This weekend, I plan to visit the same store for their sample sale. I expect it to be chaotic, where cisgender females will likely strip to their undies to try on some of the garments put out for final sale. As for me, I'll be wearing a unitard under a duster, so that I can try on clothes without stripping down to my unmentionables. (This will be he same thing I'll wear when going to Flax's "Barn Sale" next month.) Hopefully, this trip will be a worthwhile use of my time....
- - - - - -
When I got dressed, I figuratively flipped a coin to determine whether I'd be wearing a dress to Universal Standard, or wearing a unitard (body suit) under a duster. The dress would be more convenient for taking a bio-break, while the unitard would be more convenient for shopping at Universal Standard. I chose the unitard, as I wanted to be able to try on clothing without having to strip down to my bra and panties, possibly exposing that I was born in a male body. And this would be a wise choice.
Before I got to Universal Standard, I stopped by Metro North's lost-and-found office in the vain hope that the backpack I misplaced a month ago was found and in their custody. From there, it was on to the subway to reach the store. Upon entering the store, I noticed that two 20-30 y/o women were trying on garments, one of them in a unitard like me, and the other stripping down to her bra and panties to try on clothes. Neither of them was uncomfortable with my presence, and both of them were handing me garments to try on. There were 3 dresses I was interested in, and the 2 ladies said that I looked great in the black dresses (1 of which I would wear as a duster, which I did later on). However, US's signature dress, their Geneva dress (a dress with an asymmetrical hemline) looked good on me, but the color was terrible for me. So I made a note that in the future, to try one of these dresses in a color that looks good on me.
Next, it was off to Grand Central where I met RQS for the trip to Croton. I killed some time before she arrived, and we took an early train home. And that's where the fun began. Arriving at my apartment, we carried several bags upstairs, and the handbag containing RQS's phone was misplaced. We attempted to ring her phone, but we couldn't hear it. So both of us worried about going on our cruise without normal documents. I was willing to drive to Albany to get a replacement state issued photo ID card, and willing to do a round trip to her place to get her birth certificate - the minimum documentation needed for a closed loop cruise from NYC.
After a break for dinner, we went back home. Before entering the door, I looked around, and found her bag sitting where I often place my bag. I rang her phone, and neither of us heard it. Then she took her phone out, and I rang it again. This time, we heard the ring. So, we were both very relieved. At this point, we were very late for game night, and decided to drop by just to chat - and that's what we did. It was nice to see the gang again, and I hope to see them one more time before the holidays.
Do I believe that this will be the last Mystery Box sale by Universal Standard? Maybe. But I'm not as happy with what I've seen at Universal lately, and I'm not sure if I'm going to drop some coin on this sale. Both RQS and I have been disappointed by what we've seen in their sample sales, and I ended up buying something I could use - but not in a color scheme that I wanted.
I am not completely immune from temptation. Vicki gave me information on one of her favorite clothing outlets having a tent sale this weekend. Only one problem - I would have had to drive 3.5 hours to get there this weekend. If RQS and I were going to Howe Caverns, I'd have made this a side trip. But, without the caverns on our weekend calendar, it doesn't make sense to drive 200 miles to save a few dollars on a brand I have never worn before.
If Universal puts out more mystery boxes that capture my interest in this "final" sale, I may end up adding more dresses to my wardrobe. But it is more likely I will not do so.
- - - - - -
My plan for today was to get up and out of the house early, so that I could meet RQS at Universal Standard's sample sale. I got showered and dressed, and out the door by noon to make it to the store by 2:00 pm. However, my usual tardiness meant that I would not be able to pick up a snack on the way to the station, and I was lucky to know of a soda vending machine on the platform to get a soda. This was a wise choice, as the weather was warm and sticky, and not conducive to me wearing my wig. But I soldiered on anyway.
I made it into Grand Central around 1:30, and could have picked up something to eat downstairs. Instead, I ended up deciding to see if there was a deli near the store, and got on the subway. Although this was risky, I knew that I could hold out for a while. And soon, I was in front of the store with 45 minutes to spare. Now, it was time to find a deli, bodega, fast food outlet, or promising halal food cart. None of the nearby food carts had people waiting to order, so I took them off of my list. There were no fast food outlets in my path, so I drew a line through that option. Luckily, I was close enough to some of NYU's buildings that I stumbled into a small deli - and it was there I picked up a sandwich. But I still had a problem. Where do I eat? There was nowhere to sit in the place, and it wasn't air conditioned. Luckily, there was a bench outside, and it was dry enough to sit on it's edge and enjoy the sandwich I had just ordered.
