Road Trip

7/19/2017

I went on a day road trip.  I wore my new, blue and white striped, maxi skirt.  I also brought a white button up top, a white t-shirt, nude pantyhose, and white Keds canvas shoes.

Restaurant
I stopped at a restaurant that has a store attached to it in order to buy some candy.  I parked rather far from the door and walked in.  I was wearing sunglasses.  I do not know why that is important, but it was a different experience.  I walked up to the restaurant where a few people were sitting outside waiting.  One of the people looked like a 20-year-old girl.  She smiled, but she was not smiling politely at me.  I might be wrong, but it looked like she was containing her laughter.

Inside, I removed my sunglasses.  The staff was polite and professional.  The customers were also polite.  I found my candy and bought it.  I walked back out past the porch people and returned to my car.

Grocery Store
Next, I stopped at a store to get some milk to drink with my candy.  The store was rather busy, but I was not afraid.  I walked in with my head up.  I was impressed with myself.  I walked past a lot of people.  Many of the people never noticed me.

I selected a cashier who was smiling more happily than the others.  I got into her line.  She was dealing with another customer.  When it was my turn, she seemed very reserved.  I suppose I may have made her uncomfortable.

Clothing Store
I drove for about an hour in my skirt eating my candy.  It was very nice.  I stopped at a clothing store and shopped for a few minutes.  I noticed that all of the mannequins had either patterned tops and solid bottoms, or they had patterned bottoms and solid tops with necklaces.  Only one solid top did not have necklaces over it.  That top had ruffles that went diagonally across.

So, I received the message: I need to break up the plainness of a solid top.  I asked an employee how I could accent my solid-patterned tops without jewelry or scarves.  She gave me some options that were similar to what I already do: wear jackets, sweaters, or cardigans.

I changed back into trousers before getting to my destination.

Rest Area
A couple hours later, I was on my return trip.  I changed clothes back into my skirt and continued driving.  I stopped at a rest area and used the men’s room.  There were two options for which men’s room I could use.  I heard someone in one room.  I hesitated briefly and then went into the other men’s room.  I used the rest room in solitude.  I felt like I had acted cowardly.

Several Stores
Eventually, I stopped in a small town.  I shopped in a clothing store.  Then, I bought some gardening supplies at a hardware store.  Next, I went to a small grocery store for another small bottle of milk..  They did not have small bottles.  Nothing significant happened in these places.

Fast Food Restaurant
Next, I went to a fast food restaurant for a milkshake.   At this stop, things were somewhat uncomfortable.  I walked across the parking lot and approached the door.  A family was exiting the restaurant.  Through the glass, the teenage daughter in the family saw my outfit and started laughing.  Her mother and grandmother did not laugh.  They also did not tell her to stop being rude.  I held the door for the women.  The mother was providing a lot of physical support to the grandmother.  Both women thanked me politely as they slowly exited.  While they progressed past me, the girl, who was behind them, was using her hand to hold her face.  The teenager eventually gained her composure when she finally exited the door that I was still holding.  She straightened her posture, looked me in the eye, smiled at me and said, “Thank you.”  I replied.  I entered the restaurant and glanced back at the family.  The teenager was laughing again.  Her family members still were not laughing.  I was not affected by it.  It did not shake my confidence.  I just felt that she was young enough that she could not manage to respond to my outfit in a casual manner.

Let me add that more than half of the people did not react to me.  They seemed mostly disinterested in this anomaly of a man in a skirt.

I got in line behind two men.  Behind the counter, there was a cashier, a male employee, and a tall, female employee.  While I stood there, the tall employee noticed me and smiled and gave me a bright, “Hi there.”  She did not speak to the two customers in front of me.  I noticed some employees back in the kitchen area huddled close and looking at me.  A teenage employee looked like she was laughing.

I ended up ordering food and water to go with my milkshake.  I paid and walked over to the drink area.  A male customer was refilling his drink.  He walked away and sat by his female companion.  I heard him try to tell her about me in hushed tones.  When I walked past their table on my way to the exit, I looked their way.  The woman seemed uncomfortable.

