JeffB

4 minutes ago, Amanda said:

Hmm, well it's not the best moment to ask since I'm just beginning a new chapter.

Well, I hope things will be good for you.

59 minutes ago, Shyheels said:

My God, Amanda, where on Earth do you find this stuff?

 

 

I don't think I want to know. Ignorance is bliss, and I wanna be so blissful, it's not funny!

Yo, Amanda! How's life treating you?

On 2/14/2016 at 2:13 AM, Amanda said:

 

Well, at least the ladies wore nice shoes.

12 hours ago, heelsrus2000 said:

Lost for words...

In a good way, or a bad way. Don't keep me in suspense!

Jaunt #345, 11/19/2016: Here we are, less than a week away from Thanksgiving, and yet, the weather was more like April than November as there was plenty of sunshine and temps that flirted with 70. Yeah, kooky weather, but perfect conditions for an outing, my ensemble being a black Gloria Vanderbilt denim jacket over a long sleeved magenta t-shirt, a 16 inch gray denim miniskirt with that distressed hem, the Payless "Martinez" booties in black and a black handbag. Driving downtown, I found a parking space a block away from my friendly neighborhood comic book shop, while on my way there, a black woman sitting in a U-Haul van leaned her head out the driver's side window and shouted, "Whoo! Look at those legs!" I smiled back and waved to her. How cool was that? Getting a compliment! After some twenty minutes in the comic shop discussing the upcoming Eagles-Seahawks game in Seattle on Sunday, I headed down the street to the first drug store I found for a bottle of Ny-Quil so I'll be ready for the cold season that's on the way. As usual, the downtown area was hustling and bustling with throngs of people enjoying the unusually warm weather, it's just so much fun to be in the middle of such a crowd, even better when no one gives me any odd looks or stares. Retreating to Rittenhouse Square Park, I found a bench partially under a tree to relax, check my phone for messages and be seen.

Here's some proof of how I've evolved as a fashion freestyler: the very first time I wore a skirt as short as the one I sported on this outing a few years ago, I was so incredibly self-conscious about wearing a mini, and the notion of sitting in the thing was out of thee question as I was worried sick about the skirt riding up on me. But, as I've evolved, I no longer cared about such minor things, seated on the bench and crossing my legs, the skirt did indeed ride up, showing off lots of skin, and I didn't give even half a damn, I just chilled out while people came and went and no one gave me so much as a glance. I mean, I had underwear (black) on beneath my skirt, so why should that have been a big deal, despite nursing a mild desire for being an exhibitionist. After over thirty minutes on that bench, I returned to my car and motored over the bridge into South Jersey and Moorestown Mall where I ate lunch in the food court in plain sight, then went to the nearby multiplex to see Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (a Harry Potter prequel) and enjoyed it. After the film, I left the mall and went to Best Buy which was already in Black Friday mode, what with HDTV's in boxes all over the floor and the place was fairly packed, even before the big day, that made wandering the aisles before going to the register with a pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones for my computer, nothing fancy or expensive, just fifty bucks before taxes. Another fun outing, one made more exciting by wearing a mini. I'll have to do that again soon, cold weather or not. More to come....

Shyheels: That's not a half bad idea! I say go for it and see what happens!

Jaunt #344, 11/18/2016: In some ways, each and every outing I undertake is an ongoing experiment, especially since I've devoted myself to being a fashion freestyler, my goal is to craft, develop and nurture my image and how I want to be seen in public by the world at large. To that end, I go to great lengths to put together outfits that are not just tasteful and stylish, but will help me blend in with my surroundings. As for today's experiment, I decided to take a 27 inch plaid a-line skirt out for a spin, pairing it with my favorite denim jacket over a long sleeved black t-shirt, the Payless "Karmen" pumps in black patent and a short strap black satchel. While I've worn patterned skirts before, plaid represents new territory and I was eager to see how I could pair with it best to create a full outfit. This is my mindset these days as I'm long since beyond everything being about the shoes and rather thinking about the complete image.

