Susan's Place Transgender Resources

How long does it take for you to get ready to go out as the woman you are to meet the world, be it for work, socializing, or just a walk?  Understandably, the time and efforts involved do depend on what you are going to be doing. 

Excluding the less intense prep to go out for a jog, or the more elaborate formal wear night out, the time needed for women is usually perceived to be more than the 15-30 minutes for a guy to shave, shower, brush his teeth, groom, and dress to go into the same office or the many other same venues as the women would be going to.

What is your typical preparation routine and timetable for various outings?  At least double the time than for a guy, depending on the situation?   

Does it take you a long time to get your outfit picked out, and do you often on the spot make wardrobe and accessories changes, including your shoes, before you have it all altogether?  Then when you are done, you do look great!   Or for those of us that may be challenged in the looks and fashion department, probably close to the best we can for what we have!


Chrissy

45 min to shower, shave, hair, make-up, dressed, and pack my purse for any occasion. It is about 15 min longer than going out in guy mode... about the time it takes to do my make-up.

I generally don't have an issue with "what to wear". I pretty much have an idea of what I'm going to wear before I get to the closet. Keeping my overall closet and clothing options simple, I can mix and match whatever. Same with shoes and accessories.

About the same for me, however, I usually wear very little make up.

Clean clothes and a clean body is about all I do.

Sorry in advance, this might be a little long.

First, minimum, skip everything and just throw on whatever, moving as fast as I can it takes me around 30 minutes. I have to get my hair wet in the shower, there is no way to look presentable otherwise so at least 5 minutes to get clean and my hair thoroughly wet. Minimum of 5 minutes to dry, four minutes and one towel to get as much water as possible out of my hair, one minute and one towel to do the rest. My hair is kind of curly, knots easily and frizz's out in a heartbeat. I look like the swamp thing when I wake up so it takes most of my quick ready time in an attempt to not frighten small children when I leave the house. I use clips to put my hair back so none of them get cut when I shave, yes, after countless hours and more money than I want to talk about doing laser and electrolysis I still have enough white hairs to be noticeable. I would wrap a towel around my hair and head but there are always a few stray hairs and it has taken me too long to get my hair this long to cut even one while shaving. So between clipping my hair back and shaving another 5 minutes. Put something in my hair to keep it under control, usually leave in conditioner when I am in a hurry because it is the quickest to dry, 3-5 minutes depending on how many knots I have to pick apart. That is a pain, trying not to break any strands and hardly being able to see without my glasses. Then rush to get dressed, just grab whatever from my 'goes with shorts, pants, leggings and skirts' section of the closet and of course a weather and venue appropriate bottom covering. Grab footwear, usually sandals in the summer but could be flats or bobos winter could be anything except the sandals, grab a pair of earrings and my purse and drop them all off in the living room by the sofa and end table where I leave my phone and glasses when I sleep, altogether about 5 minutes. Back to the bathroom to dry my hair, 5 minutes. Shoes, glasses and earrings 2-5 minutes depending on whether there are shoestrings or not that I will have to fight with my cat over to tie my shoes. That is the absolute quickest I can get ready to walk out the door.

Sorry, I know that was long.

I don't wear makeup. If I shave my legs and wash my hair the same day my shower time is usually around 40 to 50 min.

I sometimes change clothes 4 or 5 times before I settle on something I am happy with.

If I use anti frizz cream it takes a minute or two longer to dry but I don't have to worry about the wind making me look like a have a porcupine on my head. Anti frizz oil it the best, tight curls from the top of my head to the ends, lasts all day in any weather but a downpour, even my arch nemesis a misty drizzle, but it takes a while to get dry enough to go and I will have to scrunch it up over and over until it dries completely.

Boyfriend wants to go to bed, no time to finish or proofread. Hopefully this is what you were looking for and not too many mistakes.

About a half hour for work. Shower, brush out my hair, get dressed, schmear some makeup on (basic foundation, eyes, lipstick), and off I go. If it's just around town running errands I'll just do BB cream and a pony tail in about 20 minutes with a quick shower. Washing my hair adds about 20 or so more minutes if I blow dry.

