The Jaunts of JeffB!

[Mr. X]

Loved reading something new again from you Jeff! Keep it up!

[JeffB]

TBG: I already did, some two or three or four years ago. But not in the spring! Heh!

bluejay: Thanks for the kind words. Yeah, it was great to go out and about again, I plan to do so again soon.

Mr. X: Glad to have been or service. I will keep it up! Read below:

Jaunt #184, 4/28/2013:

To close out the month, I thought I'd bring everyone a new episode of "Does Anyone Notice What Men Wear On Their Feet?" For my third experiment, I decided to take my new Payless "Molly" platform wedge sandals out for a spin, pairing them with a red campshirt, the JCPenney a.n.a. bootcut jeans and my short strap handbag. Now, this was a first for me since I've never worn either sandals or any sort of open toed shoe before, so this figured to make for an interesting little outing. Much to my amazement, even those these sandals sported a one inch platform and a near five inch heel, they were very comfortable and surprisingly easy to walk in, not to mention they looked good on me, and that made wearing these shoes great fun. So, I drove to Springfield and headed to Best Buy to see if anyone would notice, parking in the lot, then walking in the store, it was mildly populated, but the shoppers I passed took no notice of me, even though I stood high above everyone, something I found kinda neat.

I spent a good half hour in the store, slowly browsing the aisles and checking out all things electrical and electronic, and while the shoes barely made any sound, they could be seen by everyone, yet, no response, no turned heads, no funny looks, not much of anything. After going to the register with the Blu-Ray version of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, I headed out and went down the road to Subway for lunch. There were some four people ahead of me in line when I entered, but they paid me no mind either, not while I stood in line, and not while I ate. After I ate, I headed back home, confident in the knowledge that I didn't cause a ruckus because few if anyone noticed the shoes I wore. Still, I've come to like these little experiments I've been conducting, and since I have the Molly sandals in white, perhaps I'll wear those in the next episode of "Does Anyone Notice What Men Wear On Their Feet?" Stay tuned, everyone!

[SleekHeels]

The neon shirt adds an interesting dimension... on the one hand it makes sure people notice you, on the other hand maybe it distracts their attention away from the shoes. In any case, that's a very fresh and vibrant outfit that you look totally comfortable wearing. As always you're a great ambassador for footwear freedom Jeff !

[bluejay]

Very nice JeffB. I like it very much! Yesterday, Saturday night I wore a very similar ensemble, to yours. I don't want to high jack your thread but I will post a pic of what I wore. I wore my "Hue", dark wash, (almost black) jean style leggings, red, rayon tall camp shirt and my Naturalizer, "Laurie", black wedge heel criss-cross sandals, with a 4" heel and 1" platform. Very comfortable to wear. Much like you, no one seemed to notice what I was wearing last night, even though I was in a Lowe's store, a male bastion type of store! Again I apologize for the high jack. Happy Heeling, bluejay

[SkirtDude]

Great skirt ensemble, Jeff

[JeffB]

SleekHeels: Hmm! I must admit it hadn't occurred to me that the red shirt I wore might have been a distraction from the shoes I had on. I wish I had considered that sooner, I would've worn a more muted color. Oh, well, food for thought for a future outing. Heh! bluejay: Neat looking outfit there, my friend. Great minds think alike. HA! Kilty: Thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated.

[Bundy999]

I love the look!

[HenriHH]

Jeff,

Great look. And for the first time that can remember; you are sitting in one pose. When you are wearing pants, we can not see the full effect of the heels. When sitting; we can. Thanks for remembering.

Henri

[Logjam]

Jeff, you are a class act and a continuing inspiration. Regards, Logjam

[JeffB]

I love the look!

Many thanks!

Jeff,

Great look. And for the first time that can remember; you are sitting in one pose. When you are wearing pants, we can not see the full effect of the heels. When sitting; we can. Thanks for remembering.

Henri

No prob! Perhaps I'll continue doing that.

Jeff, you are a class act and a continuing inspiration.

Regards, Logjam

Thanks muchly! I'm glad to be an inspiration to people here.

