Gige

Ah MDW - my old neighborhood - off the NE corner of the runways! Boots - Inferno from Raye (top)/Sorbern (bottom w/black & white skirt). Thanks for the vote! Gorgeous outfit - I guess I am going to have to step up my game! 😁❤️

From Midway or O'hare? Love those boots!

My entry for April, 2024. Wearing orange in celebration of Koningsdag (The King's Birthday in The Netherlands).

It needed Moderator approval before being available for all members to read. Thanks for the comments! Thanks! Yes, the separation is hard but with technology being what it is, we still communicate everyday about this and that, or whatever the latest/pressing issue du jour may be that needs to be addressed. With respect to the heels...they are all lovely but some of them are rather tall, perhaps not completely suitable for the office. I prefer wearing ankle boots over pumps because they fit better and my office is usually overly air conditioned to the point where even during the summer, some staff members are using space heaters and electric blankets to keep warm. I often joke that my employer keeps the temperature so "cold" because it is a storehouse for meat carcasses. I think that, as a result, my feet would freeze if wearing pumps and I would contract hypothermia during the summer! These are some of the other heels with which I happened to bring back to the states with me. The green and brown heels are from Miz Moos while the red heels are from Noe - Antwerp. The latter are Italian leather and are very well made, but very expensive - I have black and blue on order. That which I like most about Noe is the variety of colors as they have, for example, several shades of blue and red available. These are the boots I promised I would return to my wife if she wanted them back at some point in the future.

I am not the one to believe that lasting long term change happens overnight but occurs over time even if such is triggered by a single and identifiable event. My very recent travels witnessed an incredible situation that compelled me to express my thanks to many members of this group. Without them and their posts, I would not be writing this message. In order for my story to make some degree of sense, a bit of explanation is needed. I, like many members of this group, have loved wearing high heels for as long as I can remember. Since I acquired my first pair of heels as a pre-teen, I have purchased dozens of pairs (shoes and boots) but, admittedly, I have always parted with them as I struggled to come to terms with who I am while never accepting my genderfluidity. There would be times when I had a pair or two on hand but also long durations (years) of when I had none. During those instances where I was without a pair of heels, I was always “shopping” for the next pair of killer heels and when I landed upon those that were a “must have,” I gave in to temptation and purchased them. This repeating pattern continued for decades, both before and after I was married. Fast forward to 2016 when my wife accepted a job in The Netherlands and we decided to relocate there following such. Sadly, however, a short time later I realized that I was completely shut out of the professional level Dutch job market for many insurmountable reasons. I returned to the United States in mid-2021 to put my work experience and newly obtained Masters degree to work for me. My wife, however, remained and still resides in The Netherlands. Shortly after returning to American soil, I began purchasing heels with the intent of building a “to die for” heel collection. As I began “collecting” new pairs (or at least new to me) the desire to wear them out in public became increasingly difficult to resist. Despite such, however, I was not willing and/or ready to do so, or only do so under very restrictive conditions such as on a cool/cold night on a short walk around my neighborhood. I began researching the topic of men wearing high heels in public, and started reading of the stories and experiences of other male members of this group. I read many posts regarding those first steps and realized that if others can do it, so can I. Thus, in November 2023, I took my first steps out in public while wearing four-inch, block heeled boots. With time and more instances of doing so, I became ever more confident to the point where it is now routine for me to do so, even to the office. I realized that the most important step of this journey was to tell my wife and be completely honest about it. So, a few weeks after my first outing of wearing heels in public, I did so and despite any fears I had, she was fully understanding and comfortable with it. Of course, a few questions were asked (and answered) but no judgement, shock, or disappointment followed. I told her that regardless of what I am wearing and where such may occur, it does not change how I feel about her or why I love her. What I wear or how I express myself is irrelevant to my commitment to our marriage. This past mid-April, I made my annual spring trek to The Netherlands for a week-long visit. I very much wanted to travel in a pair of heels but as my suitcases were packed with items she needed/wanted and cannot get there, as well as goodies and treats “requested” by our friends, I had very little room for my own clothes. Given this and the normally rotten Dutch weather at this time of the year, all of my clothing had to be practical items – no room for heels of any kind. Likewise, as I had not yet shared a picture of me wearing heels with her, I felt I should show her pictures before she actually saw me in heels so as avoid any shock/surprise on her part. She had seen me with polished fingernails and my ears double pierced during our weekly video chats. During my stay, I showed my wife several pictures of me wearing heels as part of a work outfit, and told her that I had also recently attended drag events and wore heels to them. Given that my wife and I have the exact same shoe size, I asked if she had any pairs of heels with which she was willing to part. I specifically asked about two pairs of ankle boots I knew she seldomly (if ever) wore and if I could take them with me. She promised me that before I began my trek back to the U.S., she would allow me to “raid” her shoe closet and take any pair of heels that she did not routinely wear. So, on the last evening of my visit, we went through her shoe collection (probably over 100 pairs) and I identified the two pairs that I would love to bring home with me. One request met with little resistance but I had to promise her that if she wanted the other pair returned, I would do so at the next instance we were together. Well, six pairs of heels latter, some of which have yet to be worn, others only worn once, and some at her suggestion, I am returning home with an expanded collection. Not only that, but I also have a hot new leather skirt as well; I told her in a highly excited voice that the skirt will be worn for our anniversary dinner this coming Halloween. My wife did mention that she loved my work outfits. The point to all of this is that if other members of this group/forum did not write/post about the first time they headed out in public while wearing a pair of heels, I doubt I would have ever had the courage, motivation, and inspiration to do so myself. Simply reading about how the other members of this group/forum did so and what they felt before, during, and after doing so, was what I needed to let me know that my wearing of heels out in public will not cause the world to come to an end. I had always believed that my wearing heels out in public would never occur but now, however, I probably wear heels out in public more often than any other footwear. Thus, to every member who wrote his about his first experience wearing high heels in public, I offer you my deepest and sincerest heartfelt thanks! If this story does not convey the fact that true love is greater than and blind to what we wear on our feet, hips, or torso, then I do not know what is.

