Shopping During the Pandemic

This came over the Mojo Wire from CBS News a few days ago:

Ann Taylor and Lane Bryant's corporate owner filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Thursday, the latest retailer to do so during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ascena Retail Group of Mahway, New Jersey, which operates nearly 3,000 stores mostly at malls, had been dragged down by debt and weak sales for years. As part of its bankruptcy plan, the company said that it would close all of its Catherines stores, a “significant number” of Justice stores and a select number of Ann Taylor, Loft, Lane Bryant and Lou & Grey stores.

That’s bad news for girls like us and all girls, in general. I shopped at Lane Bryant when I was heavier, at Ann Taylor when I was lighter and I will miss them both.

Meanwhile, DressBarn, which closed all its stores’ doors last year keeps on chugging along via the Internet.

Initially, their Internet offerings were blah and did not interest me. But lately, they have been showing some edgier clothing – a lot of it intended for younger customers. Seems that they are now selling clothing from other sellers. For example, the dress in the photo above right is from SukiSo. (Click on the boutique menu on the DressBarn website to see what I mean.)

Meanwhile, my femulating is still quarantined. There is no place for a girl to go to show off her girl! Frustrated by it all, I keep buying more clothes that I can’t wear out yet! Two new dresses from Venus should arrive today and a new dress from Haband should be shipped real soon now.

And so it goes!

Olivia

Boys can can-can, too!

Barn Back

Good news, girls!

I received a text on Saturday informing me that Dressbarn is back with an online store.

I perused their website and noticed that the selection is limited – nowhere near the selection found on the old Dress Barn website. I imagine that in the future, there will be more for milady to choose from.

By the way, they are offering a 15% discount if you sign up for their emails and texts.

Wearing Madeleine

University of Wisconsin-Madison Haresfoot Club femulator, circa 1920

Sunday Afternoon

One week has passed since my last posting here. Since then, I have received e-mails wondering why the lapse and if I am OK.

I assure you that all is well and I am just enjoying my first care-free summer since 1967.

Two Sundays ago, the other women in this abode attended a bridal shower. I was not invited since the people doing the inviting were not aware that I am a woman, too. So I had the whole afternoon to myself.

It was hot and humid, so I dressed appropriately. Since losing weight, I don't need all the shapewear I needed in the past, which is a blessing in this weather. I just wore a waist cincher to add some curvature to my figure.

I wore my last Dress Barn purchase again because it is perfect for summer weather. It is sleeveless, collarless and made of a light and airy material.

After dressing, but before departing, I took the dogs out to do what they had to do. One pass up and down our long driveway is all that is required, but I have never done it in broad daylight (pun intended). Two cars drove by and since we live on a dead end, they were likely neighbors not not strangers passing through, but I doubt if they recognized me.

My day out was uneventful.

I shopped at a relatively new Dress Barn store and was welcomed by a pretty sales rep, who immediately recognized the dress I was wearing and complimented me on my outfit. I tried on a few things, but I did not find anything that I wanted to buy.

Then I went to my favorite Chinese restaurant where I had dined in boy mode with the family just a few weeks ago. The waiter, who is also the owner and the same person who waited on us during our previous visit, seated me and did not seem to recognize me. He referred me as "Miss" throughout the hour I spent at the restaurant and did not blink an eye when I went to the ladies' room before departing.

I drove home, took the dogs out again and then decompressed after a pleasant Sunday afternoon as my true self.

Wearing Moda Oprandi (Source: Moda Operandi)

Boy-Girl-Boy, Halloween 1978

Got Happy Day!

DressBarn texted me that they were having a sale. Buy two things and the less expensive thing costs 40% off the list price.

Since I was all caught up with my work, I decided to take an early morning break (instead of cleaning out my cubicle) and I moseyed on down to my favorite DressBarn.

There were a lot of other women in the store, but that did not stop me from browsing the racks and taking my finds to the dressing room to try them on. If any of the other women were paying attention (I noticed a few that were), I gave them a story to tell their friends at their Memorial Day picnics about the "male" trying on dresses at DressBarn.

Anyway, I found a dress on the DressBarn website that I had to have and "happy day!," I found it (above left) in my size in the store. I took it to the dressing room, tried it on, but I was not sold on how it looked on me. I was wearing boy lingerie at the time and figured that the dress would look fine when I was properly foundationed, so I put it on my to-buy rack and browsed some more.

I found six more dresses to try on. Some fit, some did not, but one that did fit (above right) looked fab on me even in boy lingerie, so I had my second "thing," cashed out and talked to the manager about employment at DressBarn (see my previous post to read what I have to say about that).

