How Often Do You Throw Away Your Femme Things

[Beauty]

Hi,

I've been reading for years on these boards and I always find it interesting that lots of CD'rs don't throw out their hose. So, it made me think.

Now I know there are those who only have like 2 pair and it took them months to either buy those or take them from a sister, mother, or wife. If that's the case I completely understand. I don't understand why some of us would keep them if we knew we had more though?

I was just wondering how many of us don't throw out things that we could? Yesterday, I took great joy in throwing out two pair, because I knew I had more to wear.

Maybe, after I get a feel for the range of possibilities, I plan on turning it to a poll question.

Beauty

[Erica Shade]

Beauty,

For some of us even ripped hose hold great sentimental value. I know what I had to go through to get them, and I hold them dear to my heart. I have had to throw some out, because they were so bad, but still grudgingly.

When I did eventually purge, I purged everything. I had promised my wife I would. It's been a year, and I have not bought anything yet, although I have the strong urge to. At times I remember the beautiful (and costly) items I threw out, and think how much it would cost to replace everything, and am not sure where to start again, if and when I make that decision.

May we never have to purge again. I hope that when I do start to buy back my "comfort clothing", my wife will be more supportive at the time, so that I wouldn't have to ever purge again.

Nuff Luv,

Erica Shade

[CJ]

Hi all,

Interesting question, Beauty. I take it you're not necessarily talking about purges, here. Well, oddly enough (or maybe not), there's a boy mode habit I have that I carry over to my femme self, and that's holding onto clothing long past its useful life. I'm a very casual dresser, both at work and at play, and I push a lot of the clothes I wear past its useful limits... not really a "grunge" look but fairly close. My femme clothing tends to last longer, for the obvious reason that I don't wear it as often; there are some articles (especially expensive dresses and shoes) that I've had for years now. Like some, my feminine wardrobe is about three times the size of my boy mode one. Could be that part of me is a "collector of fine silks" the way I'm a collector of fine books, who knows?

As for legwear, I tend to get rid of laddered hose without a second thought (although it's always much easier for me to discard pantyhose than stockings; I always seem to have harder time finding stockings I like than I do pantyhose).

One type of item I never get rid of is shapewear; as I "grow into" myself, I find their shaping and defining properties more welcomed than ever; my corsets, corselettes, girdles, and sundry cinchers serve me well these days. Perhaps, rather than relying on the power of illusion these undergarments confer, I should just go out there and purchase a pair of Nikes and a pink track suit and training bra.

Love,
CJ

[Virginia]

Hose? hose! thigh highs, panty, anklets, garter belts. I only throw out the ones that I get runs in. My problem is I have 15 - 20 pair and still can't seem to find the right shade when I need them, so I buy more, pink, white, navy, black, gray, especially shades of gray are hard to find. Then the lighter shades - unbelievable, but its fun!!!
Just a point, those of us who work with our hands and we break of damage our nails, I have become much more aware and careful with my hands, wearing latex gloves when I paint and leather work gloves when working outside or whatever. I also carry several emory boards and a nice nail file in the car as well has hand lotion - it works. And watch your legs, it sure takes a bruise a long time to go away and it shows through the lighter color hose.
Love Deborah

[Loretta Ann]

Hi you all.

I throw out clothes I no longer need on a regular basis, althougth I often don't get rid of as much as I should, and they build up until I am forced to do something about it.

[Lorna]

I've been reading for years on these boards and I always find it interesting that lots of CD'rs don't throw out their hose. So, it made me think.

Heck, I throw away pantyhose like tissue paper! I just go thru so many pairs...

But of course I save some of them to wear under pants!

[Celia]

I don't know whether it's my obsessive-compulsive nature or just growing up poor (maybe a little of both?), but I'm hesitant about throwing things away, clothing in particular. If I don't make a concerted effort to get rid of stuff that no longer serves a purpose, I accumulate junk of all sorts to a point where it's quite conspicuous. As you might imagine, spring cleaning can be a rather Herculean task for yours truly.

-Celia

[Beauty]

Yay!!!

Thank you all for responding!

You are very right CJ, I wasn't talking about purging. I laughed my butt off about your last sentence about the Nikes, pink track suit and training bra! !!

It seems the common theme is hose, stockings yes, undergarments not as much, and clothes "NO!"

I don't ever think I'll get rid of a dress. Isn't that against the federal fashion laws?

Thanks everyone, but I'd love to hear more!!

Beauty

[Sally]

I usually just throw away things such as underwear as they pass their use by time, I more often than not wear cotton, so they don't have the life of nylon etc. Due to our hot climate I don't wear panty hose as often as some ppl may, but they certainly have a limited life, I never wear them after they develop a run or a snag.

As for my wardrobe, I usually have one clean out a year and waltz up to the Red Cross or Salvo's shop with a box or two.

The longest surviving article in my wardrobe is a LBD, which never dates and also has a story attached to it, so maybe it will hang in it's pride of place for a long time yet.

Of course, some articles of clothing only ever get worn once and then discarded, some things just don't hold the same appeal as they did when I tried them on in the shop. I tend to wear shorts and tops a lot, also skirts and tops when I go out, they are easier to mix n match and there are no problems with the top of the garment not fitting as well as the lower part, as one often finds with dresses.

