Crossdresser perceptions go both ways which is to say how we perceive those we interact with along with how they in turn perceive us. The Friday before our monthly CHIC meeting I went to dinner with my BFF Ashley at a restaurant in Orange County California. Historically we have avoided it for many years because Orange County was a pretty conservative area and we felt uncomfortable going there. We did not really know what the crossdresser’s perception would be with the mainstream clientele conservative or not. We went once before in November and it went well so we did it again this month.
I arrived by myself via UBER very early and was cheerfully greeted by the hostesses using all the proper pronouns. That is notable in that I always use my male voice when dressed. The hostesses took it all in stride and continued calling me Mam. They offered to seat me early in the area that I had requested on my reservation but I declined. I sat in the chair pictured lower right side above on a busy Friday night. I got to see the public’s crossdresser perception of me. Those who reacted were positive and those who didn’t seemed indifferent going about their business. Its safe to say everybody notices me because I dress for myself so its way different from casual California lifestyle.
Not many women wear a black velvet suit with an embroidered flower on the jacket and high heels on a Friday night. I think their crossdresser perception of me was positive regardless if they approve. I got several compliments on my outfit from women I encountered. Our server was very attentive without being a bother and did not rush us to order or leave after dinner.
Saturday night was the CHIC meeting at one of our regular places in Long Beach and we had a private room so crossdresser perception wasn’t possible. I have been there so many times I don’t even think about it because its predictable. The crowd is getting younger as time goes on and they are typically more accepting of crossdressers. Should the the they have any questions the restaurant owner and his staff know all of us very well and can fill them in on our story. I requested outside dinning because some in our group are very concerned with the Omicron. They moved us inside to a private room. The high for the day was 61 and the low expected in mid 40’s which in Long Beach. That can be very cold being just blocks from the ocean.
The picture above was taken in the lounge section of the room we were in Saturday night. My wife has been encouraging me to stop wearing so much black so I wore brown tones this month.
Crossdressing in public has come a long way over the years and the perception of us has changed to a far more positive one. Myself and the other ladies of CHIC always try to present the best possible image when out in public.
Crossdresser social clubs were once fairly prevalent but have declined consistently year over year since they heyday of the 1990’s. That said there still seems to be considerable interest in them based on my website clicks. CROSSDRESSER CLUBS ranks # 6 in popularity over the other pages and posts. I am very curious as to why clubs have vanished if there is so much interest in them.
CROSSDRESSER SOCIAL CLUB
Last Saturday was my crossdresser social club CHIC’s monthly meeting and we had 16 of us attending. That number includes 5 wives who are always part of the fun. We had the whole upstairs floor of the restaurant for the group which was great because there are no time limits on us.
In the picture below I am wearing a navy jacket with a multi white / navy skirt outfit . The jewelry I am wearing was featured in a previous post and was made from two necklaces from Macy’s.
Crossdresser socializing is what CHIC is all about and some of our outings lend themselves to it better than others. This weekend being upstairs with 6 booths to choose from allowed some to table jump during the evening. That allows for sitting in small intimate groups and socializing until the dinner gets served. Because we have no time constraints it allows for more socializing afterward also. This month we had a new applicant so the upstairs table hoping allowed all of the members and wives an opportunity to meet the prospect. The small group allows others at the table to hear the answers of others questions and formulate their own accordingly.
When dinner concludes we usually have a contingent of members go down to the bar below and mix with the civilians. Its something I look forward to because we are well accepted and I have had some very nice conversations there. Crossdresser socializing is not restricted to just other crossdressers. I had to pass this month though because I was not feeling up to it but look forward to next time we go there.
Crossdressering at DIVA21 is behind us now and I think the organizers of DIVA Las Vegas did a great job pulling it off after last years was cancelled. I’m not sure about the headcount but there seemed to be quite a few crossdresser’s there. Even though there were two events going on a the same time DIVA Las Vegas and Wildside there was no conflicts. I think the highlight of both events was the costume party Saturday night where both groups attended together. I attended as a military officer which looked like a general but had Sargent stripes so I’m quit sure.
