Crossdressers-Haven.com

Ladies…FYI this the follow up to the previous post where I had called to see if I neede an appointment...the following are the results of my visit...it is also posted on the "other" forum.

This is a small little place on the south side of Chicago in the Beverly area on South western avenue.

There are two women working there. An older woman, presumably the owner and her assistant a very sharp looking African American woman with very good taste, judgment, great fashion sense and candor. I felt perfectly at ease…..almost…as I was filled with expectations.

When it was my turn, I was asked what I wanted and said a fitting. No problem…I was escorted to the dressing areas. There were 4 private dressing rooms. I was told to remove my top and Tee shirt and to step out of my jeans. I was in drab, but I was wearing Bali SkimpSkamp panties with a liner. They took my measurements and asked what I wanted to do....I was in the market for more shapewear. A longline bra and a new high waist long leg girdle to start with.

They brought out a Rago 6210 high waist long leg with a zipper in black. And a Goddess longline bra, also in black. I mentioned that I wear a 48C cup bra but the assistant said that the cups run small in this style and suggested a DD cup. I was dubious at first but she also brought out some triangle forms in a size 11. My forms are triangle shape but are size 12. The size 11 forms fit perfectly. During the fitting of the bra, the assistant helped me into the bra…..I slipped my arms thru the straps and she proceeded to fasten the hooks and eyes….this bra has 3 rows of 10 hooks and eyes and she fastened the bra on the middle set of hooks. The experience of a woman fastening the hooks and eyes on a bra that I was wearing felt absolutely wonderful…gentile tugging and pulling until the hooks were fastened……then the ultimate sensation….I was told to turn around and she said to bend over at the waist slightly and she inserted the forms into the bra cups for me and tweaked how the forms fit in the cups…I almost lost it. Lucky for me I was wearing a pair of panties with a liner…just in case…well “just in case” almost became the “case”. I had to pause a moment to regain my composure…so to speak.

After fitting and fastening the bra, she handed me the high waist long leg girdle and watched me put it on. She instructed me to turn and she fastened the girdle’s hooks and eyes, because I was having trouble seeing the hooks because of the huge DD bra cups which were filled with me and the size 11 forms. She also zipped up the girdle for me. This feeling was wonderful as well….I was still struggling with effect of being fitted and helped into these items. The Rago girdle is tight but not uncomfortably tight. She said that I looked much better now that I was properly fitted. My tummy was flat, my tush firm and my muffin top gone. She suggested that I wear stockings with this girdle when I dressed the next time. I asked her if this combination could be worn all day…absolutely. She mentioned that she also has the same combination and actually likes the feeling. I tried on several other styles of longline bras and other girdles, all while being “supervised” by the owner or the assistant.

I felt most comfortable with the assistant…she always asked how the girdle or bra felt…she even commented on the Goddess longline bra and girdle combination….it took care of my tummy and muffin top nicely and because of her own experience wearing a similar combination, knew that I would be happy as well. She asked what I was going to wear with these items as the foundation. I mentioned that I dress conservatively, in earth tones and grays and blacks, and usually a skirt suit or pencil skirt with a top, my forms, a shoulder length wig, light make-up and simple jewelry. She thought that I would look quite nice and could probably “pass” if I would wear flat or 2” heels….I took this as a compliment.

If anyone is in the Chicago area, try this little shop….their service is great and welcome us to their shop. Their larger sizes are somewhat limited (5X & 6X) although they do have some 7X and 8X items as well as big band / big cup bras. No appointment is necessary although for a more personalized fitting I suggest that you call ahead to see when their slow times are. A recommended business…I was totally satisfied with the attention I received and the level of service and accommodation.

Comments???

Cheers,
Bobbie R.

This was an interesting report, thanks.

To me you look at quite a level of sophistication with what you want and the demands you put on both yourself and the people who are serving you. I guess that's after years of doing this quite seriously.

With me, I'm not quite sure what body shape I want to achieve and am still at the playing around stage. Also the whole thing about going in a shop and trying women's clothes on is pretty much an untried area for me (other than for coats where I find it essential, because my shoulders are so much bigger than women in my dress size normally have). I would really absolutely have to feel I need to do it, just because it sort of opens me up much more. Probably trying on underclothes would be the extreme of that. The one time I wore a bra in a shop, I kind of joked about it - I guess, in retrospect, as a defense.

The one exception (apart from coats) to me trying stuff on is wigs - where I feel I can't tell until I'm actually looking at myself in the mirror wearing the wig. When you talk about the reaction you had to the shop assistant putting the forms I can see, to a degree, where you're coming from. I mean there's something lovely about a woman putting a wig on my head in a caring, trying to do the best for you way. It's a non-sexual thing but really touching and it's happened to me a couple of times. But I can imagine that if it was to do with underwear it might become more charged than that.

FWIW today I went into a place called "Underworld" In Fulham (London) and bought a nice beige open corselette for £60. I did it by sight and intuition - like I knew this was the one that I wanted. And indeed, when I got it home it fitted perfectly withjust exactly bthe right level of control. The shop owner was attentive and keen to chat. I didn't declare it was for me (or that I was a CD), but she didn't ask me about it fitting the woman I was buying it for - and I would have thought she was probably guessing it was for me. Anyway (as the name of the shop indicates) this looks like a cornucopia of underwear.

Anthony,

You just have to know what you want to look like and work to that end. Trying on shapewear is like trying on a pair of shoes...tell the SA what you want, or in the case of shapewear, what areas need help.

As for me, I am 6'-3" tall without heels and I like to dress in a skirt suit conservativly in earth tones, grays and blacks and on occaisional brown or kaki pansts suit.

My shape needs all the help it can get...which is why the high waist long leg panty girdles and lon line bras. To some, wearing a girdle may be uncomfortable but to me its a fundamental part of getting dressed. Try a girdle with a bra....remember not to get the girdle too tight or too small...buy it by you measurements....if you have a tummy problem, get a girdle that offers tummy support (like I do) but then again I have been wearing a girdle fo so long, I do not feel dressed with out one and the support it offers is really very nice...and after a short period after getting dressed you will not even feel the girdle...just its support.

remember, you just have to get out and do it...from buying shoes to buying a dress...just do it.....the greatest feeling one can receive is being called "Miss" or in my case "Mamme". Is this all worth it...only you can decide....

Cheers,
Bobbie R.

Anthony Simon wrote:a cornucopia of underwear.

Thank you, I will treasure that phrase

Bobbie
Your post about Sally Anne's Corset Shop in Chicago brought back a flood of wonderful memories. I went there probably 4 years ago and had much the same experience you did. The ladies kept bringing me more girdles and longline bras to try on. The gave me some forms to wear and kept fiddling with them in my bra until they sat just right. I brought along a skirt and top to see how the shapewear worked for me and they appraised it kindly. All this while a series of women went through the other fitting room trying on various bras and such.

This was the first (and so far only) time anyone had seen me dressed and it was in a completely helpful, nonjudgmental way. Even today when I routinely try on clothes in stores, I never venture out of the dressing room and only occasionally ask a SA for help in selecting items to try on. So it goes.

Anyway, thanks for the story. I always hope to get back to Sally Anne's one day.

Danielle S