Suprise at the Mall

[JoAnnDallas]

We seem to have forgotton someone on our christmas list, so wife sent me to the mall to fine a present for this person. As I was walking by Victoria Secrets, I was forced into the store by the VS magnet. LOL Anyway, I am browsing away when a SA comes up and asked "Do you need any help". I answered "I'm just browsing". She then says "Looking for someone else or [b]yourself[/b]". I looked at her and blinked becuase I was a little shocked at her statement. Then I just gave her a big smile. her eyes got a little wider and she said "Ahh OK, lets see what we can find". As she turn away and we started looking, she adds "BTW sweetie what's your size". I answered "sometimes 12 somtimes 14". We looked at various items, but did not see anything that really jumped out and said "BUY ME......". So I thanked her and she said "Next time you here ask for Angie". I said "OK Angie, I will do that". WOW what great surprise that was.

[Rikki]

Well I had a revelation of my own at the mall yesterday!! I "made" one of our sisters for the first time. Not anyone I know or have met online, but a real, in-the-flesh CDer I'm sure.

What made me notice her among the throngs of shoppers in a Best Buys store was that she was dressed nicer than any other female person around. A simple velvet/suede suit, skirt and jacket, hose and daytime heels, and a nice purse. Her hair was perfect, but I'm sure not hers by nature. But height, shoe, and hand size made me 95% sure she was a sister. I got close enouogh to overhear her questions to a clerk, and I would bet 95% on my voice analysis too.

I was on my way to try and start some sort of conversation, letting her know I was a "sister" when the Best Buys sales guy got in my face and wouldn't leave. Thinking about talking with her was on my mind all the way home. So many questions, so proud of her and how she looked, Wow!! Then that thouoght of what if she was a GG and I said something dumb? Figured I would ask something using a reference to Tri-Ess which I imagine 0% of GG's even know about.

Anyway, exciting trip to the mall even though I came out of Fredericks of Hollyland without anything to show. They had the cutest holiday red corsets right now, and you all know I need one!!

Happy Holidays All

[Virginia]

Rikki,
Well this happened to me as well and I did what you did! I posted the experience and I like you had the desire to approach the person in question, however in my situation, there was no doubt that this was "a guy in a dress." The nails were immuculate, but everything else was -- well it was a "guy in a dress." My point was made here and the general consensus was it was best that I did NOT approach the person. In your case where there was even the hint of a doubt whether or not she was a GG or not you may have well "lucked out" by not having approached her. I guess the general consensus would still stand - don't approach! Especially if you are en drab
Anyway, just passing on what my experience was in somewhat the same situation. Let us know what you think!
Love,
Virginia

[Lisa(SO)]

I have been in this position also. I worked at the VA Outpatient clinic and had a patient that could pass either way. I kept my mouth shut as this was not the proper place to bring anything up. I did run into her about a month later at the mall while I was with Elayne. Go figure they knew each other and she had actually transitioned. My point here is that she is not very open about the fact that she used to be a male. She even dated a man for a long time and never told him. Now that opens another can of worms with me! I believe in honesty but live and let live.

I would put this situation n the same category as "Wow when are you due?" There are many women out there who do not lose the baby weight. Or even worse.....you are huge! UGH.

Lisa

PS. Elayne is getting mad at me because Wayne is gaining weight with me through this pregnancy. I told her to deal with it and we would do crunches together in a month. The vanity.....lol

[DeeDee]

Rikki!!!!
Funny thing is..us girls have been out there forever...from what I hear. Honestly, before I joined a group and heard stories, I never really noticed a girl anywhere. LOL, but now..I see a few, especially at my local supermarket after work. Why now and not before? I suppose now I watch women closer..to emulate..so I can spot them..some are great
. But I also see the things you mentioned because they affect me now. Main thing is.... a CD is always dressed nicely (mostly)so they stand out But, and we've talked about this at my group. most girls are somewhat shy...and a guy coming up to them is a shocker. She doesn't know you are one of us, and the last thing she wants is attention. So...Virginia hit it on the head......best not to say hi.
luv
DeeDee

[JoAnnDallas]

I spotted a couple while wife and I were on vacation. Both times it was at one of the theme parks. LOL Then too it was late October and all the theme parks were having Halloween parties. Could be they were just there in custume, but both were so well dressed, it was hard to tell.

[Jenny]

Congratulations, JoAnn. That's really something to even pass, let alone pass in Victoria's Secret! I'm still working up the guts to even go out.

[Mimi]

i can't pass, as i am too tall (six two) with a masculine build - wide shoulders, square jaw, larger hands, and i always wear high heels when dressed en femme. Therefore i rarely venture out in public, and usually only at night and with a purpose - shopping, going to beauty and nail salons, or clubs. That said, i was just leaving a transformation make-over salon in NYC, and i was fully dressed and trying to hail a taxi-cab. A sister, who passed, and who i at first assumed to be a GG came up to me and said 'you look really great - how do i look?" i didn't realize she was another cd until her voice gave her away.

