Well, I did it!

[Julia Welch]

Wow! ... that's a very brave thing to do ... you've got balls!!

[karrin]

well done Martha, excellent presentation. karrin

[Mark B]

Friday is less formal, so a simple skirt, pumps, and a shirt. I did wear a VS bralet that has lace up high in the front. One of the girls did suggest that I wear a full lace camisole as the white shirt was a bit transparent and you can see the skirt stripes though it. 2 consecutive days in 4 inch pumps. My feet were a little swollen last nigh when I got home. My wife just laughed and said that "all women experience this, welcome to the club."

Wife and I will be shopping for a new suit this weekend. I may have to buy new shoes to match. 4" and live with it or 3" and be a bit more comfortable?

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[TracyT]

You are a hero. And you look spectacular.

[Karmen]

You're so lucky. Understanding wife and your crossdressing was accepted well at work.

[Beverley Sims]

Nice to see you are being accepted.

[Gretchen_To_Be]

I really admire your chutzpah! I would love to do this. Maybe someday! I can't wait to hear more about your adventures!

[Sara Jessica]

Catching up on this thread...

I guess you are in fact blazing a trail. Good for you. But like all of our friends in these pages who sport the "guy in skirt/dress" look, I admittedly have a hard time getting my head around it because like some (but unlike others), I happen to still subscribe to a gender binary mode of presentation.

What I don't feel is that you are particularly brave or heroic. Those are words I reserve for other uses. However, a word that I rarely use comes to mind...balls. OK, maybe guts is better. You have guts to do what you are doing but I have to assume you know your worth to the company and what boundaries you can push.

Regardless, you are a valid part of the world we all live in and I wish you the best in your adventures. I continue to learn when reading stories like yours and even though I'm not fully into what you are doing, I would never hesitate to break bread with you and give you a toast to who you are. You certainly seem to be more interesting than I.

[Mark B]

Catching up on this thread as well.

UPDATE

I am now going to work in a skirt with pumps 2-3 times a week. Pumps almost every day now with skirt and pants. My wife wears heels all the time. She thinks it helps sell houses as well as presenting herself as a professional. Every Friday she gets a pedicure and a deep tissue foot massage. She has suggested that I start doing the same and come with her next time, but I had no time today.

I did take 2 of my man suits to a very nice woman tailor. When I told her what I wanted, she asked if I was having them made for my wife and that she would need to come in. I told her that they were for me. Then pulled my pumps out of a bag and said "and I'll be wearing these. So I showed her of a picture of me wearing a jacket, tie, skirt, and heels. She smiled and said something in German that I wasn't sure what it meant. I later asked the wife and she said, its like "sure Honey, we'll fix you right up". I having the pants tighten up in the rear and having the jacket shortened and also taken up several inches in the waist. She was so full of suggestions and ideas to feminize my suits. I'll get them next week before we leave for Texas. Can't wait.


Sara, I wouldn't say...balls. I just feel comfortable about who I am and I do know my value to the company. I could wear jeans, a very strict no-no here and be the only one not sent home to change, but then everyone else would think they too could do it as well. But I enjoy our dress code. I enjoy the clothing bonus we get every year. So I will help enforce it.

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[LeslieSD]

Martha,

You are brave, and I can see that you are having a great time.

By the way, you have a wonderful supportive wife as well, who is as brave as you are.

Leslie

[Pumped]

I do like the "man in a dress,(or skirt) look". You are fortunate to have a wife and employer to accepts your dressing.

I would love to wear just the heels alone with my normal men's wear! Heels would not work well where I work, up and down stairs, carrying freight, running the forklift, helping load and unload freight, nope, not going to happen!

[Tracii G]

Very tasteful I see no problems with your look.

[BettyMorgan]

THANK YOU for breaking gender stereotypes!
Your outfit is very appropriate and professional. I like the fact that all the women came to see you and they did that, I'm sure, to confirm the rumour that you know how to make clothing choices. Also, to see for themselves that a man was wearing a skirt to the office. By the third Friday, only the women who want to talk fashion will pop in and the rest will have gotten used to it. As for the guys, ya, they'll get used to it too as long as you are doing your job to a high standard and being kind to everyone.
Congrats.

