HappyFeat

Congratulations on wearing heels out for the first time...and 7 1/2" are some serious heels for a first outing. When you spend a month working up your courage you really seem to get a lot. Keep heeling and keep enjoying it.

Take a look at a few of the threads like JeffB's, Thighbootguy and mine and they are filled with stories about wearing boots in the mall (and many other places as well as in many different ways.) 99 times out of 100 I have a great time at the mall while wearing boots or other heels.

... A question, was that a clutch bag you were holding? ...

Actually Jeff, I think a clutch would be a perfect addition to the outfit. Good thought!

Pumps, what a great outfit! The jacket fits you perfectly and I love the hosiery and the modest heel pumps. Great freestyle look.

I enjoyed reading this thread very much. I know there is are a wide range of opinions on leg shaving (an many other threads,) but this is a very real, personal story and is a good read for any man who is thinking of going down this road. For me, I started as a "seasonal" shaver myself - hairless in the winter and would let it grow in the summer. But as my wearing of heels evolved, I found my way into other fashion options - skirts, dresses, capris, crops, shorts, etc. For me, hairy legs just didn't work. Its not that I am feminine or have any desires to be, but bare legs just was better for me. So, just as my heeling has evolved, so has my shaving. I try not to go to crazy with shaving. I usually shave once a week in the winter months and twice a week in the summer. If I need a quick touch-up, I just use a razor with some shower gel. If I let it go too long, I use Nair for Men, but try not to do this too often since it burns quite a bit on occasion. However, with Nair it also allows me to go as much as 10 days to 2 weeks without shaving. Another suggestion I would make is to exfoliate with a scrubbing shower gel at the same time of shaving. I use a product form Bath and Body Works that I really like. Applying lotion daily also helps. If you can't do it daily, certainly do it on the days you shower. I find that shaved legs feel wonderful and increase all sorts of tactile experiences. Never allow what people think to stop you from doing what feels right to you - especially when it is harmless as choosing whether you want hair on your body or not.

Thanks for the wonderful messages. Sometimes I forget that my posts are important to many people - simply just taking my heeling for granted. Also, I know the pink cords were a risky choice, but for the record, the boots I wore with them were brown. Anyway, some outfits work better than others and I love hearing all of the critiques. I will do my best not to have many prolonged absences. Also, I am evaluating some other options for expanding my mission of being an average guy who lives an average life and finds ways to work in my passion for heels, etc. I will keep everybody informed and may ask for some help. Now on with the outfit archives: Outfit #16 - This was a long blouse and a pair of denim leggings that I bought at The Limited last spring. The clerk who waited on me was pregnant and was heading for maternity leave and a very supportive fun person. I matched the outfit with a pair of pewter Nine West sandals that I bought at a NW retail store a few weeks later. My outing this day, if I remember correctly was to visit my freind at The Limited prior to her leaving for maternity leave in the outfit she helped me put together. Outfit #17 - I have no idea where I wore this outfit, but it is an olive wool double breasted blazer, skinny jeans from The Limited, and funky black Nine West Mary Janes. I took a risk of going sockless in these shoes to emphasize the contrast between the thick strap and laces and my bare skin. Besides, somehow skinny jeans don't always seem to work well with hosiery for me. Outfit #18 - This was an early spring warm day and I went and did some domestic shopping (groceries, etc.) My outfit was a blue and black Perry Ellis sweater, Banana Republic chino short shorts, and black low heel loafers. I had just shaved my legs the night before and was thrilled to go out and show them off. Outfit #19 - I wore this outfit to get a pedicure. Because I was getting "new toes" I wore a pair of Bakers thong sandals with a very nice ankle wrap, khaki The Limited Capris, and a thing tan and red argyle sweater. My only memory of this was crossing a very busy street and a group of teenagers gawking at me. Outfit #20 - This is the same sweater I wore in picture 18 (I can't believe I did that...lol) a pair of Loft flare jeans, a black suede blazer and black Nine West peep-toe platform slingbacks. Again I don't recall where I wore this, most likely to the mall. Hope you enjoy the pictures and let me know what you think.

My experience selling (and buying) shoes on eBay has been pretty positive. The last time I sold shoes was about 3 years ago and I got over $1000 for 30 pair. Some of the shoes were pretty cheap to begin with and others were pretty worn, so there were several pair that I sold for less than $10. Others I sold were either new or lightly worn and those sold better. In fact I had three or four pair that I bought at an outlet for less than $30 that sold for over $75 each. So you never know what you are going to get for anything until you try.

