Tips about wigs

Hi gals! I've decided to buy my first wig, and I've been looking around. Online shopping is out, since I still leave with my parents. Which shop types should I go looking for (no shame entering a sexy shop if it becomes necessary)?

I've however browsed a bit online to get a general idea of the wig types and prices. Prices in particular vary a LOT.. I'm not looking into something absolutely gorgeous (such as certain true hair wigs I've seen): just a nice medium/long straight hair wig. There are some things I should particularly look into when buying a wig? Different ways in which they are attached to the head? Particular materials? Which should be a good price?

Another problem I have is that, being a in-the-closet CD, I need to hide my stuff. I've everything stashed into a little box, but I fear wigs need a particular care in order not to be spoiled. Maybe there are more resistant ones, which I should better buying?

The human hair wigs are better and can be styled. Karren is the expert on that. The synthetic ones are probably your best bet if you have to stash it somewhere. They are more forgiving style wise and just "bounce back" more or less with very little fussing needed. Don't store them where there any bugs or rats though as they will build nests in them whether you put them in a bag or not.:happy: Ericka/Rich

As to where you shop, I would probably avoid sex shops - you are likely to get a more limited selection, inferior quality, and much higher prices. Call around to a couple regular wig shops and ask if they are ok working with crossdressers. Most of them will be. If possible, go early in the day.

Synthetic (i.e., not human hair) wigs store perfectly well in their boxes, using the hair nets that they come in. Just replace it carefully and you'll be fine.

Good luck! Erica

synthetic wigs have come along way and look great! I wash mine every now and then using a regular shampoo and a conditioner. Hang it to dry. When dry I carefully brush on a flat surface and shake it out to its original style.
I store mine in the leg of a worn out pair of hose. I cut off a leg and the toe
and pull the wig top first into the hose. it keeps the hairs running in the right direction and packs it in a nice tube package which is easily stored in a drawer!

Jennifer

I'd suggest going to a wig store as well. I got my wig at a TG friendly store here called Ritzy Rags. Leigh (the owner) helped me pick out a wig that went well with the shape of my face and my features.

Make sure you're able to try some on to see how they look. That way you aren't spending a ton of money on a wig you won't be happy with.

-Ally

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Originally Posted by Ally K

I'd suggest going to a wig store as well. I got my wig at a TG friendly store here called Ritzy Rags. Leigh (the owner) helped me pick out a wig that went well with the shape of my face and my features.

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Make sure you're able to try some on to see how they look. That way you aren't spending a ton of money on a wig you won't be happy with.

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-Ally

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hi Alli is right you should go and try on a wig . and you want to be happy with it i get mine on line at the wiggodess clair is very good just send her your head shot and she will guide you ... www.wiggoddess.com/ try this out
hugs mj

Thanks for the replies! But how are wigs usually attached to the head? There are different ways to do that? Which is better? And, again, which should be a "right" price?

Dear Lucille,

MJ is absolutely right. Call, visit, or email Claire at the wig godess. MJ put the link right in her reply so you can go right to Claire's website. Claire is as good as they come, very CD friendly and very skilled at what she does. You will not be disappointed. She will answer all your questions.

Lovies,
Steph

What ever you do since your in the closet get some thing easy to care for, straight hair I wold say, easy for storage and don't need to worry about the curls.

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Originally Posted by Lucille

Thanks for the replies! But how are wigs usually attached to the head? There are different ways to do that? Which is better? And, again, which should be a "right" price?

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my wigs just slip on no need to use bobby pins you adjust the wig and put it on and go :D
i have the Alysa by henry margu i love that one so $135.00 is good i think

I live in a city that has a big African American influence. There are many wig shops that cater to African American women. I have gone in them and have been accepted. So if you live near a city that has this type of store go on in and have fun.

I have two synthetic wigs and I store both of them on polystyrene heads with a plastic bag over them. If you have to keep them in a box folding them gently into the hair net that came with them will be fine. If by chance you don't have the hair net or you lost it, or whatever, folding the wig inside out will also help look after it. Whatever you do, a quick "shake out" to fluff it up before you put it on will work wonders.