CROSSDRESSING AT DIVA21 COSTUME PARTY
Crossdressering at DIVA21 was different this year because it was changed from Spring to Fall and landed right on the Halloween weekend. I think the most fun I had was sitting at the back bar with the civilians dressed like a general. I got lots of compliments on my costume but nobody saluted me.
CROSSDRESSING AT DIVA21 1ST NIGHT
My 1st night crossdressing at DIVA21 was Thursday and after shopping in the afternoon I came back to the hotel and changed for dinner. Cleaver & Butchered was the restaurant and they had about 20 of us there. They gave us our own room in the back and the food and service were very good. The only downside was they would only do two checks for 20 people so the girl sitting to my left had to try and decipher who had what and collect the cash for the ten people on our side of the table. The good news was the count came out on the money so we tipped a bit extra.
I’m still working on my photography skills and made the mistake of having the bar manager take this shot of me wearing a favorite suit. I had to tweak the colors and lighting because the background was too dark to show the suit. The lights in the cabinet behind me confused the camera I think. The suit is still a favorite and will try again to take a picture with a better background.
CROSSDRESSING AT DIVA21 2nd NIGHT
The second night of crossdressing at DIVA 21 I had dinner with 7 of my CHIC sisters at Giada’s in the Cromwell Hotel. I’ve been there before with good and bad results but, this time they were great. Our waiter was very attentive and the food was awesome with my friend Tonya getting the fresh made pasta. When I say fresh I mean like in Italy where they don’t use the dry stuff but make from scratch every day, Tonya loved it.
I wore my new snake skin jacket from Venus over a black sleeveless sweater dress. It was a good choice as a got a lot of compliments on it. Surprisingly it was not uncomfortably hot which, I was concerned about in that the fabric does not breath. I guess having an open front gave it the needed ventilation.
I’m looking forward to the mask mandates ending possibly with the new therapeutics currently going through approvals. Wearing a mask indoors not only is uncomfortable but it really screws up your hair. I solved the makeup \ lipstick smearing issue with my MAC lipstick and my mask basket. Unfortunately I have not gotten around the mask steaming up glasses and making you face sweaty.
Crossdresser photo’s are very popular with some crossdresser’s and avoided by others. I was one who resisted them until I launched my blog which pretty much requires them to get any interest. Because of my lack of enthusiasm for pictures I never developed good skills in taking them shooting many to yield a few good ones. One big problem with my crossdresser photo’s attempts was lighting and focus especially with my iPhone. Most pictures came out grainy at night unless I used the flash indoors. I was told that the iPhone had a feature that automatically makes decisions on lighting. I bought a small camera to haul around with me which was better but a hassle to carry around just for a few crossdresser photo’s.
By chance I received an e-mail announcing the iPhone 13 with 3 versions to choose from. The iPhone 13 pro grabbed my attention because of the new camera that:
Reveals more detail in dark areas.
Captures 47% more light.
Optical image stabilization for better photo’s.
I took the bait and ordered the 13 pro hoping for better crossdresser photo’s. The picture below was taken with flash indoors in elevator lobby of my hotel.
I’m standing in front of a mirror that takes up the entire wall with two recessed lights above. I have done this before but discarded the crossdresser photo’s because of poor lighting and grainy detail. Every picture I took with the iPhone 13 Plus came out just like this one clear and sharp.
I’m still playing with the phone discovering other cool stuff but what was immediately noticeable was the battery life. It’s incredible much, much, better than my previous model iPhone. The only downside at this point is my Amazon Music does not work in the car until Apple fixes the bug in the operating system.
I’m looking forward to taking crossdresser photo’s at DIVA Las Vegas the end of this month.