[mykell]

thoroughly impressed with your cohones, you look comfortable and professional.

i have purchased shoes here : https://julielopezshoes.com/shop/Cat...4EM-Black-0055

they were discontinued, $85 can wear them all day, Italian leather and craftsmanship..... julie is a podiatrist so keep an eye out for some discontinued lines....

[Lucy23]

I admire your courage, Martha. This is exactly what comes to my mind when thinking about combining men's and women's clothes, or dressing in women's clothes and wear it as a guy. It looks good, professional and respectable.

You own the look and it shows. Well done!

[Lacey CD]

I think you look awesome and like others, I admire your gumption. As I've gotten older the desire to present as a woman has waned. I have no desire to be or look like a woman anymore, much preferring just being me in whatever clothes feel right at the time. You give me hope of a day in the future when men wearing what they want becomes commonplace.

[softer side]

One of the girls did suggest that I wear a full lace camisole as the white shirt was a bit transparent and you can see the skirt stripes though it. Wife and I will be shopping for a new suit this weekend. I may have to buy new shoes to match. 4" and live with it or 3" and be a bit more comfortable?

Absolutely agree on the cami and 3" heel can make a statement while being more comfortable.
You're already appearing tall and lean; 4" might make you more imposing (ironically) to other men and feeling emasculated. Their insecurity might breed resistance to the new look. Only a thought, not necessarily an opinion.
I really like the outfits and presentation, you look great. I wish I had an occupation and the fortitude to dress as I pleased.

[Sissy_Michelle]

Martha,

Congrats, on your new wardrobe changes for work. You look beautiful, however you should take up some of your coworkers offers to go shopping...

@--}-----
Michelle

[Mark B]

Today was to be my last day in Germany, but I had a very good friend and co-worker pass away yesterday. I have been asked to stay till things settle down and to help find/train a replacement. My wife will still fly to Dallas Saturday after services to start her job next week so I will be alone for the next month or so. in the past I would have liked my alone time to dress, but since so much has changed just in the last 6 months, I will miss her a lot.

On a much happier note, I got one of my tailored suits yesterday evening and wore it to the office today. The jacket was shortened and given more shape around the waist. Also the pants were slendered up a bit around the legs and also taken up in the seat area. Happy with the result and only cost about 40 Euro. What do you think? Does it look just a little feminine? The wife doesn't think so. I think it fits much better than before. Sorry, no before pictures.

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[softer side]

The jacket looks nice but it's not overly feminine. I think as-is, it will look great with a skirt. To sell a more feminine look, consider a little more sleeve taper and metallic buttons on the front and cuffs.
The pants need a little work, the bunching at the ankles has to go. A wide leg pant falling clean just exposing the toe or a little more taper from the knee down and cropped at the ankle. I don't think the platforms or any chunky shoe give a great look for the cropped pants but that might just be my bias.
Any feedback from the ladies at the office on your suit alterations?

[Mark B]

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, the ladies at the office, along with my wife, thought the suit didn't look much different. I guess it's hard to change the look of a man's suit. Regarding the pants, I like the straight pant leg look with pumps. But you're are correct in that the length is not right, the length should be much shorter, so back to the seamstress they will go. I have decided that I'll stick with the skirts when wearing my jackets and tie. I now have some women suits, jackets with matching pants and skirts, but they don't look right with a men's shirt and tie. So I have been wearing them on Friday when a tie is not required with a simple blouse.

As for as the "chunky" shoes, the wife stopped me before I left the house and told me to change and wear my normal black pumps.

[Mark B]

Today is my last day at the office till November when the wife and I come back to Germany. I fly back home to Dallas tomorrow morning and happy to be leaving. It has been quite a exhilarating 6 months since I made my New Year's resolution to go out more dressed. My first time ever going out was late November of last year and it was just a quick walk to a local park during the day.

Pictures are from yesterday and today. Yesterday I wore my favorite blue jacket since I finally found a skirt that would match it. Then came home that evening to change into something a bit more comfortable to go out to dinner and drinks with some colleagues at the office. I just threw a T-shirt on and switched my shoes. My brown block heeled pumps, even though the same height, are much more comfortable than the stiletto pumps I wore to the office. The guys said I looked like Mr. Muscle in a skirt (Mr. Clean in the US) with the shaved head and the white T. The other picture was from today. White T with a lace camisole under and my only pair of open toed shoes. I haven't wore hose in the last week as I finally got some sun and color on my legs.

Now what to wear my first day on Monday back in the Dallas office?

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