The other thing about wigs is although people will tell you "you get what you pay for" which is true to some extent, I have two really good quality wigs but the price difference was huge. My short one was $266 my long one in my avatar was only $65. Ok, the expensive one is a skin topped, mono filament type, but my point is that you can get some really nice wigs at a reasonable prices.

If you have the courage, IMHO the very best thing to do is go to a woman's wig shop and try lots of wigs on. That's what I did. I called ahead and asked if they were interesting in selling a woman's wig to a man, and also, did they have a private fitting room I could use to try some wigs on? They said it was no problem at all. I asked the woman on the phone what her name was (she said her name was Kristy) and I told her my first name. When I arrived I asked to see Kristy and she was very discrete, and she even attended to me personally, fussing over me and helping choose the right one for my skin tone and face shape etc. I tried them on in a small curtained off area with mirrors (a bit like a fitting room in a store). If you can do it, this is definitely the way to go.

As far as how to wear it, after tightening the adjustable velcro straps a little bit, I just place a wig cap (it's like a small stocking) on my head first, (you can buy them at the same time you buy your wig) and put the wig on top of that. - Anyway, good luck and have fun!

Hi Lucille -

Buying in-person at wig shops is great because you can try many different styles on, but doing that can be a scary thing if you're still in the closet. If you'd prefer the discretion of shopping online, get yourself a PO Box. That way you can shop to your heart's content without having to worry about packages showing up at your home address.

In buying synthetic wigs online, avoid purchasing any wig that is described as having a "net lining." I see that a lot, and they're basically cheap costume wigs that somebody is trying to pass off as salon quality. They don't have much hair, they don't fit worth a darn, they look dreadful on, and they fall apart quite easily.

Your best bet in buying online is to stick with names like Revlon, Adolpho, Eva Gabor, Mona Lisa, Noriko, and other well known wig manufacturers. When you find a particular wig you like, do some comparison shopping before you make your purchase. More often than not, you'll find another wig shop that sells the exact same wig at a more reasonable price. Also compare shipping rates between shops, because some online shops will draw you in with lower wig prices, then hit you with higher shipping.

In regards to wig prices, you should be able to find a decent quality synthetic wig online in the range of $50 - $100. As Jennifer said above, synthetic wigs have come a long way and look great. Whether you choose curly, wavy, or straight, you'll find that storing them is quite easy... and they'll hold their shape nicely. In most cases, all you have to do is shake them out and you're ready to go.

Have fun!

Cliff -

I just went shopping for a new wig today at a wig shop. The manager was very helpful and didn't bat an eye at helping a CD. She said she has many CD clients. I had called ahead to make sure they were OK with me coming in and it wasn't a problem. Actually, she said I should have come in En Femme so they could get a better color match with my makeup. I go back tomorrow for the fitting and styling person to work on the wig, and I will be in femme clothes. Good Luck....Stephanie

I have had good luck at 3 ebay wig sellers, Hair Me Now, Rockey Mt Beauties, and U Look Marvelous.....I have 6 wigs as of now, 4 human and 2 synthetic....and I'd recommend a synthetic for your application...since human hair takes alot of maintenance and synthetics hold their styles.....As far as storage, i keep mine in travel totes, ready for the next adventure, and store them in an old nyon with the foot cut out. That way I can pull the wig into the stocking and all the hairs are alligned in one direction.....and easy to remove. Keeps them from getting all tangles up. and travels well...

Love Karren

I had the chance to go out shopping fully En Femme today and happened to be near the wig shop, so I stopped in to see how my new wig they are altering for me will look when I am dressed and made up. It was beautiful. The manager of the shop really knows her stuff. The color is perfect on me, and it makes my face look much more feminine. She also gave me a few tips on my makeup. She also combed out the wig I was wearing, which doesn't look nearly as good on me (the color is wrong for my skin tone), but looks a lot better now that shes worked on it. I really recommend going to a wig professional. Also, if you are like me and have a larger head size, only certain brands of wigs will even come close to fitting properly. Even with a larger cap size they have to alter it so it fits better. I am going to have to be careful because if I keep going in there I will spend lots of money, LOL. Keep shopping girls.........Stephanie

Step 1: Browse the online selection of wigs and pick out styles you'd like to see yourself in. be sure to write down the name of the wig mfg and the wig style.

