The Jaunts of JeffB!

[JeffB]

Bootking: Disconnect indeed! All part of my general loopiness! HA!

Dawn HH: Many thanks for your kind words. To know that folks like you enjoy reading about my exploits makes everything I've done worthwhile. I'll keep trying to present the proper image of a high heeled man in public as best I can.

TBG: The only things I read for relaxation at home are U.S. comic books, translated Japanese manga and the sports section! Heh! Meanwhile, I must admit those pictures you posted were most entertaining.

danielp6406: I must admit looking at those pics have stirred the ol' grey matter and is giving me a sudden burst of inspiration. Hmm! I might have to look into this!

hhdude159: Thanks for the compliment. All I can tell you is that the courage you spoke of didn't come naturally to me, like a building you have to construct it from the ground floor, bit by bit, floor by floor. It's not easy, but guys like me are proof that wearing heels in public CAN be done. You just have to get out there and do it, slowly at first, then expand your horizons. Crawl before you can walk, then walk before you can run. Good luck to you!

[Bubba136]

JeffB –

Sorry about the beer suggestion but I had succumb to the stereotyped image of a male sports fan on a weekend. It’s not my style either… give me a big bowl of popcorn, a comfy recliner, a beer and a good technical manual and I’m having a great time (Yes, there really is a Scotty).

Now about wearing shorts… let me share several of my favorite pictures to serve as an inspiration.

Great pictures except I was expecting pictures of men wearing shorts with high heels.

[hhdude159]

thanks jeffb, i am going at a slow pace though

[Bootking]

I must admit looking at those pics have stirred the ol' grey matter and is giving me a sudden burst of inspiration.

Thigh boots and shorts Jeff?????????????

Please bring proof!!!!!!!!!!

[Dawn HH]

TBG:-) Loved the pics of the shorts and thighboots, but it may be a bit chilly yet for JeffB to venture out in shorts and thighboots at this time. The seed is planted though. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[JeffB]

TBG:-)

Loved the pics of the shorts and thighboots, but it may be a bit chilly yet for JeffB to venture out in shorts and thighboots at this time. The seed is planted though.

Cheers---

Dawn HH

That it has. Heh! I won't deny it! However, it's not chilly indoors where I can model such an ensemble under climate controlled conditions. Give me a day or so and I'll see what I can put together for all here to see!

[JeffB]

Well, turns out I didn't need very long to conduct my experiment with women's shorts and thigh boots:

I paired my blue turtleneck with a pair of shorts I bought from Old Navy today plus my now familiar Pleaser Legend 8868 thigh boots.

This one's for the benefit of Dawn HH who was concerned about the possibility of my going out, given the chilly climate:

All things considered, not a bad look, given I've never tried this before. Now, if I were to go all in and go out in this outfit, I'd certainly need my handbag as the pocket on these shorts are practically non-existent, also, sitting in this thing would probably not be a wise thing to do. Opinions, everyone?

[Dawn HH]

JeffB:-) Thanks for the kind words from you. As to your outfits, I see nothing wrong with them. I think that they look very stylish on you. As to whether you will wear them out in public, only you can answer that question yourself. I'll be watching to see the results. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[Bootking]

Well, turns out I didn't need very long to conduct my experiment with women's shorts and thigh boots

Boy, I asked and I received; wow!!

Certainly the proof is in the pudding - good luck on the outdoor adventure!

[Thighbootguy]

JeffB –

Ah, when you plant seeds…

“Not a bad look…” I think it’s a great look especially with the jacket.

I’m not sure I understand the problem with sitting.

I had forgotten about this short video (now 2 years old):

Thighbootguy takes a walk in the park

[JeffB]

JeffB –

Ah, when you plant seeds…

“Not a bad look…” I think it’s a great look especially with the jacket.

I’m not sure I understand the problem with sitting.

You've heard of "muffin top", right? Well, when I sit in those short, I get all kinds of "spillage" bulging out of the leg openings! HA! But I might take that ensemble out for a spin, I just won't sit down anywhere!