I think it's probably different for those of us who walk the walk, I feel presentation out in public counts for so much. I've found over the years that if I do get read, being dressed elegantly has always drawn positive comments, I quite realise that clothes don't maketh the person, but I think they do help in some circumstances, that's one reason I keep my wardrobe fairly up to date, another is that I just feel good when I'm dressed in nice new clothes, but we're all different, each to their own. My doctors' favourite saying is, "Do what makes you happy and you'll live longer", she never fails to say it to me every visit. So CJ, off you go and get your pink tracky suit, Nikes and TB. lol.

My Kindest Regards,

Sally.

[Jadeanne]

Hi all,

I'm going to add my femme clothing disposal habits.

First, my wife doesn't throw clothing out that often. All of her things except shoes fit me, but I don't borrow her pantyhose because my legs are longer and I don't want to stretch them out. She gives me her rejects, when runs or other damage become visible.

She has given some clothing to friends, and some friends give things to her.

Worn out clothing that's suitable winds up as cleaning rags.

A few things do get donated to rummage sales, thrift stores, etc.

Since I started crossdressing a bit less than 2 years ago, I've been the main recipient of her castoffs. Since I just dress around the house, a small snag doesn't bother me.


Now for Jadeanne,

I wear my wife's rejected pantyhose several times before I throw them away. If I stretch them out, so what? When I first started, I bought a couple of pairs of pantyhose and wrecked them within the first few wearings. With some loving guidance from my wife, I soon got better at it, and also switched to gartered stockings most of the time (she hates them for herself but I like them). When it comes to the gartered stockings, I usually get the 3 pair (or 6 pair for some National stockings) pack. I start with a new pair, then if one gets a bad run, I toss the bad one, put aside the good one, then open up another new pair. After one of that pair goes bad, then I throw out the bad one and replace it with the the good one from the first pair. Since they get worn around the house for a few hours at a time, I don't go through them that fast now.

When it comes to lingerie, I haven't thrown out many. I started with some hand me downs from my wife, discovered that I liked satin/nylon panties (she likes cotton) and have enough that they don't wear out quickly. My wife gives me panties as gifts, and she gave me some nylon panties that she bought on sale and just didn't like (I like them and she told me that she was willing to try them, knowing she could pass them on to me). The only panties that I've thrown out so far are a few hand me downs that I didn't like.

My wife doesn't throw away bras, but usually keeps the old ones. When Jadeanne emerged, some of her old bras became mine. I did buy some of my own but haven't thrown away any yet.

My wife has lots of slips and shares them with me. I have bought myself several and a couple of purchases have moved to the nightgown drawer. I also have 2 petticoats.

We share nightgowns - I have several hand me downs that didn't fit her as well as me. So far none have been thrown out.

My wife HATES shapeware and Jadeanne loves it. So far, I haven't thrown any out, but one girdle is starting to get stretched out (if that goes, I'm saving the 6 garters).

I only started buying tops/skirts/dresses for myself for just over a year, and they are all still in good shape.

Besides a small amount of hosiery, any vulture waiting to feast on what Jadeanne throws out had better pack a lunch or they will starve to death

Thanks for staying awake through this.

[Gaven McLaren]

I am in the Pack Rat catagory. I tend not to get rid of things. I have a few bodysuits I bought at Salvation Army that were to small. I still have one of them a year or more later. The other I gave to my grandmother which is also how I told her I crossdress. Other then that I if it is underware when it is worn out I toss it. This will tell how bad I am I barely tossed a T shirt that I got in my senior year at highschool that was getting to holy to wear. I grduated in 1997.

[RikkiOfLA]

I throw out things when they wear out.

That's not very interesting, I know. Especially since in my closeted years, I used to purge immediately. Yes, I'd buy something, bring it home, try it on, look in the mirror, usually pleasure myself , and purge immediately, complete with the promises to myself and God that I would never, ever do that again!

After I came out to my wife and she accepted it (hallelujah!) I had the startling realization that I dared purge, because THAT would be suspect. That was an amusing thought, after all those years when I thought I HAD to purge. As I recall, the first time something wore out, I even told her I was going to throw it out. That was fine with her, and I've been throwing out worn out things ever since. It's so normal now!

[CJ]

Hi all,

I just wanted to add a little something here. It's a strange situation because it's sort of a cross between a gift of clothing and a purge. When I was readying myself to move away from Victoria, back in 1998, I gave almost all my clothes to another crossdresser. At the time, I'd been living at my mother's apartment for a few months so that I could gather all my stuff (and my wits) about me. In the same building, one floor below, lived an older man (I guess about 55 or so) who everyone knew to be a CD (for years, he'd apparently been coming, decked out, to the tenants' Halloween party). Although I wasn't living there long enough to have anything more than a passing acquaintance with him, I sought him out when came time for me to leave the city. I asked him if he was a crossdresser. When he said yes, I told him that so was I, and that I had a couple of boxes of clothing to give him. He was elated.

When I visited my mother, a couple of years later, I saw him again. He told me that almost everything fit and was very thankful for the gift. What didn't fit wound up at Sally Ann's.

So. Purge? or discard? To this day, I'm still not sure what that was. Oh well.

Love,
CJ

[Jessie]

Gaven McLaren: I to keep shirt way longer than need be. Heck I T-shirts from when I was 8 or 9 years old. Usualy Grateful Dead Shirts. I do not wear them any more but every now amd again I will come across them in my dresser.

Now as Panty hose ---hmmmm---- well I had gotten rid of some in the past do to them not fitting but I have no problem going out and buying more. The problem is that I get so HOT wearing them it is some times unbarrable.

Jessie

[Beauty]

Hi CJ,

I don't think that was a purge. I think that was a thoughtful and selfless gift you gave.

Beauty