With temps around 60, with sunshine, it was just the sort of day cool enough for a light jacket but not warm enough to go with just shirt sleeves as I headed to Starbucks in University City to relax with a cup of iced tea, a muffin and my nook™ for some quality time reading. Funny thing in that I get in more reading away from home than I do while at home. Go figure. After about two hours (the amount of time in the meter), I packed up and left, going into downtown. After about half an hour spent searching for a parking space, I found one, fed the meter, then walked down some three blocks to One Liberty Place to feed myself, as it was a weekday, the food court was plenty crowded as I chose Subway and one of their chopped salads with a bottle of water. And yes, I garnered no stares or odd looks, meaning I achieved my objective of anonymity, or so I thought, because after I finished lunch, left the food court and was on my way out the building when I passed a thirtysomething lady who said in passing, "Cute skirt!" I smiled and said thanks. So, people do notice when they decide to look closely.

I'll readily admit that my image is a work in progress, and might always be such in my eyes. Sometimes I'll nail my look with just the right outfit, sometimes I won't (see my Election Day outing), but I thought I did good today. But I'll continue striving to look my best. More to come....

Jet.........

Once again, Mr. X, you did well! Your outfit looked great! Bravo to you!

6 hours ago, Kittyinboots said:

Thought I would chime in on this thread based on my similar style.

I just had a great night in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.  After a long day on my business trip, I changed into my favorite look.  Tonight I wore my tight denim blue riding jeans along with my tall brown high heel boots in my avatar, bright red dress shirt, topped off with my slim fitting black leather jacket.  Since I was away on business, I felt daring since nobody knows me.  I started out my evening with some complimentary alcoholic beverages and appetizers at my hotel which offers an evening refresher or happy hour.  No one paid too much attention to me. 

Afterwards I headed on out to a local pub for dinner.  What really made my night was a waitress who was working another table came up to me and asked me where did I get my boots.  I was happy to talk to her since she was sincerely complimenting my look.  I told her that it was an Ebay purchase. She asked if these boots were zipper or pull on style, to which I mentioned that they were pull on style.  Then she asked me what brand of boots they were, then I mentioned that they are Italian boots, no brand name specified. 

She thought these boots looked good on me, as she was filled with enthusiasm as she asked me about them. She went so far as to say that my overall look was quite chic and sexy. 

Here is a shot of tonight's outfit from my hotel room.

 

Well done! That's one heck of a sharp look you displayed!

14 hours ago, CAT said:

Hmmmmmm,,,,,, I should look into some 8"'ers! Lol good call 

8 inchers? Yoiks! I'm coming down with vertigo just thinking about that! 

14 hours ago, Thighbootguy said:

I really do admire the care both you and JeffB put into creating an image.  It is a talent I really don't have but, since I've been wearing boots of some sort every time I go out, it is nice to start the day with the only decision being: jeans, leggings, or skirt.

Well, since I've embraced the life of a fashion freestyler, crafting my image has become very important to me as I want to look my best when out in public. And, I feel good when I look good, plain and simple.

Yes, it does, CAT!

13 hours ago, Bubba136 said:

There are two separate looks at discussion here.  One, Cat's stunning appearance, that shows him as male from the the neck up, and JeffB's more mature female appearance-- especially aided by his short hair-- that"work."  Both of them, due to/because of the care/preparation they both take, elicit compliments on their taste and appearance rather than ridicule and derision usually associated with men wearing women's clothes in public with more casual preparation.  

This, in no way detracts from the other members efforts to dressing similarly.  It's just that I'm more familiar with their technique.  Huge lesson, do your "prep" work and exercise knowledgeable care in selection of wardrobe and accessories.

 

You stated everything perfectly. I've said numerous times in this thread that if I was going to wear women's clothes and shoes in public, then it's important that I look my very best, no matter if I'm going casual or dressing up to the nines. A proper, tasteful and appropriate appearance goes a long way to acceptance of my presentation. To that end, I go to great pains to put together outfits that will allow me to blend in with my surroundings, I also take notice of what women wear and adapt what I see to the outfits I assemble. Bottom line, I absolutely love to be fashionable, nothing more, nothing less.

