Initially I would go for short drives, generally wearing a bandana to keep my short wig from coming loose. On one trip, I became thirsty, so I decided to stop at the local convenience store, forgetting that I was still dressed as a woman. As I went in, I noticed people staring at me. I realized what I had done and retreated in haste, as my appearance was not refined.
As part of the next step, I bought a pair of gold hoop earrings, pierced my ears, and wore the hoops while in the house. The next step was harder. For the first time I ventured out into the public eye! I was sure; I was making a spectacle of myself. Although nicely dressed, I was easily identified as a male. The point, however, was driven home one day, when a gentleman approached me as I was looking at a cosmetic display and remarked, " my what a pretty dress, you are wearing." I recognized immediately that he noticed that I was a man how humiliating!
Before I went out again, I decided that I had to develop more poise, so I took to walking around in isolated areas. How alone I felt through all these early times, as I had no one with whom to discuss what I was feeling. It was very difficult to determine my progress. Little by little, I gained more confidence and learned again by trial and error what not to do. I took to watching the morning talk shows on makeup or programs dealing with crossdressing. One morning I saw a program sponsored by Ladies' Home Journal about a couple who changed roles for a week. As I watched him get ready, I learned various techniques for dressing of which I was not aware. Padding and color in the right place, is essential. I had been wearing my bra too high with little padding in my hips. I now bought a lycra smoother used for wearing under mini skirts and sewed foam padding into it to augment the hips and thighs. By this process, I raised my waistline and I was amazed by what a couple of inches make. I put together a reasonable looking outfit and went out into the public eye once again. As time went on, however, I made more and more improvements. As my confidence level soared, I made another important discovery, be yourself and don't try to project another image.