Crossdressers-Haven.com

Hello everyone

I did a search on the forum about what I am getting ready to ask and didn't see anything, so: I am thinking about buying some things from www.crossdresser.com/index.asp , known as 'Suddenly Fem.' Have any of you purchased from them? Was it a good or bad experience? I have bought things in drab before but honestly, with where I live and where I am in my life right now, I need to shop online. I know these places are more pricey than, say, Onehanesplace online, but they have some things that might get me "started" again after trying to stop (which we all know doesn't work). Sorry for getting a little long-winded; thanks in advance for any help

-Michelle

Michelle,

I have not bought from them, nor do I buy online. I like to make sure things fit before purchasing them, or at least I like to have a place I can go to to return an item if it doesn't fit.

Note that Crossdressers.com also has a forum for crossdressers, and thus has a sales site.

Note also, that the models are not CDs. So YMMV with respect to how the clothes may fit.

As for pricing, I didn't see too much out of line with some department stores.

I have purchased from these folks and I probably never will again. I bought a skirt, a top and some shoes. The heels on the shoes were glued on about 1/8 inch offset to one side of the upper so they look terrible. And they were made of cheap material. The skirt had button on shoulder straps and on one side the buttons were sewn onto the outside of the skirt but on the other they were sewn onto the inside. And, this was left side vs. right side not front/back. Overall, the quality of workmanship and materials left a lot to be desired.

I buy a lot of stuff online from JC Penney, Lands' End, LL Bean, Nordstrom and Gap. I have never had a problem returning an item to any of these due to it being the wrong size. Just make sure you understand their return policies. Also, remember that some intimate items, like panties, may not be returnable, for obvious reasons.

Hope this helps. Happy shopping!

Love,
Kathy

Michelle:
I understand the desire to be descrite in making your puchases thus you are drawn to Crosserssers.com. However, remember that a firm of this type is focused only on CD Shopping and there discomfort in shopping at traditional stores.
Now that the internet has evolved, you may wan to consider shoping on line at the more traditional stores. - JC Penny, Hanes, Lord and Taylor, or anyother brand name store. These stores also have good return policies in place to permit exchanges or just a return of goods. If you called someone at a traditional store they will be able to assist you in determining your correct size. Remember, you can be very descret or open with the conversation to gather your required information..
My bet would be to use tradional on-lone stores and stay away from crossdressers.com

I've bought a lot of stuff on line from J.C. Penney's and some from Chadwicks and been quite happy with them.

Andrea

I shop on EBay and have great success. Once you find and item sometimes there are threads to link you to the store and I have found some great stuff at various stores on line from jewelery to silk night gowns to "unmentionables" hose, blouses, skirts, ect. Also for the least expensive stuff, try LaneBryants catalogue on line - awesome prices.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Virginia

Hey! Thank you all so much for the reply's! You probably just saved me a lot of disappointment and money. I am thinking now about taking a trip out of town to a Lane Bryant and other stores in a mall. One more question: What about wigs and breast forms?

Thank you all so much, again!

Michelle

I made my own forms from foam. The http://Breastformstore.com is supposed to be really good for customer service, I hear.

As for wigs, I bought one at http://BeautyTrends.com and one at a local wig store. Nothing better than going in person and trying on wigs for proper fit and look. Note that you can go try on, find a style you like then order a similar wig online. BeautyTrends has good wigs and good prices.

Hmm, I guess I have shopped online for some things.

Lane Bryant is supposed to be known as friendly to us. Plus they have nice stuff.

Andrea

Paula Young is where I get my "hair." PaulaYoung.com. They have some good sales and I have, well lets just say we blonds have a need for lots of styles so I have several!
Forms, again, EBay and they have all the various manufacturers and most on sale at 1/2 of their costs!
Good luck!
Virginia

One thing you should be aware of if you shop online from JC Penney. One option is to have the order delivered to the local store's catalog desk. When you pick it up, they will pull it out of the bag to verify it is what you ordered. A little embarassing when I picked up my padded girdle!

oh, wow, thank you all so much for these reply's. I think my next shopping spree is coming together nicely. Thank you for the links for places to buy wigs. After initially thinking I was going totally online to shop, it is looking like I will be only going online for a wig. And Bob, thanks for the heads up about JC Penny.. you know, I think JC's pantyhose are underated......(oops, rambling )

Anyway, all this help means a lot to me -- after another little purge I am jumping back in with both feet. I know that could be a mistake, but I have always gone at this very, very slowly and that has never worked.

Thank you, and I still appreciate any comments!!
Michelle

Going to Lane Bryant is a good idea IMHO. I stopped by tonight and bought a nice pajama set. (I love girly pajamas.)

I got my first wig from Paula Young. The price was good, the quality also. But I was not too fond of the style. My second came from Beauty Trends and I just love it. A clearance special for $14 + 6 shipping.

Go for it!

There are reputable CD shop -- try Glamourboutique.com. I generally don't shop at these kinds of stores, except for specialty items, since generally the fashions don't look that stylish. But they're good places for shy folks.

As far as forms, the best place is The Breast Form Store (which is the CD face of a shop that otherwise caters to mastectomy patients). Victor is a real sweetie and it's definitely worth calling/emailing for his advice before you invest in a set.

Wigs - I've had good experiences with WigSalon.com and Wilshire Wigs.

Lane Bryant is t-friendly. I've shopped there en femme and had nothing but good experiences. BTW, there's "Lane Braynt" and "Lane Bryant Catalog" which are separate companies with different merchandise. I find the former to be more fashion forward.

From what I've heard from others, most chain stores are receptive as long as you're presentable. After all a sale is sale. And you can always buy from them online.

Since I'm a plus-sized gal, I've done a bit of online shopping, since the women's department always seems to have limited selections. The downside is you can't try stuff on, so you should factor in return costs (for at least some items). BTW, it can be a good idea to order an item in more than one size and and return the one that doens't fit. GGs do it all the time. Online retailers I've bought from:

- Alight.com - younger, trendier stuff, but same brands as at Macy's etc.
- ClassicPlusSizeJewelry.com - Just what it size. Good source of rings and watches in larger sizes. Also nice jewelry, but it's real gold/silver with the accompanying price tag.
- Chico's - More casual stuff aimed at boomer women
- Igigi.com - Good formal gowns and party dresses, as well as other clothes.
- Kiyona - stylish, well-made, but pricy
- MonroeAndMain.com - never heard of them until I got one of their catalogs, but some nice stuff (some plus sizes)
- Newport News - fashionable and inexpensive, but occasionally not the best made (some plus sizes)
- ShopTheBay.com - dressy casual, a bit more expensive
- Torrid - mostly teenage/college girl stuff, but ocasionally good for causal stuff
- Zaftique - nice stuff, although not always to my taste
- Zappos.com - shoe up to size 15, free shipping, free returns, extremely useful user reviews. what's not to like?