Learning how to cross dress...

[vanessalaw]

Hey girls,

I've been looking for tips on how to cross dress and pass as a woman on the Internet (current collection here:http://www.crossdresserheaven.com/2008/03/learn-how-to-cr.html).

Do you have any other advice or suggestions on how to cross dress?
I would like to pass convincingly most of the time, even if it takes a bit of work.

Hugs,
Vanessa

[JodieBlonde]

Sounds like Scientifically Prepared Almost Meat = SPAM

[tekla]

You get to pass the same way you get to Carnegie Hall - practice.

Make up is the hardest.  Girls practice it for years before they get it right.  And somethings are easier to learn at 12 then 27.

[gennee]

It does take practice. Keep your styles simple and appropriate to your age.

Gennee

[Gina_Taylor]

Hey Vanessa,

If you're really interested in learning what colors go good with your complextion, may be you should schedule a make over at a department store that is out of town. A cosmetologist will be able to show you how to properly put on make up and show you which colors look best on you. I've ha dtwo done, and they did a world of good for me. 

Gina 

[vanessalaw]

That's a good idea Gina!
Which department store did you get your make over done at? I never knew they did something that in depth. Did you have to sit near the makeup counter while many people walk by?

Hugs,
Vanessa

[Louise]

I am not exactly one to give advice on how to pass since I don't think I pass very well.  But I do like to dress well.  Learning to dress well is a matter of practice and observation.  Look at other women to see how they dress and do their makeup and hair.  Observe what looks good and what doesn't look so good.  Practice.  Try on different outfits and try out different ways of doing makeup.  There are any number of basic makeup sites that give advice on how to apply makeup and what colors work in combination.  Young women learn from one another and they learn by practice.  We can learn the same way.

Remember that style is something personal.  What looks good on someone else may not look good on you.  You have to be aware of your body type and above all dress your age.  There is nothing that shouts "man in a dress" like an overdressed CD trying to look twenty or thirty years younger.  If you are under 30 and have a slight build, then you might be able to get away with wearing a miniskirt.  Otherwise stick to relatively conservative fashion.

A good quality wig is probably the number one accessory to passing.  When a woman meets another woman the first thing she usually notices is the other woman's hair.  Men typically look at other things.

[tekla]

Yeah you have to sit at the counter.  Some places like Merle Norman have private booths, or try MAC, they have self standing stores, less traffic than Macy's downtown to be sure.

[Gina_Taylor]

Vanessa, I went to Burdines and had my first make over done, and yes I sat at the counter for a half hour while the cosmetologist applied the make up and more or less showed me how it was done. By watching I learned. Then amonth later, I had my second make over done at Macy's and grant it it was a different experience.

I agree 100% with Louise that you have to be observant and you have to look at how women are dressed and at what age they are dressed for. There is so much to take in: The way they sit, eat, talk, dress, etc.

Gina 

[vanessalaw]

Thanks folks - I guess  I need to be okay with sitting in public
I'm not sure I pass well enough yet to go out in girl mode...

Hugs,
Vanessa