: Ear piercings :
I forgot to mention that while I was in New Jersey I finally got my ears pierced at a place called Pleasurable Piercings, a world-famous piercing place (whoa, a lot of "P's" in that sentence). And I guess it was about as pleasurable, or at least pleasant, as this sort of thing can be. My tech used a hollow needle and the whole experience was a lot like being in a doctor's office. The last thing I need right now is an infection. I got round CZ studs in yellow gold put in, and I already have a small collection of earrings that I bought in anticipation of wearing.
Some of my friends encouraged me to get my ears pierced even before I went full-time. And the problem with that is that over the last six months especially, once my facial hair was gone, I really looked too feminine to get away with having pierced ears. It would have been different if I were more clearly masculine (which I thank my lucky stars that I'm not) - then having my ears pierced probably wouldn't have made people think twice. But with my naturally soft facial features and growing feminine manner, having pierced ears would have pretty much given the whole show away.
Sometimes I feel like a girl who has been raised by wolves and is only now adjusting to proper society. As a guy, I didn't pay much attention to my looks at all. I kept my face shaved, my hair combed and I never wore jewelry. So I'm finding out that it's hard sleeping on your side with earrings on, so I can't wait for these to heal so I can take them out at night.
I never dressed fully en femme before this year, so learning about clothes and accessories has been a bit of a challenge. Most of my information so far has come from my copy of The Lucky Shopping Manual: Building and Improving Your Wardrobe Piece by Piece, which is probably the best $25 I've ever spent. And shoes will always be a bit of an obstacle, given the dearth of size 12 styles available. When I was at the Met in New York, I flipped through a book on ways to wear scarves, and of course, that is a whole art in and unto itself. The fact that I know how to tie three different knots in a man's tie doesn't really help me much anymore.
All these things are actually pretty superficial when compared to the other things I'm dealing with, but they are important in their own way because as a woman in her late-30s, I'm expected to know how to dress and make myself presentable. All these skills which genetic females are given a lifetime to master, I have to learn in a few short months before I go out and start looking for a job as Michelle. So far, I'm pretty pleased with my progress in passing, but I'm planning more preparation prior to seeking employment (okay, that was just silly, I'll stop now).
Some of my friends encouraged me to get my ears pierced even before I went full-time. And the problem with that is that over the last six months especially, once my facial hair was gone, I really looked too feminine to get away with having pierced ears. It would have been different if I were more clearly masculine (which I thank my lucky stars that I'm not) - then having my ears pierced probably wouldn't have made people think twice. But with my naturally soft facial features and growing feminine manner, having pierced ears would have pretty much given the whole show away.
Sometimes I feel like a girl who has been raised by wolves and is only now adjusting to proper society. As a guy, I didn't pay much attention to my looks at all. I kept my face shaved, my hair combed and I never wore jewelry. So I'm finding out that it's hard sleeping on your side with earrings on, so I can't wait for these to heal so I can take them out at night.
I never dressed fully en femme before this year, so learning about clothes and accessories has been a bit of a challenge. Most of my information so far has come from my copy of The Lucky Shopping Manual: Building and Improving Your Wardrobe Piece by Piece, which is probably the best $25 I've ever spent. And shoes will always be a bit of an obstacle, given the dearth of size 12 styles available. When I was at the Met in New York, I flipped through a book on ways to wear scarves, and of course, that is a whole art in and unto itself. The fact that I know how to tie three different knots in a man's tie doesn't really help me much anymore.
All these things are actually pretty superficial when compared to the other things I'm dealing with, but they are important in their own way because as a woman in her late-30s, I'm expected to know how to dress and make myself presentable. All these skills which genetic females are given a lifetime to master, I have to learn in a few short months before I go out and start looking for a job as Michelle. So far, I'm pretty pleased with my progress in passing, but I'm planning more preparation prior to seeking employment (okay, that was just silly, I'll stop now).