My advice is to:

• Sell multiple pair at the same time.
• Offer combined or discounted shipping for multiple purchases.
• Stagger the end times of each auction about 3 -5 minutes.
• Be sure to end auctions at a decent time for multiple time zones (I end mine around 9:30 PM to 10:30 PM Eastern Time so it will be a decent time on the West Coast.)
• Take good pictures and show multiple views, especially the bottoms.
• Include the heel height and width across the balls of the foot (Actually measure, don't guess and use standard measurements for heel size (Back of the sole to the ground...I hate when people describe a 3 1/2" heel as a 5" heel, which is common on eBay and HHPlace as well...Measure the platform when applicable and subtract that from the heel height)
• Sell Internationally. I have sold shoes to Australia and customers have paid over $35 in shipping and were happy.
• Charge a reasonable shipping cost - enough where you don't lose money and not enough where you scare people away.
• Be honest and realistic when setting a price. Do a little research on comparable brands, styles, etc.
• Tell a story about your shoes - why you have them where you have worn them, etc.
• Larger sizes - US11 and over tend to sell much better. In fact I have seen the same shoe in a 12 sell for as much as 100% more than a size 11.
• Use Auctiva to show the other items you have for sale.
• Post a link to the shoes you are selling in the High Heels for Sale section of HHPlace ( and don't forget to donate some of your proceeds to the maintenance of the board.)

I have found that selling shoes on eBay gets me back between 25-50% of what I paid for them, which more or less allows me to "rent" my heels. I will be listing again in the Spring.

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck!

It has been a long time since I posted. Life is treating me very well, but keeping me busy. I have been out in heels at least three days a week during the time I was gone. My "adventures" are more or less become my normal. In many ways since I started this thread, my heeling has evolved to something that is part of my every day life. A lot of it has to do with accepting myself and this thread specifically and HHPlace in general has had a lot to do with that. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting some pictures I did not get around to posting since last summer and I have a few more recent ones as well. For some of the outings I don't remember when or where I wore them or specific reactions, but I will do my best. Outing #11 - Loft Jacket, purple The Limited Sweater, Banana Republic straight jeans, gray BCBGirls ankle boots. I don't specifically remember where I wore this, but it must have been in the Spring of 2011. Outing #12 - Black Blazer, sateen The Limited blouse, black straight jeans, black Nine West oxfords. I wore this to lunch with my wife at a little Mexican place. Outing #13 - Brown Perry Ellis sweater, pink (yes pink) Banana Republic corduroys, brown Enzo boots. I went with my wife to a big moving sale at Pier 1 Imports. Outing #14 - Black Clayborne sweater, white Banana Republic corduroys, black Steve Madden boots. Shopping with my wife. Outing #15 - Black NY & Co. jacket, gray NY & Co. blouse, black The Limited skinny jeans, Banana Republic trouser socks, black patent Steve Madden May Janes. Again Not sure where I wore this outfit... Again, I ma happy to post again and there are more where these came from....

A guy dissapaears for a while and what does he miss? Your decision to wear only women's clothes when on an outing, a major milestone, your first dress (which looked killer by the way), and to top it off the Jaunts of JeffB is about to have 1000 total posts! Way to go. I for one can say that maintaining a thread as you have is a difficult undertaking and quite a commitment. You are to be commended for sharing your thoughts and experience as well as an evolving fashion sense. You look fantastic in jeans and capris, and of course skirts. Thanks for continuing to inspire and show guys all over the world that wearing heels is not a big deal and a big deal all at the same time.

...Happy Feat and Jeff B, I hope that you read this post because of your posts on wearing skirts gave me the courage to wear a skirt out in public...

Congratulations on your outing! Doesn't it feel great to just do what you want, when you want to. Your skirt/heel outing sounds textbook to me and I hope you continue to do it if you choose.

I like the look in the loafers and pantyhose a lot. Would you please post the make and style of those shoes. I would be very interetsed in knowing. Just once suggestion however; and its because I have some of the same issues...when wearing a skirt, I find it best not to tuck, especially if the waist of the skirt is on the tight side. In my opinion it just gives a better line since guys bellies don't always fall in the best places for skirts.

Keep heeling and keep skirting!

Good to see you around! I think I like the last outfit best. In agreement with the clerks, you look slim. Part of me wished the line from the side zipper continued all the way down to the hem of your pants, as the additional vertical detail would not only elongate your legs beyond just what the skinny fit pants do, but also match cohesively with your military inspired top.

And I am glad to be around again...though for the moment, I likely won't be checking in as much as I like, it is nice to "come home" on occasion.

I see what you are saying about the zipper with the hem. I actually have a pair of leggings that have a black piping sewn on the each leg, so I will give those a spin to see how the effect works for me.

That outfit was a really fun look for me. As my fashion sense continue to evolve, it was really fun to put that one together. The jacket is a little short for me, but I had to have it and had it with the pants I wore in mind when I bought it.

HappyFeat-

Very nicely done indeed!

It sounds like you got the whole range of reactions from the folks around you that you should expect while wearing thigh boots.

By the way, I'm rather envious of guys that find thigh boots on sale that they can wear. I'm sure it wont be your only pair.

Thanks! Your support means a lot. However I think it was you who said that I might find a pair on sale at the end of the season...lol.

... I am currently seeing a woman that too supports my enjoyment of wearing high heels and wearing them in public. We too have gone several places together when I was wearing high heels...