When done with the sandwich, I walked over to the store. To describe this place as a store leaves something to be desired. Universal Standard hasn't had a traditional storefront since before Covid. Instead, it occasionally opens a pop-up store in the back room of its offices, where a freight elevator brings people up to that back room. RQS had gotten a little lost getting out of the subway, and I waited for her to arrive at the ground floor of the building, sitting inside near the freight elevator.
RQS arrived, and we went up to the showroom. It wasn't as crowded as the last time we were there, but it was still a sea of femininity there. If it weren't as warm as it was, I'd have done what one woman did, and wore a bodysuit/unitard under her clothes to allow her to strip and not show her underwear while trying on clothes. (I may do that next time.) Unfortunately, there was nothing special that caught my interest, although I did buy something small that I may talk about at a future date. RQS found nothing, and we ended up going back to my place, enjoying the trip together for a change....
As many of my readers know, I like to shop for clothes from Universal Standard. Many of their styles do not work for me. But when they do, I jump on them when I have the funds to do so. Last night, I received an email advertising their upcoming sample sale - and made it a point to go.
Later in the evening, I called RQS (as I normally do at day's end) and mentioned the sale. It looks like I'll be traveling down to NYC to meet her and do some shopping. Whether or not I end up buying anything isn't that important. Instead, it is the chance to go shopping and examine the styles in-person, to see if they work for me or not.
- - - - - -
I'm lucky to be able to share this activity with RQS. She is a doll. I never could have done this with XGFJ. But then, it's been almost 4 years since XGFJ and I broke up, and I'll bet that I'm just a shadow of a memory to her these days. Then, there is FCP. I think of her now and then, but the loss of that friendship has lost its sting.
Lovers and friendships may come and go. But memories can be forever. Lately, I've been eliminating excess stuff from my apartment, and some of the things I've been pruning are related to my late wife. The other day, I wondered whether I should toss out a music box that came to my apartment when my wife moved in, and remained long after she died. Do I want 12 place settings and some 100+ y/o etched glassware? It's hard to decide what to keep and how to eliminate some of the stuff that may have real value.
So, it may have been a blessing that I've been forced to clean up my place, in order for the electricians have access to my electric outlets. I can get stuff out of the way, and then get rid of the excess as I have the chance to sort through the boxes.
Considering that I will be taking a trip soon, I'm going to try to see my doctor for a last minute visit. One problem, I also have a LONG co-op board meeting that I must attend because we are interviewing vendors and dealing with issues I won't describe here. There is too much going on, and not enough of me to go with it. Luckily, I found the time to do laundry tonight.
- - - - - -
Since this would be the last day for two weeks that I'd be able to present as Marian, I made sure to get out and about in the new dress I got from Universal Standard.
Once home, I changed back into Mario and took care of a last minute chore - Laundry. Although my dresses are air drying, I still have a couple of baskets to sort and fold. I think I'll try to do this during the co-op board meeting, as the co-op president has asked another board member to take notes for a change, and give me a much needed break.
I ordered a dress from Universal Standard a little over a week ago, and it has not yet arrived. Instead, it has taken the long way from a fulfillment center in the Midwest through Chicago to New Jersey, then being bounced back and forth between mail processing centers in White Plains, Phillipsburg, NJ and Saint Louis. It now seems to make sense to start taking bets whether this package will ever be delivered to me, or returned to the fulfillment center.
Universal Standard is aware of this problem and stated the following in its email to me:
Thank you for reaching out to US.
We are so sorry to hear that. Usually, we do not reship orders after they are sent back to US but since this was the last one we are willing to work with the warehouse and have it reshipped if it makes it back to US. The only issue with this is if it does make it it might take even a month. If you are willing to wait we are happy to reship then.
Please let US know how to proceed.
Even though it took a little while for Universal Standard to respond to my request for help, they are giving me a satisfactory response. I informed them that I would like to have the dress reshipped, and that I would have no problem waiting a month for the dress - there would still be two more months of summer to enjoy the dress.
As I write this, the dress is again in White Plains, as noted in the tracking information below. I will add a postscript to this entry if (or hopefully, When) the dress reaches a final destination....
