you shopping and come over to chat about everything but work, you know. Or when they continue beyond the sale by getting accessories which they know you won't buy. Or when you've had a makeover and the artist has to have you try her coat on and style your hair. I have had many good experiences which I know are genuine. Sadly, I miss some of those people as their businesses closed (Dress Barn, sadly).
On the flip side, I stopped en drab at one clothing shop where the SA informed me that I was looking at the juniors' section. Her manner was frosty not because I was drab, but workplace drab. I found out later that my cosmetologist SA had the same experience there when she was not dressed in the proper way to shop there.

Sorry, for rambling on.

You're right, Sherri. I had a fantastic SA a few years ago. She was much younger, a millennial for sure. She would actually call me when they got a new bra she thought I would like. She encouraged me to try on many different outfits over a couple of years time. Even though she knew I wasn't in a position to purchase outerwear. She really encouraged me to experiment with my feminine side.

Alas, the pandemic hit, her store was locked down but she still had to pay her bills. She ended up leaving the company. Sadly, I've lost touch with her.

Earlier in my Crossdressing adventures I was in a store looking at a nightie and saw these boots and something came over me and I just had to have them. It was odd as I had shopped for stuff before in other stores and never felt that I had to buy something. I usually wanted to buy something but I didn?t feel like I had to. So I was a bit out of sorts and picked up a box that was size 10.5 like my regular mens size. I had never worn womens shoes yet. I took them to the counter and the SA saw the size and recognized that I may need a different size. She asked if I would like to try them on and I could do so in the privacy of a dressing room. I just about fainted. She clearly knew they were for me. I ended up trying them on and did end up buying a larger size.

Well oddly enough one of my most memorable SA interactions occurred at Dress Barn too. I saw a dress online that for whatever reason I had to have. It was listed as available at a location near me. I went there and looked, it wasn't there. The SA waited on me and I ordered it on line. She suspected that I dressed, but went with the sale anyway. I opted for store pick up. When I picked it up, she was the SA. As she gave me the the package she asked if I wanted to try it on. I smiled and said "I'm don't have the necessary accessories to try it on now." She said, "Oh just come by Friday morning and show me. We laughed.
Friday morning a few minutes after the store opened I entered. She was busy doing something at the counter. She said, "I'll be with you in a minute honey. Look around" I had done an exemplary job with my shape wear, wig, jewelry and makeup. I thought that I looked good in the dress, if not great. She finished up walked over asked the typical questions. I nodded. Then she notice the dress, and said "Oh i see the you like our dresses. That one really suits you! You look great!" I replied with, "It is Friday, you asked me to stop by and show you how my new dress fit."
It took a moment for the pieces to come together. When they did she was amazed! and told me that I looked amazing! And that I looked better than I did when I pickeed up the dress. We chatted for a bit. So that was cool for me!

I'd like to go in the other direction with this. It was several years ago, I was playing a gig at a restaurant in town, and before the gig I went to visit an antique shop up the block. I was not en femme, it would be a few years yet before I would even be able to admit to my own CD tendencies to myself much less anyone else. As I entered the shop, I saw a lovely woman SA. I approached, and began a discussion with her about antique phonographs, in full flirtatious mode. She was quite nice, knowledgeable, and of course looked great. Being married I took it no further, but if I were not I would surely have asked her out. As I left, I thanked her for her expertise and complimented her outfit - just had to do that. She thanked me as a big smile came over her face, and in so doing I could see from that angle that she was male...passing incredibly well, but not GG.

I was not embarrassed at all...it was nice to get to talk to her if only for a little while. I was fascinated by my own attraction actually, what did it mean? Little did I know that in a few years I'd be joining her ranks.

I have had some wonderful encounters. two early ones I love. The first I called a women's resale shop and talked to the owner, I told her I was a crossdresser and was trying to figure my sizes and style. She offered to meet me before the shop opened and I could try some things on. I arrived and she looked me over and started to pick some items for me to try on. She was so supportive and I bought several items and it helped get me started learning mysteries of women's clothes sizing, and a start to a wardrobe.
The other I wanted a bra so I called a specialty shop they had many lines of bras swimwear and lingerie and catered to women with breast cancer. I called and explained my situation and the owner was so nice and said to come in she said it is slower close to closing if I would be more comfortable. So when I came in she greeted me warmly and put me in a private dressing room. We talked awhile about what I might like. She then brought in several different styles and she explained the differences. I tried on several with her help adjusting them. She offered for me to try some forms in a bra to see how they fit. This was amazing and she was very nice. As we talked further I found out she has several customers who crossdress and she told me about a Tgirl support group and also a Tgirl convention she had been a vendor at in the past. This was a home run for me just by luck. This was where I started to embrace my Tgirl side. I bought a couple bras and came back later and bought some forms, she gave me a discount as she said most of her clients get insurance coverage help. I Bought my first wig from her too. It is still my favorite and she commented it really is you! These early encounters were so uplifting for me.