11 hours ago, Puffer said:

No disrespect to CAT, or any criticism of what I agree is his 'stunning appearance', but I don't think we have (yet) seen anything of him above the neck, so his appearance in that area, and its contrast with his female clothing that it may or may not show, must be a matter of conjecture.   As he appears happy to reveal himself in full in his part of the world, it would be good if he would share that with us too, as JeffB so readily does.   But I for one will still respect him if he chooses not to.

 

Well, I can't speak for CAT who I'm sure has his reasons for remaining anonymous, but in my case, the reason I choose to show my face all boils down to simple laziness as I don't want to go to all the trouble of cropping my head out of pictures. Yep, that's my explanation, and I'm sticking to it! Heh!

Thanks for the kind words. Learning the intracacies of women's fashion at such an advanced age is an ongoing education, and there's bound to be the occasional flubbed lesson here and there. But I like to think I'm a willing pupil when it comes to my studies. Heh! 

By the way, Mr. X, you sure have great taste when it comes to handbags too! I never leave the house on an outing without a purse and it's fun to carry one, so I appreciate your style when it comes to accessories!

Love the picture, moreso than the comments. Killer heels!

Jaunt #343, 11/11/2016: Having the day off, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy an outing, with sunshine and temps in the upper 50's, I opted for my trusty blue denim jacket over a long sleeved magenta t-shirt, a 27 inch light knit a-line skirt in black, black tights, the Payless "Martinez" booties in black and a short strap black leather satchel. Yes, I know I seem to be in something of a rut when it comes to my footwear, but damn, I just LOVE wearing those booties, while the style is nice, I can't get enough of that deliciously loud and no nonsense clicking sound their heels make on the pavement.

My destination was Parx Casino where I hadn't been in awhile, even if it means traversing I-95 through the city which seems to be in a perpetual state of being overhauled. But that was just a small inconvenience as it took about thirty minutes to arrive at the slot parlor, it was a little after 11 a.m. when I entered the building, and there was a pretty good crowd for a Friday, in fact, I daresay the place was packed, I picked the Wizard of Oz one cent machine, and, after some twenty minutes, I kinda got lucky with a seventy dollar haul. WHOO! Pocketing those winnings, I went to the food court to celebrate with a light lunch of a sandwich and a bottle of water, then I returned to the gaming floor where I spent the next hour plus drifting from machine to machine, winning a little here, losing a little there, by the time I finally left the place I was ahead by some fifty bucks. Not exactly a retirement nest egg, but I don't go to places like Parx to get rich, just to have fun, and if I manage to put a few extra dollars in my purse, so much the better.

Driving back into town, I stopped at Rittenhouse Square for a bit as I wanted to go to the Apple Store to check out the brand new Macbook Pro which boasted of being lighter, thinner and faster than ever, it certainly did look awfully cool, but at a starting price of $1,499.99 for the 13 inch model, I think I can live without it, at least until I win the Powerball Lottery for that mythical obscene amount of money before I think of investing in one. From there, I wandered the downtown area, looking to be seen, which I was, but with no interaction with passerby, other a brief glance here and there, nothing more. It's just so much fun to wander around that area, take in the sights and enjoy being in public in the clothes I enjoy wearing. More to come....

Bravo, Mr. X! That's a kicky and stylish outfit! Kudos to you, my friend!

13 hours ago, Thighbootguy said:

The color combination looks good but the skirt makes you look like you should have skipped lunch.  The top of the skirt flairs out and that does not flatter your figure.

Glad you voted... it gives you license to complain/rejoyce about the results (in another forum).

Skipped lunch, eh? Maybe I should have. HA! As for the election, the less said about that, the better.

11 hours ago, heelsrus2000 said:

I would have voted that a straight skirt would have come up Trumps with those booties  this one just is unflattering and destined for the thrift shop IMHO  do the booties come in brown? Might have been a safer bet. Autumn leaves and muck from the street may tarnish these. They are cute though, but better suited to a beige pencil dress teamed with brown gloss tights  

Thanks for the comments. Every time I put together an outfit, I learn lessons about fashion, I understand that I was bound to throw in a clunker, hopefully, I won't repeat that mistake in the future. As for the booties, they just come in black and tan.