[Dawn HH]

JeffB:-) Good luck with your shorts and outfit. If you get tired of standing, you could always lean against something for a rest period. HA! Cheers--- Dawn HH

[JeffB]

5/9/2009:

I know it's been quite awhile since my last outing, March 5th to be exact (Wow! How time flies!), so, on a sudden whim with nice weather today, I decided to correct that oversight. And yes, to the surprise of no one who regualrly reads this feature, I opted to wear a skirt. There was nothing else I wanted to wear. Here's my outfit:

A navy polo shirt from Old Navy (just $10.00), my favorite 22 inch denim skirt, two inch heeled loafers and my Buxton bag. With temperatures inching into the low 80's, my objective was comfort over style, and that's what my outfit provided me today. My first stop was downtown and a ATM for some cash, the comfort angle of the equation came into play right away, despite how warm it aready was at 11 a.m., I felt comfortable. Guess the skirt, paired with bare legs (again) had something to do with that. From there, it was off to my favorite downtown comic shop where I got out of my car without a moment's hesitation, went inside the shop, bought some comics, then spent a solid twenty minutes chatting with the staff and another customer about old school monster movies. Ahh, what fun!

Then, it was off to south Jersey, namely the Moorestown Mall to catch the 1 p.m. viewing of the new Star Trek. Walked up to the box office, pretty as you please, bought my ticket then went in to catch the flick which I was eager to see since I'm a Trek fan and thought it was flat out awesome. After that, I went into the food court which was packed with people for something to drink, I made a note to take my time to make sure I was seen, and I was, but next to no one blinked an eye at me as I casually enjoyed my drink like every other shopper. From there, it was off to the Cherry Hill Mall which had been rebuilt with new stores added, meaning it was more crowded than ever, I didn't care, I wanted to push the envelope by going on a stroll in the mall, just to see what would happen. Just like with Moorestown, I slowly strolled through the mall, including the new Nordstroms which was packed, stopping in a couple of other places here and there (Borders, the Apple Store), and again, no one raised a fuss, and that made me feel great. And, in closing, even though it got plenty darn hot over the course of the day, I felt surprisingly cool while wearing my skirt.

Gentlemen, I am living proof that a guy CAN wear a skirt in a crowded mall and not raise a fuss. of course, it helped to have presented a smart, casual look that helped me to blend in with my surroundings, combined with an equally casual air I projected to everyone around me, and while I think I noticed a craned head or two, no one gave me so much as the time of day. I felt confident, at ease and empowered the whole time, and it was a delightful feeling to say the least, like I could go anywhere and do anything. Within reason of course. To be honest, I don't know if I would've felt the same way if I wore pants and heels, and doesn't that sound odd. The more I venture out in skirts, the more natural it becomes to me, like breathing itself. Already, I can't wait for my next outing.

[Bootking]

Remarkable, Jeff, quite remarkable! I had intended to follow your (and HappyFeat's) lead on my trip back from Florida with the skirt thing but had foot trouble (see the thread on Insolia) so that killed that idea (for now) as, like you, I believe in coordination of the outfits. You go, guy!

[rxrenesis]

Jeffb, I saw the new Star Trek last night at our IMAX theater. It was awesome. rx

[HappyFeat]

Another outstanding experience, JeffB! I am glad to see you out again in a skirt, and doing it with bare legs as well. The weather seemed perfect for it as well. Your look was perfect for going to the movies and shopping on a hot Spring day. It really doesn't surprise me that you don't get much attention however. First your skirt is a fantastic length for a casual outing - about the same length as men's shorts. Second, it flatters your long legs quite well, and third it just looks natural on you. You have put together a fantastic style that I hope you put to use a lot this summer.

[JeffB]

Another outstanding experience, JeffB! I am glad to see you out again in a skirt, and doing it with bare legs as well. The weather seemed perfect for it as well. Your look was perfect for going to the movies and shopping on a hot Spring day. It really doesn't surprise me that you don't get much attention however. First your skirt is a fantastic length for a casual outing - about the same length as men's shorts. Second, it flatters your long legs quite well, and third it just looks natural on you. You have put together a fantastic style that I hope you put to use a lot this summer.

WOW! What else can I say but thanks for all your kind words. As I'm forever fond of saying, I simply do the very best I can, and have fun along the way, and that's why I've taken to wearing skirts, because they're fun to wear. You said how a skirt looks natural on me, well, it FEELS natural as well, like I've been wearing them all my life. And the more I wear skirts with hemlines above the knee, the more comfortable I feel in them because I had felt self-conscious about displaying my legs originally, but I no longer have that problem, which is why I've gone sans hosiery a lot of late, moreso than even I anticipated. And yeah, I'm sure there will be more outings like what I enjoyed on Saturday over the course of the summer!