[JeffB]

Jaunt #185, 5/4/2013:

Another spring day, filled with plenty of sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures, so I headed out on a jaunt to have some fun, and because it was warm, it was time for a skirt, namely my Old Navy 20 inch black skirt along with a blue polo shirt, the Payless "Hazel" pumps and my short strap handbag. My first stop of the day was to the branch of my bank in University City to take care of some business, after arriving, I hopped out and walked down the street and into the bank. I stood in line for little over five minutes before going up to the counter to take care of my little business, arranging for a debit card for my checking account. After some ten to fifteen minutes, with no one paying me any mind, I left, tapped the ATM for some cash then left.

Stop number two was downtown and my friendly neighborhood comic book shop, being a late Saturday morning, it took some time to find a parking spot, that being little over half a block away from the store, but that enabled me to enjoy a walk, and the sharp clicking of the Hazel pumps' thin heels. As usual, no one in the shop noticed what I wore as I yakked away with the staff about Iron Man 3 (saw it on Friday, it was great), then returned to my car and headed over into South Jersey and Chick-Fil-A for lunch. If you haven't had their chicken salad sandwiches, I implore you to go buy one, they're super yummy! The store was fairly full when I walked in, but at least I didn't have to wait for a booth to open up like I had a previous time I was in the place, other than a few kids here and there, again, I went pretty much ignored, which was good enough for me.

From there, it was off to Barnes & Noble for the serenity and peacefulness, ahh, enjoying some sci-fi magazines in the lounge area along with a glass of lemonade for well over half an hour, delightful. Then I headed to the register with the Blu-Ray version of 20 Million Miles To Earth which I'll probably watch tonight. My final stop of the day was to Best Buy for plenty of aisle wandering and ogling of all things electronic, I had a few people glance at me here and there, nothing more than that, then it was off to the register with the Blu-Ray version of John Carpenter's The Thing. All in all it was a good outing where I wore what I wanted and people paid me practically no attention, and I found that enjoyable. And with the warm weather in place, I see lots more skirt wearing in the future.

[Mr. X]

Another great outing Jeff! Forgive me if you've done it all ready. But have you ever considered adding pantyhose to the equation?

[JeffB]

Nahhhh! Too warm out for hosiery, besides, I've come to enjoy going barelegged on my skirting adventures. Meanwhile, I'm only 15 jaunts away from my 200th, time to shop for a new dress to wear for the occasion.

Jaunt #186, 5/5/2013:

Taking advantage of another nice spring day, I headed out on a brief outing. Despite plenty of sunshine, it was breezy and cooler than yesterday, so I wore my black faux leather jacket over a black scoopneck t-shirt, the Old Navy 20 inch denim pencil skirt (complete with a nice little slit in back) along with the Payless "Karma" pumps which I hadn't worn in awhile and a black handbag. Breezy or not, it was a great day to be out and about, and it certainly felt even better to be wearing a skirt and heels, and that showed in my demeanor. My first stop was out in Springfield at Bed Bath & Beyond where I went to buy wash towels and bath towels, I was warmly greeted by a salesperson who showed me where to go in search of what I needed, the four inch heels of the Karma pumps sounded great on the tile floor, but I did slip ever so slightly a time or two, so I had to adjust my stride and take shorter steps.

Having found what I sought, I went to the register, casual as you can please, made my purchase and left the store. Stop number two was down the road to Subway for lunch as it was close to noon, there were only four people in the store and they didn't pay me any attention as I made my order and sat down to eat. From there, I headed further out west to Micro Center, a computer store to buy a new toner cartridge for my laser printer, there was a good sized crowd in the store for early in the afternoon, but again, no one gave me so much as a second glance, despite how I was dressed, and I simply went about my business of finding the cartridge I was looking for, then I wandered about the aisles for a few minutes before going to the register with my purchase, and then I headed back home. While it was a short outing, it was still highly enjoyable. I felt totally comfortable and at ease, and that's a big part of the entire quotation. If you can have fun while freestyling, then why bother, and wearing skirts makes everything a real treat for me.

[Shafted]

Still reading and enjoying, Jeff. Keep it up.

[Curt]

Jeff you are looking good! I get what you are saying that no one notices anymore. I get that too! The only ones that notice are the friends at church. They say: what's with all the makeup and high heels. I say I wanna be canada's next top model. But when I rollerblade with a raptors jersey and bootcut spandex tights prople probably think I'm part of the raptors dance pack. Sorry to take over your thread! Looks like we both have broken down a lot of barriers. Keep up the good work!

