Greetings, my dear readers. I hope this blog finds you well and in some nice lingerie. I got to thinking about the advantages and challenges involved in the different modes of shopping in which we can engage. There are basically three ways to shop; online, brick and mortar and hard copy catalogues.
Hard copy catalogues are pretty much going the way of the dial telephone, but I have found a nice Capri set and a pretty nightgown in one of the catalogues we get. I found the experience pretty flat, and overall the lingerie was pretty boring. I think it is designed for an older set of ladies, with a lot of granny panties and bras that would probably deflect a speeding bullet.
The internet is ideal for those of us who are shy about our inner femme. There is such an array of nice lingerie out there. We are fortunate to have XDress and Body Aware, who specifically cater to us of the femme persuasion. Thank goodness for XD and BA! There are also some nice ladies sites out there. When looking at the customer reviews on a pair of ladies panties, you’d be surprised how many of the reviews are done by males. We number more than you might think. The upside of the internet is you can shop in complete privacy with no risk of unintentionally outing yourself. One of the risks is the issue of fit. You can’t try it on. To further complicate the matter, what one store considers a size large can differ greatly from another store. You just have to learn by experience.
One thing I really like about the internet is in the shoe department. I have large feet – size 13. For those of you that don’t know, in order to find the right size of women’s shoe, add two sizes to your men’s size. If you are a size 9, you would be a size 11 in women’s shoes. Doing the math, you can see that I am a size 15 in women’s shoes. You don’t just go to the local shoe store to find a women’s size 15. You won’t find them. I can, however, find size 15 online, and I have several pair, from boots, to sandals, to loafers, and of course Mary Janes. Also shopping for shoes online spares you the exposure involved in shopping at a brick and mortar.
Speaking of brick and mortar shopping, there are advantages and challenges there as well. First the challenges. The obvious challenge is outing yourself without intending to. There are ways to deal with that. If you are married to a gg who is supportive of your cross dressing, she is your cover for shopping. My wife and I love to go shopping and we have the closets and drawers to prove it! We’ve gotten to the point that a new skirt means you have to donate one to the charity shop. A new pair of panties? Find an old pair to throw out. Such a nice problem to have! One of the up sides to me personally is just the thrill of being in the store with other women around while I’m shopping. Also, you can feel the texture of things and some things, like women’s jeans, you can try on, eliminating the problem of proper fit.
If you are either not out to your gg or single with no relationship, you can use a trick that I used before I was out to my wife. As with most of us, I started by secretly underdressing. When there was a pair of panties I just had to have, I would also pick up a birthday or anniversary card for my wife. Ah, I’m shopping for her, not me. One time I was doing our grocery shopping by myself at Wal Mart and threw a nice pink lacy pair of panties in, thinking they would be lost among all the groceries. Wrong! The clerk scanned them and said, “I’ll bet you’ll look cute in these.” I just smiled, thinking anything I said would just dig the hole deeper.
The pre-Christmas shopping season is a pretty safe time to do both under and outer wear shopping, as everybody is buying things for others. Pretty safe time to get that skirt and blouse you’ve been wanting.
One of the things my wife and I love to do is hit the thrift shops. You’d be surprised at the quality outer wear you can find if you just look. Men’s shopping is pretty straight forward – shirts in one area, slacks in another. With women’s shopping, it’s more like a hunting expedition. Everything is everywhere. You have to take your time. I have skirts and blouses from higher end labels that I got for cheap. One thing that I don’t get is that some of the thrift shops sell used panties. Really? That is so gross. Would you wear panties previously owned by a total stranger? Not this gurl!
So, I’ve rambled on long enough. How about you – what are your experiences and preferences in the wonderful world of shopping? Please share your thoughts with me, as I always love to read your postings. Until then, let’s get out there and go shopping!
Fond regards,
Angie
P.S. Are there certain subjects you would love to read about on this blog? We are always looking for interesting topics to explore. Let us know in the comments section below!