Crossdresser accessories are where the fun begins for me because I like to experiment. I like to think of my dressing style as classic but I am also trying new things to see how I like the look. Eyelashes are great crossdresser accessories for putting some glam in your style for the night and my latest discovery I am in love with. I bought my first pack of magnetic eyelashes as an experiment about 9 moths ago. I had used the Ardell glue on lashes for decades but never mastered the technique for putting them on. So I tried some magnetic ones and liked them right away. I did not care for the assortment though because half of them are too radical for my conservative style. About 6 months ago I discovered a 7 set package for around $10.00 on Amazon and a company called GXO BEAUTY. These were great for day to evening crossdresser accessories and thankfully I bought more before they ran out of stock. I don’t know if they will ever be back so I went on the hunt again.
CROSSDRESSER ACCESSORIES FALSE EYELASHES
Not one to wait and see I went back to Amazon searching for a replacement with all one style instead of the assortment. It wasn’t long before I found something even better although a little more expensive with 2 fewer pairs. They are a different crossdresser accessory more on the glamorous side and they look so pretty on. I especially like the way they taper from the inside getting longer as the go to the outside of the eye. The Arishine magnetic lashes
CROSSDRESSER ACCESSORIES JEWELRY
Jewelry accessories are a mainstay of every woman’s closet and are used to define her look for the day. Finding jewelry off the rack for crossdresser accessories can be a challenge. It can be done though with a little work and an imagination. Pictured below are two necklaces I bought on sale along with some needle nose pliers and lobster clasps. My intention was to make a larger necklace to fit me along with a bracelet and some earrings. It takes two of each style necklace in order to have enough links to make all three items.
I always end up making changes along the way like with the blue and gold set below. I decided to dump the bracelet idea with this project because the links are not very strong. This is sometimes an issue when converting necklaces because they are designed to be worn around the neck. Weight is a concern so they are sometimes made light to be more comfortable. There isn’t much chance they will snag on something and break. This necklace was designed to look heavy but the backs are hollowed out to make them lighter. Odds are I would be lucky to get a couple of wearings out of it before noticing it fell off somewhere.
I had better luck with the silver necklace below which was heavier material so I could make all three items. The bad news is that the earrings are too heavy and I will look like Dumbo by the end of the night.
I have not made up my mind yet what to do with this set which I am probably not going to wear. Possibly I will just toss it into my jewelry making box and incorporate the links into a future project. I never stop looking for closeout sales on jewelry and can pick some of it up for about $10.00 per necklace. I buy the earring hooks and lobster caws at Michael’s craft store in person or on Amazon online.
Crossdressing safety should be a top priority when going out in public especially if you venture out alone. Things are far better today than decades ago. However the world will never run out of A-Holes so always be careful. Friday night I was going out to dinner in Long beach by myself so I picked a restaurant that I know the owner and most of the staff. I always use UBER for my transportation for both my crossdresser safety and avoiding a DUI. I do love my Cosmo’s and Friday was no exception both during and after dinner. The place I went has a piano player so I sat at the bar listening to the music after dinner. The couple seated down the bar started talking with me and we chatted for a while. They invited me to go to another bar down the street with one of the servers I knew. In the interest of crossdressing safety I declined but they were persuasive so I agreed to go for just one drink. You guessed it that turned into two and I was feeling no pain. I did not finish the second drink thanked them for their generosity and headed for my hotel. Even though I deviated from my normal crossdressing safety rules I knew the area I was in. It was only two blocks to the hotel through a very busy entertainment area called Pine Ave. The police heavily patrol the area to keep a lid on things so I felt safe. I walked quickly past everyone and reached the hotel in a couple of minutes safe and called it a night. If I had it to do over again I think I would politely decline the offer and call UBER.
I paired my new black jacket from CHICO’s with a favorite red skirt. Really like the jacket which is made from a heavy material that conforms to your body when you wear it.
Saturday night was our monthly CHIC dinner and crossdressing safety was no problem at all because the restaurant was across the street from my hotel. MY BFF Ashley gave me a ride to the restaurant so I only had to walk back across the street to my hotel after the dinner. I was a good girl Saturday and limited my drinks to three for the whole night and was back at the hotel by 11PM. Some of the other members invited me to join them at the Irish Pub two blocks away but I steadfastly refused. I did offer to have one more at my hotel bar but they were set on the pub so we said good night.
