Summer "drabbatical"?

Laura Bird · Post by **Laura Bird** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 8:50 pm

A summer "drabbatical" - a term I learned from this fantastic blog: http://voyagesenrose.blogspot.com/

How many of you take one?

As much as I'd LIKE to dress over the summer, I'm not sure I can. I want to experience a warm evening walk, with the breeze blowing around my smooth soft legs while wearing a light summery-type dress or light skirt, open shoulders, hair blowing... just sounds thrilling!

From ~May to September I pretty much wear shorts and T-shirts the whole time. (I work from home, plus I work for a pretty easy going software company for the rare time I do go into the office.) However I'm also really active outdoors in the summer, in a lot of stereotypically more "manly" activities. I'm very heavily involved in club-level car racing and a local car club. I'm one of the few guys in the club who is mechanically inclined as well and am often called upon to spend a weekend in someone's garage tearing into a car (and with how hot it can get here in the midwest, you can bet I spend a lot of time in shorts/t-shirts there.) I also like running, bicycling, and the occasional bit of yard work with my wife. Having smooth shaved legs and arms would raise more than a few eyebrows from unknowing friends (as in, pretty much ALL of them.) And the thought of loading up on several layers of pantyhose and long sleeve shirts to cover up my natural fur coat just to go out for a few hours doesn't sound all that great

Anybody else? What do you do in the summers? Tough it out with lots of layers? Or put things on "pause"?

Absaroka · Post by **Absaroka** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:45 am

I work at home but my wife is a teacher so in the summer she and the kids are home much of the time. So the opportunities are less. Also we don't use A.C. so it gets fairly hot. there is a point where a bra and forms just get too sweaty.

To look at it in a positive way, summer is a time to revel in male privilege. The freedom to wear no shirt at all. Much of the time at home I wear a pair of short pants and that's it. If no ones around then I might wear panties under them. Panties and gym shorts are a comfy combination.

Sometimes in the evening if it's cooler I'll get dressed and go for a walk.

A couple of times my family has gone away for a weekend and I haven't gone. Those times I'll wear a woman's sleeveless tee and bra if it's not too hot, and a skirt and panties. It's a fun way to do yard work.

I don't remove body hair including my beard anyway. My eldest daughter also no longer shaves any body parts.

As I said, a positive way to view this is summer is the time to enjoy the near nudity that men are allowed. Yes my wife wears her bathing suit around the house or doing yard work, and the girls wear their bikinis, but it's not the same.

By time fall comes I'm usually pretty happy to resume dressing. The time without makes it more fun.
Zari

Post by **DonnaT** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:58 am

No difference really. Legs remain shaved, skirts are the same, cami tops are more in order, however, during the summer.

Carol Ann · Post by **Carol Ann** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:09 am

Only change for me is from winter cloths to summer skirts, biggest difference is I'm retired

Leeza · Post by **Leeza** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 10:24 am

About the only changes I make are hair removal more often and lighter weight clothing.

Leeza

Tammy R · Post by **Tammy R** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:33 pm

I think I may be able to go hairless all summer. Never really had much hair on my legs anyway. I suppose some of us are just lucky that way.

It it really that much different for you Laura? Or it is that you are more self conscious with the hair gone. I know it's that way for me, but I have decided to just go with it.

Laura Bird · Post by **Laura Bird** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 9:23 am

Tammy R wrote:I think I may be able to go hairless all summer. Never really had much hair on my legs anyway. I suppose some of us are just lucky that way.

It it really that much different for you Laura? Or it is that you are more self conscious with the hair gone. I know it's that way for me, but I have decided to just go with it.

I'm of eastern european decent. I'm usually pretty hairy. The only place I'm lucky to NOT have hair is on my back!

I'm also more self-conscious with it gone.

Robyn Katie · Post by **Robyn Katie** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:21 am

Legs shaven, arms and chest shaven, pretty tops or tees, skirts ranging from thigh length down, bra, panties. Or 1- and 2-piece swimsuits, which can be concealed under beach wraps if neighbors drop by.

I've never found bras too hot for summer, except maybe one or two of mine that are heavy lace. But I'm not in the Deep South, which might make a big difference. Here in New England we can get days over 90 (even over 100 rarely), but most days are more temperate than that. Worst problem is the humidity; but I have some very light bras and halters that work well even on humid days.

So I'm with Leeza ... I'd never let summer make me dress less femme. I just wear lighter weight and shave about the same as I ever would. Summer's a girl gas!