45 minutes usually. But I could take my time and I would need over an hour. I don't do much makeup, just eyeliner, mascara and lipstick/gloss. I just take my time with everything so it takes longer. My hair is still short but recently I've been a bit better with taming frizz.

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

The quickest scenario is when I get home in guy mode and I have somewhere to be as a woman soon after that. In that case I usually don't need to shower again that day so I can skip that and go right to shaving the little facial hair I have left perfectly, and maybe apply a little foundation if needed. That combined with letting my hair down from pony tail and combing it a few times takes no more than 10 minutes, sometimes less.
Dressing up is usually quite quick because I have everything planned ahead and ready, putting on the clothes is another 10 minutes and packing my purse usually takes 5 minutes. So the fastest variation is around 25 minutes and after 30 minutes of arriving home as a guy, I'm locking the door behind me as a woman as I leave my apartment. If I have to shower, add another 20 minutes at least.

For all that to work I need to have my hair, my nails and my body hair taken care of in advance and as I wrote I have to plan ahead with the clothes, shoes and accessories as well.

The worst scenario is when I didn't have time for myself in at least a week and I have to do everything from scratch, including dyeing my hair.

I usually start with dyeing my hair, that takes around 45 minutes, another 30 minutes is showering and washing my hair after dyeing.
While still in the bathroom I usually spend half an hour applying a face mask, plucking my eyebrows, and cleaning up the mess in the bathroom.
I don't always dry my hair instantly especially if the weather is warm but I think I spend 20-30 minutes drying and combing my hair. If I have to get rid of body hair on all of my body it can easily take an hour to go through everything with the epilator and to apply body lotion after the hair removal.
I spend around an hour shaping, painting and drying my nails while being extra careful not to ruin them. They look terrible without nail polish, so I cannot skip this step.
Applying the simple make-up I can do can take me 30 minutes sometimes as I'm not very skilled at that yet.

So all in all it takes around 4.5 hours to get myself in shape if I do everything on the same day and then comes the what to wear question which is not always easy either.
Sometimes it takes a few minutes to find a set of clothes and shoes that I like on that particular day and sometimes it takes 1 or 2 hours to make up my mind.

If I go out as a guy then usually it's a quick 15 minute shower, get hair in ponytail, find a not too feminine black or dark blue women's T-shirt and jeans, choose one pair of the three different pairs of black women's sneakers that can pass as men's shoes from a distance and then I'm ready to go.

Quote from: Allison S on November 05, 2018, 07:57:04 PM
45 minutes usually. But I could take my time and I would need over an hour. I don't do much makeup, just eyeliner, mascara and lipstick/gloss. I just take my time with everything so it takes longer. My hair is still short but recently I've been a bit better with taming frizz.

I have tried the Dove brand Anti-frizz Oil Therapy conditioner, it seems to work. I am not abandoning my others that I have used, but I wanted to give that one a try.   They have an anti-frizz shampoo also but I have not tried that.  That brand has soooooo many specialized versions of shampoo and conditioner, sometimes it takes awhile finding the right one on the shelf!

Chrissy

Took about 45 min after work today. No shower, shaved, & did my own makeup for 5th time. Add 30 for shower and shaving legs if needed.

Okay, I am back.

Not much left to go and I don't want to boor everyone anymore than I already have.

Average day I take an hour to get ready. No idea why it takes that long to be honest, brush the fangs is what, 2 minutes? I only wash my hair every 4 days and shave my legs about the same. Mr The Cat will knock stuff off of the vanity sometimes or get into my dressing room closet and I chase him out so he doesn't get hair all over the bottom of my dresses or the skirts I hang on the lower level. I am never in much of a hurry but it seems like it should take me less time.