I was not made significantly uncomfortable by their reactions to me.  I had a nice outing.

Shopping Center
Next, I drove to a different town.  I stopped at a shopping center.  I walked to a store that had a blue jean skirt in their display.  A male employee was at the entrance.  I felt awkward, perhaps he felt awkward as well.  We said hello and I walked on shopping.  Eventually, I walked over to him for help.  I could not find a knee-length denim skirt.  He started helping me like normal.  Eventually, he called in a female employee.

They did not have skirts as long as I was seeking.  The three of us continued speaking briefly.  I walked toward the exit.  The female employee walked away.  The man kept talking to me.  Eventually, the conversation ended and I exited.  I was surprised that he was slightly difficult to get away from.

Gas Station
My last stop was to a gas station.  I filled up my car.  No other cars were there.  I saw the woman working inside looking out the window at me.  I finished with the gas.  I went into the store and bought a small bottle of milk.  The employee was social with me.  Then, I went home.

My Impressions
As usual, many people either did not notice my outfit or they did not react beyond glancing down.  However, I perceived that the people in these small towns were not used to men dressed like me.  I do not know why anyone in my town would be more accustomed to such things.  The demeanor of the people I encountered seemed more surprised or uncomfortable than I usually observe at home.  Whatever it was, it was subtle.

When I first started going out in public wearing women’s wear, I normally felt like the people who saw me were shocked or uncomfortable.  However in the past few years, I have stopped noticing such reactions.  I concluded that one of two things were true: either I was not paying as much attention to peoples reactions, or the general public where I normally go out is less shocked than they used to be at seeing a man in a skirt.  After this experience, I think that the difference was not me.  I think people are more at ease with a crossdressed man.

When I typed up my experiences on this outing, I started noticing a pattern.  I wondered, “Were people laughing because my outfit was unusually silly looking?”  I had to reassure myself that I did in this outfit what I often do in a new outfit.  When I was being helped by sales people in the clothing stores, I asked, “How can I make this outfit better?”  With this outfit, I received higher compliments than I normally receive.  I do not recall any suggestions for improvement from the two women I asked.

Thank you for reading about my silly experiences.

July Haircut at a Men’s Barbershop

7/19/2017

Ever since November 2014, I always wear women’s wear to the barbershop.  Once again, it was time for me to get a haircut.  This time, I wore my knee-length, denim skirt.  On top, I wore a purple blouse with a white, collared shirt loose and unbuttoned.  I also wore nude pantyhose and black flats.  As always, I wore no make-up, jewelry, bra, or wig.  I was just a man in a skirt.

Something significant here: I have not been shaving my legs all summer.  I have used Sun-In to bleach my leg hair so that I can wear shorter skirts.  This was my first outing in nude pantyhose and bleached hair.  I can see the hair through the pantyhose when I look in person, but I cannot see them when I look in a mirror.

I have been trying to find a new barbershop lately.  This time I went to a new barbershop that only caters to men.  This is the first time I have gone to a “men’s barbershop” while crossdressed.

The Barbershop

I walked into the barbershop and entered the waiting area.  There was only one man waiting.  Because of a wall, he was the only person who could have seen me.  I never saw him look at me.  I crossed the room, signed in, and returned across the room to a seat.

A woman came to check the list.  She looked at me.  She seemed unsure or confused about what was going on.  She took the man to cut his hair.  Eventually, another woman came and took me to cut my hair.  I was seated in the chair beside the man.  Again, I never saw him pay me any attention.

The barber and I talked about gardening and children, etc..  Eventually, we realized that she has cut my hair before at another barbershop before I did such things in skirts.  Once we started talking, I felt like she became more relaxed.

My barber took me into another room and washed my hair.  Then, we went to the cash register so I could pay.  Since we were alone, I asked her if she could tell that I had not shaved my legs.  I was worried about looking tacky due to compressed hair under pantyhose.  These pantyhose are Leggs Sheer Energy in medium support.  They are rather light weight.  She told me that she could not tell.  I thanked her and left.