Preparing for Delivery
Moving Through Network
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
WHITE PLAINS NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 1, 2023, 12:41 am
Departed USPS Facility
PHILLIPSBURG, NJ 08865
May 31, 2023, 10:37 pm
Arrived at USPS Facility
PHILLIPSBURG, NJ 08865
May 31, 2023, 8:27 pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility
ST LOUIS MO PACKAGE SORTING CENTER
May 31, 2023, 1:14 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
ST LOUIS MO PACKAGE SORTING CENTER
May 30, 2023, 10:01 pm
Arrived at USPS Facility
SAINT LOUIS, MO 63125
May 30, 2023, 8:29 am
Arrived at Post Office
SAINT LOUIS, MO 63125
May 30, 2023, 7:06 am
In Transit to Next Facility
May 29, 2023
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
WHITE PLAINS NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 28, 2023, 12:45 am
Departed USPS Facility
PHILLIPSBURG, NJ 08865
May 27, 2023, 10:46 pm
Arrived at USPS Facility
PHILLIPSBURG, NJ 08865
May 27, 2023, 7:49 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
SAINT LOUIS MO NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 27, 2023, 1:53 pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility
CHICAGO IL NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 27, 2023, 5:44 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
WHITE PLAINS NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 27, 2023, 5:36 am
Departed USPS Facility
PHILLIPSBURG, NJ 08865
May 27, 2023, 3:41 am
Arrived at USPS Facility
PHILLIPSBURG, NJ 08865
May 26, 2023, 10:58 pm
Departed USPS Regional Origin Facility
CHICAGO IL NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 26, 2023, 12:47 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility
CHICAGO IL NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 25, 2023, 1:00 am
Accepted at USPS Regional Origin Facility
ELK GROVE VILLAGE IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 24, 2023, 11:45 pm
Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL 60007
May 24, 2023, 3:34 pm
The above dress in yellow does nothing for the model in the picture. But change it to blue, and the dress works very well on me. And this is what I wore to night to have dinner with Vicki.
But first....
RQS had come up for a rare start-of-week stay, and we had a great time together. No, we didn't do much of anything, save keep each other company for a few days. While here, I told her of the dress I ordered from Universal Standard with a very deep discount. I won't say how much of a discount I received, but it was enough for me to drop the hammer on buying a new dress when I wasn't planning on buying one.
Yet, I digress....
RQS thought the first dress looked good on me, and I did too. So I wore it when dropping her off at the station to go home, and to pick Vicki up for dinner tonight - and I got compliments from Vicki as well. I think Vicki was surprised that I arrived at her house a little bit early. This wasn't much of a problem, as we got to the restaurant relatively quickly.
Lefteris Gyro is one of our go-to places when we want Greek food. They serve enough food there to feed an army, and I had enough food left over to be tomorrow's lunch. Although I won't say much about the conversation we had, it seems more likely that she and her husband may be spending their retirement in New York for reasons I won't go into here. This pleases me for one reason - one of my closest friends may stay nearby in retirement, and I won't lose contact with her (as I almost did with WDS when he moved to Florida).
All too soon, I had to drop Vicki off at her house. Hopefully, I'll be able to see her again before my next trip (and possibly introduce her to Vicki #2).
- - - - - -
Over the years, I have learned that really good deals do not last long. For example, near the end of 2021, I found a great deal on a cruise from NYC to the Bahamas and back. It was one of the first cruises to take place after the Covid-19 Suspension, and had a price that could not be beat. There was no single supplement, and I snagged a mini-suite for $1,400. How could I beat that?
Now that I am comfortable going out in the world as Marian, I will occasionally buy a "Mystery Box" from Universal Standard. It is like buying a pig in a poke, as you never know what you're going to get until you get it. There are some items I am comfortable wearing, and others that I don't have the occasion to wear. On the whole, I have broken even on my mystery purchases from Universal Standard, and will consider buying more mystery boxes in the future.
Years ago, I was hunting for a dress I could wear to a wedding and found a dress that looked good on me. I found it listed on Roamans.com for $140. The same dress found be found on Amazon.com for $120. But, on another onestopcom's site, it sold for $50 as long as you purchased a total of garments whose price totaled $75 or more. That was a great deal on a dress which I've only had the occasion to wear only once.
Bargain hunting can be fun, as well as addictive. Now that I'm retired, it pays for me to search for bargains, but not always jump on them. Luckily, I have the option to buy (or not buy). And I'm glad I can enjoy bargain shopping to its fullest.
First things first. I am not a thin woman. But this linen dress caught my eye in this color and in a hunter green - and I wish I could budget the money to buy it. I know that if I go to Universal Standard, I'd buy this dress and more.