I am very happy for you! I remember reading a post from you a while back about a woman you were hitting it off with who more or less freaked and told you never to call her again when you mentioned that you liked to wear heels. Loving to wear heels is such a benign thing in my opinion and it really is fantastic to have somebody to share it with.

HF: Bravo on your latest round of outings! Everything looked great, especially picture #9 with those mondo cool thigh boots! Wow! They looked really sharp on you, especially when paired with that stylish top and skirt. That was easily my fave for the batch. So, how did it feel to wear thigh boots? I'm sure it must've been a fun experience for you! Welcome to the club! HA! Meanwhile, i continue to be greatly impressed with your fine sense of style which shows in every pic you display. Keep up the great work, my friend!

Well Jeff...it felt great to wear the thigh boots. They really do accent long legs so well. It was truly a fun experience and next fall I plan to take them out with many different looks.

As I am sure you would agree, if I was going to do the thigh boots, I HAD to do them wearing a skirt. I had no desire to hide even the smallest amount of the boots. However, I don't think my outing that day merited the thigh boots...man or woman, I was way over dressed for an outing to Borders..lol

Wow, Happyfeat, those are some awesome outfits!! At first glance some appear a little over the top, but after a proper look you see that they're well put together. And though some may be attention grabbers, they're very stylish outfits.

CPB, your post really kind of sums up my recent philosophy...a little over the top, but well put together. I feel great when I am wearing heels, so I want to look as good as I possibly can. For years, heels were my sole passion...then gradually I got into jeans, dress trousers, nail polish, skirts, dresses, leggings, tops, makeup and on and on and on and on. One thing I have learned at least for me, is that the whole package always comes back to the shoes...its all done to celebrate the heels. I love being a man who just goes for it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it is always fun!

This is a really fantastic thread. It has given me a lot to think about and I am still pondering what I want to write about my childhood. I have "recovered" many memories from distant years that I never gave much thought, but now they do seem to explain quite a bit on how I came to not only accept but embrace how important heeling and fashion freedom are to me. But I will write more about those later. As many of you know I recently became a father. My daughter is now eight months old and is the most remarkable person I have ever met. A month or so ago, I realized that in her entire life, she and never had an ill word spoken to her and has received nothing but love, affection, and attention. This thread only underscores to me how vital it is to carefully tread on how my words and actions are expressed to my child and how she may interpret them. She is a happy human being. All I want is to do whatever I can do to help her always retain the pure happiness that I see in her.

I wouldn't call it a failure by any stretch of the imagination my friend. Now, I have been accused of rationalizing by many people I know, but it works for me. You at least made it to the store, which is a huge first step. We, all need to proceed to our own pace and comfort level. I too was in the same position many years ago, as were most of the guys here. I am sure we could all share our stories and fill up a long thread. Just do what you are comfortable with. My question to you is to examine the reasons for your apprehension. Not only will it help for your next attempt, but it could shed insight into your entire being. Are you afraid that people will think you are gay? Are you afraid that they will talk about you? Laugh at you? In the end it doesn't matter what others think say or do. Its only what you are comfortable with and what you want from life. I wish you luck in your quest for red pumps.

Here are five recent outings and outfits...

Outing #6 - I did a little shopping this day. The managers at one of the Ann Taylor stores calls me when they are having a sale, so if I have a chance I try to make it in. This day I wore a cream Ann Taylor cowl neck sweater (I try to wear something I bought at a store when I specifically go to that store), red skinny Banana Republic cords, and black Nine West "Blondie" boots over the trousers.

My visit to the store was a lot of fun. They usually have stuff in mind for me. I try on several outfits and the clerks usually come and check them out on me. This day my purchase was a khaki shirt dress. Though the waist was a bit high, the manager told me that it was falling on everybody that way and helped me with some accessory suggestions to minimize the effect. During our conversation, she referred to me as a "sex kitten" at least twice. Though I am married now, I am not dead and fun flirtation is still a lot of fun - and great for the ego to boot.

Outing #7 - A Saturday date afternoon with my wife. We went to see "The Black Swan" which I highly recommend to anybody who likes strange movies. We both really enjoined it. Part of the fun in going out is that we try to coordinate our outfits. I wore a pair of dark dress trouser jeans from the Limited and an orange Limited turtleneck sweater. My shoes were black Nine West booties with about a 3 inch heel.

The coolest thing that happened was that one of the girls working in the cinema was a coworker of my wife's. We chatted for several minutes (actually they did the chatting, I just stood and listened, nodded, etc.) and I know that she saw my boots. However, it didn't phase my wife one bit. I am a lucky guy.

Outing #8 - I had some expiring coupons for New York and Company. Since I had gone to the two stores closest to my house, I decided to go to another mall on the other end of town to see of their inventory was any different. It was a little warmer, so I decided to try something a tad more springy. I wore a white New York and Company blouse, black Limited stretchy boot cut trousers, cream nylons, and black patent peep toe Jessica Simpson wedges.