I usually know what I am going to wear and it can go pretty quick, but sometimes I get overruled and I have to go to plan b, which I don't have. Dresses are easy in the summer, summer is just easier all around, winter is more difficult to put things together that look great. For example, plaid, navy cowgirl top or pink, purplely, baby blue girly flannel? Buttoned all the way up or halfway up with a lacy white cami underneath? Jeans, leggings with bobos maybe converse or denim or white skirt with boots? That is just two out of maybe twenty top choices to plan around. Then we have dresses. I love wearing a darker mid length summer dress in the winter but then I have to chose the right tights and maybe a long sleeve tee to go under or a shawl to go over. Sweater dress with knee high boots or tights.

I am pretty plain and I don't wear makeup. I love my hair but if I want to stand out I have to dress well. I will admit I really enjoy it and I wish that I had more money to spend. I have take less expensive clothes and make them look good, it's fun.

In a way it is a pain. I have to consider my boyfriend's and friend's feelings. My boyfriend just laughs anymore if a younger guy gets all flustered and stammers around me, or a girl of any age. Had a girl at a gallery opening that was never more than four feet from my elbow, she even pulled out my chair for me at the reception. I have gotten used to women pulling out my chair, guess that it is part of being a woman, but she was young and pretty and I do not look like a matronly granny that needs help. Anyway, he laughs about that but he hates when thirty and up guys pay attention to me. It tears me up but I don't know what to do about it anymore. Seriously, is a knee length black and white striped, short sleeved knit dress with black sandals that everything together cost under thirty five dollars being overdressed or sleazy? It's not, I know it's not, my friends would never let me get away with that, but after practically sleeping through a thirty minute conversation he had with a fat cat over a commissioned piece the guy holds my hand after shaking it and said, Please come with him when he delivers it, I would love to see you again. Really? Is long curly hair enough to make a mans brains leak out of his ears? Or the dress? Days I had to Live with with an angry badger because of that. I do like looking the best that I can but sometimes it bites me. I have a mirror, I know that I am not pretty, people are just plain weird. Yet I like the attention as long as it doesn't get too close. I am a mess huh?

Strayed there a little, sorry. Something that has been on my mind lately, I have stopped worrying about the looks and started to enjoy them but I still have problems.

What we wear can make all the difference in the world so yeah, I spend more time than I should thinking about it. Since I don't wear makeup it probably balances out in time spent though.

Again, sorry for going on and on.
Going back to bed.
To sleep this time. 😉

In my best guy mode, it takes me almost an hour to get ready.  I have to decide what to wear, what shoes go in style and color with the suit/slacks, what shirt to wear, sometimes what tie to wear, etc.  I also cream my body with lotion in male mode, as I do in female mode.  The only difference in female mode would be the makeup.  So whatever it takes to put this on would be on top of the hours I need in any case.  (must be that intersex thing and the girl who wants to look nice even in guy mode?)

Normal day is pretty chill. Maybe a shower, maybe just a baby wipe down after a run, spritz my hair part it, tie it back, exfoliate, moisturize, pluck stray eyebrow hairs, color correcting for bags under eyes or blemishes/beard shadow if any, concealer, Bb cream applied with a brush, fill in brow with powder, eye shadow, liner (maybe) and mascara, highlighter or blush or both on cheeks and setting spray. Let down hair ( maybe run a brush through it) product, scrunching. Tie it back up or clip it. Brush teeth... get dressed ( easiest part of getting ready unless I have to iron something.) All and all: 45 minutes without a shower, 1 hour 15 with (drying and styling wet hair is a process for me also I might run a curling iron through my hair. If i'm Rushing I can get my go to makeup on in 15 minutes flat but it's pretty basic and only for quick jaunts.

Quote from: elle's bells on November 06, 2018, 07:24:21 AM
Normal day is pretty chill. Maybe a shower, maybe just a baby wipe down after a run, spritz my hair part it, tie it back, exfoliate, moisturize, pluck stray eyebrow hairs, color correcting for bags under eyes or blemishes/beard shadow if any, concealer, Bb cream applied with a brush, fill in brow with powder, eye shadow, liner (maybe) and mascara, highlighter or blush or both on cheeks and setting spray. Let down hair ( maybe run a brush through it) product, scrunching. Tie it back up or clip it. Brush teeth... get dressed ( easiest part of getting ready unless I have to iron something.) All and all: 45 minutes without a shower, 1 hour 15 with (drying and styling wet hair is a process for me also I might run a curling iron through my hair. If i'm Rushing I can get my go to makeup on in 15 minutes flat but it's pretty basic and only for quick jaunts.

