From: Diva Las Vegas (dlvdisc@geekbabe.com)
Date: Fri Jan 27 2006 - 10:00:18 CST
Dress - Starting from scratch:
Each week (most weeks, anyway) we will post one dress-related item to
the DLV Discussion Group. This week we discuss starting from scratch,
for those with little or no wardrobe.
This is a rewrite of one of last year's items, which was written
originally as a response to one potential attendee who wrote in
saying:
"I don't have a THING to wear!!!!!" (Literally!)
After this was published, we received comments that it was helpful to
those who did have somewhat of a wardrobe as well.
. . . . .
"I don't have a THING to wear!!!!!"
That's just fine. That can be taken care of. And we'll help you get
started.
This column is addressed mainly toward those who have little or no
wardrobe, or don't think they have the garments that would be
appropriate to wear at DLV.
Yes, it is very possible to come to DLV with absolutely nothing and
find everything you need. There are shops and vendors in Las Vegas,
both mainstream and alternative, who are eager for your business.
I will mention a few shops and vendors in this article. I have no direct
connection with any of them, other than being a satisfied customer of
most of those I'll mention.
. . . . .
Now ... taking off from a totally cold start ...
Let's divide and conquer. :) Let's concentrate first on below the neck
and then above the neck.
Undergarments: Foundations. Unmentionables. :) There are many sources in
Las Vegas, from discount outlets to high-end boutiques and everything
inbetween.
Most of you probably have at least a small collection of undergarments
already. Even if you've been dressing only in private, some of these
will most likely be just fine for under the outfits you will wear in
public. The key points are fit, comfort, and wearability.
If you don't have anything, or anything you think appropriate, you
can get anything you need quite easily from many sources in the Las
Vegas area.
Of particular interest are the special needs of our community. The
average male body does need a certain degree of control and/or padding
to assume a feminine figure. Breast forms are almost certainly needed
and they are available from several sources.
One of our long-time favorite vendors, Glamour Boutique, has medical
grade forms in all sizes at reasonable prices, plus some lower cost
alternatives. Cheaper forms are available elsewhere, even in mall shops
and places like Walgreens.
Glamour Boutique also has some items that can add shape to the hips and
rear, should you need this.
If you have no idea about the sizing of undergarments, Glamour Boutique
can most definitely help you get items that will fit properly.
Bad Attitude Boutique specializes in corsets and shapewear. They are
reasonable in price and they deal regularly with the t* community. "Size
and gender friendly" is their motto. (Or is it their slogan?) :)
For the more common items such as bras, panties, etc., these are
available many places, from department stores, to discount outlets, to
specialty shops. If you're a bit shy about purchasing things like this,
just ask one of the others or a Big Sister volunteer to help you out.
Hosiery, pantyhose, stockings, etc., are available just about anywhere,
even at convenience stores. Pantyhose are almost considered a disposable
item these days, and it's actually hard to find a place that doesn't
carry them. :) For the garter-type stockings, garter belts, etc., you'll
also find countless sources, from the outlet malls to the specialty
boutiques. Again, if you're uneasy or shy about shopping, ask for
somebody to go with you.
A good place for lingerie and hosiery at bargain prices is the
Hanes-Bali-Playtex outlet in the Las Vegas Outlet Center. Much of
their stock is "slightly imperfect" and is discounted quite a bit.
For shoes you will have countless options, but where you shop will
mainly depend on what size you wear and what styles you are interested
in.
One important point to note is that in this day and age, many shoe
styles are quite androgynous, meaning that you may already have some
shoes that will be quite appropriate for casual girlmode. This is
particularly true for various athletic styles, and also holds true
for many flat casual styles as well.
If you wear a womens shoe size 10 or so or smaller, any department store
or mall shoe shop will have a very wide selection of all styles. Look in
the north end of Las Vegas Outlet Center for several options.
If you wear a larger size or want some more exotic styles you also have
several options in Las Vegas. Glamour Boutique has a selection of the
higher heel styles in larger sizes. Leonards Wide Shoes (recently moved
into a new larger shop) has quite a few casual and dressy styles in the
larger sizes and they are familiar with the TG community.
The best selection of exotic styles is most likely at Red Shoes on west
Sahara, and they welcome TG business, but the staff has been reported to
be somewhat snitty (to everybody, not just TGs).
When shopping for shoes, regardless of what you've heard, the only way
to be sure of fit and comfort is to try them on. Yes, yes, yes, there
are all kinds of true-isms out there that say to add 1 or 2 to your
boymode size except on Sunday and subtract 1/2 when the moon is first
quarter, but the only real way to buy shoes is to try them on. If you
are shy about shoe shopping, go to some of the places that are known to
be familiar with the TG community or ask one of the others to accompany
you.
