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Late Night Photo Shoot

Tina's night continues!

By Tina Davis

Yesterday we talked about the first part of my adventures.

On January 20, 2023, after returning to my hotel room, I opened up the package from Venus that my friend Samm had held for me. I had taken advantage of an after-holiday sale, where all sale items were BOGO (lower priced item free!). I had been watching several sale dresses and ended up getting 5, along with a beautiful navy skirt with gold buttons and draped chains.

I had to try everything on, so I started with the dresses that would work with my black tights and booties. This first one is navy with the floral on the other side, but it reads darker with the black. I do like the cold-shoulder look, although I have to be careful with the deep V-neck (my bra is showing).

The second dress is a periwinkle blue midi that can be ruched to almost any length. I tried to blouse it in front, not sure I succeeded completely. It also has the cold-shoulder that I like, but the difference is the high neck (more of my bra strap showing). Both of these dresses have a warm weather look, but they can also be adapted to the fall or early spring.

At this point, I took off my boots and tights because they would clash with the remaining dresses. This mint green dress is my least favorite, as I don’t think it hangs well over my (admittedly) round figure with its empire waist. But since it was one of the items I got for free, I wanted to see if it would be okay for a summer dress or cover-up. I’ll keep it for now, and this is the only picture I liked enough to share with you here.

This light sweater dress is really cute, it has a slip lining attached so that it’s not see-through, and the chains draped in front are removable. The lining can peek out from the shoulders and the hem, but I do like the look of the dress. It will be perfectly casual with sneakers and can be dressed up with wedges or sandals. All I need is a white cardigan draped around my neck and I will embody a preppy look!

The last dress is the one I was most anticipating and most dreading. For one worry, it is long with a high front slit, which is not my usual style. Secondly, it also has an empire waist, so I was concerned about how my stomach would look. But when I put it on, I was in love! It has a metallic sheen to the floral fabric and drapes my body just right. I can wear almost any color heeled sandal with it, but I am most excited to try it with my fuschia pair. Now I just need a proper evening event to wear it!

I do not have pictures of the navy skirt yet, because I didn’t have a top to wear with it packed for this trip. The skirt fits fine and also has a removable chain that drapes in front. I’ve been looking at possible white or ivory blouses and bodysuits that would coordinate well with it. After finally removing the clothes and my makeup, I tumbled into bed, exhausted but happy with the photos. I hope you like them too!

Hugs, Tina

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6 Responses

  1. Hi Tina,
    To comment on another person’s choice of clothes isn’t easy at times , for one thing your choice and my choice will probably be different .
    Instead I’m going to pose you a question . What would your reaction be if your wife bought the selection of clothes , would you be happy taking her out in those choices ? The point I’m making is women have to consider their figures , most will admit they hate certain parts of their body so most will chose clothes hoping to cover up their problem areas . It’s also important to consider when and where you will wear those items , I admit that was the most difficult decision to make when i went full time . It proved far easier to dress up to the nines than dress appropriately for the circumstances . I vowed never to wear trousers again but found we don’t have a choice as it’s the mainstay of most women’s wardrobes , so you have to learn how to dress them up or down .
    Our wives may not be the best judge but as I’m divorced I don’t have that problem but I do have a good GG friend who doesn’t mince her words . On occasions she has persuaded me to buy items that I wouldn’t have chosen , like much looser fitting items . I may feel like a sack of potatoes but when she’s added trimmings she’s proved right . She’s always pointed out that many men who crossdress tend to buy items too small or too tight , she pointed out clothes need to move so they they don’t restrict your lifestyle , basically there’s no harm in ” comfy ” sometimes .

    So perhaps consider your figure , do the clothes enhance or make certain problem areas more obvious ? The empire line does appear to work better , they can disguise a stomach and also add width to your hips . I have two evening dresses in a similar style , one actually in the same colour as yours , they feel like I’m wearing a nightie and yet I received some lovely comments when I attended a summer ball . Please also take care because the tight clothes can reveal certain male parts .

