The Jaunts of JeffB!

[JeffB]

Jaunt #144, 1/3/2011:

Despite temperatures not having cracked 30 and winds blustery enough to make it feel colder, not to mention providing enough lift to put Dorothy's house into the sky, I headed out on a new jaunt, my first jaunt of 2012 in a skirt! Why? Because I wanted to! Not only that, because of the conditions, I brought out ARCTIC CHIC, that being my cream colored parka over a black turtleneck, my long denim skirt, the Pleaser "Vanity" knee boots and my leather hobo bag. Oh, yeah, and I wore long underwear beneath everything! I ain't no fool, and that ensemble kept me perfectly warm during the course of my outing. My first stop was to my bank to withdraw some cash for a couple of money orders I had to buy, there was a bit of a bank near University City (right up the block from the Starbucks I frequent), but no one inside, from tellers to customers paid me any attention during the ten minutes I was inside. From there, it was off to the post office.

Upon parking outside and putting thirty minutes worth of cash in the meter, I went inside where there was quite a line, and this was where something interesting took place. Standing in line four people ahead of me was a balding, middle aged white guy who was busy in a somewhat animated, somewhat angry conversation, noticing that, my first thought was to look for a Bluetooth device in his ear as a I figured he was talking to someone on a cellphone, but when he turned his head around, why I don't know, there was no such device, the guy was plainly talking to himself. Customers ahead of the guy and behind him did their level best to avoid eye contact with him, myself included, it was that awkward, and yet, that got me to thinking about this: in the minds of all the other customers, who, in their eyes, was more of a fruit loop, the middle aged white guy talking to himself, or the black guy wearing a skirt and heels? Of course, I couldn't conduct a poll, and since I don't read minds like Charles Xavier, I can only guess, but I would imagine I might've gotten more votes.

Now by the time he got to the counter, the guy assumed some semblance of normalcy as he bought a book of stamps and went on his merry way. Then I got to the counter and was waited on by the same cashier who waited on Mr. Talkative, the cashier briefly sort of gave me the fish eye at my attire, proof positive of my little suspicion. After leaving the post office, I motored across the river to south Jersey where I went to Boston Market near Moorestown Mall for lunch, yeah, it was different, but I felt like something different for a change, compared to Chick-Fil-A, this place was sparsely attended, but no one gave me the fish eye the whole time. Then I went to Sears for the purpose of buying some jewelry (remembering the compliment I'd gotten on my necklace at Best Buy yesterday) and bought a couple of nice pendants. As I headed for the door, I passed by a trio of young men, probably in their late teens, they didn't say anything to my face as we passed each other, but I heard them chuckle heartily at my back, no doubt at me, but hey, that comes with the territory.

My next stop was up the road at JCPenney to see what sort of jewelry they had to offer, and I bought another couple of items, including a strand of pearls, yes, pearls. Why? Because I thought they'd be cool to have. The cashier who waited on me, a black woman about my age asked if I wanted a gift receipt, I said no, telling her the items were for me, she grinned, especially at the pearls and said I had good taste. From there, it was back into town and I stopped downtown so I could buy my Powerball ticket, the winds were really blowing hard and it was mighty cold, but it was still enjoyable, walking the block to the store I frequented to buy my ticket, my skirt whipping about my legs as I casually walked, something I enjoyed. But I wasn't the least bit cold, between the layers of my outfit, along with a healthy dose of adrenaline, I was perfectly warm, being out in a skirt and heels will do that for a freestyler.

[rxrenesis]

Sounds like you had a great day.

[Mr. X]

Well, it's 2-1 Flyers at present as I type these words of wit on my iPad. Like you said, just business. Heh!

Well it's 3-2 Final for the Rangers as I type these words of wit on my laptop. Like I said, just business...lol

[roniheels]

Great jaunt, Jeff. And your outfit does look warmand comfortable.

[JeffB]

Rxrenesis: Any day in skirt and heels is a good day. Mr. X: Looks like the Rangers have my Flyers number so far this season. Still, it was a good game. Roniheels: Oh, yes indeed, it was warm and comfortable. And it felt good to wear too.

