Background:
In 2012, I created a blog. I documented my life story about crossdressing there. I copied from crossdressers.com all of my stories of outings that I had shared here. After I had depleted my old experiences, I only wrote about my new crossdressing outings on my blog and seldom wrote about them here. So, I've been away. Hey everyone!
Recently, I started reading my old blog posts. When I first started dressing in public, I only owned pantyhose. I lived with my parents, and hosiery was the only thing I could easily hide in my room. My first crossdressed outings into the world was as a man wearing pantyhose with his guy shorts. Later, I bought some androgynous ladies shorts and shoes, etc. and would wear an all womenswear version of the same outfit. It was such a scary, yet delightful time. I had many outings where I stepped farther out into the public while wearing nothing but womenswear out in public. Eventually, I became brave enough to wear dark pantyhose with shorts as a man.
The Outing:
Reading about my old experiences inspired me to have another shorts and pantyhose outing.
I wore black ladies shorts, black flats, a white top with orange stripes, and nude pantyhose. I went to an anchor store in the mall. I was careful to make sure no one I knew was in sight. I walked down the main aisles. I did not hide like I used to. I paid attention and no one made glances at my feet or legs. No one. I went to the pantyhose section. This store only had three brands. I was considering trying Hue brand pantyhose. I decided to go find the flamboyant employee over in the nearby purse section and ask for help.
She gladly came with me to help me. I led her to the hosiery and asked her what was the difference between two variety of Hue pantyhose. She admitted that she did not know. She said, "Cindy can help us." She and I started walking into a nearby section. She called out, loudly, "Cindy! Can you come help us?" She asked me my name. "Joey, here, needs some help with something." I thought for sure she was going to end that sentence with "pantyhose" after yelling my name. Cindy approached , I asked her the same questions. She had the brilliant idea to read the packages. She did not know either. Cindy left us.
I decided to purchase one of each. The flamboyant lady walked me back to the register and checked me out. I asked her to take my picture. She did. She wanted to see the result.
After all of that, I asked her, did you notice that I was wearing pantyhose? She said, "No! ... They look GOOOOOD on you." Then she reached down with one finger and stroked the side of my calf twice. "They look good on your legs!" I asked her, "Did you have any idea that I was shopping for myself." Again, no. I said, "OK, I just wanted to test how obvious I was being." We spoke only a few more sentences and I went on my way.
Feeling brave, I ventured out into the mall area. I was going to turn around, but since no one was looking down at my lower half when they glanced my way, I took my invisibility farther into the mall. I went into another anchor store and bought myself a men's belt. I walked back to the first store on the bottom floor of the mall. I shopped around on both floors of the anchor store, but I did not buy anything else.
Ice Cream Parlor:
Afterward, I changed into a knee-length black skirt and went to the ice cream parlor that I often go to while crossdressed and even when I am in menswear. The manager politely greeted me like normal. This place was busier than normal. There were four tables occupied with 2-4 people each. I sat inside the restaurant and ate. I only saw one person notice that I was a guy wearing a skirt. He seemed to disapprove. He did not notice me until I was finding a place to sit down. I sat and saw him tell his wife that I was wearing a skirt. She responded, "A what?" He had to raise his voice more and I heard him, "A skirt." (They were in their early 70's.) She took a micro glance in my direction, saw me looking their way, and she looked away. I never saw her look my way again. I saw him look a few times.
When I was finished, I had to go to the trash can that was beside the woman. When I was near, she looked to see who was there. I said, "Hey" and nodded politely, as is common here. I did not watch to see what else she looked at as I turned and left.
Conclusions:
When I first started crossdressing in pantyhose and shorts with all men clothes, occasionally, people would glance at my legs and then giggle, or tell their friends, etc. (In later years, they also did that when I wore a skirt. Those reactions stopped around the time gay marriage was legalized in the US. People stopped seeing it as significant, I guess.)
When I first started crossdressing in public in ladies shoes and pantyhose with shorts, it seemed like a LOT of people would look at me and then look down at my legs or shoes. For some reason, it seemed rather noticeable.
Later, when I became brave enough to wear darker shades of pantyhose, people would make very obvious glances at my legs. The obvious pantyhose got very different reactions than the nude pantyhose.
Teenagers were the ones who saw my legs the most when I was in menswear. I conclude that my pantyhose then, Leggs Sheer Energy Active Support, were more obvious than today's pantyhose. I do not think that my ladies' shoes are more obvious now than they were then, but I conclude that my shoes were what people were looking at, and not my legs necessarily years ago. In yesterday's outing, no one ever looked at my outfit or shoes that I could see. Today, I wore Leggs Sheer Energy in medium support. I feel like these are more obvious than other hose I own, but apparently not.
Anyhow, it was fun to go out like I used to. I never present female when I crossdress. I have grown so much braver than I used to be. Also, people do not care how I am dressed as much as they used to.
Thank you everyone. I may add a picture later, after I edit it to remove my face, etc.