[SkirtDude]

Still reading and enjoying, Jeff. Keep it up.

+1

Loving the denim skirt - wish I could pull off that demure pose as in pic #2, when I try my leg looks broken any advice on posture? You look so confident as well

[JeffB]

Still reading and enjoying, Jeff. Keep it up.

Many thanks, my friend. I'll certainly do the very best I can.

Jeff you are looking good! I get what you are saying that no one notices anymore. I get that too! The only ones that notice are the friends at church. They say: what's with all the makeup and high heels. I say I wanna be canada's next top model. But when I rollerblade with a raptors jersey and bootcut spandex tights prople probably think I'm part of the raptors dance pack.

Sorry to take over your thread! Looks like we both have broken down a lot of barriers. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the kind words. It's rather cool that few to no one pays me any mind when I'm out and about. Of course, I have no idea what may or may not happen behind my back, especially with the technology of camera equipped cellphones out there. Oh, well, nothing I can do about that, except to keep on jaunting and keep on having fun, especially the fun quotient.

Loving the denim skirt - wish I could pull off that demure pose as in pic #2, when I try my leg looks broken any advice on posture? You look so confident as well

Thanks! That skirt has become a favorite. As for posing, like everything in life, it's all about practice, practice, PRACTICE! If you have access to a mirror, practice in front of it to get a handle on posture when standing and sitting, then work on posing. I was hardly a natural at posing in the beginning, so I practiced until I got it right. Good luck.

[SkirtDude]

Many thanks, my friend. I'll certainly do the very best I can.

Thanks for the kind words. It's rather cool that few to no one pays me any mind when I'm out and about. Of course, I have no idea what may or may not happen behind my back, especially with the technology of camera equipped cellphones out there. Oh, well, nothing I can do about that, except to keep on jaunting and keep on having fun, especially the fun quotient.

Thanks! That skirt has become a favorite. As for posing, like everything in life, it's all about practice, practice, PRACTICE! If you have access to a mirror, practice in front of it to get a handle on posture when standing and sitting, then work on posing. I was hardly a natural at posing in the beginning, so I practiced until I got it right. Good luck.

I'll try with the practising...

Though I won't be UK's Next Top Model anytime soon

[JeffB]

Kilty: Not too bad, my friend. Keep on practicing until posing becomes more fluid and more natural.

[JeffB]

Jaunt #187, 5/18/2013:

Even though it was fairly cloudy, the day was dry, good enough for a jaunt, and with temps creeping into the low 70's, I headed out in my five year old, 22 inch denim skirt from JCPenney which I paired with a black polo shirt, the Payless "Cori" wedge heeled flat and my short strap handbag. I originally planned to wear jeans, however, the lure of a skirt was just too strong, I know I've said this before, but I love wearing them, so I did, putting together a nicely casual look for a leisurely Saturday outing. My first stop of the day was to the local branch of my bank to tap an ATM, I did get a short glance after I parked and walked to the branch, but that was all from the time I went to the bank to when I returned to my car.

From there, it was off to my local comic book shop, as usual, it took some time to find a place to park, this time TWO blocks from the store, but it was no big deal since the Cori flats are quite comfortable to walk in. Halfway to the comic shop, I passed by a sidewalk sale that stretched the entire block, and it was plenty busy with shoppers, but no one paid me any attention as I walked by. After a good twenty or so minutes in the store, a bit of the time spent discussing the new Star Trek film, I headed back, passing by the sidewalk sale where no one noticed. However, at the corner, an older lady looked me up and down, then asked, "Is that a skirt you're wearing?" When I answered yes, she asked, "Why?" And I told her, "Because I like to. No law against it, you know." Looking very much perplexed, the lady shook her head and walked off, and I went to my car.

I then headed into South Jersey and my regular three stops near the Moorestown Mall. First was Chick-Fil-A for lunch, there was a good crowd inside, but I was given my space like everyone else while I ate. Second was Barnes & Noble where I spent a good half hour reading magazines before I left with a couple of manga volumes. Third and last was Best Buy, no one gave me the time of day, exception for a salesperson who asked if I needed help. As I've said more than once, as long as you act calm, cool and collected, like what you happen to be wearing is nothing special, it won't be a big deal to anyone else. And I feel so at ease and comfortable in a skirt, I treat it like just another article of clothing. And why should it be a big deal for a guy to wear a skirt in public? As long as you wear something tasteful and avoid looking foolish, it shouldn't be a problem.