It turned out to be a very wise move because I would have walked back from the pub barefoot. My wife is always telling me to wear something other than black all the time. I went through my closet and dug out my cream colored jacket. I’ve had it for a couple of years but it was an impulse buy and I never had a plan for it. I paired it with a copper mix skirt and bone pumps that perfectly matched the jacket along with a bone purse. I received a lot of compliments and my wife is pleased I ventured out with no black on. The barefoot part comes in with the pumps because I have not worn them in quite a few years. I checked the heel tips which were worn but still looked to have a bit of life left on them. Not so! The first one broke off in the restaurant and the second when I crossed the street to the hotel. I never heard of anybody breaking two heels on the same night but I did it. Fortunately I have extra tips and am an expert at replacing them.
Crossdressing adventures in the late 1990’s were becoming more frequent for me once I joined the crossdressing club CHIC. Some of the meetings/party’s were at members homes and were very popular with almost all members attending. CHIC member wives came to the home party’s because they were considered safer than going to public restaurants. One of the wives fears was that if someone recognized her they would soon notice who she was with outing the husband. My wife had no interest in attending in the beginning but was fine with me going. She only requested that I stay the night in a hotel as close to the party as possible. I agreed and found hotels close by that were secure and allowed me to go in and out with minimal exposure to the public.
CROSSDRESSING ADVENTURE HOTEL
Finding a Residence Inn by Marriott near Jo Ann’s house where many of the party’s were held. Especially pool party’s in the summer. It was pretty much surrounded buy commercial Monday thru Friday businesses that closed on Saturday. A freeway behind so the only people around on weekends were at the other hotels on the same street. The Marriott was at the end of the street and had one building in the back by the freeway separated from the main facility. It was usually empty because they filled from front to back of the hotel by the pool and other amenities. PERFECT!!!!! I always requested a ground floor room in that building so I did not get complaints about walking late at night in high heels. I backed the car in so it was a short walk so I could leave quickly if I encountered someone. It was a favorite spot for a couple of years and worked out perfect. I could even get an early check in because they were not busy on weekends giving me much needed time to get ready.
CROSSDRESSING ADVENTURE POLICE
Then I had a crossdressing adventure like never before. After a fun night with friends at Jo Ann’s house at a January meeting things wound down and I said my goodbyes. Taking the least traveled route back to the hotel it was time to turn left onto the street my hotel was on. To my surprise the street was full of police with lights flashing and people sitting on the curb in handcuffs.
ABORT!
ABORT!
ABORT!
Flashed through my mind while I continued straight down the road without turning. Possible alternatives flashed through my mind but were quickly dismissed because there was still only one way into the hotel. The only feasible alternative was to go into the industrial complex the other side of the fence from my room. It would require me to scale a small fence in a dress and high heels. Police noticing a woman climbing a fence in an industrial park at midnight on a Saturday night. Not good!
Not thinking I could pull that one off I thought maybe I could just drive through the police area. I thought possibly they would just wave this nice lady on her way. Wondering what would happen if they stopped me to inquire where I was headed down a dead end street. Albeit at midnight on a Saturday night. Thinking this was not the time to create a believable female voice I had never practiced. Especially given the fact I had been drinking that night I dismissed it also.
CROSSDRESSING ADVENTURE DRIVING
I thought about just driving up making no attempt to fool anyone show my room key and hope they would let me through. Today not so much a problem but in the the late 1990’s they might be very curious what I was up to and ask lots of questions so I dismissed that one also. I was not good at getting ready in those days and had girly stuff all over the room. If they escorted me to my room I was sure they would think it was a violent crime seen. So on I drove for hours making loops down this freeway to another then another. Then circling back to the hotel.
Cop’s were still there every time and I remember thinking that Al Capone was convicted and sentenced in less time than this. I even thought about calling in a bomb scare momentarily figuring they would have leave and go to it. But then I thought they might only send half the cops so I would still have my problem. All this on top of the fact that I had to pee in a big way.