Love, Love, Love JS brand! I usually have had good luck with such.

Indeed, it is not easy just being ourselves! I have to wonder if Frick and Frack view as their "Boy Toy" to dress as they please. Not to get on my soapbox, but I agree with other comments about given their large size (and unhealthy condition) they may feel jealous about how I dress. I generally do not think it is appropriate for anyone to comment about what a person should/should not do unless that person can do it themselves.

I've got the nails polished and necklaces, but the earrings are still posts as they were done in late December. I was told six months before taking them out overnight and a full year before hoops (which stinks!). I hope to "graduate" to small hoops at the end of the six months as they are much more to my liking and would help with a transition to skirts.

Thanks! As I like to say, it never goes out of style to have style! Nonetheless, thanks for advice as it is solid in terms of practicality.

I tend to agree with you about this in both the jealousy and "out dressing" them. All that I want is just to be myself and not have anyone, including myself, worry or concern themselves with what I am wearing.

No, but I do have to be very careful about what I say because it could be viewed as being discriminatory.

Even though I am a newcomer to this forum, I hope to be a serious contender. To start, a post Valentine's day dinner outfit for a fancy dinner with an old friend (Red) and a Friday "work at home outfit" (Black/white). And this Saturday is Drag Night in town!

To all... I am looking for some solid advice about wearing skirts and heels to the office. In case you have not read my previous posts, I offer this recap... I recently started wearing heels to work (3"- 3.5" max) or flat knee high boots with skinny jeans. Overall, I have not had any problems in doing so if one excludes the usually unwanted advice "You should wear this that way or you should wear that this way" from the peanut gallery of Statler and Waldorf (see my post "The Ladies at the Office" for more details on them). Nonetheless, I am wanting to move into wearing appropriate skirts with very professional style heels or boots into the office but do not know if I am quite ready to do so. I have told many of those in my office about my genderfluidity and let them know that if the future how I express myself may be different than what they have observed in the past. No one seems to care all too much, which is fine as I do not want my clothing choices to cause a disruption of the day. Details of the photo - an outfit for a "work at home day." Boots are Tulip (model) from Jessica Simpson. I would love to wear this outfit to the office someday... So, any advice or thoughts on this are welcome.

I'm curious if anyone else has run into this "issue"... I recently started wearing heels/boots to the office with a heel no higher than 3"-3.5" and always very professional in style (block heel, solid, dark colors, with an occasional splash of spice to mix-it up). Likewise, I have started wearing both feminine and masculine clothing with such for a completely professional ensemble. I also wear accessories such as earrings (still on posts as I just had them pierced - can't wait to start wearing hoops!) necklaces, and painted nails (no make-up). There are two women who sit near my workstation who, since I have started dressing "en femme," have been both complementary of my outfits but at the same time, routinely offer their completely unwanted opinions of what they think I should wear. One of them, "Frick," continually informs me that I wear "too much" black or dark colors, need more color, should wear paisley, and have my eyebrows done. Her partner, "Frack," has also told me that I should wear more colors, I wear "too many turtlenecks," and a recent weight loss on my part (~25lbs) has left me with "no butt." With respect to Frick and Frack, both of these women may qualify as being petite (5'2" to 5'4") and, not to disparage them, are grossly obese. Frick often wears sweatpants, a hoodie, or a track suit and crocs (with or without socks) whereas Frack is slightly better dressed in tie-dyed shirts or sweaters, jeans, and rainbow shoes - these are their outfits everyday. Frack also likes to wear cheap, gaudy jewelry from Temu. Although I am grateful for the compliments when offered, I am growing tired of the "you should wear this that way or wear that this way..." and the like comments. I have mentioned to both that I do not dress for them nor do I want to be dressed by them but yet, they persist in their comments. In all fairness, Frack is not as bad as Frick in telling me what I should wear. What I find interesting in all of this is that long before I started wearing heels to the office, neither ever said word about my attire. Since I have started wearing heels, however, it seems as I am "open season" for unwanted comments about what to wear. If needed, I can change my workstation so that I do not have to sit near them as they are not part of my unit. The photos are all outfits I have previously worn to the office

A late comer but I am in!