Company Christmas Party

Thursday, I attended my former employer's Christmas luncheon party.

I wore the Julia Jordan gunmetal fit-and-flare dress, Dress Barn off-black pin-dot tights and Nine West metallic platform pumps. Instead of accessorizing with silver jewelry as I originally planned, my wife suggested I wear something colorful for the holidays, so I wore a red necklace and red earrings.

As I began to fill my old tired-looking black handbag, my daughter gave me an early Christmas present: a red Kate Spade handbag! I was so surprised and happy with her generous gift that I almost started to cry, but I held back my tears so as not to ruin my makeup.

I left the house and drove to the banquet hall hosting the luncheon. Usually I wear my heels when I drive, but the platform pumps are about a half-inch higher than my usual footwear and that half-inch or so made it difficult to manipulate the three pedals under the dashboard, so I wore flats to drive and switched to heels when I arrived at the banquet hall.

I entered the hall and when I checked my coat, the three women staffing the front of the hall said they loved my outfit. One said she wanted to buy shoes like mine.

I found a seat at a table with my former co-workers and it was just like last year's Christmas luncheon when I wrote, "It was as if I showed up in boy mode." Folks greeted and chatted with me like old times. The fact that I was presenting as a woman made no difference.

Reflecting on what I wrote last year "...as if I showed up in boy mode," I realize now that it did not matter if I showed up in boy mode or girl mode. Rather it mattered that I showed up in Stan mode. In a dress or slacks, I am the same person that my former co-workers knew for 20 years and I think most of them were glad to know me just as I was glad to know them.

Wearing Unique Vintage (Source: Unique Vintage)

Joe Regalbuto femulates in a 1990 episode of television's The Love Boat.

Party Time

My very sparkly outfit!

Today, I will attend my former employer's Christmas luncheon.

I retired in the summer of 2017, but was invited back to the 2017 Christmas luncheon. I dressed in a very sparkly outfit befitting the woman I am and it left no doubts in my co-workers' minds that I was trans-something. (Showing up at work dressed as an office girl the previous five Halloweens put those doubts in their minds in the first place.)

This year, the only surprise will be that I show up (for those who did not know I was invited). No one will be surprised how I will be dressed.

Thanks to your input, I decided to wear the Julia Jordan gunmetal fit-and-flare dress, Dress Barn off-black pin-dot tights and Nine West metallic platform pumps ("Outfit #2" in my "For the Holidays" post). I will accessorize with silver jewelry and perhaps a colorful scarf. Outerwear is dependent on the weather, but if the the "partly sunny 43 °F" forecast holds, I will probably wear my purple swing coat.

I am so looking forward to the luncheon and as usual, you can expect a full report in the days after.

Wearing Intermix (Source: Intermix)

The "Professor" (Russell Johnson) asks "Mary Ann" (Dawn Wells) if he passes as a woman in a 1967 episode of Gilligan's Island.