The comfort, freedom and the sheer delight that comes from wearing a skirt is unparalleled in the world of fashion freestyling. Why men deny themselves this unique pleasure because of some stupid macho code is a mystery. Me? I have no problem embracing my feminine side and wear what I like, especially when I proudly wear clothes from the women's side of the store. Speaking of which, I'm still in search of a new dress for my upcoming 200th jaunt. Meanwhile, more outings in skirts are on the way.

[Curt]

I think you look very nice. Very well put together. I don't know why some stranger will come up to you and ask why you are wearing something that they don't approve of. Did she not realise that nothing has changed in mens fashion in about 60 years. But women can wear mens clothes with no problem. A girl can dress like a guy, but I guy can't dress like a girl? That's not fair! Keep doing what you are doing. We will miss reading about your jaunts if there aren't any more.

[JeffB]

pumpcat: Many thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated. I plan to keep on with my jaunts for quite some time to come. It's kinda funny that the first interaction I had with someone while freestyling in quite some time, and I get that question. HA! Oh, well, no big deal, I'm just going to keep on doing what I'm doing, and have fun to boot!

[SkirtDude]

Nice jaunt, Jdff! It seems youth today are no longer shocked go see a man in a skirt (perhaps Kanye, A $ AP Rocky and Future have made jt more cool), the key is confidence as you said before. Looking good as usual

[9inchheel]

do you have to use a garter belt when youre sticky stockings arnt so sticky

[Curt]

I tried a skirt a few times. They look good with tall boots. But I don't quite have the elegant style that Jeffb has. I'm more like an expensive hooker.

[SleekHeels]

I admire your confidence and positve attitide as always Jeff. A few phrases really leapt out at me (in a good and interesting way):

the lure of a skirt was just too strong

That's a very familiar feeling. I often think I ought to tone it down a bit (as I've said before I find the more androgynous look feels more progressive, whereas a more conspicuous "feminine" look like a skirt seems to make it easier for onlookers to be more dismissive). But like you say, skirts can be irresistable, in the same way that I could wear flats but heels almost always win.

I was given my space like everyone else while I ate

I sometimes find I'm given too much space, if you know what I mean. Last month I was at a busy cafe where people often share tables, but my table seemed to be the last one anyone wanted to share (though someone did eventually). I find that people tend to be more interactive when I wear my heels in a more subtle androgynous way, whereas wearing a skirt seems to scare people away. The only exception seems to be when it's a smart skirt suit with a shirt and blazer, but maybe that's a power-dressing thing. I also find that people tend to laugh more at sandals rather than closed pumps or boots. Do you find that the space people give you varies a lot with what you're wearing?

because of some stupid macho code

For me that reflects the inner expectations we're told to have of ourselves as guys. In terms of the reactions of others, I think that macho code makes guys tend to be very expressive of their worst reactions but very reluctant to express their best reactions. I get the impression that many women also define their expectations of men by this same code, but they're generally more expressive acoss the whole spectrum of reactions, so while we can get some of the most disapproving reactions from them, we also get some of the warmest.

[JeffB]

Nice jaunt, Jdff! It seems youth today are no longer shocked go see a man in a skirt (perhaps Kanye, A $ AP Rocky and Future have made jt more cool), the key is confidence as you said before. Looking good as usual

Many thanks! I appreciate your kind words. Without confidence, you can't do anything!

do you have to use a garter belt when youre sticky stockings arnt so sticky

Hmm! I wouldn't know. I've never tried.

I tried a skirt a few times. They look good with tall boots. But I don't quite have the elegant style that Jeffb has. I'm more like an expensive hooker.

Me? Elegant style? Nahhhh! I wouldn't go quite that far! Thanks for the kind words anyway.

SleekHeels: Since I could never pull off anything even remotely resembling an androgynous look, I simply go forth as a middle-aged man in a skirt, nothing more, nothing less. While I don't want to look like a woman, when I dress like one, I do sort of tap into a hidden feminine side, and I find that rather cool.