Finally after about 2 hours I returned and found the street empty and drove to my room. Then immediately went to the bathroom and almost passed out from relief then cleaned up and went to bed. I only slept for about 5 hours and got up. I cleaned up the crime scene packed and went home. Once home I got to explain to my wife that the reason I was so tired. Because I was up late dealing with the cops!
Kinda true right?
She had a good laugh and asked what I didn’t just explain everything to them.
Thank God for UBER I wish they had them back then.
Crossdresser style varies greatly in our community and reflects differing tastes depending on motivations along with the occasion. Motivation we all are familiar with based on each one of our internal driving forces. Style in my opinion over the years is connected to puberty to some degree. In my case while I became fascinated with women’s clothing around 6 or 7 years old I did not understand why so just looked and liked. I never heard of a crossdresser and did not know I was one so I had no crossdresser style. That all changed when I matured and took a greater interest in women. I say women because I was more attracted to a well dressed lady than a girl who dressed her age. In those days virtually all women who worked wore nylons and high heels so there was much to look at. My crossdresser style is based on that period which fortunately blends with today’s fashions.
CONSERVATIVE CROSSDRESSER STYLE
The above picture was taken last Friday night wearing a blouse from White House Black Market with a gray skirt. The pumps are 3 1/2 inch and the whole outfit could have been worn to work in the 1960’s. When shopping I look for classic looks that will always be in style. Its very cost effective to be able to wear your clothes for years so I tend to spend more on quality items for my crossdresser style. Friday night we were going to a new restaurant in a conservative neighborhood with a jazz club in the bar. I have been there dressed as Duke before but never Micki so I chose my outfit not wanting to stand out. We had a great time and were very well accepted.
Saturday night we were going to a familiar restaurant and our group was small enough that we could fit into a private room. I am very comfortable there so I wore a red jacket, navy skirt, and navy pumps. Both the skirt and pumps are classic but the jacket with zipper accents is newer however, the jackets classic cut I think will be in fashion years from now.
NOT SO CONSERVATIVE CROSSDRESSER STYLE
DIVA LAS VEGAS is just 10 weeks away and all kinds of crossdresser styles will be on display there. Everything from trashy, to flashy, to conservative all will be there. Crossdresser style based on fetish will most likely be there also but I don’t know if puberty influences fetish desires. I have noticed that fetish dressers don’t seem to be restricted by there age. They tend to wear what the want where they want. That pretty much fits with modern day Las Vegas so I don’t expect to run into and conservative fetish dressers.
The important thing is to have fun in Las Vegas and I am sure all will regardless how they are dressed.
Mainstream crossdressing is something I only dreamed of when I was a young crossdresser. Actually fantasy is probably a more accurate term because it occupied my mind mostly while awake. Leaving the house dressed did not really start until my mid 30’s. It was still something you could be arrested for so was an irregular occurrence. My mainstream crossdressing only existed on business trips and consisted of driving around late at night then back to the motel. I think it was in the late 80’s when I made my first mainstream crossdressing trip In Dallas Texas.
MAINSTREAM CROSSDRESSING THE 1ST TIME
While at one of the beloved Texas “T” Parties friends insisted that a friend and I join them for dinner. We assumed it would be a Gay restaurant which was the typical (SAFE) destination in those days especially in Texas. I knew I was in trouble as the city lights faded behind us but hoped maybe dinner was in Houston. Nope! They reserved a very nice steakhouse in a suburb of Dallas filled with regular folks. Not my idea of a perfect place for a paranoid CD to do mainstream crossdressing. Everything went well when they seated us at a nice table until we took our seats. There were crossdresser wives with us so I let them decide who sat where and I guess one of them hated me because I ended up directly under the spotlight. Its the perfect place for a CD who rushed to get ready and not ecstatic about her presentation that night preferring a dark corner of the restaurant.
My first time mainstream crossdressing was an education as the guys I was worried about in the restaurant really did not want to look at us. It was the women they were with that kept looking at us all night. They kept pointing us out to the poor guys who obliged them with a brief glance then back to their meal. The staff was very nice to us and when we left their was no gallows or rope tied into a hangman’s noose so it was all good. Then again maybe the fact that we pulled up our friends new Rolls Royce Silver Shadow that night made a difference. The first and only time I have ridden in one but it was cool. So it was two firsts that for me that night mainstream crossdressing and the Rolls.