I did find the store had a slightly different inventory than the stores I frequent since this mall is a bit higher end. I rounded up some items that I wanted to try, but when I asked a clerk for a dressing room she told me they were for women only. This was the first time in years I had been denied a fitting room. Instead of forcing the issue, I just laid down my items and walked out of the store.

Undeterred, I went to White House Black Market, tried on a few things (with excellent service I must say), and decided to swing by Nine West. They were getting in their Spring stuff and I fell in love with a pair of pewter gladiators. The clerks, all very helpful, made additional recommendations, and fun conversation, though the store was full of more "traditional" customers. I wond up buying the sandals and even wore them out of the store.

Next, I stopped in Ann Taylor where one of the younger clerks say my Nine West bag and said that she saw them bringing in crates of new shoes and had to stay out of there because she would spend her whole paycheck. I hiked up my pant leg and showed her my new sandals (and told her they were 30% off). She had the other clerks come and look and they were all fawning over my shoes. Though I didn't buy anything, I did have fun chatting it up with the clerks there.

After leaving the mall, I headed in another direction. I found yet another NY & Co. store, they let me try things on without hesitation and wound up getting my business that day. Justice was served. But I didn't let a little foolishness ruin a great day healing.

Outfit #9 - I left out one additional stop in the previous outing...I stopped in Charlotte Russe where I found a pair of fuax gray suede thigh boots for $15. So the very next day, I took them out for a spin. This one's for you TBG! I decided to go big...black/white/gray Limited crew neck sweater, black Lane Bryant belt with a big silver buckle, gray Banana Republic skirt, gray tights, and of course the boots. I even did a little eye makeup to top off the look.

My outing was short, but really fun. My local Border's bookstore is going out of business, so I decided to see what they had. I mainly browsed the computer books, but also the DVDs, CDs, and magazines. I was in the store for over two hours and got a lot of glances, double-takes, giggles, looks of shock, etc. When I went to check out, the person behind me in line was a 40 something African American woman who went on and on about how she loved my boots, where did I find them, etc. For ten minutes or so we exchanged shopping storied and places where to find wonderful bargains. It was just a truly great outing.

Outing #10 - Another outing that I planned on being short, didn't wind op being so. The weather had turned cold yet again, so I pulled out a Banana Republic military inspired jacket complete with brass buttons, a high color, and epaulettes. I matched them with a pair of gray BR legging/slacks, with a side zipper and a pair of Navy blue Bandolino pumps with about a 3 inch heel. Though it was cold, I wore no stocking of any sort. I needed to free my feet for one day.

My first stop was an impromptu stop at Macy's. They were having a giant shoe sale (30% off if you bought 3 pair). I do love shopping for heels while on an outing, but usually Macy's isn't my favorite place for shoe shopping. This day was fun however; not because I found and great deals or styles, but I did have fun in the frenzy and interacting with other customers. I talked to several women, about what they were looking for, styles that we liked, colors, and what would go with what. One women, even went on and on about how much they liked my jacket.

After spending about 45 minutes in the shoes, I decide to stroll through the cosmetics. I thought that Clinique was offering a free gift soon, but saw no sight of it. However, Dior was giving a really wonderful makeup organizer that was perfect for putting all of my stuff in one convenient place. To get the bag, I had to purchase three items. After spending about 20 minutes with the very cute clerk 20 something clerk (who was wearing great glasses) I wound up finding my items, most of which I will put in my wife's Easter basket, and got my bag (which organizes all of my stuff very well.) While I was at the counter, two or three other clerks over and told me how great I looked.

My final stop was to go to the Limited and spend my expiring coupon. I actually got an additional coupon when I came in the store. They are opening another store (actually at the Mall I was at in my outing where I wasn't allowed to try on things) and were training a couple of new employees. I spent the better part of two hours in and out of the dressing room, made a few purchases and the manager even gave me a job application. When I was leaving, a clerk who wears the same shoe size as I do came in the store and handed me ANOTHER coupon for the following weekend. She was amazed at how "svelte" I was looking and went on about how nice my outfit was ( an she has seen me in a wide range of outfits!)

So there are five recent outings. Hopefully I have done better with my smiles. Soon I am hoping to get back to the two pose pictures with a closeup of my shoes, but I don't have those this time.

I don't think that's a fashion skirt guys, the site says its a "netball" skirt, and since I am not up on my Australian sports, I assume it would be something like a field hockey skirt. Also, the site is sells school uniform stuff for kids, so I don't think its all about high fashion. Anyway, I guess you wear a skirt when playing netball without any stigma at all.