Women do so much more than men to look good... just to think, we simply want men to be clean and smell good, maybe shave and have on the appropriate, matching clothing!

Depends, I don't just "go" to the conveinence store anymore. I'll wear super comfy stuff at home and change before going out anywhere. So I need a bit to decide what jeans or shorts and top I want to wear. Then if I need to do anything with my hair. I don't often wear makeup but usually just eyeliner. I found the marker type is easiest to apply. Also if I have facial hair that needs a quick razor over my face.

So at least 10-15 min warning

I change outfits twice a day often, even though the 2nd outfit I put on is often just another variation of the first. If I choose to wear a fair amount of makeup and updo my hair, for instance, I'm pressed to leave the house in less than an hour. (closer to 1:15 usually)Hair and even a modest amount of makeup take time. I often pick out my outfit the night before.

Since I run every morning, I'm not counting that as I just throw on whatever athletic wear is clean and run before my shower.

For business or going out this time a year, my outfit is usually urban casual, jeans, top or shirt, leather boots, and a leather jacket. I may put on a dress and tights maybe once a week. With that and a light amount of makeup (lip gloss, eye cream and a bit of mascara), I get out the door in about 30 minutes. (assuming its not a leg shaving sort of day  :D) Showers are fast and i don't wash my hair every day. Dry shampoo is a good friend of mine.

I usually start getting ready to go out half an hour before I intend to leave.  That seems to work well for applying a little bit of makeup, choosing clothes and jewelry.  I tag-team with my wife on bathroom use (two women but only one bathroom in this house), dressing in the bedroom while she is doing makeup, and doing makeup while she is dressing.

If I am going out without makeup, it takes me about 5-10 minutes.

You girls are way quicker than me! But I do LOVE makeup, lol. Since I've been on hrt, my get ready time has gone way down. Mostly because I don't have the body hair issues that I used to have. Still, shaving my face, makeup and hair, and dressing, total about an hour for me. But I'm usually too much of a perfectionist when it comes to getting ready.

If I'm working it takes about 5 minutes to put on my makeup. Other than that no time at all.  I just grab my purse and go.

Every workday morning when going into work at my office I take a shower, dry off, deodorant, teeth brushed, and presently with shorter hair just a blow dry and brushing, just a little makeup, lipstick, and of course get dressed.   For work it is usually a just above the knee dress or skirt, low or mid heel shoes, and in the cold winter weather obviously appropriate coats, hats, gloves, boots, etc.   Since I usually lay out my clothes for the next day before I go to bed, that decision process is already done....  of course while choosing outfits the night before can involve several try-ons so that is why I do it the night before....
So, on work mornings it can take 30-40 minutes or so. 

On weekends that may call for more casual appearance, perhaps I can be out of the house in 20-25 minutes .

Once a week, usually in early evening I will tend to my manicure and pedicure needs and apply nail polish as desired...  also time to primp and take care of eyebrows and other hair maintenance.   Then about once a month or so I will go to my local hair and nail salon and get some professional pampering.

What is nice however about my and my gal friends that I have developed here, I can get together with some of them to do some of the "maintenance" things together... it makes for a fun girls evening at one of our homes.   That usually involves food or snacks and maybe a movie.

Danielle

5 mins rolls out of bed puts on yesterday not so badly smelling clothes if a shower 10mins. Hardly ever wear make ups. Hair always in a bun and game all day or until I have a seziure then restart rutine again the next day lol. I pass with or without makeup so normally never wear it unless for some thing special. An clothing of choice sweat pants and hoodie.

Also unlike alot of people I will go out in nothing but sweat pants and a hoodie if it to hot just sweat pants most of the time. I am know around my apartment complex as the hippie girl who goes out side without a shirt and braless. An litterly gives zero thoughts about it.