On 11/6/2016 at 6:36 AM, Thighbootguy said:

An hour well spent. The outfit looks good and I really like the booties (short though they are).  As an FYI, my eye immediately went to the blue sweater (contrast draws attention) so anyone seeing you from the front might not have noticed the skirt and heels.

Then I guess I did something right! Heh!

Jaunt #342, 11/8/2016: After having performed by democratic duty early in the morning by going to the polling place to vote, I decided to reward myself with an outing, mainly because I had ordered a pair of the Payless "Martinez" booties in tan and they arrived yesterday, so I took them out for a spin, matching them with my favorite denim jacket over a black, long sleeved t-shirt, a shin length crinkle skirt in taupe and a short strap black satchel. I was eager to figure out what color skirt would work best with the new booties and thought that the taupe number was my best bet. I'm thinking I might look for a straight brown knee lengther to match with the booties. We shall see on that score the next time I go shopping. As everyone here knows, I'm fairly well fanatical about making sure I look my best for my public outings.

With plenty of sunshine and temps in the mid to upper 60's, my first stop was to the Starbucks store in University City where I spent an hour reading from my Barnes & Noble nook™ while nursing a cup of iced tea, then I headed downtown where it only took ten minutes to find a parking space, considering more often than not it usually takes twice as long, I thought of myself as lucky. I strolled leisurely down to One Liberty Place for lunch, the streets were crowded as was the food court at OLP, deciding on Subway for lunch, going with a six inch tuna salad sandwich with a bottle of water, making for a tasty meal. Leaving the building, I strolled around the downtown area with no particular place to go, I simply wanted to be seen by the world at large, and to enjoy the sharp, loud sound of the 2 1/2 inch heels of my booties on the pavement, to me, that's pure music to my ears. My wanderings brought me to Rittenhouse Square Park where I sat on a bench fiddling on my iPhone for a solid half hour, the only lifeform that took any interest in me the whole time was a cute beagle who, with his human in tow (a middle aged woman), waddled up to me, looking all sorts of friendly, so I let him sniff my hand then and scratched behind his ears, the lady chuckled and said that George liked me, and we got a good chuckle out of that.

So, when only a dog noticed me, that says I've succeeded in being able to blend in with my surroundings. Every time I go out, I learn something new, both about myself in how I present myself in public, and the world in how it perceives me and accepts my appearance. More to come....

Jaunt #341, 11/5/2016: Sometimes, the impetus for an outing consists of nothing more than experimenting with outfits I put together, then take out into public for a spin. Yesterday was one such example as I headed out on a sunny and slightly nippy Saturday wearing my black faux jacket over a blue crewneck sweater, a 26 inch Liz Claiborne faux suede pencil skirt from JCPenney, black tights and the Payless "Martinez" booties which I've really come to love wearing, in fact, I ordered a second pair in tan which I'll show off soon. Since I often spend as much as an hour or more matching tops, bottoms, legwear and footwear, even handbags before I decide on something I like, it's important I look my best before I leave the house, sure, I don't deny there are time when I look to be overdressed at times for outings, but it's great fun to look good.

Anyhoo, I headed downtown so I could be seen, after parking the car, my first stop to was to a show repair shop half a block away to have new heel tips put on my Pleaser knee boots so they'll be ready for the season, then, I strolled down the street to Rittenhouse Square and Barnes & Noble where I spent a good twenty minutes or so before leaving with the newest issue of Sports Illustrated, then from there, I casual stroll down Walnut Street, crowded with shoppers and pedestrians, as usual, and I know this must sound old and tired to everyone here after all this time, no one gave me so much as the time of day, and I've gotten used to that, let's me know I'm doing something right. My next stop was to One Liberty Place for lunch, it was crowded there too as I chose Bain's Deli and a corned beef special with a bottle of water. Delightful! After lunch, I left and returned to the shoe shop to pick up my boots, then I headed over the Ben Franklin Bridge to the multiplex across from the Cherry Hill Mall to watch Doctor Strange. Because the latest Dreamworks animated feature, Trolls also was playing, there was a boatload of young kids and toddlers in the building to see that movie, and more than a few gave me looks, but, I was used to that and ignored the stares. As for the film I saw, great stuff, Benedict Cumberbatch was terrific as the Master of the Mystic Arts.