[Mr. X]

Mr. X: Looks like the Rangers have my Flyers number so far this season. Still, it was a good game.

.

That was a great game to watch as a fan. All the drama at the end helped as well. Offsetting penalties, and a penalty shot with mere minutes to go.

[JeffB]

That was a great game to watch as a fan. All the drama at the end helped as well. Offsetting penalties, and a penalty shot with mere minutes to go.

Indeed! Very dramatic. I only wish Rangers' coach John Tortorella had kept his big fat yap shut, vomiting nonsense after the game about NBC and the referees being in cahoots, wanting the Flyers to score and force overtime. And HIS team WON the goddamn game! He should've been fined a million dollars instead of a mere thirty thousand bucks! Sheesh!

[JeffB]

Jaunt #145, 1/7/2011:

On my last jaunt on Tuesday (1/3), I had to break out my Arctic Chic ensemble as temperatures never saw the high side of 30 degrees. Today however, we cracked 60. To quote the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz, "Unusual weather we're havin', ain't it?" Still, conditions were picture perfect for a jaunt, so I headed out in my black faux leather jacket over a navy mockneck, the Gloria Vanderbilt "Amanda" jeans in dark stonewash, the Pleaser "Legend" thigh high boots and my black leather handbag. My first stop of the day was to a brand new destination I had never been to before in heels: Jiffy Lube! Yep, it was time to have my car serviced, something I never miss out on, so I decided to go there in today's ensemble and see what, if anything might happen. As it turned out, that was pretty much a big fat nothing, oh, sure, I got stares, both from the crew at JL and from customers in the waiting room, but nothing more than that, which, I must admit, surprised me more than a little.

I wound up spending some forty-five minutes in the place, and the whole time, I was treated just as expertly and professionally as all the other customers, despite how I had been dressed, and that made me feel good. In hindsight, it's a good thing I had worn jeans, I can only imagine my having given workers in the below ground tunnels a cheap thrill if I had worn a skirt for them to look up. Heh! After leaving Jiffy Lube, I headed into town and right to my favorite comic book shop where I spent a good twenty minutes or so, again, the staff there are long used to me and the eclectic clothes I've worn in there: skirts of all lengths, five inch heels, tight jeans, thigh boots, they've pretty much seen it all. From there, I headed into South Jersey and to Chick-Fil-A near Moorestown Mall for lunch, even though it was after 1 p.m. when I got there, there was still a good crowd inside, got more stares, but nothing more than that as I enjoyed a late but tasty lunch, then I went to Barnes & Noble to buy some manga.

My last stop of the day was to Best Buy, and the place had that pre-Christmas sort of crowd, more people to ogle and stare at me, but, yet again, nothing more. Thirty minutes later, I was out the door with some anime, pleased to have enjoyed myself on another outing. I'm sure I have everyone I came across a cheap thrill, or a shock to the system as it's not every day that so-called "normal" folks see a guy strolling about in tight jeans, high heeled thigh boots and carrying a handbag. And I'm also sure that ten or fifteen minutes after having seen me, they probably forgot all about the experience. Nonetheless, it had been great fun. Now, off to watch the NFL Playoffs!

[ilikekicks]

Jeff.. If ya dont mind me asking.. How tall are you and whats the inseam length of your normal mens wear-type pants? -Ilk.

[JeffB]

Well, I'm six-foot-two and usually wear a 34 inch inseam when it comes to men's pants. For women's jeans, I favor a 36 inseam to accommodate whatever heels I happen to be wearing.

[roniheels]

Nice outfit, Jeff. I too have found the longer you are at a place wearing high heels, the longer the surprise of seeing a man in high heels wears off and people just go about their business. The last time I was in Best Buy last Tuesday, it seemed I could have come into the store in a bright pink suit and matching high heels, and no one would have paid attention to me. Keep up the great jaunts.

[JeffB]

Nice outfit, Jeff. I too have found the longer you are at a place wearing high heels, the longer the surprise of seeing a man in high heels wears off and people just go about their business. The last time I was in Best Buy last Tuesday, it seemed I could have come into the store in a bright pink suit and matching high heels, and no one would have paid attention to me. Keep up the great jaunts.