After I arrived home Friday evening, I put on a bra and girdle and tried on my purchases. The "fab" find looked fantastic and really showed off my new figure and its new weight (or lack thereof). The "happy day!" find was a disappointment; it looked no better in girl undies than it did in boy undies, so I planned to return it.

After I shaved and showered Sunday morning, I decided to give "happy day!" one more chance. So I slipped on my bra and girdle, but this time, I added my wig and a pair of heels.

Wow! I was surprised by the difference that the wig and heels made! The "happy day!" dress became a keeper!

Wearing ALC top, Helmut Lang skirt and Valentino clutch (Source: Intermix)

The always lovely Zachary Drucker

My Shopping Sites

On Tuesday, Paula left the following comment: Love your style; please share your secrets with us and post your favorite on line shopping sites!

I answered the first part of her request yesterday (my secrets) and will answer the second part of her request today.

Since I prefer to try on items en femme before I purchase them, I use the websites to scope out what is currently available at the brick and mortar stores before I go shopping en femme. I almost never buy anything online from a store that I can visit in person, but I almost always check out their websites beforehand.

One problem with that strategy is that the brick and mortar store may not have everything that is online, but when that occurs, I usually find something else that is just as nice.

On the other hand, there are websites that do not have brick and mortar stores where I do purchase items without being able to try them on first. My success rate with these online-only stores is about 50%. Either the item does not fit correctly or I do not like the way the item looks on moi.

Although, many of these websites make it easy to return items (sometimes for free), I have been buying less from these websites lately because of the lack of success rate and the resulting return issues.

These days, my go-to online-only stores are Avon, ideel (formerly ideeli) and Nine West.

Avon - Yes, the Avon lady people sell very nice clothing at reasonable prices and I have been buying more from them lately. And my success rate with Avon is very high, probably around 90%. By the way, I am an Avon lady and receive a discount on items I buy, but no so much so that the price sways me to buy stuff I would not buy otherwise.

ideel - ideeli sold nice close-out clothing at bargain prices and I purchased items from them frequently. Then they got bought out, changed their name to ideeli, increased their prices and beheaded their models. Since then, I have bought little from them and have a $60 credit that has been sitting there for months, but I still visit their website frequently hoping for the best.

Nine West - They have a vast selection of shoes and their sizes are consistent, but their prices are high, so I only indulge when they have a sale, which is often. By the way, Nine West does have a local brick and mortar store, but they only stock sizes smaller than my size, so their brick and mortar store is useless to me.

As for brick and mortar stores I check out online before I show up in person, they are Dress Barn, Fashion to Figure, Nine West, and Payless. I also check out Macy's and JCPenney, but their inventory is so huge that what I see online often does not match what is in the store, so I usually don't bother unless I am looking for something special.

DressBarn also known as DressBarn - This is one of my favorite clothing stores. Their styles are working girl oriented, but their sizes are a little inconsistent, so I always go to the store to try on what I see online. And, by the way, they are very trans friendly!

Fashion to Figure - This is my other favorite clothing store. They specialize in larger sizes and their styles are younger and sexier than DressBarn. But like DressBarn, their sizes are all over the place, so an in person visit is recommended.
 
Payless - This shoe store has a nice selection of reasonably-priced shoes in the larger sizes that I require. However, their sizes are very inconsistent. I own Payless shoes ranging from size 10.5 to size 13 that all fit, so going to the store and trying on their shoes is a must in order to get the right size.

That's all she wrote. Again, if you have any questions, please ask (stana-stana at sbcglobal.net).

 

 

 

Wearing Rachel Zoe (dress), Eugenia Kim (hat), 10 Crosby (booties) and (ALC)bag.

 

 

 

Actor Stephen-Fry femulating in British television’s Jeeves and Wooster (1993).

Look what I found

I wanted a white top to go with my white shorts. Perusing the DressBarn website, I saw a crochet lace top that I liked, so during my lunch hour, I visited the nearby DressBarn to check out the top in person.

They had a rack full of the tops including a few in white and in my size (so I thought). After examining the top, I was happy with my choice and went to the cash register to get rung up.

The sales rep complimented me on my choice and as she began ringing me up, she asked, "What is the phone number of the person you are buying this for?"

The sales rep was one I had not dealt with before and since I was in boy mode, I assume she thought that I was buying the top for a regular customer (and by giving her the customer's phone number, the customer would get credit for the sale and rack up points).

I replied, "The top is for me."

And then I added, "Maybe I should try it on to see if it fits."

It looked big enough, but I've been burnt by that assumption before, so I headed to the dressing room. Good thing I did because it was too tight around my boobs.