Since Universal Standard is having a sample sale at this time, I'm thinking of buying the above garment. For me, it will mostly be used as sleepwear. I could also use it as a slip in cooler weather, as it might help me stay warmer while wearing dresses.
- - - - - -
Shopping as a female is an art. As I've said before, shopping as a male is very easy. I don't have to think much, once I have a formula to work with. It is much more difficult to shop as a female, as most women, cis or trans, don't always have the imagination to select garments that would be perfect for more than one occasion. An example of this would be assembling a set of garments to be worn during the day at work, and that could transition easily for a date night/ Not only does a woman's outerwear have to coordinate well, but her underwear has similar requirements. The other day, a woman made a comment to me about the type of underwear she had just bought - just in case she gets "lucky." Even at her age, she realizes that the right underwear can contribute to the image she is presenting at the right time to someone special.
When I first started wearing female clothing, I avoided underwire bras at almost all costs. But I learned that a well fitting bra can make all the difference in a woman's appearance. Now, I wear underwire bras more often than not, as they give better support to my prosthetic breasts than the no-wire bras, helping me to look better in my dresses. The same goes for panties as well. It's both a matter of comfort and coverage - especially when a pre-op/non-op trans-woman has to "tuck."
Once I have my underwear on, then I have to think carefully about what I wear that the world will see. And this is where window shopping comes in. One has to take a critical eye, and look at what parts of a woman's body is highlighted by a garment, and what parts of a woman's body are minimized. Usually, I try to wear sleeved tops without a deep "V" in front. This way, my male shoulders aren't exaggerated, and my lack of natural cleavage is hidden. Ideally I can find garments that give me the illusion of having a feminine waist, but this isn't easy to do. And, I try to wear low hemmed tops, so that any hint of my male equipment is hidden. This makes it easier for me to find bottoms I wan wear and still present a reasonably feminine image to the world.
I am lucky to have the funds with which I can make purchasing mistakes. But if I didn't, I'd be spending even more time learning about female clothing and how it can be adapted to a body which has processed way too much testosterone over the years.
The Saw Lady. Since I've stopped working in Lower Manhattan, I haven't seen her perform. Given that she responded to me in my old blog, I figured that looking for her in one of the subway stations I'd be going through today made sense - and I spotted her at Union Square. We chatted for a minute before I had to leave.
But first....
When I woke up today, I wasn't sure of what I was going to do. Should I go to the Universal Standard sample sale, or should I go to my former boss's burial. Well, luck made the decision for me. I looked at my calendar and noticed that I had forgotten about lunch with a former coworker from the census. So, I shaved, showered, and applied my makeup - and got dressed as a female. This would be the last time I could go out as a female, so I made the most of it.
First, I met my friend at the restaurant down the hill, and has a nice Mexican lunch. Our time together was too short, and yet just right. After an hour or so, I had to run to the local train station to go into NYC. And then, I had an uneventful ride into Grand Central before getting onto the subway going downtown.
At Union Square, I changed trains, and walked from the IRT to the BMT side of the station. And there, I saw the Saw Lady. It was nice seeing her again, but I don't think she remembered writing to me on my old blog. I didn't say much about that, but I did get memories of my commute to the Trade Center area. Since I had to make it to Universal Standard, I bid her a quick farewell - and off I went to the Sample Sale.
While at the sample sale, I found the above Merino Wool sweater in a pale sky blue shade, and picked it up for only $35. The sweater feels so light, it's almost like wearing nothing at all - and yet, it's doing it's job. But the most interesting aspects about this trip were two things: a chat I had with a lady regarding women treating the sales floor like a private changing room, and the smart idea one woman had to wear a unitard, so that she could change in and out of everything and still keep her modesty. The lady I chatted with said that she was uncomfortable in some environments like this, as she once was at a sale where one woman stripped down to her panties (no bra) and changed into some garments. She didn't mind seeing other women in bra and panties getting into clothes. But the experience of seeing a woman wearing only a thong made her uncomfortable. Regarding the second lady, she mentioned that this would be as close to being naked as possible, and yet be clothed. So she could try on everything and not bother people with an excess state of undress. I might do this for the next sample sale.
I ended up returning home just before rush hour. Normally, before Covid, I wouldn't have gotten a seat. Today, I had no problems doing so. I'm glad that I don't do this anymore on a regular basis.
Let me explain....