[JeffB]

5/10/2009:

With another delightful day on tap weatherwise, I decided to undertake another skirt outing, this time, pairing them with, yes----HIGH HEELS!! Wow! What a concept! HA!! Here's my outfit:

A denim blue knit men's shirt, my 19 inch denim skirt with the Payless "Jamie" 4 1/2 platform pumps which I hadn't worn in awhile. And with temperatures reaching into the low 70's, hosiery was a no-no, and I was glad for that as I had become quite at ease with going barelegged. With summer right around the corner, I may not bother with pantyhose again until October as my legs look terrific without hosiery. In fact, Im STILL wearing this outfit as I type these words of wit(?) as it's so gosh darn hard to take off my skirt as I love wearing it. Why women deny themselves this wonderful pleasure in favor of pants is beyond my comprehension. Anyhoo, at the risk of tooting my own horn, something I don't do all that often, I thought I looked damned good. I'll leave it to everyone reading these words to form your own opinions after seeing the pictures.

As for the outing, my first stop was at the Borders in the western 'burbs and I spent a solid hour there enjoying iced tea in the bookstore's lounge while thumbing through a couple of Mac based computer magazines, and, as usual, no one gave me the time of day, despite how I was dressed. But it was after I left the store that I had an interesting encounter. After paying for my magazines and leaving the store, a young kid, I'd say he was in his late teens to early 20's gave me a really weird look as he walked up to me and, trying not to laugh said, "Dude! What the hell are you wearing?" Trying not to sound snarky, I replied, "Dude! It's a skirt! Never seen one before?" That shut him up and, scowling, he continued on his way to the store. Here's an added something that you'll find curious, this kid, who was white was wearing a pair of long and overly baggy shorts with the waistline nearly down to his crotch, showing off his plaid boxers, just like knuckleheaded inner city black kids. And to think he griped about me because I wore a skirt. Who looked more presentable, me, or him?

But I digress. Stop number two was the Springfield Mall as I needed to swing by The Camera Shop for a new tripod I needed. After arriving in the parking lot, I thought nothing of hopping out of the car and boldly strolling past other shoppers and into the mall, thrilling to the sound of my heels clacking on the ground, oblivious to everyone around me. If people stared at me, fine. If people did double takes or giggled at the guy in the short skirt and high heels, fine, let 'em, I didn't care. Chances are I'll be forgotten by those who noticed and ignored by those who didn't. I was going to wear what I wanted, where I wanted. Life is too short to care what the rest of the world thinks. After making my purchase, I returned to the car then headed for stop number three, that being Best Buy to check out any new anime or Blu-Ray discs for my collection. Once again, I boldly strolled from the parking lot and into the store, taking my sweet time while I shopped, spending around twenty minutes or so wandering up and down the aisled before leaving with the Blu-Ray version of X2: X-Men United.

In retrospect, I kind of shocked myself with my boldness today, something I never knew I had in me. It's plenty startling. A year ago, it took a considerable amount of nerve to simply wear heels under long pants or jeans without feeling nervous, today I'm wearing skirts and heels in public and not caring if people see me. I find it all rather intriguing to say the least. This leaves me wondering what will happen next as I dream up more skirt outings to take me through spring and summer!

[radiodave]

Heh heh, I like your comeback to the kid asking about your skirt. I bet the look on his face was priceless, both before and after! Daring look for sure, I don't think I'd be able to pull it off, but thanks for sharing!

[Maximilian]

Awesome comeback! Very nice look Jeff.

[HappyFeat]

Another fantastic day out in your skirt, JeffB! I really like your choice of shoes for the day; very attractive pumps! My only suggestion is your top may be a bit too casual because the pumps do "dress up" your look a bit from the outfit you sported on Saturday. A nice button up shirt would really put the ensemble over the top. Again, I love the fact that you can go bare legged so well...if I wear skirt this time of year it has to be with nylons and most likely at night because of the hair growth. So, keep on skirtin' and wear those shoes more. Fantastic job handling the young punk. I do think its funny how some people can be critical of how others dress when they themselves have a style that is less than mainstream. I was once heckled by a group of punk/goth types who were outside a convenience store...facial piercings, spiky Mohawks, over done makeup and all. Though I didn't respond to them, I just thought that it was ironic that I would never judge their right to do as they pleased. All of this is what makes dressing as I please all the more fun! And you a wonderful leader and inspiration...