Thrift Store

On my way to get some lunch, I stopped at a thrift store.  Some of the other people in the store took notice of me if I passed near them.  Otherwise, I was ignored.  I was hoping to find a khaki skirt, a denim skirt that truly falls to my knees (this one is three inches too short), or a good top.

I found a khaki skirt.  It was knit and a little stretchy.  It what exactly what I have been looking for!  I tried it and a top on.  The skirt was too small, and the top was too big.

Restaurant

I went to an international restaurant for lunch.  It was early.  There were no other customers in the restaurant yet.  The owner, a man, greeted and seated me.  Another man took my food order.  I ate my food.  The owner was at the cash register.  I paid and I left.  I only interacted with men.  No big deal.

Consignment Shop

I once read a fashion blog post.  The woman said that when you shop for shoes, try on shoes and leave.  If you think about a pair of shoes twice after you have left, then you should go back and buy them.

My next stop on this outing was to a consignment shop to buy a skirt I have thought about several times since I tried it on.  I walked into the store and over to the skirts.  The employee, a young woman, asked me, “Is there anything in particular you are looking for?”  I saw the skirt and took it off of the rack.  I replied, “Yes, this skirt.”  Then I walked over and bought it.

After I bought it, I tried on a black dress that I saw on the rack.  It fit me unusually well (because it did not have a defined waist and it hung to my knees).  However, it was stretchy and skin-tight on me.  I asked the employee for ideas on what to add to the dress.  A customer, who was out of sight, eventually could not contain herself.  She walked over to put in her opinion.  She checked it out and complimented me on the fit.  Then she took over giving me advice.  She was totally cool with this man in a dress.

I did not buy the dress.  It had too deep of a neckline.  Also, it was probably too snug on my body.  I am not sure if I could go out in such a form-fitting outfit!  I probably ought to dress my age!!  I took my blue and white maxi skirt and went home.

Future Work

I still intend to go to a “real” men’s barbershop while crossdressed.  By “real” I  mean a barbershop where only men work and where a dog might be welcome to sit in the waiting area.  (This might be a regional phenomenon.)

 

Using Sun-In to Bleach Leg Hair

7/2/2017

I am a man who wears a skirt on occasions.  In the winter, I shave my legs.  In the summer, I let my leg hair grow so that I can wear shorts.  It helps me hide my secret fashion tastes.

I used to never wear skirts in public in the summer because of my leg hair.  At some point I discovered that no one can tell I have hairy legs if I wear maxi skirts in the summer,  When I also wear dark pantyhose, my leg hairs are very well hidden.  If people were to bend over to look at my ankles, they would see the hair, but not otherwise.

Sometimes, I want to wear something other than a maxi skirt.  That led to me trying to use Sun-In to bleach my leg hair.  Sun-In is a Hydrogen Peroxide-based product.  It claims to be heat activated.  It claims that you can spray it on your hair and then go out into the sun or use a blow dryer to lighten the color.  I found on-line that one site said that using a solution of lemon juice and Hydrogen Peroxide would provide a similar result.

I have dark hair.  I was warned in a web forum that bleaching my leg hair might result in orange hair.  I was also warned that my leg hair will look unusual when the dark roots start to show.

I tried Sun-In on my legs last year.  I found that it did lighten my leg hair color.  Some hairs were darker than others.

This year, I tried Sun-In again.  When I went on vacation, I used it daily on my leg hair.  Sometimes, I applied Sun-In multiple times per day.  I observed that my leg hair became so light colored, that they started to stand out from my tanned legs.  Some stray hairs are still dark.  Otherwise, my leg hair is hard to perceive when I am bare-legged.

When I wear pantyhose, it is hard to tell that I have leg hair at all.  If you look closely, you can see an occasional dark hair.  Otherwise, I look shaved.  Unfortunately. it does not feel as nice as having shaved legs.