MAINSTREAM CROSSDRESSING TODAY
Fast forward to today and mainstream crossdressing is very common especially in big cities. Last weekend I met with 5 other CHIC members for dinner Friday night at a favorite place in Long Beach. We had two wives and 4 crossdressers for dinner and had a fun night eating inside for a change. I reserved a private room in the back of the restaurant which gave us a relaxing unhurried atmosphere to socialize in.
MAINSTREAM CROSSDRESSING WITH THE PUBLIC
I got a pleasant surprise when GG acquaintance came back to say hello after noticing me walk through the bar. I had just come in from going outside to take a picture for this article. She had not been around for a couple of years so it was good to know she was doing fine.
I intentionally blurred her face because I did not have her permission to put her picture online. I liked the picture of me so I included it.
This post was getting a little long so the rest of the weekend will follow shortly.
Public crossdressing is being done more and more as CD’s become increasingly comfortable being seen in the open. Years ago most preferred the relative safety of Gay bars or DRAG clubs. Pretty much all of my dressing is done at mainstream venues whether they be stores, restaurants or bars. The world is pretty tolerant if not accepting of crossdressers now especially the younger folks.
PUBLIC CROSSDRESSING FOR DINNER
This month our Friday night group went from 7 to 4 because of last minute scheduling conflicts. I arrived first and opted to sit in the bar so I could people watch. It was a bit cool to sit outside and you see eveyone that comes in. The owner Mario is an old friend and came to sit with me until the others arrived. We talked about how long he has known our club CHIC along with his successful restaurant. It has been 25 years since we started doing public crossdressing at his first restaurant and he expressed his gratitude for our support over those years. I thanked him for being there for us too. Many a beginner went to his restaurant for their first outing en fem and was made to feel comfortable. We have gone to his restaurants through good times and bad and are especially enjoying his current success.
PUBLIC CROSSDRESSING WITH THE PUBLIC
Many times I have walked into a restaurant alone public crossdressing to rendezvous with friends and had patrons take notice of me. Most don’t have too much reaction some smiling while others sort of take it in then look away. Some though give kind of a WHAT IS THAT DOING HERE look then check to see if others noticed me also. My favorite outcome to this situation is when the bartenders and servers notice I have arrived and great me warmly by name. Often if the owner is around they come over and shake hands or hug me again calling me by name. The reason its my favorite public crossdressing is the negative folks figure out the only person with a problem with this crossdresser is them so maybe they are the one out of step.
SATURDAY NIGHT
Saturday night we had a much bigger group for dinner with 18 club members total. Our group was seated upstairs due to our size but it worked out well because we had the whole upper level. The only drawback was upstairs is all booths so we were in many small groups. Around 10 PM most went on their way but a few of us descended the stairs to the bar for more cocktails and public crossdressing. Once in the bar seating was scarce so I went to the ladies room to freshen up and get ready for a picture.
When I left the restroom I had to walk behind the owner who was seated at the end. I did not want him to back into me when I said hello so once directly behind him I put my hands on each of his upper arms then said hi in my deepest Trace Atkins voice. He spun around laughing and shook my hand vigorously asking how I was doing. I said great chatted for just a minute and moved on to my group. A few minutes later my folks were commenting on some guys who rolled their eyes and said some negative things about our group. The bartender heard it and was upset then spoke with the owner. The next thing I knew two of the three left and the one left behind felt bad and wanted to buy us a round of drinks. The owner told them we did not need his drinks and just to be nice.
PUBLIC CROSSDRESSING SUCCESS
It is important in closing to note that each of the restaurants mentioned above are places I have gone public crossdressing to for decades. The relationships with owners and staff are based respect for them and their business. We always dress appropriately, act lady like, spend lots of money and tip well. We are never loud, obnoxious, crude or do anything that could negatively impact the business.