At the end of the day, it was good to have put together a nice outfit, gone out in public and enjoyed the day, having been treated just like everyone else. That's what I love most about my outings. More to come....

17 hours ago, Thighbootguy said:

At the point of repeating myself... Great look JeffB.  Maybe add a neck scarf?

Nah don't try to do that.  Just maybe one day you will look in a mirror and kazango you will see a female image looking back.  (Kazango is a Johnny Hart, author of the BC comic strip, word that he used to describe the sound of lightening stricking nearby.)   At least that's what happened to me and I was quite surprised, and not displeased.

A scarf, eh? Hmm! That might be worth a try if I can figure out how to work one. I'll have to study up on that. And yes, I'm familiar with B.C.

11 hours ago, heelsrus2000 said:

Absolutely love this look! You've nailed it with the grey tights and the skirt is so nice! Don't worry about what image is presented, if you dress, comport yourself, adopt mannerisms etc that is seen as female, then so be it! It must have been so natural and not forced, that no one notices anymore. When we are just busy enjoying ourselves and not worrying what others think we relax and that's where the successful jaunts are!

 

Thanks for the kind words. I thought the gray tights made for a nice touch, given how cool it was that morning, I thought that legwear was a must, but wanted contrast between that, the skirt and booties. Being properly fashionable is important to me. And yes, I do practice female mannerisms at home (walking, standing, sitting, etc) and, after a while now, it's become pretty much second nature to me, and makes my outings all the more enjoyable.

TBG: Funny you should mention jackets. While I was at the Cherry Hill Mall, I swung by JCPenney and tried on a few such jackets, but they were too small for me, even the extra large size. Bummer. Ahh, the mental image, eh? Interesting. Everything you said made perfect sense as I do seek to comport myself like a woman while in public, all part of the image I want to present. Perhaps you're right, perhaps I should try to see myself as female when I look at myself in a mirror.

Jaunt #340, 10/30/2016: Who'd a thunk that here in the northeast, I'd be wearing short sleeves and sandals on the day before Halloween. But, that was the case today as the weather was unseasonably warm, reaching a high of nearly 80 with a goodly amount of sunshine, giving me an excuse to head out on a short outing in a black short sleeved blouse with lace sleeves, a 26 inch, gray knit a-line skirt, the Payless "Sinclair" platform wedge sandals in black and a black handbag. With the Eagles in Dallas for Sunday night football, I had an excuse to motor into center city, stopping first at Starbucks where I enjoyed a light lunch and read from my Barnes & Noble nook for little over an hour. Afterwards, I drove to the Rittenhouse Square area, parked about a block away from the park itself, then did something different, with scores of people out and about enjoying the weather while ignoring me, I headed to One Liberty Square and it's relatively new observation deck.

The building is little under 900 feet tall, and an observation deck had opened at the top several months ago, I had been meaning to visit there but never got around to until today. After slapping down a twenty dollar admission fee, the elevator took a few short minutes to reach the observation deck, but the brief wait was more than worth it as the view of downtown and beyond was absolutely spectacular, thanks to the sunshine and clear skies, there were nearly two dozen other spectators enjoying the panoramic views while no one paid me any mind, and that was plenty cool in itself. The only regret was that I didn't think to take any pictures to share. Bummer. After little over half an hour, I went back down to the street and strolled back to Rittenhouse Square Park, it should be noted that the skirt, one of three I bought at Sears (the other colors being black and plaid) was so light and airy, it felt like I wasn't wearing anything at all, clearly, this sort of skirt was tailor made for spring and summer, but since it was so warm today, I was able to pull it off, and, like all my skirts, it was fun to wear.