My ex-boss was killed due to a drunk driver doing a hit-and-run over the weekend, leaving him with injuries that caused his death the day afterwards. I just received information on when he is being buried, as well as the 3 days the family is sitting Shiva. (Traditionally, Jews sit Shiva for 7 days, but many non-traditional people reduce the duration of this practice.) And here is where my conflict arises.
I just received an email regarding a second sample sale that Universal Standard is having this weekend. If I were to go to the sample sale on Thursday, I'd have to visit the family on Sunday. If I were to go to the burial, I wouldn't be able to go to the sample sale, as plans for Friday, Saturday and Sunday preclude a sample sale visit. The way I am leaning right now, I'll go to the sample sale tomorrow and hope that I can find either of the cashmere or merino wool sweaters I want (at a great discount), and get back home before rush hour. If I can do this, I'll have the option of visiting the family before the end of the day on Thursday. If I can't get back before rush hour, I'd still be able to visit on Sunday - on our way to the Jersey shore.
You might be asking about my plans for Friday and Saturday. Well, this is RQS's birthday weekend, and I want to make sure that our original and paid for plans aren't interrupted by unplanned for events. RQS knows about my minor dilemma, and will support me no matter what I do.
This is a lousy picture of me. I finally got the chance to go out tonight as Marian, and decided to try on this Universal Standard "Mystery Box" dress after I got home, while I was still made up to go out. I'm not so happy with this color, and I am not that happy with the way it drapes on me. But maybe, it's because I'm tired and looking to get ready for bed.
- - - - - -
Right now, I have a similar dress on order, as well as a body short. I think that the above dress will look OK in a darker, stronger color, and may be good for wearing in the summer. As for the body short, it doesn't make sense unless I find a local yoga class for beginners that I can go to which accepts gender non-conforming people in the class. (And I have been looking!) In addition to this, I have a couple of bracelets from Lane Bryant on order that I know I'll be wearing often.
It is not only clothing and jewelry that I have on order. I also have my daily medications coming from the mail order pharmacy. However, my doctor just changed my prescriptions, and some of what I'll be receiving will simply get stored away until a possible future need. It's hard to believe how expensive some medicines can be. On my last visit, my doctor suggested that I try a heavily advertised drug to see how it works. Since I couldn't get refreshed information on which drugs to stop taking when taking the new drug, I skipped it and stayed on the old regimen. This is just as well. My doctor found out that the new drug costs $500/month and is not covered by my insurance. I'm glad that I didn't place an order for this drug!
My doctor runs a small private practice. He has avoided joining the big chains, and has figured out how to stay relevant in an age of large medical chains. He also hates "Big Pharma", but was unable to engage him in a long enough conversation to find out what his issues with the medical establishment are. Given that he is a conservative person a few years older than I am, I have no intention of presenting myself to him as Marian. I'll start presenting myself as female to my next doctor when that day comes.
I figure that I still need to find a small gift for RQS within the next week. What I get may not make much sense. But I must make sure that she feels good when she gets it.
We knew that it was going to snow today. The question was: How Much? And we found out by noon. I went out to my car to find 5 inches of the white stuff coating my car, and knew that I had to get it out of the way for the snow plow to do its thing. In short, the weather dictated my gender presentation for the day, and I don't expect that I'll be going out as Marian until Thursday.
- - - - - -
Once I brushed off my car and went to the deli for lunch, I returned home to find a parking spot that had been plowed out - but with two cars next to me that prevented a side of my spot from being cleared. This will not be much of a problem for me over the next few days, but could become a problem if we have another snowstorm towards the end of the week.
When I got to my apartment, I found the "mystery dress" I ordered from Universal Standard. The color shipped is a "Rose Clay", something a little too soft for my taste. (I wish I could have gotten this dress in the color the woman is wearing in the above photo.) Yet, I think I'll get some value out of it this summer, as the fabric feels like one is wearing nothing at all.
Later on, RQS sent me a text. She will be having her taxes done by Fran. She (RQS) was getting her pronouns mixed up, as she was responding to Fran's masculine voice. It'll be interesting to see how Fran measures up to RQS's standards. Hopefully, I'll have referred her to a good accountant.
For the most part, it was a day to stay inside and do nothing - and that I did....
For example,I got the below wrap dress (and a similar dress in a different color) in a mystery box I purchased during the middle of Covid. There was no way I could wear such a nice dress out, when virtually every place I could go in this dress was closed for the pandemic.
