New to crossdressing

[Cdsarah0382]

Haven?t seen my neighbor since she opened by package. I?m sure it?s not a big deal. I could see her spreading gossip to other neighbors. Still has me a little concerned but what can you do? It is what it is. I did enjoy wearing my panties all weekend. I did shave my legs as well. Feel very feminine.

[BobbiKay]

Sarah,

I'll second (third?) the recommendation to check out thrift stores.

I started out with jeans. I'm 6 ft also. I wear 34x32 or 34x34 in men's. Women's 12 long usually fit me. I favor Gloria Vanderbilts because they generally have usable pockets. They're still jeans, but the fabric is softer and stretchier, and the colors and decoration are more interesting.

You can find bras, drawers, and hose for cheap also, to help figure out your sizing. If you get something home and find that it doesn't fit right, you haven't paid too much... just donate it back.

Nail polish is often a dollar a bottle at the thrifts. Speaking of which, if you have Rite Aid drug stores in your area, check out their closeout section, usually an endcap at the back of the store. 75% off! Nail polish, thumb drives, whatever!

Shoes in the thrifts are iffy. Often they are not organized by size, just completely random. Learn your size in US women's and in European (which is unisex). I'm 9.5 in men's, 11 (preferably 11ww) in women's, and 43 in euro. If you see Torrid brand shoes, pay attention! They're often in larger sizes and widths.

If you have thrift store outlets in your area (sometimes called "pound stores"), check them out too. It's where the things that didn't sell for $5 or whatever in the thrift store, go for a-dollar-and-change *per pound*. Not a good way to buy tools, but excellent for clothing and shoes. Everything is put out on dump tables, sorted only into the broadest of categories: shoes, clothing, bags, toys, books, other stuff (a.k.a. bric-a-brac). Shoes are about the only thing you can try on at the outlets; they have no fitting rooms.

Oh, and for shoes, I've noticed that Kohl's seems to put shoes ordered online but returned to the store, in a markdown section of the shoe department.

[Cdsarah0382]

Thanks BobbiKay for the advice! I think I will schedule a trip to the local thrift store this weekend.

[ossian]

A few recommendations, based on my experience.

Go slow, with yourself and others. Be aware of what triggers embarrassment, and investigate what specifically about that situation was embarrassing. That sting will fade over time.

As far as clothes, I've gone with my wife to try on clothes. But I've never worked up the nerve to do it by myself. It's the conservative Midwest US, where I live.

I've have had great luck with ebay. Many times sellers will post actual measurements of the garment with a ruler or tape measure. That helps a lot! Experiment. What I thought I would look good in didn't turn out so well, but other items, like skirts, and sweater sets worked great!

Shoes: I wrecked the ball of my big toe trying to cram my feet into pumps. Beware of that problem. So its open toe sling backs for me. This trick helped on shoe sizing. Put one foot on a piece of paper, outline it. Do that to the other foot too. My right foot is slightly longer than my left foot. Measure from the toe to the heel. So for me it is roughly 10in. That would be a 10, for open toed sandals for me. Anything closed toed, I bump it up to a size 11 to give my toes a bit of room.

Forms/Bra: By inexpensive ones to start out with. You'll get some insight on what works with your chest. Start small, then take measurements, under the bust, for band size. The run the tape measure around your bust to get cup size. I've had great luck with finding bras at herroom.com. They take the mystery out of UK/US bra sizing. I've had less luck at Amazon. Sometimes the seller will post a UK size under a US size and vis-a-versa. The best place I've had luck with forms is thebreastformstore.com. Very trans friendly place. Great resource for information. I've also had good luck with janetscloset.com.

Makeup: experiment with that. Amazon was a great source for buying items. I've gotten some great tips from a few drag show performers, who also happen to sell makeup at department stores. At some point, consider getting a makeover from someone who specializes with makeup for our group. That one thing helped in a very substantial way. For this one a shout out goes to Elizabeth Taylor at https://makeoverswithelizabethtaylor.com/ She is simply amazing.

All of this got me into sewing and alterations. It has turned out to be a great hobby! I can now make a pretty good pencil skirt.

Above all be kind to yourself. I went through most of my life being a closeted crossdresser and being ashamed of it. Because of this website and some support groups, I consider myself somewhere in the trans world and I love it.

And lastly, welcome to this wonderful community!

Rose