The sales rep found the next size up and it fit fine. I paid for my purchase and was on my way.

Getting back to my boobs. I think they are getting bigger!

During the past six months or so, I thought that my boobs looked bigger when I looked at myself in the mirror, but I assumed it was just wishful thinking.

However, now that the warm weather has finally settled in around here, I often wear just a T-shirt without a blouse over the tee. As a result, I noticed that my boobs are filling out my tees more than they ever had in the past.

I have always had boobs (due to a hormone imbalance and/or Gynecomastia), but not to this extent.

If this keeps up, I will have to start wearing bras in both boy and girl modes --- not because I want to, but because I need to (not that there is anything wrong with that).

 

 

 

Wearing Madeleine.

 

 

 

U2’s Adam Clayton femulates for the 1992 music video for “One.”

They might as well

Dressbarn is super supportive of the trans community.

Their sales personnel do not bat an eye when a guy shopping for clothing in their stores wants to use the dressing room to try on what he picked out.

Dressbarn used to close the store and let groups host Very Indulgent Parties (VIPs). Members of the group would model the latest fashions and everyone in attendance could make purchases at a discount. I don’t see that option on their website any longer, but in the past, they were just as comfortable with transwomen VIPs  as they were with genetic women VIPs.

I always feel very comfortable shopping in Dressbarn, whether I am in en femme or en homme. The sales personnel at my local Dressbarn know me in either mode of dress and treat me with respect and in a friendly manner either way. And I am treated that same way in any of their stores even where I am UFO (unidentified femulating object).

So when are they going to drop the other high heel shoe and open a men’s department? Probably maybe never, but they will still get my business.

 

 

 

Professional femulator, Percy Vanderpoel, New York City, 1885.

 

 

 

Gila Golan

Scene from This is 40

I watched This is 40 last night and 13:32 minutes into the film, the following short scene plays out.

In a woman's clothing boutique, a saleswoman (played by Megan Fox) speaks with a male (played by Hugh Fink).

Saleswoman says, "...like deep oranges and browns; maybe some dark greens that would really play up your features."

Male responds, "I'll just take out my AMEX and you pick out what you think is good."

End of scene.

It is a throwaway scene. It has nothing to do with the plot of the film and there are no other references to this scene in the film. It makes one wonder why it was included in a 134-minute film, which is very long for a comedy.

Go figure.

 

Student femulators compete in the Miss Haresfoot womanless beauty pageant at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1951.

 

Wearing Dressbarn.

Easter dress for boys and men

"Easter dress for boys and men" was the "Subject" of an e-mail I received yesterday. It came from Payless Shoes and it refers to Easter dress shoes for boys and men, not Easter dresses for boys and men. But it gave me pause when I received it and saw its Subject line.

However, some men have been shopping for dresses recently. Not for Easter, but for the Sturgis (SD) Crisis Intervention Shelter Service's Womanless Beauty Pageant. The Meade County Times-Tribune has the whole story and it is the source of the photo (right).

My dress-shopping at Spiegel last week was a big disappointment. I was elated by the super fast delivery, but neither dress I purchased fit - not even close.

Over the years, I have purchased a lot of clothing from Spiegel, but recently their sizes have shrunk. Sizes that used to work for me are now too small and they offer nothing larger (and, no, I have not gained any weight). I guess I can cross Spiegel off my shopping list.

I'd like to buy a new dress (or two) to wear at the Dayton Hamvention in May, so I will keep an eye on the daily offerings from ideeli and I will probably visit DressBarn real soon now.

Wednesday Woman Continues

(Continued from yesterday's post.)

Leaving the mall, I had a ten minute drive to the offices of the organization for whom I freelance.

I worked full-time in those offices over 30 years ago before I began freelancing. Most of the people I worked with then are long gone, but the receptionist is the same friendly woman who I first met back in 1978 when I started work there --- my first professional job after graduation.

She greeted me like an old friend despite the changes on my side of our relationship. We chatted about old times, how things had changed and retirement (hers is imminent, mine not so much).

My editor arrived in the lobby and we went to lunch at a nearby pub. We both ordered chicken pot pies and they were delicious. Over lunch, we talked about business and the hobby we write about. Time passed quickly.

(By the way, my editor has been fully aware of my trans life for a few years now and Wednesday is not the first time she has seen me en femme. In fact, we have had a couple of girls' nights out together in the past.)

Passing in a restaurant is easy as compared to passing while walking through the mall. Once you are seated, you blend in with the other diners. Height is my giveaway, but when I am seated, I look as tall or short as any other woman. Our waitress referred to us as "ladies" and so it went.