I would agree. The oddity factor that comes from seeing a man wearing high heels goes away quickly. Oh, sure, you'll get your wide-eyed, slack-jawed oglers who's tiny minds are blown from what they see, but nothing more substantial than that. And, as others here have said before, in a more crowded setting, you tend to blend in better with your surroundings and the chances of people paying you any serious attention decreases.

[CPB]

Great looking oufit, very well put together.

[tallguyinheels]

As always Jeff - looking good. My oil change place always gives me a second look - usually that's a lunch time errand and I am almost always in heels - either in pants or a skirt - at lunch. I've kind of stopped eating much for lunch - usually fruit or a yogurt. (Down to 215 lbs) but I digress - last time I was in a long mid-calf A skirt - and the place was busy and I had to wait in the lobby with a half dozen others - I believe I was wear my 5 inch thigh boots under. No reaction at all by anybody, though after the first - "take this in" gawk! I'm getting to like that look now.

[JeffB]

Jaunt #146, 4/14/2012

After a three month hiatus (hard to believe it had been that long) as work and life in general kept me uber-busy, I'm back on the prowl with my first jaunt since January 7th. And with plenty of sunshine and temps reaching into the low 70's, conditions were perfect for an outing as I hit the road in a blue campshirt, the a.n.a. low rise jeans in stonewash, the black Pleaser "Seduce" pumps and my short strap handbag. Yes, even when I wear pants or jeans, I bring a handbag along as it's quite natural for me to carry and I don't go ANYWHERE without one. What also felt quite natural, even though I hadn't worn them in close to a year were the five inch heels on the Seduce pumps, walking in them was a breeze and I had no trouble at all while wearing them, which made the outing today all the more fun for me as it felt great to be out and about again.

My first stop of the day was to a branch of my bank in the University City to tap an ATM (no fees at my bank), after getting out of the car, I did catch a severely turned head from a passerby who stared at my feet, but I paid him no mind. From there, it was off for downtown as I drove to my favorite comic book shop, I found a spot half a block away, allowing me a little walk so I could enjoy the clicking of the heels, got a few more odd looks, namely from a couple of young women and a little girl in their charge, but I ignored them too. Ten minutes after entering the comic shop, that same trio came in and did their level best to ignore me, something I found to have been rather humorous. After leaving the shop, I walked around the corner to a convenience store a block away, as is a practice of mine, whenever I wear tight jeans, I purposely put a wiggle in my walk, kinda hard not to when wearing high heels, but next to no one paid me any mind as I strolled to the store and back to my car. It was exhilirating.

From there, it was off to South Jersey and Chick-Fil-A near Moorestown Mall for lunch, as usual on a Saturday afternoon, there was quite a crowd, but I hopped right out and walked right in, placed my order and sat down to eat. While I did, a young black woman waved to me and said she liked my shoes, I smiled and thanked her. My next stop was to the nearby Barnes & Noble to look for some new manga titles and enjoy some magazines, which I did as I sat at a table with a bottle of iced tea, crossing my legs like a woman, I got a few stares, but nothing more than that. Half an hour later, I was out the door and headed back home, pleased with my outing. There was no nervousness whatsoever, even though I hadn't been out for three months, it was like I simply picked up where I left off, pretty as you please, and that was most satisfying. More fun to come!

[FreshinHeels]

Well done JeffB ps deff. way to long ago for an outing. I thought you had giving up heeling

[bluejay]

JeffB, Thanks for your recent post and pictures. You looked great! It's been awhile since you last posted. Keep those posts and pictures coming. Happy Heeling, bluejay

[ilikekicks]

jaunt #146, 4/14/2012

i purposely put a wiggle in my walk..

pimp!

[rxrenesis]

JeffB, Sounds like it was a nice outing.

[JeffB]

FreshinHeels: Thanks for the kind words. Nope, I hadn't given up heeling though I'm sure that it must've seen to some here that I had. Like I said, I had been plenty busy, to paraphrase that noted philosopher John Lennon, life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. bluejay: Glad that you enjoyed the latest outing. I will certainly do my best to keep the posts and pics coming! ilikekicks: You know it! If I had been wearing one of my tight denim skirts, my walk would've been even more awesome! HA! rxrenesis: Oh, yes, it certainly was!

