How Does One Dress In A Place Without Dresses?

[Guest Sashel Trace]

It’s an interesting thing, I must admit, to walk into almost any given store and not find a single skirt. In fact, here I hardly even see dresses.

I recently moved from a place of about 1,200 people to a place of 50,000. I was thinking, wow; this place has stop lights. That was a huge thing right there. Going from a place where there were only two stop lights in the whole county to a place that has more stop lights alone than half of the state I was once in.

Here there are also magical things called –stores--. I have to admit, I was beginning to think such things were children’s fairy tales. Turns out, I was wrong. Amazing, no?

And they call it a small town.

What does all this have to do with this town’s inability to house skirts or dresses?

A lot it would seem.

Where I used to live, almost no one ever wore a skirt or dress. It would be a joke among many women at events like funerals that they wouldn’t wear a dress again as long as they lived. Amazingly enough, most people followed through with this well past their deaths.

It seems that when a town thinks it small, dresses and skirts disappear. All you see is jeans and shirts. Now instead of questioning the existence of stores, I question the existence of skirts, or rather the existence of people who wear them. You see commercials all the time where women wear skirts and dresses…but really, does that EVER happen?

Because of this, I have to wonder how an MTF who hasn’t transitioned fully would survive in such a setting where most everyone wears jeans. If they wore a dress or skirt they would most defiantly be noticed for it would be unusual. Maybe I’m just paranoid, more observant than others, or both, but I think people would probably realize that such a person is not female physically.

Perhaps they could just wear pants.

What would you do in a place like this? Just wear pants? Or throw in some skirts and dresses?

[Guest KyleMicheal]

actually, from my experience, in a place where skirts/dresses are not common, it is considered cute to wear one.

Just find a nice one on the internet, and...get it. And wear it.

Women look good in skirts/dresses anyway.

[Guest Kelly Ann]

well it's winter...depending on where you are...Alfalfa's sheep skin chaps and 4 layers of clothing...cold weather, Moderate temperatures a Sonny Bono vest with a full coverage of your choice on the chest/boots/leggings...Warm weather LOL run what you brung to paraphrase the racers down here...just make it somewhat modest, the rednecks are obnoxious otherwise...

[Guest Donna Jean]

Because of this, I have to wonder how an MTF who hasn’t transitioned fully would survive in such a setting where most everyone wears jeans. If they wore a dress or skirt they would most defiantly be noticed for it would be unusual. Maybe I’m just paranoid, more observant than others, or both, but I think people would probably realize that such a person is not female physically.

Jeans..Jeans..Jeans....Haa ha ha...

My jeans have pegged legs. I have to have my wife pull my jeans off because the legs are so tight!

My goodness..Hon..

I'm a MTF and I believe that whatever I wear is cool...

Huggs..

Donna Jean

[Guest Sashel Trace]

hmmm didn't think of the cold. I dono...I just don't feel cold ever.

Personally I don't think I will ever wear jeans again unless I have to after I transition.

[Sally]

There is no law that says that you have to wear what everyone else is wearing - that is the male mind set, buy one outfit like everybody esle has and wear it until it falls apart.

You are free to express yourself.

I played for a New Year's Eve Party and all of the men were wearing tuxes and the women were wearing floor length ball gowns, cocktail dresses, pants and some were wearing flats and soft soled shoes - it is up to you sweetheart!

Wear what makes you feel feminine (avoid bathing suits with cover ups in winter, go along with the seasons a bit.)

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest Irielle]

I think you should wear whatever you feel comfortable in.

I used to always have panic attacks when I had to wear my new clothes for school.

I'd have to wear new pants or jeans and a new shirt and shoes. My heart would race and I'd get all sweaty and itchy and it was hard to breathe. I wanted to run away and rip my clothes off. It would also happen when I had to dress up, like for going to church.

Thank goodness now I can wear what I like (most of the time) and I always wear what feels comfortable for me at the time.

[Guest Little Sara]

I like skirts and dresses and if it made me unique, then so be it. In a 95% male environment, it does make it rather rare. I just feel cuter.

[Guest Guardian]

Well, that's a tough situation... You should really wear what you feel best in. Wearing the really pretty things, like skirts and dresses, can feel great - but I know how it is to wear something different and have the feeling that everyone is looking at me. That makes wearing what I want feel a lot less great. It really is an awkward feeling for me. When I ever learn to stop taking what everyone else says or does so seriously, I'll want to wear what I really want more often!

If you're alright with the extra attention you'd get, then go get some neat skirts and dresses! Letting other people set the limits for your life is probably one of the worst things ever. But then again, I know how uncomfortable it can be to be the odd one out of a croud. It's really up to you, and how much you want to wear a skirt or a dress, and how much you want other people to just bug off .

Do and wear what you feel like... Too many people are bound to doing what everyone else feels like.

[Guest Christy.dancer]

Hmmm.... if your new town was 20 times bigger, I'd say you'd moved to Seattle. This time of year, you almost NEVER see a woman under 40 (and darned few over 40) wearing a dress/skirt unless she's a very senior executive or somehow being "dressy" is a requirement of her job. Jeans and stretch work-out pants are the norm. If you do see a girl wearing a skirt, she nearly always has tights on under.

It'll change in the summer, but until then, the challenge is looking feminine in jeans. The good news, for me, is it means transitioning can be much more subtle and gradual. A different cut of jeans. A different top. Very light makeup and jewelry. Simple stuff.

[Guest Evan_J]

- that is the male mind set, buy one outfit like everybody esle has and wear it until it falls apart.

Just because I've worn these sweat pnts four days this week does not meanI'm wearing them till they fall apart. thats called ease in dressing lol.

And amazingly, I know a MtF in state that lives somewhere like you're describing. -Its just not done for women to wear skirts and dresses there. She personally is happy because she doesn't want to be the (her words ) "frou frou" type. However, personally I think she'd look kick-butt in a skirt. Wear what you like. Women make a point of doing whatever they feel.

[Guest Sashel Trace]

Actually I would say its the female mindset to wear what everyone else is wearing, but that's just what I've seen.

Also, I am NOT ok with the attention. Forgive my pessimism but standing out gets people killed. I would love to wear the things I want to, but that isn't an intelligent decision.

Of course, I might think this way because I lived in Wyoming from age 6 to 18.