After lunch, we drove back to the offices and my editor gave me the nickel tour. Things had changed since I worked there three decades ago and I was anxious to see what was new.

During the tour, we encountered only one other person I knew from the good old days. I am in e-mail contact with this woman a couple of times each month and we have an excellent working relationship. She was happy to see the new me and I was happy to see her.

I enjoyed the tour, thanked my "guide," and exited.

The afternoon was still young and I decided to go shopping again. I drove to the strip mall across the street from West Farms Mall and visited DressBarn.

I found two dresses that I liked and took the two dresses in two sizes to the fitting room. One dress fit in the smaller size (see photo) and the other dress fit in the larger size --- go figure!

I bought both dresses and went home relishing another great day out en femme.

Mixed Up Confusion

When I was paying for the dress I bought at DressBarn last Monday, the saleswoman asked for my telephone number.

Why?

I assume the store wants to know who is buying what so that they can massage their advertising to fit their customers' buying habits. 

Also, I don't recall the details, but the store has a promotion that gets you a discount if you buy so much stuff. So they need to know how much stuff you buy so they can reward you later.

I am all in favor of discounts, so I gave the saleswoman my telephone number.

She typed it in, the system digested it, gave her feedback, and then she said my wife's name with a little question mark at the end.

"No," I responded.

Then she said my male name with a big question mark at the end.

"Yes, that's me, but I'm not really him today."

She was amused.

Thus, I outed myself, but I had passed until then. So everything was right with the world as far as I was concerned.

Accessorizing

I mentioned here that I bought a new dress at DressBarn that I was attracted to when I walked into the store and saw it on display on a headless mannequin. (The "headless mannequin" also lacked legs and arms and I have since learned that such a mannequin is known as a "torso mannequin.")

Anyway, I forgot to mention that the mannequin was also wearing a beautiful necklace that perfectly accessorized the dress. On my way home after buying the dress, I regretted that I did not purchase the necklace, too.

Today, I had to go to the grocery store to replenish the food stuff that I eat for lunch at work. My favorite DressBarn is next door to the grocery store, so I stopped in to see if they had the necklace. (This was a different DressBarn than the one where I purchased the dress.)

I perused the jewelry racks three times, but could not find the necklace. I gave up looking and asked a saleswoman if they had the necklace in stock, while showing her a picture of the necklace that I had grabbed from the Internet.

She found it buried behind some other necklaces on the jewelry rack and now I have a nice new necklace to go with my nice new dress. Isn't that nice?

My Worst Nightmare

I was out femme all day Monday. (That’s me in the photo before going out.)

In the morning, I did outreach at a Human Sexuality class at Southern Connecticut State University.

After the class, the professor took us out to dine at a local New Haven eatery.

And after dining, I planned to return home. Before starting the car, I called home and discovered that my presence was not required at home as early as I had previously thought, so I had more time to spend out femme.

I pass a DressBarn on the way home, so I decided to stop and shop.

After shopping at DressBarn, I returned to my car and it won't start! The dashboard lights up, the radio plays, but when I turn the key, all I get is a loud ticking noise.

I have AAA, but I am a little concerned about dealing with AAA out femme.

As I am sitting in my car contemplating my next move and occasionally turning the ignition key to no avail, a small red pickup truck parks next to me just as I am cranking the ignition for the umpteenth time.

Two young fellows get out of the truck. They do not ask me if I needed help. Instead the driver walks to the front of my car and signals to me to pop the hood.

I gladly do so and the two of them poke around the engine compartment, but do not find anything amiss.

I have a set of jumper cables, so we tried jump starting the car, but that does not work.

Since my car has a manual transmission, they suggested rolling the car and popping the clutch to start it. (I had not done that in years and had completely forgotten about that trick.)

So they gave my car a little push. The car started rolling across the parking lot and I am trying to pop the clutch, but I am not getting the job done.

Just as I am about to run out of parking lot, I remember that I have to pop it into second gear, not first gear, and as soon as I did, the car started.

I waved my hand out the window to my two "good Samaritans" and headed straight home with my fingers crossed that nothing else would go wrong with my car.

I made it home without issue. This morning, I popped the clutch again to start the car and drove it to my dealer to get it fixed.

I always worried about having car problems when out femme. I thought it could be the worst thing that could happen. Now I am not so sure.

Maybe it is better to be a woman than a man when car problems strike. Would those two fellows be so quick to come to the rescue of a tall middle-aged guy as they were to come to the rescue of a leggy middle-aged blond?

I don't know and I am not anxious to find out again.