Attitude

I do a lot of shopping...for both heels and other items. The vast majority of the time I get excellent service. However, I have noticed one major difference: I tend to get better service when wearing heels. In my opinion, it leaves no doubt that I am a serious customer and it also takes those thoughts of "are they for him..." off the table. In fact, there are a lot fewer strange looks, whispers, and off-putting behavior from the clerks. I will give you a case in point. A few months ago, I was out of town and went to a Macy's. They had these great Bandolino wedge heel knee-high boots. Not terribly sexy, but very functional. I sat down and tried them on and the clerk who was waiting on me, who had been quite friendly, became cold. I could her two women muttering in Spanish about me (yes, I can understand Spanish.) I just thanked her and left the store. Later that week, I went to Macy's near my house, bought the boots and had good service. Of course I was wearing heels this time. I completed the online survey giving the second sales person high regard and mentioned my poor service at the first mall. Another trend I have noticed is that it takes a couple of visits to a store for the staff to warm up to you. Once you become a regular shopper (like once a month or even once every 6 weeks,) you will get more and better service. I have several stores that call me when they get in something that they think I would like. In fact recently an Ann Taylor Loft pulled about 12 items for me to come in and try. However, even though I typically have great shopping experiences, they don't always go well. Just this week, I had some coupons from New York and Company to blow. I had gone to one store and shopped for three hours, finding several nice things, and having a dressing room tied up the whole time, but they didn't have all the things I wanted in my size, so I went to another store in town. When I asked for a dressing room I was told they were for women only. I asked if it was company policy and the clerk said it was. I kindly handed her the items I had selected and went to a third mall where I found the items, got to try them on and now I have all I was looking for. I had given some thought about writing a letter to the office, but instead I decided to just frequent the stores where I was welcome. So, if you decided to protest, I encourage you. Men shop for women all the time. We should be respected in a store the same as female customers. If a man like heels, he should be allowed to buy them. I think companies should know if their employees bigoted, narrow-minded, sophomoric behavior is costing them sales. If I was a manager, I would want to know that as well. Good luck in however you decided to handle it.

Dave, you are the man! First, let me congratulate you for earning your professional engineer. That's quite an accomplishment. Second since you are going to the statehouse, be sure to tell anybody that voted for Senate Bill 5 that HappyFeat hopes they burn in Hell. But I digress... It is so cool that you have the have the confidence (or courage) do heel in that situation. I am truly inspired. As for the shoes, before I could give advice, I would need to see the whole outfit. I would likely go with those wedge pumps, they are gorgeous. My second choice would be the stiletto boots. In my experience flats and less conspicuous heels are often more obvious. It may seem more counter-intuitive, but it has been my experience. Besides, if you are going to make a statement, make your statement!

Hi, fellas;

I'm new here, and I hate to be disruptive, but I have serious questions that I would REALLY appreciate answered: by men, honestly.

Hello, Annie. Welcome to HHPlace. I agree with Tech, please introduce yourself so we can get to know you better. It is nice to get to know members not only just to be friendly, but understand the context of their postings. I think you will find HHPlace a friendly place and that the members here typically answer questions honestly, if not bluntly.

Because you wear heels, do you consider yourself a crossdresser?

No, I do not consider myself a crossdresser. Let me ask you this: If you were to wear a polo shirt, khakis, and loafers, would you consider yourself a crossdresser? Women have had the option of sporting trousers, masculine footware, etc. for decades and yes, when that first started it was looked at oddly, but today who would ever think to question it.

Also, consider this: Women have the options of wearing "boyfriend jeans," "boyfriend blouses/shirts," and "men's wear inspired suits and shoes" as recent fashion trends. Is that crossdressing? I would say no more than a guy who wears heels. In fact, I have dated women who wore men's jeans, men's shoes, even men's underware, etc. I have lost more than one shirt to girlfriends. I don't think any of those women would have considered them a crossdresser.

Also, when men started wearing their hair long in the late 1960's and early 1970's, people questioned that. In the late 1970's and early 1980's, men wearing earrings drew a lot of attention. Today, who would look at a man with long hair, with multiple earrings and wearing sandals and double take?

I do think that there are degrees, however. Some of us do incorporate more traditionally feminine items into our look, and some guys do crossdress, but I think that we all are here to talk about shoes and heels and different ways to wear them. As Tech stated, this is NOT a CD Website; its about style and ways to express ourselves through our fashion choices.

If you consider yourself a heterosexual crossdresser, and heels are 'merely' your favorite thing, are you only attracted to women who dress as you like to dress?

Not to digress, but sociologically speaking crossdressers are usually heterosexual by a vast majority.

Though I don't consider myself I crossrdresser, I will answer the second part of your question. I have been attracted to women of all shapes and styles. How somebody chooses to dress is an extension of their personality. I look more toward style than if somebody has the same style as I do.

If you have fantasies regarding being female, when dressed or not, do you fantasize about sexual encounters with men?

Here we go a little deeper. A man who desires to be a woman falls in a category of being transgendered. This is a very real

situation and runs a whole lot deeper than if a guy occasionally likes to put on a pair of high heels.

Also, another myth is that men who wear heels tend to be gay or bisexual. Though there are men who like to wear heels who are gay and bisexual, it has been my experience than you are 10 times more likely to have sex with a woman while in heels than a man. Gay men tend not to be attracted to guys who cross gender lines.

If you are in a committed heterosexual relationship, how do your fantasies and dressing affect your relationship with your significant other?