Every weekday morning it takes me 20 minutes to get ready. I shower and wash my hair the night before and decide what I will wear for work. I dont have facial hair and have a regimen to get ready. I attended make up school for normal and visual effect makeup and by trial and error came up with the look I like for work. Makeup is like art, understand shadowing and use it to diminish or show facial features

In the morning I clean my face with cleanser, never use soap as it dries up your skin. Then apply moisturing cream with a tan tint (Glamglow). Followed by a color correcting primer. Then I use two foundation with different tints. Followed by the use of 3 shades of powder foundation. Using them as an artist uses a color palate. The eyes are done last. Simple lighter eyeshadow for day, light grey, blue or what ever suits your skin tone. Finally, eyeliner and eyelash. Nothing heavy for day use. Your hair from the night before should be tied in the top and not squished when sleeping, thus a good brush with some teasing if necessary. Spray perfume and you are ready.

Of course it takes alot of practice, but it soon becomes quick and easy.

It depends, but never long. I've been transitioning going on 7 years, since I was a teenager. I usually only was my hair every 3rd or 4th day. If it's hair wash day and I'm wearing makeup (which I often won't), 10-15 minutes in the shower, 10-15 minutes blow drying my hair (longer when my hair was long) and 10 minutes on makeup (I have a pretty light touch these days).

Haven't worn makeup in a year, so now it's just brush my hair and teeth...and I'm out the door.

It largely depends on the day. Since I work home office, it is basically a shower, teeth, moisturizer and jeans / bra / top. I rarely do any makeup on those days. All in all 20 minutes. Like many, I only wash my hair every 4-5 days, which usually adds another 15 minutes.

On days where I do decide to get dressed a bit better or when I have customer meetings, I do add makeup and get dressed in professional outfits. I did develop a 10 minute basic light makeup routine. I noticed, most cis women only doing basic makeup too. Recently I managed to do it in 5 minutes...

And then there are the few special occasions where I really but in time to look pretty, makeup now takes up to 30 minutes and of course all the other prep for going out, so an hour is easily down the drain.

Right now, I still have a few spots in my face requiring shaving which should hopefully be over soon.

Shaving arms and legs usually every 4 weeks, there is almost no growth, even compared to cis women I have very light hair growth (O know I am lucky)

My nails is something I mostly do during conference calls... which I have a lot. About once a quarter I splurge for a real spa treatment. My wife and I go get our eyebrows threaded every 6 weeks which we combine with a nice lunch somewhere....

There you have it... my simplified beauty / dressing routine...

For sure, it usually takes longer to get ready as a lady than as a guy!

Thank you for your posts!


Chrissy

If it's an office day, two minutes.  Take off night shirt, throw on sweats, walk to back bedroom, switch on computer, then go make breakfast.

But on days when I go to court, it takes an hour minimum.  I'm an attorney, and I need to be believable as a woman in order to be credible in front of a judge and jury and my clients and their families.  Even if they know I'm trans, they will be rooting for me if they know I'm putting in the effort.

So for court days I pick out an outfit the night before.  Then when I get up in the morning, I shower, and shave legs if I'm wearing a dress, skirt, pantyhose or tights.  I'm still undergoing electrolysis, so then I need to shave everything on my face that grows fast or that my electrologist won't be working on that week.  Makeup typically takes about fifteen minutes.


So yeah, it takes about twice as long to get ready now as it did before transition.  But I actually enjoy the process now, and seeing the result.

30 minutes before transition 75 minutes post transition - besides the makeup which is 20 minutes my hair takes 15 minutes - I wore it very short as a guy - about an inch - just took a towel and a brush.

In a hurry I can do it at just an hour.  A few times lately I have said screw it to run a few errands and just went out how I was after brushing my hair.  OH MY !!!!  Got more looks than usual.  A very non binary look which isn't me.

The reason I never used to leave the house without the whole deal is I was trying to pass - I'm starting to get over it.  If I want to run a quick errand with no makeup why shouldn't I just like a cis woman?   Still wouldn't go anywhere important without the whole deal though.

