I shop at a woman's clothing consignment shop It is my safe place.
I usually shop there in male mode because of the amount of time it takes me to girl up. I shop the racks like any other customer and sometimes pick out something to bring into the changing room to try on before buying. I often come out of the changing room for them to zip me up or to check the look and fit. There are about a half a dozen GGs who work there and they all know me and who I am shopping for.
Many times, they let me use a back room to change and put on makeup before an event. My wife is DADT and I can't dress at home. If I can't dress at the consignment store, I would need to dress in my car or a public bathroom, which are both more problematical.
I dressed there for my annual Christmas Meetup, the one that Jamie (alwayshave) wrote about. So, just to let them know how much I appreciate them, I bought a bouquet of flowers (nothing very extravagant) to thank them. I gave them to the owner and she was both surprised and appreciative. I game her a short verbal message, "Thanks for being here. Thanks for being you. And thanks for having me."
I also gave some flowers to my regular nail salon tech. She wasn't in, so I just left them on her work station. All the nail techs at the store recognize me. I've been there both en homme and en femme, typically to get a mani before going out to a girls event. They've never said anything to me directly, but they must have had conversations about me after I leave. It seems like there is always a murmur when I arrive.