Again, I think you are overly sexuallizing the subject. For me, and through my experiences here, wearing high heels is not a sexual thing. When an object becomes sexuality, it becomes a fetish. I am not saying there aren't member who have a high heel fetish, but it is not a major topic of conversation. I will take Tech's comments about this site not being a cross-dressing site a step further, I do not believe HHPlace is a fetish site either.

Another point is that I don't fantasize about dressing, I actually do it. I wear pretty much what I want, where I want, within reason. As for my significant other, just least weekend we went to see a movie wearing matching stiletto heels. The only issue is when I buy myself a pair of heels that she likes and I didn't get her a pair.

I know these are intrusive questions (I HOPE I have the right forum for this), and I appreciate greatly your honesty in answering. If I'm being inappropriate:mecry:, please let me know. Thanks!

I don't think your questions are inappropriate. In fact, I think guys love it when a woman expresses some interest in the guys forum. I would suggest that you read some of the threads in the forum, to see what the site is about and gain some deeper insight into your questions.

Hey there, HF! Glad to see you're back in action! I found your outfits to have been both stylish and tasteful, however, I did find out #2 to have been rather bold, I admire you for your courage in wearing what you did. Plaid shorts! Wow! I'm impressed! But I did like the skirt from outfit #3, quite nice indeed! Bravo to you on your latest adventures!

Jeff, I thought the shorts would get your attention. It may be the most daring outfit I ever tried and likely would never have done it without the encouragement from the clerk at the Limited. However, I am glad I did the outfit - I felt very comfortable and it was very fun to wear. Sometimes I think it is just good to try something out of the ordinary just for fun.

Hi Happyfeat. Personally I only like the the #4 outfit. That's a winner in my book. I make no comment on the other shots, just not my style.

I agree with some others that outfit 4 is the best one, and you also look more relaxed in that shot... maybe its the forced smile in the other shots that throws me off

I would also agree that the fourth outfit was my best. It is much closer to my traditional style. But as I stated above, it is fun to experiment with different outfits and looks to avoid falling into a rut.

Part of my logic is that traditionally guys are forced into wearing the same sort of things all the time. I fantastic suit is great, but in the end the differences are subtle from one suit style to the other. Since I am playing with alternative fashion, clothing marketed toward women just offers so many fun options that I am more than willing to try at this point in my life. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but my style is never boring.

As for the forced smiles...that is the reason I always cut off my head...not to hide, but those drawn out expressions while waiting for the camera timer to go off never seem to work for me...I wish I knew JeffB's secret for always having a great grin in the shot...lol

HF,

Welcome back! We thought you went behind the moon and abandoned all your friends here. Glad to see you posting again, and in some great shoes! My opinion is that you look much better in pants than in a skirt. I find the juxtaposition of your manly beard too jarring with the more femme skirts. The pants and bold and make a much better match. Just my opinion of course.

Glad to see you again! Become a regular here again and help a bunch of newbies (who have joined since you last posted) to gain their confidence. You always come up with great outfits! I personally like #1 and #4.

Steve

I figured you would like the clogs Steve! They do offer a lot of possibilities, especially with the skinny jeans, etc. that are in style. As for the contrast of the skirt and the beard, I have given that a lot of thought over the years. The best conclusion I can offer is that I just decided I like to wear heels, like my look in skirts, and like sporting facial hair. I like being a man and I like to do some traditionally "femme" things. For me, it becomes all a part of the total presentation.

HF -

I echo the comments of the other folks about being glad you posting again.

All the outfits work well but #2 really needs a pair of thigh boots. (You would have been disappointed if I hadn't said that).

TBG

Yep, I thought that thigh boots would be the way to go with that outfit. I do need to look for some to add to my wardrobe.

Wow, Happy, I really thought you had given up heels, you've been gone so long! It's great to have you back again! I really missed your pictures and adventures. As Scappy indicated, you have been a great inspiration to me. It truly was your pictures and stories that got me to the point where, while not even close to being in your league, I do wear my 3" block heel loafers out and about. Just last night I went to Sam's Club and Kohls in them. If not for you, I doubt I would have ever worn them in public. Someday, I just may get the nerve to wear an actual pair of thin heels out and about. Great to have you posting again!

Ron, thanks for the wonderful comments. It makes me proud that there are people expressing themselves because of my experiences. I know that there are others who inspired me and without HHPlace, I would never have made it to the point where I am today. Glad to hear that you got out and block heel, stiletto heel...its no matter, just do what you are comfortable with and bask in the freedom to do so!