I am happy with my results.  See below:

 

This is a comparison of my arm hair versus my bleached leg hair.  The leg hair started off looking rather red.  It eventually had a mostly blond color.  (Please pardon the camera strap.)

 

Here is my leg alone.  If you look along the edges, you can more easily see the actual color of my leg hair after being bleached with Sun-In.

 

On my upper leg, my leg hair is in its original color.  I did not bleach my legs above my shorts line.  The dark leg hair is not as apparent in this image as it is in person.  I think the upper leg hair is MUCH more obvious.

 

While wearing nude Sheer Energy Leggs in Active Support style, the hair is only visible from up close.  I am of the opinion that off black Active Support pantyhose hides my leg hair well enough that most people do not see it.  On one outing when I wore a knee-length skirt with dark pantyhose, I asked a few ladies if they could tell that I had not shaved.  They said they did not notice.  One told me she kept looking to check and still could not see them.

 

This is my leg in off black Leggs Sheer Energy pantyhose in Medium support style.

Let me end by saying that I am not recommending that you do what I did.  If you choose to bleach your leg hair with Sun-In, it was not at my recommendation.  I add this paragraph because I feel like it is a risk for someone to put chemicals on their body.  I am not qualified to offer medical advice.

If any of you have ever tried a different bleaching product on your leg hair, please let me know how it turned out.  I considered using another product that was an actual bleaching product.  I was too worried that my hair was going to turn out an unnatural white, so I did not attempt to use that product.

UPDATE:
I went for about a week without using Sun-In and my legs show it.  The hair grew out dark.  I have two-toned hair.  Oh dear, I have roots!  The dark part of the hair is the length of one week of growth.  Since the light part of the hair is still hard to see, from up close my legs look like I have not shaved in a week.  From a distance, however, it does not look too bad.  No one has noticed or commented.

A second observation is that when I have used Sun-In recently, my legs looked rather dry.  I even noticed some flaking of dry skin on my legs.

 

Several Meals, Shopping, and a Concert Outing Part 2

6/14/2017

This is a continuation of part 1…  (Thank you for reading my stories!)

Buffet Family Restaurant
For supper, I went to eat at a restaurant that has an all-you-can-eat buffet.  I have considered going to a restaurant like this before, but never did.  It was frightening to me to have to stand in front of everyone at the buffet.  I envisioned it as though the room was silent and wide open.  I felt like standing at the buffet would be as eye-catching as standing on stage.  It was not like that at all.

I walked into the restaurant.  A man was in the lobby with two children.  I know the little girl looked at me, but she looked away just as quickly as though she saw nothing unusual or interesting.  (I am getting that a lot in this brown skirt.)

The girl who took my money gave me a glance and then was polite and business-like.  I walked into the dining area.  It was crowded.  Lots of families were everywhere.  An older guy at a table was facing me.  Promptly, his wife slowly started to rotate around to get a look at me.  I felt some pressure to find a seat quickly.  I selected a table near me that was also near the older couple.  No one else appeared to see me.  The tables and short walls around the room blocked the view of me.  Also, everyone was busy with their families and meals.  Perhaps, that couple were the only ones who noticed me.

I went to the buffet.  I was side-by-side with people while I filled my plate.  They never seemed to pay me any attention.  Instead of being wide open, the walls and buffet blocked the people dining from seeing me.  Also, people were still busy.  I was not the center of attention.  I have become so comfortable in public that I could stand wherever in view of whomever at this buffet and not feel panicky.

At the buffet, one boy walked by me like kids do when they are pretending not to pay attention, but they are.  A woman in a striped dress made eye contact and smiled in an encouraging way.  An employee working the buffet spoke to me when I approached her area.  She was either friendly in general, or she was playfully engaging me because I was different.  No one spoke of my clothes.  No one was mean.  I was where I belonged!