Love, Robyn Katie

Robyn Katie · Post by **Robyn Katie** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:36 am

P.S. Laura Bird, I see I didn't address your point about activities.

I kayak with my wife in halter tops and bikinis with breast forms, putting a long T-shirt or beach wrap over just until we're out of view and I can take it off. We bicycle a lot, and there, because the trail we ride can be well populated, I usually just underdress.

Every time I'm not actually under observation by others, I'm dressing femme no matter what the season. Usually I'm wearing lingerie and size-C breast forms at a minimum, unless the nearness of others makes it impossible to go unnoticed. Even then, the clothes I wear are women's, just not so obvious. I won't wear men's attire out!

Also I have smaller A-sized breast forms that are useful "stealth" items.

In the yard I sun in bikini or halter top, ready to cover up if somebody barges in (rarely happens).

Your car club activities do sound prohibitive for femme dress except underneath. But you might safely shave, I should think, if you personally feel ok about it. You can always use the excuse that you do it for swimming or running, as many people do, to cut wind resistance.

I am shaved summer and winter, and nobody raises an eyebrow. I've had shaved legs, chest and arms for years — at the beach, on the street in shorts, etc. — and never a peep out of anyone. That's well within comfort level for me. And it feels so much better!

Love, Robyn Katie

Laura Bird · Post by **Laura Bird** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:02 pm

Thanks for all the replies, girls

I guess I'm not comfortable going shaved for a few reasons:

1) I just haven't hit that point yet where I flat-out don't care what others think. I know at least a couple of my friends, though jokingly, wouldn't pass up an opportunity to comment on my legs if they saw them (I admit, they are my best asset when dressed!) I just don't want to have to come up with some story why they were so smooth. Especially since most of my friends know I'm not a swimmer (not a big fan of water stuff.) I *do* like to run, but not competitively enough to where I could claim I was doing it for better lap times.

2) Since I'm one of the lucky ones (like the rest of us CD'ers) who gets to experience both sides of the gender spectrum, I kinda like to really enjoy BOTH sides. When I'm dressed, I like to be smooth and soft and really be the part, with clingy fitted clothes, cute shoes, a little exposed skin here and there (tasteful and age-appropriate, of course.) When I'm in "guy" mode, I prefer to just be a guy... comfortable clothes, body hair, rough hands from working in the garage, etc. Really, probably for the same reasons I like being smooth when dressed as a female. It makes me feel good, confident, whatever. Plus, while I am exceptionally fortunate that I have a wife that is VERY accepting of Laura

and has actually encouraged me to just get laser hair removal, she also likes her hairy, "manly man" too. So I want to be sure to give that too her when I can.

I guess I just wish that I could flip a switch and have the body hair and such come and go in an instant.

During the winter, I hate the fact that it all grows back so quickly. In the summer, I hate the fact that it takes so long to grow back!

-Laura

S. Lisa Smith · Post by **S. Lisa Smith** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 7:32 pm

I have what I call Lisa season. It runs from around October to April (actually this year Lisa season is over). I am a surfer, well known in the community, and pretty hairy normally, so I can't shave down in the summer. I hate dressing hairy and my arms are big enough that I look funny for a woman with short sleaves. I wish I could dress in the summer, but it just doesn't work for me.

Willie W · Post by **Willie W** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:10 am

S. Lisa Smith wrote:I have what I call Lisa season. It runs from around October to April (actually this year Lisa season is over). I am a surfer, well known in the community, and pretty hairy normally, so I can't shave down in the summer. I hate dressing hairy and my arms are big enough that I look funny for a woman with short sleaves. I wish I could dress in the summer, but it just doesn't work for me.

It's pretty much the same for me. I stay shaved from late fall to early spring. I spend most of my summers in shorts and shirtless.

Stephanie_Gael · Post by **Stephanie_Gael** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:12 pm

I like to wear shorts a lot in the Summer and my close-shaven legs might raise the wrong kind of questions
(even though my legs aren't overly hairy, and, indeed my thighs, especially require only very infrequent shaving).
But theres also the fact that the hotter 'Summer' months can cause my makeup to run far too much for comfort.
Hopefully though, this extended 'Winter' will give me an extra couple of months dressing time this year.

Absaroka · Post by **Absaroka** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:48 am

Most of my leg hair fell out a few years ago due to thyroid disease. It was supposed to grow back but it didn't. I wish it had. However my point is that the only person who ever asked about it was my brother, who was satisfied with the (truthful) explanation.

Zari