Well, I think its time that I blow the dust off this thread and freshen it up a bit with some recent outings. Outfit #1 - This is a very typical look for me recently. I wore a men's turtleneck sweater, white Banana Republic skinny corduroys, brown tights, and brown suede Stuart Wietzman clogs/mules (I have the same pair in black.) On this particular day, I went grocery shopping, picked up a few things at Target, and returned some equipment to the cable company. The cable company line was VERY long and I had a pleasant conversation with both the woman in front of me and the man behind me in line. Just a normal day out in heels. Outfit #2 - OK a lot more risky here. I am a regular shopper at The Limited at the local mall. One of the clerks really likes to get me to push the envelope and I tend to trust her. Well she is about to have a baby and will be leaving the store soon, so I wanted to wear this outfit for her since she helped me pick it out. The outfit is a light blue Limited blouse, short gray and blue plaid shorts, gray ribbed tights and gray Banana Republic peep-toe sling backs. After going to the Limited the clerk I wanted to see wasn't working, but I did try on a few things anyway. All of the clerks know me and are quite supportive. I did go to a few more stores. I am sure I got a lot of attention, but I seldom notice anymore. Its funny about how comfortable I am even in such an outrageous outfit. Also, it reminded me of a couple of comments that Tech has posted. One is when I wore this very pair of heels with Flare jeans and I shouldn't hide them under long pants. Well this day they were out there. It is likely I shouldn't show them off with short shorts either, but they were out there that day. The second was that without the pictures showing a face, I just look like a woman. Well with my mug in the pictures now, there should be no doubt that it is a guy in heels...LOL Outfit #3 - Again another wild outfit. This day I wore a white Limited blouse (like the blue one from the previous picture), gray wool Ann Taylor Loft skirt, gray ribbed tights from the Loft and low heel Nine West D'Orssay pumps. Over it I wore a khaki Ann Taylor Loft trench. This outing was to Macy's where I had scheduled an appointment for a makeover at Este Lauder. This has been something I wanted to do for a long time. I have made friends with one of the associates who is an attractive African American woman. She had sold me several skin care products and even fitted me for foundation. But today she wanted to make me over. It was a blast. I sat in the chair as people came and went, drawing a lot of attention and didn't care. She did a fantastic job and it was a lot of fun. If anybody has any interest at all in such an experience, I highly recommend it! Outfit #4 - This day I wore a white New York and Company blouse, dark rinse "Skinny Boot Cut" jeans from NY & Co. as well, and gray suede Nine West peep toe booties. My activity was going to Super Cuts for a haircut, color and brow wax. I have worn heels for hair cuts many times and have never had a comment either way, but I usually get a lot of attention and in my opinion better service than if I went in guys shoes. I had wonderful interactions with several people working. An activity that I recommend to any heeler. Outfit #5 - Just an afternoon out for lunch and to do some work at Panera. (More for the free Internet access than the food). I wore a purple The Limited sweater, a khaki JCrew waist jacket with brass buttons, distressed Banana Republic light rinse jeans, and purple Nine West pumps. I did get a lot of lookers but no direct Interactions, but I was pretty immersed in what I was doing. It was very nice to just get out for a working lunch. Please tell me what you think and I will try to keep everybody up to date better in the future!

JeffB... Sorry about the long intervals between posts, but I am so happy to see you are still getting out and stylin'! I reviewed all of your Jaunts since the first of the year and I must say that I love the dark jeans with the thigh boots. It is a very sleek and natural look for you. Your last combo of the black and brown was quite nice as well. I have seen that look from time to time and think it is difficult to pull off, but you did it quite nicely. Also, glad to see you are still skirting as well. Typically I am not a fan of the long skirt look, but in my opinion the two outfits you built around the long flowing skirt were awesome. I really loved the belt with the second long skirt look. The outfits were exactly your style and though I might not be able to pull them off, they were great for you! What I really love about your recent looks is that you build the outfits to show off your great boots. Too many times guys think it is about just throwing on a pair of heels, but if you take it just a little further, you learn the magic of heeling...a great outfit only maximizes the impact of beautiful shoes. Also, I wanted to say that I like your statistical tracking posts. Again, I have obsessed over my outfits, but if you truly analyze what you have worn and how it works for you then you can begin to understand what styles look great and what you really like to wear. Besides, as a fellow baseball fan, it does always come down to the numbers, doesn't it! Great stuff Jeff and I look forward, as always to seeing what you pull together.

Hello Friends... Just wanted to give everybody an update. It has been quite a while since I have had opportunity to post, but life is going well. As many of you know I got married last Spring to a wonderful woman who supports my heeling and freestying...though I think she would like if I spent less money on my wardrobe. In July, I became a dad to a wonderful baby girl who is the most amazing person I have ever met. Even in the ultrasounds, you could see exactly which finger I am firmly wrapped around. I could never imagined how wonderful fatherhood could be. We finally got our house renovations under control, but it takes sooooo long to get everything in place. As well work has been crazy, and I am doing more and more of it online, which takes away time from when I can visit. Since last Spring, I have lost quite a bit of weight as well. My waist id around 31 inches and my freestyling wardrobe has gone from a 16 to a 12 (and even some 10s!) What brings it all together is that I am getting out as much (or more) than ever. Little outings here and there and I am freestyling and heeling more and more as a rule. (Like right now, wearing a purple sweater, jeans, and purple Nine West pumps in an Internet cafe). What really has been slowing down for posting is that I am working on getting organized and put together so I can better use my time. In the near future, I will be back as much as possible to share my experiences and to read yours. The membership here and this community is very important to me and I miss our interactions. I don't think I can understate how important my membership here has been to helping me continue to become. I will be posting a sampling of outfits and experiences in the near future. Thanks all and I have missed you...