    I’m a sucker for sales ! If it’s cheap ( or a bargain ) I tend to buy it BUT I now say to myself , ” That’s all very well but when are your going to wear it ?” I have two large fitted wardrobes both overflowing , some of it never worn yet and I still struggle for everyday items , that’s why I still raid the charity shops . I needed some winter skirts and found none in the retails shops , I found four very wearable ones in charity shops , the most I paid was £5.00 ( about $7.00 ? ), one still had the makers label marked up at 135.00 euros . Personally I find skirts with blouses or sweaters work better for everyday and they work just as well if I wear trousers or jeans .

    I admit I find footwear more problematic , I have very few flats in any style but these days very few women wear court shoes ( pumps ? ) so wedges are a saviour as they go with the majority of items . I love my boots whether ankle high or knee high in navy , black and tan/brown . The paasing of the seasons are double edged , lovely boots in the winter and floaty skirts with wedges for the summer .

    What’s really wonderful is being able to have these conversations about clothes and how we look , the poor guys don’t know what they’re missing ! Or should we keep it our secret ?

  2. Teresa, my wife’s style and mine are very different, and our body shapes are quite different as well. She rarely wears dresses or skirts anymore, and the ones she has are much longer than mine. I like showing off my legs, which she used to do herself when she was younger. Since I do not get out often, I am choosing clothes that I would wear for myself rather than an everyday look. I do have several pairs of women’s jeans and a pair of capri pants, along with some flats and flat sandals. So I do have a limited diversity in my wardrobe.
    As for the long dress, now that I have it, I will need to find an occasion to wear it. I feel it’s no different from my wife buying multiple dressy items and then deciding to wear one of them as a wedding guest a year or two later.

  3. I wanted to update you all on the end of my weekend after this night’s photo shoot. I kept my purple nails for Saturday and had one person question them. I just said that I wanted color, and that I did get manicures on a regular basis. There are other male volunteers who have their nails painted, so I wasn’t concerned about being singled out. I did take off the polish from my fingers and toes before the end of the day, as my wife would not have approved.
    Unfortunately, I came home that night feeling achy and hot. Yes, I tested positive and had to isolate in my house. However, since my wife was volunteering on that Sunday, I had the time to retrieve my extra bag from the car and toss it back into my attic hiding place. Fortunately, I had a mild case and got through the treatment with no further issues.
    No plans yet for my next outing, there aren’t many opportunities showing up where I could possibly find time for myself. I know how to be patient and not become overly distracted by the absence of dressing. I am reasonably content with the limited number of days where I can be out in public.

  4. Tina, thanks for sharing your adventures with us – how much you were enjoying yourself is written all over your face!!

    You picked out some really nice outfits to try on and why waste time on everyday looks when there are gorgeous dresses and heels to experience? We have to make the best of our limited opportunities and you certainly did that this time round!

  5. Tina / Amanda ,
    I do understand the limited time aspect you both comment on , I’ve been there and done it . That’s why I found a social group very helpful because it makes the limited time worth it and justifies some gorgeous outfits . At that time it was all I had , luckily I found three social groups which meant I had three bites of the cherry every month . I knew I wanted or needed more as I enjoyed the open parties even more when I mixed with the general public . In that context dressing to the nines proved easier than discovering how to dress for everyday .

    It’s often the case that men have shaplier legs than women , even at 5′ 7″ most skirts brush my knees or possibly shorter but I also don’t mind showing my legs , I don’t find calf length hemlines on anyone very flattering . Some women don’t have that choice as they are often much shorter or possibly hate their legs , ( which is a comment I’ve often heard ).

    I hope you understand that I’m only passing on my experiences from lessons I’ve learned on presentation . I would never have believed anyone if they told me I would be out fulltime , I will add that it’s not boring but a wonderful way of life , the highs come in different ways . How I dress is important because through it I gain my identity with the groups and associations I’ve joined . I hope someday you will both experience the same feelings .

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