I had time to kill to sit on a bench at the park, typically crowded on a Sunday afternoon, fiddle around on my phone and watch the world go by while I was observed by passersby. All in all, it was a delightful outing as I did something new in a new skirt and a pair of heels I thought I wouldn't wear again until next spring. Go figure. More to come....

Jaunt #339, 10/29/2016: A few days earlier, I swapped out my tank tops and short sleeved shirts for long sleeved shirts and sweaters, and wouldn't you know, temps would reach 70 after a chilly start, and because it was a wee bit nippy, I went with my blue denim jacket over a long sleeved red t-shirt, a 24 inch black skirt, gray tights, the Payless "Martinez" booties in black and a black satchel bag. I've said before that the booties are nice to wear, comfortable, and the 2 1/2 block heels were delightfully loud on the pavement, making these shoes a treat to wear. My first start of the day was to the main branch of the Post Office for a money order, had a bit of a wait in line before I made it to the counter and made my purchase. From there, it was off to my friendly neighborhood comic book shop for the week's newest books and friendly chatting about the Eagles and Sixers.

Returning to my car, I motored over into South Jersey and the Moorestown Mall area where I had lunch at Boston Market. Here's some free advice: the next time you visit Boston Market, ask for the mac and cheese as a side with your meal, that stuff is outstanding! My next stop was to the mall itself and the multiplex to see The Accountant, a pretty good actioner starring Ben Affleck as a highly functioning autistic number cruncher and assassin. It's one of those suspend your belief sort of movies, but it made for good watching. My last stop of the day was to the Cherry Hill Mall to wander around the place and be seen, after my successful outing at King of Prussia, I thought I'd try my luck again, and even though Cherry Hill is smaller than KOP, it was still a busy and crowded place on a Saturday afternoon. Now, while my skirt was shorter than the one I wore last Saturday and my heels were higher, not to mention louder, plus the addition of tights that accented my legs, the end result was the same: no one paid me any attention or gave me odd looks or glances, once again, I came and went as I pleased, casually strolling the length of the mall, I even stopped along the way to sit in a chair and fiddle on my phone with no commotion whatsoever.

After last Saturday's outing, Thighbootguy called me "just one of the gals", and while I wouldn't go so far as to think I could be mistaken for being female, I must admit, I found that to be an intriguing possibility. After all, I dress like a woman, and I make a note to walk, stand, sit (smoothing my skirt when I do) and cross my legs like a woman while in public, and that's something I take just as much pride in as I do my attire, it's all part of my presentation, one that I thoroughly enjoy putting on display for the world to see. So, doing jaunts in large, crowded malls isn't all that big a deal as long as I dress appropriately and carry myself properly, that said, I'll have to do it again in the future as I find it to be fun. More to come....

I'm impressed with the inquisitive nature of the people you've met in your travels. I've only gotten questions 2 & 3.

Good for you, krazykev! There's no reason whatsoever why we should feel embarrassed about what we choose to wear in public. Keep up the good work!

bluejay: I do as best I can. Confidence is important, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to do what I do, and it's fun to feel just like everyone else while out and about.

heelsrus2000: Thanks for the kind words. Relaxer? Nahhh! Not worth the trouble. As for taking pictures while out and about, I've thought about that Friday m time to time, but I'm not the type to want to bother someone over something as trivial as picture taking, I'm content to just come and go as I please. Still, I haven't ruled that out. One day, perhaps. As for wearing skirts to work, nope, I keep business and pleasure separate, and I save my women's wear for having fun, nothing more, nothing less. Lastly, I've never had trouble with my button down skirts, and they're quite stylish.

CPB: I appreciate the compliment. I take great pride in putting together outfits that not only look good on me, but makes me feel good as well because I love being stylish. I suppose that because I'm dressed as well as I am, people don't bother taking any interest in me, perhaps, like Thighbootguy mentioned previously, passersby mistake me for being female. I'm cool with that.