I ate my supper.  The server, a man, may have never noticed my outfit.  Around the time I finished eating, a lot of customers arrived.  Perhaps they arrived together on a bus.  I waited for them to pass before I got up to get my dessert.  I went to the dessert counter on the buffet.  It turns out that a part of the large group decided to cross the buffet area to find seats and my path intersected with theirs.  My attempt to avoid them amounted to me coming face to face with them.  The ones who saw me smiled and let me cross in front of them.  People are nice, it turns out!

I crossed paths with other customers.  Some of them would look at my outfit and then move on.  It was okay.  I was comfortable and they were polite.  When I was eating, I noticed my hands were a little shaky.  However, I was not afraid.  I am significantly bolder than I used to be!

While I ate my dessert, the older couple got up to leave.  I looked over at them as they passed a few feet from me.  I made eye contact with the man.  He smiled at me and nodded a hello toward me.

When it was my time to leave, I simply walked out.  Again, I was not the center of attention.  People saw me, but they did nothing.  I walked to my car victorious.  I had conquered my fear of going to a buffet-style restaurant.

Concert
That evening I went to a small concert.  I was not comfortable with the idea of going to a concert while dressed pretty, so I changed into menswear.  When I arrived, I saw a sign on the door that said, “Safe Place” with a rainbow color scheme.  The staff inside had a lot of piercings, tattoos, and facial hair.  That roughly describes the clientèle as well.

At several times during the concert, I thought that I could have been wearing a skirt and been just fine.  These people might have complimented me.  A couple times, I considered going out and changing into my pretty clothes.  After the concert, that is just what I did.

There was an event after the concert that I was not participating in.  I went out to my car, parked in a better space, and changed into my skirt and top.  I waited for the crowd in the lobby to thin some before going in.  No one appeared to notice me walking in.  I went to the restaurant in the facility.  I ordered a soft drink and found a place to sit and drink it.

Maybe one or two people saw me.  I was in plain sight, but everyone was milling around talking to their friends.  I was not visible to them.  Eventually, I finished up and left.

Grocery Store
I went to a grocery store to get one item.  When I arrived, I did not know what that item would be.  I just did not want to go home yet.  Nothing interesting happened.  I do not even think anyone noticed me.

Late Night Diner
My last stop was a trip to a late-night diner.  I have been to one of these before, but I felt disappointed with that outing.  I was trying to conquer another fear.  I walked into the diner and I went to a table.  Where I was sitting, I was not hidden.  A male employee was near me.  When I approached my table, he stood up and spoke to me.  I sat and he took my order.  Nothing unusual happened.  The other customers behaved like normal.  Once again I was where I belonged.

I went home and changed into my pajamas.

 

Several Meals, Shopping, and a Concert Outing Part 1

6/14/2017

Lunch at a Family Restaurant
I recently bought a new skirt that I am quite fond of.  I had another opportunity to crossdress and I wanted to wear it again.  The skirt is knee-length and has a black and brown pattern.  With it, I wore a red top, off-black pantyhose, and flats.  As is my only always, I was presenting male.

For lunch, I visited a casual, family restaurant.  It was a little frightening for me.  I sat in the parking lot for a few minutes looking at who was going in and out.  I got out of my car and approached the building.  An older man went in ahead of me.

When I walked into the building, a couple of the staff greeted me.  They looked my way, but it was very quick.  I saw no double takes.  I do not think they noticed my outfit.  The older man also glanced over at me briefly.  He looked away just as quickly as he had looked at me.  I also think that he did not notice.

After that, I believe that every family that came into the restaurant included children.  As a courtesy to the parents, I try to avoid being seen by children.  Also, I do not want to contribute to a child’s life of crossdressing, if they have that tendency.

While I was standing in line placing my order, a man and his grand daughter entered the restaurant.  I could not hide myself since I was in line giving my order.  Interestingly, I never saw any evidence that either the child or the adult noticed my outfit.

I proceeded to the kiosk to fill my drink.  The man and child came over shortly afterward to fill their drinks.  I was getting a lid and straw at that point.  Again, they demonstrated no sign that they noticed anything unusual about me.