. . . . .
Far more common in our community than having absolutely nothing to wear
are the reports of having nothing that is appropriate or presentable
to wear in public. A report from somebody who cancelled just before
DLV last year stated that the main reason she was cancelling was that
she didn't think she had the outfits necessary to appear in public.
We hope nothing like this will happen this year. If anybody's in this
situation and wants some help, ask for one of our volunteer Big Sisters
to help out, either before DLV via e-mail or in person at the beginning
of DLV.
Let's talk about outerwear. This will be the "look" that you present
that will be observed by others.
We will cover outfit selection in some detail in some of these columns
between now and DLV.
The important points to remember about selecting an outfit for any
particular activity include:
1. Your personal style, your likes and dislikes, your particular mood
at the time.
2. The time, place, and circumstance of each activity. The weather,
the walking distance. What is usual and customary to wear to such an
activity.
3. Your age, height, size, body shape, and fitness level.
As with shoes, many casual items are quite androgynous, such as shirts,
jeans, slacks, and it's often difficult to tell mens from womens styles.
Some items that you already have will most certainly work in casual
girlmode.
We'll discuss the casual style in more detail in another column in this
series.
For dresses, separates and coordinates, etc., a good place to shop if
you're a beginner would be Dress Barn in the Las Vegas Outlet Center.
They will have a good selection in both regular and larger sizes and the
prices will be quite reasonable. They are very familiar with the TG
community, so you will be nothing new to them, even if you shop in
boymode. Again, ask somebody to accompany you if you're nervous or shy
about shopping!
If you want something a bit more dressy or even a bit glitzy, try either
Chez Magnifique in the Las Vegas Outlet Center or DuBarry's on Decatur.
Both welcome TG business. These places ain't cheap, but they are not
outlandish, with DuBarry's being somewhat higher in quality and in
price.
For things more exotic, yes, there are a number of sources. Glamour
Boutique, Bad Attitude, and several other places.
Las Vegas does have countless shops which carry clubwear and such, often
in larger sizes. Many of these more far-out outfits would be appropriate
to wear to such things as the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the Night Of
The Soiled Doves, and even possibly our Dance Night.
. . . . .
We've covered the neck down, so to speak, now let's talk about what
goes on from the neck up.
Skin care and cosmetics:
If you have absolutely no experience with makeup at all, I would
strongly suggest booking an "instructional makeover" with one of the
professional makeup artists listed below. When you get to your
appointment, just state that you are a total beginner and that you
want to learn a "basic face" and get some hints for both a daytime
and evening look.
If you already know how to do a basic face and just need some supplies,
they are available most everywhere. If you're really shy about shopping,
Glamour Boutique does have a fair selection of products and shades, but
nothing as extensive as you'll find at the neighborhood Walgreens or
supermarket. If you need some advice or consultation, JC Penneys at
Boulevard Mall is known to be T-friendly. They carry the Dermablend line
(among many other things) which is a very good beard cover. Do be warned
that department store cosmetics can be a bit pricey. :)
For hair, some prefer to wear and style their natural hair and others
prefer wigs. I'll concentrate on the latter, since that's the way most
who are new want to go.
A wig shop that is not T-friendly is a wig shop that's soon out of
business!
The TG community is always a certain amount of any wig shop's business.
They know this, and almost any wig shop will be familiar with TG needs
and will welcome your patronage.
A place like Glamour Boutique will carry a certain number of wigs, but
simply can't maintain a selection like you will find at the various
wig shops.
One item of good news is that the wig business in Las Vegas is extremely
competitive! This keeps prices down and service high. The sales staff of
any wig shop will be prepared to spend some time with each customer, to
suggest styles, and to experiment a bit with various looks.
The wig shop that I most often recommend is not the most convenient, nor
does it have the best setting. They do offer, what I believe, the best
selection and service in the area. This is Vegas Girl Wigs and they now
operate exclusively out of the Fantastic Indoor Swap Meet at the corner
of Decatur and Oakey. The mall is only open Friday-Saturday-Sunday and
can be crowded and zooey. Vegas Girl Wigs invites TG business and they
will take special measures if you're shy. Just say so, and they will
draw the curtain around you.
Another wig shop in the same location is Hair Fantasy 'n' More. Again,
they are experienced with TG customers and will draw a curtain if you
request it.