[JeffB]

Jaunt #147, 4/21/2012:

With plenty of sunshine and warm temps, as in close to 80 today, I decided to head out on a new jaunt, even though I didn't get started until well past noon because I had Verizon out to the house to fix me up with their FIOS TV/phone/internet service. And since it was delightful warm and nice, I thought it was a good time to wear a skirt, namely my black Old Navy above the knee skirt which I paired with my red campshirt, the Blondo loafers and my trusty Buxton Bag. My first stop was to a local branch of my bank to tap the ATM, getting out of the car, I caught the puzzled stare of a Parking Authority Gestapo goon looking for cars to ticket, but that wasn't me as I paid for my time, so he otherwise ignored me, so did everyone else I happened upon while at the bank.

Stop number two was downtown and my favorite comic book shop. Because of the time of day, finding a place to park was a bit of a chore, one that took over half an hour before I managed to find a spot, but that was well over a block away from the store, but that was okay since that gave me an opportunity to be seen in my outfit and gauge reactions. The area was fairly busy, what with all the local eateries and people dining outside, but no one paid me any attention as I walked past. Let me tell you, it felt positively liberating to wear a skirt on a hot and sunny day like all the other girls and women, and, like them, I felt cool and refreshed to boot. Why guys avoid wearing a garment that can keep you comfortable on a hot day is beyond my comprehension. As usual, the gang at the comic shop greeted me warmly as always, despite how I dressed, and, along with a couple other patrons, we spent a solid ten minutes yakking about the upcoming live action Avengers (Thor, Iron Man and Captain America, not John Steed and Mrs. Peel) movie.

After leaving the store, I had just under half an hour to kill, so I just wandered around the Rittenhouse Square area, again, so I could be seen, and since it was mighty crowded in that area, I was, and then some, I did get a few stares and double takes here and there, but no giggles and/or guffaws. However, I did get a compliment from a couple of teenage girls who passed me by, one said, "Nice skirt, mister!" and the other added, "Looks cool on you!" I smiled back and thanked them for the kind words. Not bad, not bad at all. Once again, I showed that if you dress well and appropriately for the environment you happen to be in, people will look upon you in a positive light. And the positive reinforcement I had gotten made me happy to have worn that skirt.

[Shafted]

See Jeff, even the teenagers are coming around.

[JeffB]

See Jeff, even the teenagers are coming around.

I would agree. That had been a most pleasant little surprise when those girls complimented me. Cool!

[Philly410]

JeffB: I was out an about in University City today, and was a little sad that I didn't bump into you!

[ilikekicks]

JeffB.. Out of curiosity, how tall are you?

[JeffB]

johnneffde: A pity. That might have been fun. ilikekicks: I'm six foot two in my bare feet. So, in four or five inch heels, I tend to stand out!

[Pumps]

Well done JeffB. Nice outfit. It's also pretty cool that you got compliments from teenagers as they normally don't do much but giggle and take pictures with their cellphones. My niece is 13 and she seems pretty ok with my heels.

[JeffB]

Well done JeffB. Nice outfit. It's also pretty cool that you got compliments from teenagers as they normally don't do much but giggle and take pictures with their cellphones.

Yeah, I know. Quite a refreshing change of pace.

My niece is 13 and she seems pretty ok with my heels.

It's good to know that teens can be openminded about alternative fashion.

[bluejay]

JeffB, You had a great outing on Saturday. Great choice of style too. You look great wearing skirts. Thanks for your comments on my recent outing at Kay's. Happy Heeling, bluejay

[Thighbootguy]

As other have already commented - Looking Good!

I know that one encounter does not a trend make but ...

I did get a compliment from a couple of teenage girls who passed me by, one said, "Nice skirt, mister!" and the other added, "Looks cool on you!"

from two teenaged girls is amazing. I have come to expect the gaggle of giggly girls reaction, and to read that there is any other possible reaction from teenaged girls is a revelation.

Well done Jeff and thanks for sharing.