Step 2: Find a local wig store,(or 2 or 3), that has a large selection of wigs. Try on the ones you liked to make sure they look good on you. seeing a wig in a picture is very deceiving. Remember, almost all wig advertisements are of actual women and of course the wig is going to look much better in the photo then on some of US. Write down the names of the wigs you liked after you have tried on and SEEN which ones look best on you.

Step 3: Go back online and THEN order your wig(s)

Living in LA, there are countless wigs stores here to shop at. But I have noticed the wigs are marked up anywhere from 20% - 80%! By knowing ahead of time which wigs actually look good on you, you can then go online and find the exact same wig for a LOT less then buying at the store. With the confidence that your new wig is going to look GREAT on you for a lot less.

I have found that paulayoung.com is the best way to buy my wigs. They have great values,styles, colors and closeouts. I have bought 150.00 wigs for 20 dollars on web specials. They ship in a very plain box. This is not an advertisement for paulayoung but just a great source for resonably priced wigs, Danielle

I just purchased I hope my last wig and it was alot of fun. I've bought them from cataloges and in person, I would much rather do it in person I tried on two wigs and bought the first one I tried on. There are so many styles and colors that it is alittle over whelming if your hiding it in a small place you should get a shorter one they hide alot easier than a longer one. They range in price from $30.00 to $300.00 so good luck. ERIKA1963

Some of the better wigs have adjustable straps in the back to change the size.

I've not seen any with means for fastening them to the head, except on the television show "He's a Lady" that aired some time back. Some of those wigs had clips in them, but I don't know if they came that way or if the hairdresser added them.

Some of the drag queens use large U shaped hair pins and slide the ends under a wig cap or a strap that goes around the head. 3M makes an elastic medical tape that sticks only to itself, not to your skin or hair. It can be run around the head to make a strap like the one here. You can find the 3M tape in many drug supply stores or vet stores (called vet wrap). Not sure about the availability in Italy.

See also, under http://www.onthetop.com/wigresults.a...Styling+Tools/ :
http://www.onthetop.com/wigpage.asp/...lip+%2D+beige/
http://www.onthetop.com/wigpage.asp/...tape+%2D+roll/
http://www.onthetop.com/wigpage.asp/...pe+%2D+strips/

Also:
http://www.toupee.co.kr/attachmentmethods.html

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Originally Posted by Lucille

Hi gals! I've decided to buy my first wig, and I've been looking around. Online shopping is out, since I still leave with my parents.

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Online shopping can be tricky when living with your parents, but also can be ok if they are not particularly computer-savvy. Just make sure that ANY time you visit a site (INCLUDING this forum, a wig site, etc.) Make sure you go to your internet explorer tools menu, select "internet options" and:

1. clear all your cookes
2. clear temporary internet files
3. delete pages in history... (Better yet: set the "Days to keep pages in history" to zero.)

This will clear all pages visited, BUT this will also clear any "remember me on this computer" options they have selected for their online accounts.
But if they aren't too savvy, they may not think anything of having to re-enter their username and password into into barnes and noble or whatever.

Also... be careful with ebay since now, when you sign out, they 'suggest' items you may be interested in based on your purchase (and maybe even browsing history. I'm not sure if browsing triggers these suggestions, but purchases certainly do) This may be problematic if you don't have your own account, then you run the risk of your parents signing out and getting the 'ol... "you may be interested in these breast forms" listings.
Pretty sure you're good to go with ebay if you have your own account.

This way, if you ever decide to tell them, it will be on your terms, and they won't find out accidentally when they go to, say, type in the "cr" for "crateandbarrel.com" in the url address field and "crossdressers.com" pops up as a option.

All the best!

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Originally Posted by Ally K

I'd suggest going to a wig store as well. I got my wig at a TG friendly store here called Ritzy Rags. Leigh (the owner) helped me pick out a wig that went well with the shape of my face and my features.

Make sure you're able to try some on to see how they look. That way you aren't spending a ton of money on a wig you won't be happy with.

-Ally

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Leigh helped me when I visited Orlando and gave me excellent advice. I get a lot of compliments on the wig that I purchased and it feels very comfortable.