38 comments
Hello Angie, and thank you for another fantastic topic! I will start off by saying that shopping is something I thoroughly enjoy, whether it be online or in store. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t go online at least briefly, to peruse various sites for clothing.
So far, I have purchased clothes exclusively online, and have had nothing but fantastic experiences. Just this last week, I purchased a lingerie set including a long-line bra, garter belt, and high-waisted panties. I was able to talk to the seller personally, and give them my measurements in order for it to be a perfect fit.
This seller was very accommodating and polite, and has made lingerie for men before, which was a pleasant surprise as it was a lingerie site intended for women. I can’t wait to try it on!
I have gone shopping in the mall with my GF a couple times, but never really found any clothes I liked. This was during Spring however, which typically has bright colors that I am not too fond of. I did however find a very nice pair of high heels, which I purchased with my GF alongside me, and the cashier didn’t bat an eye.
So far, I prefer online shopping. The variety in clothing is unmatched, and is far easier to find items tailored to my style preferences. I have yet to find a store in my area which sells Gothic styles, aside from Hot Topic which is usually very limited. I’m sure this isn’t an issue for most who prefer styles which are less of the alternative persuasion, so I may be alone in this dilemma.
Anyway, these are my experiences thus far. While I may not have as full of a wardrobe as some of you (yet), I absolutely love the one time of the month where I get to buy myself clothes, and my wardrobe will certainly grow in the coming months/years.
-Nathan
P.S. Some subjects I would love to see are:
-Shoe preferences
-Style preferences
-Hair Removal
-Obstacles cross-dressing causes in daily life
-Lingerie styles / preferences
Hi Ang,
Great blog but what the heck, you left out the ultimate out and about freebie, you left out Halloween!
What better time of year to be whatever you want to be without too many freaky-deakies raising their eyebrows getting in your direction. I’ve stocked up so completely on so many Halloween’s. Pants, gowns, skirts, blouses, cardi’s, blazers, panties, bustiers, stockings, pantyhose, tights, bodysuits, garters, make up, wigs, shapers, lifters, bras, waspies, baby-dolls, nighties, merry-widows and whatever else my frill obsessed little heart desired. I hit makeup shops telling them I was going to a costume party en femme, asking for a free makeover and I learned what works well with my skin tones and how to properly apply it (just make sure you shave first). Halloween shopping starts earlier every year so you’ll have two to three whole months to try on, stock up, doll up and most of all have fun being you and in the end it could also help to bring you out of your shell. Going to a lingerie store to sift through their mountains of panties and lingerie might not freak you out. Grabbing a couple boxes of everyday wear pantyhose from a grocery store while you’re out shopping won’t be a big deal. Spending a few hours thumbing through outfits at the mall will be a fun filled day out, you don’t even have to try them on there, just make sure they’re returnable. It’s only weird if you make it weird and try not to be taken aback if a clerk figures you “out” let them help you, you never know where it will lead you. If anything you’ll get a little rush, it’s exciting and liberating to be your inner you outside and the more you do it the more normal it will feel. To hell with societies views of what’s normal anyway, you decide what’s normal, it’s your life, it’s your world, be the you, you want to be, normalcy is what you make it, right? Ugh! You’re so right about the shoes though, impossible to find anything in an actual store that fits but there’s way more selection online anyway, just pay attention to the reviews about the fit and you’ll be strutting it in no time.
All that being said, through all my years of offline shopping I’ve settled into a life of online shopping as it is the best, most convenient and most reliable place for me to find exactly what I want and need, I don’t know, maybe I’m getting too old. Xdress, most expertly, keeps my panty and lingerie drawers overflowing and other sites keep me flush for leg-wear and clothing.
I guess what I’m saying is don’t pass up the opportunity to offline shop, it’s some of the most fun a guy can have being a girl.
K
I have bought a ton of women’s clothes and many times I thought I would have a heart attack doing so. It is really stressful. For the most part , I have found that checkers don,t really care WHO you are buying for.