I found a seat, sat down, crossed my legs, and waited.  Before too long, the man and girl showed up on my side of the restaurant.  They sat only a few seats away from me on the opposite side of the aisle.  Much later in this outing, the girl looked over at me and made eye contact.  She smiled politely and returned to her tablet play.

Not long after the man and girl sat down, a mom and her son arrived.  They sat in the booth next to the man and girl’s booth.  A third mother and child came into the area but found a seat elsewhere.  Eventually, my food came.  After I ate, I disposed of my trash and I walked to the exit.  While I was at the door, the young woman who served me called to me and wished me well.  She had enough time to actually look at me.  I still observed no indication that she saw anything unusual.

Hardware Store
Later in the day, while running some errands, I went to a hardware store.  The store had a busy parking lot.  I feared that I would be walking in view of a lot of people inside the store.  I walked in and started shopping.  There were so many racks and counters that I was very well hidden.  I found the aisle I was looking for.  While I was finding my item, an employee brought a few customers to the same aisle.  Only the wife in the family paid me any attention.  She was close to sixty years in age.  She looked at me and went on her way.

I found what I was looking for and I went to the counter to pay.  I could not tell if the teenage employee noticed my outfit.  She was completely normal with me.

Am I invisible?  I am getting the strong impression that this skirt/outfit is just not very noticeable.

Consignment Shop
I went to a consignment shop I have visited only once before.  Three women were working.  There were two customers at the cash register.  I started browsing.  Everyone ignored me.  This store caters to smaller sized people than me.  The selection in my size was small.

One employee eventually approached me.  After that, she was attached to me.  She was very helpful.  She seemed to understand me from the start.  She did not offer me anything girly/floral/dainty.  She was trying to find things with sleeves.  I went to the dressing room and tried on various things.  She would give me feedback on each.  She mentioned her friends who crossdress.  I asked her at one point how she came to know about her friends’ crossdressing.  She told me a few stories.  Things like, “he came out” or “he trusted me”…

During this outing, I tried on a blue and white maxi skirt.  It had slits on both sides that came up to my knees.  It was soft and it looked good on me.  I did not buy it that day, but I did go back and buy it in a future outing.

This outing is continued in Part 2…

Lunch in a New Skirt

6/9/2017

On a recent outing, I bought a new skirt.  It is so beautiful and fits me very well.  It falls perfectly for my height.  It is perfect.  …but not for hairy leg season…  I loved it so much that I wanted to wear it — soon.  In the summer, I do not shave my legs.  Therefore, if I wear a skirt in the summer, it is a maxi skirt.  Since this new skirt only comes down to my knees, I cannot wear it yet.  BUT, I wanted to wear it now, hair or no hair…  (I have been trying to gently lighten my leg hair color with a hydrogen peroxide-based product.  The hair color is still rather dark.)  I decided that I was going to wear the skirt with dark pantyhose and hope that no one notices the leg hair.

It is brown and black.  The fabric appears to be felted wool.  The colors of the pattern are evenly distributed and reminds me of how raindrops look on a window.  I wore it with Leggs Sheer Energy Active Support pantyhose in off black.  These pantyhose are thicker than usual.  I hoped they would mask my leg hair.  On top, I wore the new red top that I bought with this skirt.  I wore flats.

Sandwich Restaurant
I went to a sandwich restaurant for lunch.  I have never been to this one before.  When I arrived, the parking lot was empty.  Another vehicle pulled in.  A man talking on his phone got out of the vehicle.  I walked into the restaurant.

Inside, I found one male customer standing at the counter waiting on his sandwich to be made by the two female employees.  He looked like a laborer.  The man on the phone came in behind me.  He sat at a table and continued talking on his phone.

Shortly after an employee started taking my order, a mother with three kids (~8-12 years old) came in and got in line behind me.  Happily, I heard no snickers.  The kids did not seem to lurk around while staring at me.  I never saw them whispering to each other.  They handled the man in the skirt with class.  (Thank you, kids.  I appreciate it!)