[Rikki]

Cool!!! Stay safe on the streets, girl!!

Rikki

[Azurielle]

I am somehow gifted with the magical ability to pass whenever I don't put any perticular attention to my dress, as long as I keep my mouth shut.

Once I was in one of those discount outlets that only stay in business during end-of-season clearances and saw what was quite obviously a sister in male mode in the bra section with a crimson blush waiting for someone to come out of the changing room so she wouldn't have to call in a clerk. So, feeling like a good samaritan, I went in and stuck a post-it in the door (engineers with purses are basically walking toolboxes) and told him ''I left the third one open.'' I don't know if it was my voice coming of my passable appearance or the fact that I noticed him, but she jumped higher than a polejumper before awkwardly going ''Eh....thanks.''

I somehow never saw her again in the area. I know some CDs shop far away from their home towns.
Anyways, those were my two cents.

[Jessica Hannah]

That's amazing! I've heard that they are very friendly over there and quite accepting of anyone buying lingerie, I know when you set up an account online with VS they have a section for gender.

When I go to VS next time I'll see if the SA says that to me

[Absaroka]

I don't fit into anything at Vickie's but it's fun to window shop. Several times the SA has come up to me with a very neutral "who are you shopping for today?" in a tone that implies any answer will be acceptable. So I usually answer truthfully which is to say "just looking"

[Davita]

Tis the season for us girls to be shopping for ourselves as well as loved ones. I suspect the wiser salesladies know this. I think too, we have a aura that can be sensed. We rarely stumble about looking lost and confused. We tend to be a confident lot once we get past the "of what will they think" phase and we just "know stuff".

This shopaholic doesn't get surprised by the occasional question of if it's for me or someone else. The one question that gets me is when I'm not included in the list of recipients.

[Bernice]

I had a semi-similar experience Saturday in Topeka. My SO and I were at a fast food joint (I was in Drab). I noticed a customer in low-heeled pumps, dark socks, shiny bright yellow acetate slacks, a contrasting scarf, and a t-shirt that said "Don't take the girl", sitting with three others, and having apparently pleasant conversation. We sat where I could glance without being obvious. The customer had a masculine face, no makeup, no jewelry, manly haircut, and a man's voice. I debated introducing myself and expressing support, but I hesitated.

Minutes later, they all stood up, and three left, while this customer in heels with raised voice complained about something (I didn't hear what). I looked up and the person had apparently confronted an employee of the dining establishment. I was just about to jump to my feet and defend the customer, when I heard the employee clarifying whatever she had said that had apparently been misinterpreted by the customer. The customer apparently accepted that explanation, and moved in rather close to her (maybe only a foot away?) to quietly deliver some kind of endless series of personal stories about which she obviously had no interest. By now, this customer had also put on a plaid man's blazer, and a very short synthetic wig.

Now, I felt embarrassed and sorry for the store employee. Clearly she was not disrespectful, nor discriminatory. The customer's behavior, however, seemed as outlandish as the attire the customer had chosen to wear.

Yes, it's just clothing. No, I wouldn't be caught dead in such garish attire. But if people want me to respect their unusual clothing choices, they need to be polite and considerate of other people.

So, absent a John Quiñones-What would you do? - reason to get involved, I guess it is usually better to stay anonymous.

Hugs,

Bernice

[Ralitsa]

I need to jump into this converstaion
For some reason, maybe I don't have my eyes open, I've never seen another of us. On the other hand, I've had quite a few people say something to me, and it's almost always turned out positive. Once or twice it's been guys who also cd, or who want to, but usually it's just asking why. Except the women never ask why, they always comment on the article of clothing they like the best. And I did know one waitress who, after she got to know me, would give me advice on what not to wear ever again. One time when I was in Texas I was in a bar where I usually had supper, and a guy (oil and gas industry construction worker type) started talking to me in a sort of "tough" manner. But I stayed cool, and instead of just giving answers, I sort of put some pressure on him to explain what the questions meant, and dug deeper into it. So the guys with him started giving him a little bit of a hard time, telling him to leave me alone, but I said it was fine, he wasn't bothering me any. After we talked for maybe 10 minutes, he admitted that he really wanted to wear skirts, and wished he had the courage to do it. I should have recommended a Utilikilt to him, but I didn't think of that until later. He also told me that one of the girls who tended bar (the best looking one too) thought what I wore was hot, and really liked it. But since I'm a dork I never took advantage of that
On the subject of shopping, I think crossdressing men are pretty easy for sales clerks to spot, because they know what they are looking for. Women go looking and don't know what they want, and men don't know what they are looking at. Sometimes I just go browsing, but like yesterday when the lady asked what I wanted I told her "I need a blouse or top that will go with a brown corduroy skirt." And then I found a brown sweater (not exactly what I had in mind) that I liked so I bought it, and that was that. I tried a few other things on too, but only to see which I liked better and how they fit. I almost always know what I will buy when I go in to a store, the only question is whether they have it.