Here are my latest outings:

Saturday June 5 - Date night with the wife. I wore a raspberry sateen dress shirt, J.Crew Vintage Matchstick distressed jeans, and black Nine West "Saltysea" loafers with a low cut vamp and a block heel. First we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant, though there was little or no attention paid to me there. Afterward we went to Barnes and Nobel and browsed the bookstore. I did get tons of attention, mainly from younger women. One of the employees even followed me around the store for a while, and I caught her looking at my feet on several occasions. Maybe she thought I was shoplifting, but the pants were so tight, I don't want to think where they thought I myght be stashing stuff...My best reaction was from a young woman in an easy chair working on her computer. I saw her eyes peeking over the top of the screen watching me, so I stopped looked at her, made eye contact and winked. She smiled and wen back to her business.

Sunday June 6 - Grocery shopping and other errands with the wife. I wore a white Perry Ellis t-shirt, Lane Bryant casual Capri pants and black low heel wedge sandals from Bass. Again a pretty uneventful outing, just going about normal business. The sandals, though they are obviously women's on close inspection, don't tend to draw that much attention. I did get a couple of glances, but that likely had more to do with my French pedicure.

Monday June 7 - Continuing my "tour" of Pittsburgh shopping venues, I took in a small shopping center called the South Side Works. I had been there before, mainly becuase they have a Nine West retail store, as well as a Steve Madden, but it isn't a large area. Many of the stores are upscale, but not all. My outfit for the day was conservative - blue tweed blazer, white dress shirt, Banana Republic light rinse distressed straight leg jeans, and black Michael Kors leather pumps.

My first stop was, of course Nine West. The clerk was very nice, though she didn't have the look of a typical Nine West employee. SHe was cute, but overwight, tattoos, and piercings. SHe was very helpful, bringing me several pairs of shoes, and even suggesting a few. There were a couple of other customers and she always made a point to look at each model I tried on. I ended up buying a pair of pearl kitten heeled pumps.

Next I went to BCBG Maxerria, where the clerks were helpful, but not over the top. I did try on a couple of skirts, but both were just too short for comfort. On a whim, I went into the Black Market White House. I had only been in one of these stores before and they were quite rude, so maybe I would give them another chance. And I am very glad I did! The clerk saw me come in and asked me if I was looking for a gift and I said that I was but it was a gift for me. She grabbed this long maxi dress and told me that it would be perfect for me and set me up a dressing room. For the next hour and a half, I tried on dozens of different outfits and many different items from casual to very dressy. We made an appointment for another session, but at the other store where she works. However, we had to cancel because she wasn't going to be at the other store. Anyway, she has my number and will call when she goes to the other store. My final stop was Steve Madden, where the clerks never seem to look up beyond the register when I am in there. Though they aren't rude, they make no effort to help either. My experience this day at the South Side Works gets an A-.

Wednesday June 9 - Another shopping outing, though this one got cut short do to a bit of an emergency. Everything is OK now, but it did end my shopping excursion. Not to worry, I would be back in the neighborhood soon anyway. This was one of my favorite outfits that I have ever put together - white Calvin Klein cotton v-neck swater, dark rinse Banana Republic straight leg distreesed jeans, black Nine West "Meyer" t-strap pumps. I went to the Ross Park Mall, which is probably the best shopping destination in Pittsburgh. On this day, I tried on a few things at Banana Republic and bought a pair of skinny ankle length jeans for $15, browsed Aldo, sampling a few pair of shoes from a helpful clerk, and looked around Nine West, but they were so swamped, that I couldn't get anything even if I wanted to. I checked out Macy's clearance rack, but there was nothing that really caught my eye. However, like I said a phone call ended the day and I was looking forward to spending more time at this mall. The grade was an incomplete, of course.

Monday June 14 - After a few days without heeling, I just had to get out for a few minutes. I wore a gold Geoffry Bean dress shirt, Calvin Klein straight leg jeans, and brown Nine West "Geranium" loafers with about a 3 inch heel. I went to the bank and chatted with the tellers than off to Starbucks where I sat for a few minutes, read the paper and drank a frappichino. The interesting thing at Starbucks, a guy sat down near me to conduct interviews for census takers. Though it wasn't as relaxing as I might like, for about half an hour, there was a steady parade of people walking in front of me checking out my shoes. A couple women smiles at me and I gave them a wink back. I guess you never know what you will run into at a job interview.

There you have my latest outing! Hope you enjoyed...

The few times I have browsed Payless recently, I saw few sizes larger than a 10, period, and what I did see were, well ugly. I don't think this phenomena is limited to Payless however. Many stores that I have shopped recently tell me that larger sizes are available online and can be shipped free of charge. This has always disturbed me with shoes in particular since it is so important to try them on.