Most people outside our community would never understand how we feel and the lengths we will go to express our femininity. The things we do to present our feminine nature can be laborious, expensive, and time consuming to say the least. Most recently, I just had an enormous desire to model an "off-the-shoulder" and very short-sleeve
gown. You'd think that would be an easy enough look to create but for me the things it required me to do was lengthy. Let's take a look.
First...permission to shave
I had wooly arms...fortunately, my hair color is light but it was very noticeable nonetheless. Off-the-shoulder/short-sleeve gown and hairy arms isn't a good combination. So, most of it had to go and that's where the wife came into the equation. Took some time to get her approval via a quid pro quo (think, expensive options on a recently purchased vehicle to bring her around) for almost complete hair removal.
Second...shave chest
Shave the top of the chest...nah, didn't get wife's approval for this one...just went at it with a clipper followed by a recently purchased and expensive epilator...did I mention the pain of epilation, OUCH! Then the expected rash to deal with for a few days.
Third...rid myself of farmer's tan and then some
I had farmer's arms. Solving that required getting recommendation from forum friends...since I limit my sun exposure as much as I can I chose the suggestion to apply Neutrogena's "Build a Tan" to my under exposed upper arms until the line of demarkation lessened...fortunately, it worked...but then I was dark on the arms but much lighter in the shoulders, upper back, chest, neck and face - areas that would show when modeling my new gown. Have you read Dr Zeuss' "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back"? It was like my body was experiencing the infamous pink ring. One problem led to another.
Fourth...tan some more or should I say a lot
Apply repeated doses of "Build a Tan" on my shoulders, upper back, upper chest until it more closely matched my arms (now, as you'll see in my pic, I have a tan like Brooke Baldwin on CNN).
Fifth...purchase gown that unfortunately was too tight in the bossom
Buy the beautiful pink mermaid bandage gown in largest size available (size 12) only to find when slipping it on (or should I say shimmying it on, it's a snug garment for sure!) that it fits absolutely perfectly in my size 41 inch hips and 29 inch waist (corset included as another thing I must do) but is too tight across my 40 inch bust (I could zip it up but my forms were squashed and I risked busting the zipper (ever had that happen?...I have...what a mess that becomes). Yep, I'm a size 10-12 in the hips and waist and a size 14 in the bust...they don't construct gowns like that...custom is where it's at as a thing to do.
Sixth...gown alterations
Take the gown for a fitting and alterations by a seamstress to enlarge the bust area a bit. I went to the seamstress in "male mode" which is an unpleasant experience for me but I'm too scared to go out in public en femme at this time. But, I really don't like to be partially dressed. I'm an all the way transformation kind of t-girl. But, I did what I needed to do...oh, the things we do. The seamstress robbed some fabric from my overly long gown and transposed it into two triangular lengths of fabric on each side of the zipper in the bosom area. Made a second trip to the seamstress to pickup her handiwork...tried on the gown, again in male mode, and it fit absolutely perfectly! I tipped the seamstress' assistant who did most of the work and the seamstress who was initially uncomfortable serving me had so much of a smile on her face, a "thank you!" from her lips, and a rush to the back of the shop to tip the assistant before I could even turn around to get out the door. Another thing t-gals often do is tip others very well who provide important services to us (and I tipped her very, very well!).
Seventh...create hour glass figure
Are we still counting? - cinch the corset to an uncomfortable but not painful 29 inch waist (down from 33 inches) creating an hour-glass figure of 40inch-29inch-41inch proportions, haul on foundational garments, slip in forms and squeeze into the bandage gown.
Lastly...makeup & wig
And almost coming to an end of the things we do...complete the makeover transformation which for me takes about an hour and a half because I'm such a perfectionist...we won't even include the expense and research necessary to find my beautiful European hair wig that I just love. And lastly, take and post the pic which you'll find below! Whew! I'm winded just typing and sharing this post and pic with you!