I paid for my meal, filled my drink, and sat at a table.  The laborer was seated three tables to my left.  he never acknowledged me.

The mom and kids ordered to go, paid, and filled drinks.  As they were leaving, the mother glanced at my lower half, then up to my face.  we made eye contact and she smiled a possibly awkward smile.  They left.

Eventually, the man on the phone hung up his phone and got in line.  I finished my meal and refilled my cup.  I got back in line behind the phone man in order to buy a dessert.  The phone man looked back at me and greeted me.  I responded.  I bought my dessert.

I walked out of the restaurant.  A teenage boy was about to enter the restaurant as I exited the building.  We spoke as we passed one another at the doorway.  His mother was on her phone standing by her car.  She was standing between her car and mine.  She looked at me and realized that I was coming toward her.  She stepped out from between the vehicles and I stepped in and entered my car.  I ate my dessert as I left.

Shoe Store
Next, I went to a shoe store.  As I exited my car, an employee looked toward me through the large windows.  I waved to her.  She put on a large smile and waved back.  I walked in the store to find a couple in their late 50s, a woman close to my age in a dress, and a rather young woman.

There was a display of sandals near the rack of large-sized women’s shoes.  Three of the customers were at this display.  I walked toward the large shoes.  The employee welcomed me and approached me while asking, “What kind of shoes are you looking for today?”  I did not have the nerve to answer her specifically in front of the other people.  I said, “I’m just looking.”  I walked past the man and his wife.

What I hoped to find was a pair of low-height wedge shoes.  I found some.  I walked to the far end of the aisle where there was a full mirror.  I looked at my self in the mirror while wearing my original shoes.  Then, I tried on the wedges.  While I was doing this, the woman in the dress was shopping on the next aisle.  She did not pay me any attention at first.  Then, I noticed her look over at me.

The woman looked for one or two seconds and then she was done.  This was about how long I looked at her earlier, when I first saw her.  She was wearing a dress and it was pretty.  I looked at her for a second or two, noticing the pattern and style of her dress, and noticing the style and height of her shoes.  Then I was done.

I went back to find a different pair of shoes.  I tried on several shoes.  Eventually, all of the customers left and I was the only customer in the store.  I asked the employee how the wedges looked with my outfit.  She answered and came over to where I was shopping and started talking to me.

I asked her if she could see my leg hair.  She said she did not notice it.  She added, “I like your stockings.  I like how they are stretchy and not baggy.”  I told her what brand they were.  She was not familiar with Leggs brand.  I realized that she, being black, would not have any use for a brand with names like “nude” and “suntan” that were in the shades of white-people skin (though neither is a true match for my skin color).

We talked for a few minutes.  She was very friendly and helpful.  I eventually finished shopping and left empty handed.  She invited me to return soon and wished me well.  I thanked her and went on my way.

June Haircut and Lunch

6/7/2017

I had another hair cut outing.  I wore my abstract-patterned, green and black maxi skirt, a brown polo top, nude pantyhose, and black flats.  Later I swapped the flats for some nude high heels.  Here is a picture of the outfit from an outing long ago:

Cafeteria Restaurant
My first stop was at a cafeteria-style restaurant.  Only one other time have I gone to a restaurant like this.  That outing was much farther from home than this outing.

I arrived just before opening time.  Apparently, a lot of senior citizens do this on a regular basis.  I exited my car and approached the building at roughly the same time as a woman wearing scrubs.  She and I walked across the parking lot together.  She spoke freely to me.  We and several other people accumulated in the restaurant lobby while waiting for the door to the dining area to be unlocked.

I think the group of us grew to seven people.  One man was a preacher.  No comment was made about any unusual fashion…  Probably because the preacher’s red shirt and white tie were not that unconventional.  All of us spoke politely to one another.  I liked this group of people.  I felt comfortable.