Serge is a large wig shop in Commercial Center on east Sahara. They
advertise heavily and will welcome your business. Their main shop is
not cheap. They do have (also in Commercial Center) a separate wig
outlet shop with better prices and a decent selection. They also have
recently opened a second wig outlet on west Sahara.
Nails: Ok, put your hands above your head. Now these (as well as rings
and bracelets) fall into the above-the-neck category. :)
Whether you want just a manicure and polish or a full set of acrylics,
there are (at least) two nail shops (see the Big List) who will welcome
your business.
Some of our people do get a temporary set of acrylic nails at the start
of DLV and have them removed at the end. Boymode may be a challenge if
you do this, but one of our people gets around this by wearing gloves
while in boymode.
One hint if you wish to blend, is that if you have larger hands, avoid
long false nails and/or bright colors of nail polish. These will only
draw unwanted attention to the size of your hands. If you have larger
hands, go with a nice manicure and a muted or clear polish.
. . .
Jewelry and accessories:
If you're starting from scratch, you will probably want to concentrate
on costume jewelry, as opposed to precious metal or gemstone quality
items.
Stores such as Target will have a wide selection of costume jewelry at
reasonable prices, plus there are accessory shops in the various malls
that will have an extensive line. Claire's at the Las Vegas Outlet
Center (nee Belz) has a very good selection at very low prices.
One accessory that you will definitely need is a purse. It's up to you
as to what style and size you will need, mainly determined by how much
you intend to carry in it and what outfits you will carry it with.
For a beginner, I suggest you look for a medium-size handbag in a
neutral or dark color. This will give you enough space as you get a
feel for how much you need to carry, plus it will go with just about
any outfit, both casual and moderately dressy.
. . . . .
For a preview of some of the shops available to you (and there are
many more) visit our Big List of vendors and clubs at:
http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/vendors/
This is updated frequently and includes customer ratings and comments.
Some of the places that were cited in this column include:
Glamour Boutique: The TG community is their specialty. This is the
closest thing to a one-stop-shop that you will find in the area. They
have a good selection of undergarments, good prices for breast forms,
shoes, mostly high heels in larger sizes, a fair selection of wigs, and
a makeover artist on staff. Their selection of outerwear is somewhat
limited, however. This is probably the "safest" place to shop in Las
Vegas.
. . .
Bad Attitude Boutique: Their specialty is corsets, girdles, and waist
cinchers. Also carry club wear, gothic romantic clothing, shoes and
boots. Again, very safe. You will be nothing new to them.
. . . . .
The next two are friendly competitors, if one doesn't have what you
want, they will most likely send you to the other.
Vegas Girl Wigs: Probably the best overall in terms of price, selection,
and service. The disadvantage is that they now operate exclusively out
of their Fantastic Indoor Swap Meet location which is only open
Friday-Saturday-Sunday. They specifically invite TG business.
. . .
Hair Fantasy (wigs): Also in FISM. Again, open Fri-Sat-Sun only. They
also invite TG business.
. . . . .
Dress Barn: Outerwear, both missy and larger sizes. They specifically
invite TG business. They're located in the Las Vegas Outlet Center
(formerly Belz) on the very south end of the Strip.
Dress Barn has in the past offered promotional discounts to DLV
attendees. It's too early this year to know if this will be repeated
for DLV 2006.
. . . . .
For makeovers, both transformational and instructional, we have two
in particular we recommend (in alphabetical order):
Amy at Glamour Boutique: Amy is available for appointments during their
normal business hours. Phone for information.
Stephanie Williams: Stephanie has years of experience and is very
familiar with TG needs. She operates out of her house in the Summerlin
neighborhood. Contact information will be in the Large Final Mailing.
. . . . .
A few notes about shopping ...
Yes, it's natural to be nervous when shopping in person the first few
times. One thing to keep in mind is that you are the customer. You are
the one spending the $, and you are in control of the situation. Yes,
you are the one who calls the shots! No matter who you are or what
mode you are in, your money is green and the merchants want it.
When a customer (that's you) enters a shop, the salespeople want to see
two things. First, they want you to find something that you like, so you
will buy it. Second, they want you to be happy with what you bought, so
you will return and buy more, and also recommend them to others.
Another thing to note is that Las Vegas is a "show town" and it's not
unusual to see men buying cosmetics or womens items. In fact, I
frequently see men browsing in the Hanes-Bali-Playtex outlet at LVOC.
. . . . .
If you have any specific question or concerns about dress, you can ask
them here in our DLV Discussion Forum or if you would feel more
comfortable not asking them in public, just write in (dlv@geekbabe.com)
and we'll do our best to help you.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Tue Sep 12 2006 - 19:58:28 CDT