[JeffB]

radiodave: The ironic thing about that little encounter is that I'm not at all good at the art of the snappy comeback, but yesterday, I did just good enough to silence that kid. Guess the blind squirrel found his acorn. HA! Maximilian!: Many thanks for your kind words. HappyFeat: I appreciate your compliments. Regarding the outfit, I had paired it with my brown suede jacket, but it wound up being warmer than I thought, so I took it off, otherwise, the shirt would've worked better as something to wear under the jacket. Glad you liked the pumps, they were fun to wear and the little platform leant a measure of stability and style. I plan to wear those shoes more often. As for going barelegged, I had no idea that would be fun to do either, it certainly helps to have nice and naturally hairless legs to make that look work best. Lastly, since I wear clothing society considers out of the norm for men to sport, I would never be critical of others, no matter how oddly they might dress, why others, especially those who look equally as out of the mainstream would criticize me I have no idea. I'm glad I can inspire others like yourself.

[Bootking]

5/10/2009:

And to think he griped about me because I wore a skirt. Who looked more presentable, me, or him?

You, by far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HappyFeat]

...since I wear clothing society considers out of the norm for men to sport, I would never be critical of others, no matter how oddly they might dress, why others, especially those who look equally as out of the mainstream would criticize me I have no idea...

Jeff, I have a few theories about this. I really think the world has become such a consumer driven society that everybody has had their critical thinking skills watered down a whole lot or just simply erased entirely. Most people simply find comfort in the mainstream, however they are convinced they are unique. When somebody simply challenges their assumptions on any topic, their response is to lash out, be critical, or even be afraid. What I find amazing about this is that something as basic as how another person dresses becomes such a threat to their poorly developed reasoning skills that they simply go into overload.

I think fashion itself is a test in critical reasoning. Matching tops, bottoms, shoes, jackets, etc. requires some mental discipline that most people simply don't get. Throw in matching accessories, nylons, materials, etc. and they just mentally go off line. As freestylers, we exercise our gray matter every time we try to put an outfit together, then we have the guts to post the pictures on a place like this to offer our looks for opinions from other fashion conscience people to parse the whole thing. At the risk of being arrogant, we are just more evolved than most people when it comes to how we dress, and not simply because we like to wear heels, skirts, etc.

One of the things that amazes me however is that there are a lot of guys who would let knuckle draggres like this keep them from expressing their fashion freedom, or for that matter their intellectual freedom. In essence, its like being afraid of the bully. You prove every time you go out that a man can do as he pleases and pay no mind to the bully; however you have also proven than when confronted, he goes away.

[JeffB]

HappyFeat: Brilliant commentary, my friend! You brought up some very pointed and accurate opinions on why people criticize other people, and why some of our less secure members fear the occasional bully who might challenge them when out and about in heels. For Pete's sake, at the end of the day, all we're talking about are SHOES! What's so damn hard about that to figure out? So what if we choose our footwear from the women's side of the street, that's OUR choice, what WE want to do! We should be allowed as much freedom to wear what we want as women has when it comes to wearing men's clothing. Bottom line: If I want to wear high heels, skirts, even a dress in public, then I should be allowed that latitude as long as I present a tasteful, proper image. Sadly, we're still awhile away from achieving that all-important level of fashion freedom, which is why we have to make like Mohammed and go to the mountain and grab said freedom by the scruff of the neck instead of waiting for the mountain to come to us, because that ain't happening, gents!

[JeffB]

You, by far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the vote of confidence! In retrospect, I wonder how many people of a certain age (i.e. "oldheads") scoffed at that kid and how he was dressed, showing off his underwear like it was just another piece of clothing. But I suppose those same people might give me in my tasteful skirt the hairy eyeball as well. Who can say?

And that is why we DO look to you for inspiration!!!!!!!!

Again, many thanks for the kind words. I'm glad that I can inspire others to boldly go where no freestylers have gone before. Rest assured I'll continue to do the very best I can.

[roniheels]

Thanks for the vote of confidence! In retrospect, I wonder how many people of a certain age (i.e. "oldheads") scoffed at that kid and how he was dressed, showing off his underwear like it was just another piece of clothing. But I suppose those same people might give me in my tasteful skirt the hairy eyeball as well. Who can say?

Again, many thanks for the kind words. I'm glad that I can inspire others to boldly go where no freestylers have gone before. Rest assured I'll continue to do the very best I can.

You and HappyFeat are definitely my inspiration for heeling in public and in new and different places. As I wear high heels in public, I think of the two of you and others who contribute here and share stories of their high heel experiences. Please keep sharing with us and thank you.