We were eventually allowed in.  As we walked toward the serving line, I spoke to the woman in scrubs.  I asked her about her work.  She answered and then pointed to my skirt and said, “I won’t even ask [what you do].”  I told her my profession.  Then she gave a surprised look and asked, “Do you dress like this for work?”  I answered, “Not yet.  Is it bad?”  She said no and  that it looks nice.  We talked some more in the serving line, and then I paid and moved on.

I interacted with the employees and customers as if this was my 100th time out in a skirt.  I seemed to have no discernible fear or hesitation.  (This was more likely my 300th outing than my 100th!)

I chose to sit at a table in the middle of the restaurant.  There were small walls in a couple nearby places.  These walls made the table be out of sight from most of the restaurant.  Also, the table was close to the exit.  Sitting in this position gave me some ability to stay hidden and to escape quickly if someone I knew showed up.

I sat facing a table of female employees.  They all noticed me when I walked into the room with my food.  They watched me sit down.   Occasionally while I ate,  one of the women would glance over my way to see what was happening at my table.  All they saw was a guy eating food.  The server was only business with me.  I had no interaction with other employees.

As I exited the building, I had a choice.  I could walk on the left, in plain sight for those driving down the busy road, or I could walk on the right between cars and hide myself from the street.  I was concerned that someone who knows me might drive by and see me.  I was brave.  I walked on the left where I might have walked in menswear.

Then, something undesirable happened.  A vehicle pulled into the parking lot.  I looked over at it.  The man in the passenger side had his phone up as though he was taking a picture of me.  He was already in position as soon as I noticed him.  Since I was walking in the open, he had time to prepare before I noticed him.  I do not know if he got a picture of my face.  I put my hands on my hips, scowled my face, and turned my back to him.  Afterward, I watched the vehicle.  It pulled into a nearby, connected, parking lot.  Two men exited the vehicle and entered a different building.

Barber Shop
I left the restaurant and went to the same barber shop where I went last month.  I was greeted by a somewhat flamboyant employee.  She took me immediately to her chair.  She never mentioned my outfit.  She talked a lot.  Other customers came and went.  No one paid me any significant attention.

Thrift Store
I was done with my scheduled outing.  I wanted to do more.  I went to a thrift store.  I put on my nude-colored heels and went in.  I shopped around.  This pair of heels always seem to hurt my feet.  They are not the perfect size for me.  I found that I am out of practice walking in heels.  These heels are kind of tall and possibly ridiculous.  Only one young customer paid me any particular attention.  He walked around the store in order to get a look at me, I think.  I did not buy anything.

Consignment Store
Next, I went to a consignment store.  I wore my flats for this.  There were a couple other women shopping here.  One was a white-haired, tall, older lady.  The other was a younger woman who appeared to be Indian.  She had no noticeable accent.

I shopped around.  At one point, the Indian woman was on the same rack as me looking through clothes.  We spoke briefly.  I got the impression that she was disinterested in me, but she was not afraid of or offended by me.  I found a couple items that I wanted to try on.

I tried on the outfit.  The bottom was a black and brown, subtly patterned, lined skirt in a thick fuzzy fabric that might have been felted wool.  It was very nice.  The top was a light-weight, long-sleeved, red shirt.  The skirt was a good length.  The sleeves and body of the shirt were a good length.  I was impressed.

I stepped out of the dressing booth to use a larger mirror.  I thought the shirt was a little too big for me.  The owner of the consignment store disagreed.  She thought it was just right.  She said that I did not want that type of top to be snug.  I decided to buy them both.  While I was standing at the mirror, the next dressing booth curtain opened.  The Indian woman stepped out in a long, dark green evening gown.  An employee helped to snug up the dress and tie the excess.  It was beautiful.  It matched very well with her skin color.  We were all complimenting her.

I changed back into my clothes.  I got in line.  The older woman was being served.  I complimented her on her beautiful, white hair.  We all talked about hair for a few minutes.  Then the Indian woman got in line behind me with the dress in hand.  I hesitated to say anything.  I finally gave in.  I said, “I wish pretty clothes looked that beautiful on me…  You are very lucky.”