Yet, there was a sweatshirt dress I got in this shipment that I wore much more often, as it was casual enough (and warm enough) to go out in colder weather when restaurants were open at 50% of capacity. The only thing I didn't keep from this shipment was a bandeau top - something that would be useless for someone without natural breasts on her body.
Do I have a clue about I will receive? Other than the garment being a dress in my size, they aren't saying anything. But with all the expenses I've been incurring lately, I figure that I could risk $60 to get a good deal on a quality product.
ps: From what I've read elsewhere, Universal Standard may open a single store in NYC to show its goods. Hopefully, this will be true and the store will open soon, as I enjoyed examining their clothes in person.
The other day, I saw the above post on communications I received from Universal Standard. Although I joked with RQS about submitting a picture of myself along with contact information, there is a part of me that would like to be fully out as a member of the TG community.
There is a transwoman who inspires me in this area: Shay Neary. She is openly transgender, and gets a bit of publicity. Would I want to be an older version of her? What would this do to my relationship with RQS? Given the choice of having a real and healthy relationship with a cisgender woman who accepts me as I now am, I'm not sure I'd ever risk the relationship for something with so many possible negatives.
- - - - - -
When I made plans with RQS for this weekend, I figured that I could meet her for lunch in NYC, and then visit the sample sale being held two subway stops away. So, I took a 12:30 train into the city and met RQS for lunch in Union Square. From there, it was off to the sample sale. Although we got on the wrong downtown train, we were still able to make it to their ad-hoc store by 3:00 or so. And then the fun began....
We made it to the entrance, only to see a sign telling us that people had to sign up for this sale. Obviously, neither of us did that. So I figured that it was OK to take the elevator up to their floor, as I didn't think that this notice would be enforced - and I was right. The two of us were in a room as small as my apartment that oozed estrogen.
Upon entry, a saleswoman greeted us, and told us to look around. Everything was "organized" by size. (I'd say that this was a loose description, as not everything was being put back in its original place.) Out of 30+ people in the room, there was only 1 male, obviously a "non threatening" employee (please read between my lines). Although there was no changing room, it looked like the women's dressing room at Syms (a former clothing store from the New York area) - women in all stages of dress or undress were trying on clothing they found on the racks. RQS said that it was like being in a woman's locker room when the gym was busy. It was only too bad that I couldn't have gotten into the swing of things and try on some outfits. But I was able to find a nice robe in my size, and bought it for $35.
Once done there, it was time to go back to my place. It was the first time that the two of us took the commuter train together, and it was a nice ride up the Hudson....
The one generalization a person can make about transgender people is that we like to wear clothing strongly identified with the gender of which we identify. As a trans-woman, I love wearing dresses. And that's OK. But it means that to blend in I have to tone things down by wearing a dress as an oversized tunic. So that's what I do more often than not these days.
When I bought the above dress, I didn't have the idea that it would be out of stock as quickly as it was. I bought it just before the color above was gone. Today, wearing this dress to work with a pair of black leggings, I felt that I looked pretty and appropriately informal for a place like my office. (I'd hate to be wearing a T-Shirt and Jeans to the office every day as some women do at my office.)
This dress is slightly more problematic. Once I put it on for a test drive, it screamed to be worn as a dress. So, on the next warm day that I have free, I plan to do so. It is very comfortable, and well worth the bargain price I paid for it. (Remember, both dresses came from Target, and the net including shipping and tax was under $42.00.) Even if this dress and the dress above it last for only one season, I'll get good value from them.
- - - - - -
Recently, the above dress arrived in the Mystery Box shipment from Universal Standard. This is the type of dress I'd never buy on my own as it's best worn by a woman with a defined figure, and not by a trans-woman. It took me a while to figure out how to put this dress on, as the outer belts which tie together by the woman's left elbow didn't have a hidden hole for one tie to go through - like the one below.
This dress was also in the shipment, and I posted a mediocre picture of me wearing it in an earlier post. At least, this dress was easy to figure out once I saw the hole for the belt that came in from the left side of the dress.
- - - - - -
Even though I feel that the dresses from Universal Standard are of better quality than the dresses from Target, I will get more use from the two simple garments at the top of the entry. Will I be tempted to buy more dresses in the future? Yes. But most of my purchases will be for practical purposes, and not to gamble on getting something nice as I did buying "Mystery Boxes".
Tilly's Table is a "Farm to Table" restaurant located on an old farm in Brewster, NY. Normally, I couldn't afford to e...