[kikepa]

Here's an added something that you'll find curious, this kid ... was wearing a pair of long and overly baggy shorts with the waistline nearly down to his crotch, showing off his plaid boxers, just like knuckleheaded inner city black kids. And to think he griped about me because I wore a skirt. Who looked more presentable, me, or him?

You, of course!

I'm surprised you didn't respond with something like, "Dude! Why don't you bend over and crack a smile?" But your reply was less inflamatory, for sure.

[JeffB]

roniheels: Glad to help in whatever way I can. I'm very pleased that I've been a positive influence on others here. I'll continue to do my very best to present a positive image of a man in heels (and the occasional skirt). kikepa: Thanks! Like I said, I'm no expert at the snappy comeback, so I amazed myself at my response to that kid. Heh!

[JeffB]

5/17/2009:

Thanks to some loopy weather in which a cold front that blew through Saturday night resulted in a cloudy and blustery Sunday, I took advantage of those conditions to do something REALLY wild and crazy:

That's right, kids, I finally went on an outing in a miniskirt and thigh boots! The skirt in question I bought at Old Navy a few weeks ago and was waiting for the right opportunity to pair it with my Pleaser Legend 8868 thigh boots. At 17 inches long, this is easily THE shortest skirt I've yet to wear, ironically enough, today's outing dovetailed perfectly with my latest blog entry where I talked about how my hemlines on the skirts I've been wearing have risen with my confidence at being seen in public in them. You can read all about that here:

http://www.hhplace.org/blogs/jeffb/54-hemlines_rising_my_confidence.html

Anyway, as fate would have it, I did have a seriously legitimate reason for going out today as I needed to buy a new external hard drive for my computer as I use it to backup my files, so I had to go out and replace the drive. So, I drove to Micro Center in the western 'burbs on my little mission, you see, there was a method to my madness as I was more than a little self-conscious about being seen in such a short skirt, so I chose that computer store which was quiet and often bereft of crowds, something I needed to help build my confidence on this important outing. After arriving in the lot, it took a good ten minutes or so to get up the nerve to step out of the car and head into the store. Once inside, I expected heads to turn all over the place when I was seen, but that didn't happen as I went about my business of buying that new drive as I spent a good twenty minutes or so in the store, no muss, no fuss. That surprised me.

Leaving the store, I felt emboldened, so I decided to go to another locale, that being the Borders bookstore in Springfield. After arriving in the lot, I only needed five minutes to mentally toughen myself up before leaving the car and walking towards the door. As I neared the store, I could see my reflection in the windows and thought that I looked damn good, causing me to grin as I was having fun. Once inside, I looked for the novelization of the new Star Trek movie which took about ten minutes for me to find, but then, I wasn't in any hurry. Borders was considerably more crowded than Micro Center, including kids right on up to teenagers and customers of every stripe, age and race. Again I was surprised as I didn't generate any long looks, double takes, shocked expressions or pointed fingers. Sadly, I couldn't spend any quality time in the lounge as there was no way on god's green earth that I was going to sit in this damn thing!

After being treated respectfully like every other customer, I left Borders and decided on a whim to try one more place and push the envelope one more time----Best Buy. If I was going to get any sort of reaction, positive or negative, I figured that would happen there, especially in a store that was usually very crowded on Sundays. I spent well over half an hour in the store wandering the aisle, gawking at the latest and greatest gizmos and gadgets as I'm wont to do every time I'm in Best Buy, and again----nothing. Absolutely nothing. I was puzzled, I mean, here I am, a man, wearing a miniskirt and spike heeled thigh boots and I barely drew a glance from everyone around me. Wow! Not bad, not bad at all. Needless to say, my confidence was quite high and was having a great time. Leaving the store with the Blu-Ray version of Star Trek II, III and IV, I was feeling pretty damn good with my outing which was most rewarding.

As I drove home, I went over everything that happened today in my mind, trying to draw some sort of conclusion as to why I basically went ignored in three different places, despite my attire which screamed "unusual" because of my gender. I mean, I thought sure I'd get wide eyed gasps or be flat out laughed at, but that never happened. Was that positive outcome the end result of my environment or the people I surrounded myself with. If I had gone someplace else, would said result had been the same or different. Admittedly, I have no idea. If you have any opinions, I'd like to hear them. But, that didn't take away from how much fun I had wearing that miniskirt, moreso than I thought. Once again, I pushed the envelope big time in my quest for fashion freedom and lived to tell the tale. I can't wait to see what happens next!