On the subject of being given space when I go on my little adventures, that's pretty much common for me, the exception to the rule is when people engage me in conversation, like on my last jaunt. While, more often than not, I have a response ready at hand for almost any situation that might come down the road when interacting with others, the world keeps me at arm's length as the public goes about their collective business, too busy with their own lives and affairs to care about a guy in a skirt. I don't know if I scare people away, but I doubt if I'm imposing enough for that. Meanwhile, from my experiences, there hasn't been all that much of a difference when I wear heels or skirts, at least not that I've seen.

Lastly, as for that macho code, I've seen it take the form of insults hurled at others by packs of young males, I've rarely had that happen to me, but it does happen. And yes, I have gotten a goodly number of compliments on my attire from women.

[Curt]

It seems to me, women like the look and are intriged by it. Men on the other hand probably like the look too, but will oppose it to keep their macho image in tact. Especially when they are with other guys. But all in all, it does take a lot of guts to wear high heel boots over pants in public. But it does get quite easier when you do it a lot. I've learned that from Jeffb. But the funny thing is: 150 years ago it was common place for guys to wear tall boots exposed. Hey jeff, if you like tall boots and cool clothes, check out the movie Kate and Leopold. Mid-1800 style. That's when guys dressed classy.

[JeffB]

pumpcat: Thanks for the suggestion!

Jaunt #188, 6/1/2013:

On the second day of a mini-heatwave with plenty of sunshine and temps reaching into the mid 90's, I decided to head out on a jaunt. Because it was to be mighty hot, I figured this would be a good day to wear a skirt, in this instance, the Old Navy denim pencil skirt along with a blue campshirt, the Payless "Cori" wedge flats and a nice crossbody handbag I bought at JCPenney last week. My first stop of the day was to my car dealership for my scheduled oil change, the last time I had the car checked out, I wore a long knit skirt and boots, but today, I opted for more seasonal attire, given the conditions. I arrived at the dealer some fifteen minutes before my appointment, hopped out and went right inside, no big deal. After I checked in at the service desk, I strolled into the waiting area where a good half a dozen people were waiting on their vehicles, so I settled in and watched TNT's Falling Skies for what wound up being an hour. When my car was ready, I went to the cashier, paid for my, got in my car and left, the whole time, no one paid me any attention while the dealership people treated me just as respectfully as everyone else.

Back in the car, I drove downtown, spent some twenty minutes looking for a parking spot near my friendly neighborhood comic shop a block away, and strolled there, passing a few people along the way, no gasps, turned heads or chuckles. It was a little after twelve and it was already sticky and steamy, but I felt cool and comfortable in my skirt, just as I planned. After some twenty minutes in the shop, followed by a side stop to a convienience store to play the Powerball Lottery, I returned to my car and headed into South Jersey and my regular three stops near the Moorestown Mall. First was Chick-Fil-A, while on my way to the door, a couple of young Black males inside stared at me and chuckled, but I paid them no mind, they continued to stare after I entered, but I continued to ignore them as I bought my lunch, sat down and ate. By the time I finished, those two guys were long gone, guess I didn't hold their interest for long. Then, I drove to Barnes & Noble for a solid half hour of prowling the aisles, manga, magazine and video before I went to the register with a couple of manga titles and a couple of magazines. No attention attracted the whole time.

My next to final stop was Best Buy for little over a half hour of cruising the aisles and checking out Sony's new 4K hi-def TV's which I thought were fabulous, expensive too, but that's the nature of the best when it comes to new technology. Just like everywhere else, no one gave what I wore a moment's attention, I was just another shopper, though not dressed like most males would be. After going to the register with the Blu-Ray version of Resident Evil, I left and made a fourth stop in the vicinity at Sears. Cruising the Misses department, I found a pretty skirt and a nice top to go along with it, when I post pictures of this outfit on a future jaunt, you'll be sure to shake your heads and think I've gone cuckoo. Heh! All in all, another pleasant expedition, one made better by being in a skirt. To anyone here who's never worn one, there's a certain sense of freedom, of liberation that comes from wearing a skirt that's difficult to put into words, it's like I've cast off the shackles of what's traditional for men to be trapped into wearing, and I'm loving the experience. More fun to come.

[bluejay]

Thanks for your post and pics, Jeff. The ensemble that you chose to wear today, really looks great on you. Glad you had a great time out today, heeling! Happy Heeling, bluejay