As a woman I need as least one hour.  As a guy I need about 5 minutes!

One of my beauty secrets is to work in the shade, which means I take a break in the middle of the day from my gardening activities.  I'll take a shower, wash my hair, clean all the dirt out of my fingernails, shave, and put on some clean clothes.  Then I'll head out for lunch and a bit of shopping.  More often than not I gender as female. 

Well, I will speak for myself,

it takes me at least 2 hours, and if I have to hurry, it takes me 1 hour, because I bathe (or shower) for 30 minutes, then I dry my hair (with the towel and with my dryer XD), I put on my underwear and some support that make my boobs (i have small boobs so, i use b34, idk if i write this okay but, u know what i mind XD) feel ok, matches my clothes of the day, I keep drying my hair, I stay a while reviewing instagram or whatsapp, and i'mm ready daddy: 3

Sometimes I use eyeliner if I'm bored with myself, but lately I stopped using it because I prefer to be more natural, or using creams to feel softer u.u

that is me every mourning or day xd

About 45 minutes for my every day look. I don't wear foundation because the only color I could use is clown white. I do have some but I only use it if I need to cover a zit. I spend a lot of time on my eye make up. My eyeliner takes time to get right and it takes a little time to put on the 3-4 coats of mascara it takes to cover my snow white lashes without it being all clumpy. The color and style of eyeshadow I do depends on what color contact lenses I choose for the day. I usually wear my chocolate lenses so I use tans and beige color shadow. If I'm going out I do smoky eyes. If I wear my blue or green lenses I use much lighter shadows. If on the rare occasion I go out without tinted contact lenses I don't use any shadow and very light eyeliner so I don't draw extra attention to my weird eye color.  Unless I'm going out I wear my hair in a ponytail or braid it. I don't like wearing my hair in a bun. With my white hair wearing a bun makes me look like the old lady who owned tweety bird in the bugs bunny cartoons. My clothing depends entirely on where I'm going.  My usual winter outfit for hanging around the house or grocery shopping is yoga pants, a comfortable sweater and Ugg boots.

I love your avatar, Chrissy. I'm a sucker for anime.  :)

I present female every day. When I get ready for work or to go out socially, I wear make-up; but when I go out for groceries or gas, I don't bother. I did in the beginning; but it's too much trouble now, and I don't need the affirmation anymore.

I love dressing up, though, for work and for socializing. Looking pretty is an end in itself.  🙂 How I could live all my life without knowing this -- it's amazing!

I don't know if that is the right location here, but as I mentioned, when i go out as a guy, it tkes me a few minutes to get ready, as a woman I need at least an hour.
Here are current pics of me as a guy, and as a girl, the girl with a little make up, the guy without any.  Does makeup do a lot of difference for me?

(https://i.imgur.com/QIFe3Kc.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/YzH99TF.jpg)

Quote from: Dietlind on January 14, 2019, 07:07:22 PM
I don't know if that is the right location here, but as I mentioned, when i go out as a guy, it tkes me a few minutes to get ready, as a woman I need at least an hour.
Here are current pics of me as a guy, and as a girl, the girl with a little make up, the guy without any.  Does makeup do a lot of difference for me?

Well Linde, what a striking difference for both current photos.  Usually the left-behind gender photos are several years old.  The makeup looks great on you, very subtle.  Might have to see the guy without glasses and the eyes open to really judge however.  It's all good.

Quote from: RandyL on January 14, 2019, 08:48:15 PM
Well Linde, what a striking difference for both current photos.  Usually the left-behind gender photos are several years old.  The makeup looks great on you, very subtle.  Might have to see the guy without glasses and the eyes open to really judge however.  It's all good.

It is not that easy to convince those yes to stay wide open when smiling!  I will see what I can do!

It depends. Am I just putting my hair in a pony tail or styling it. Am I just using foundation or going a little more. How nice do I want to dress. I guess anywhere from 20-30 minutes to 1-2 hours.

Practice makes perfect. I was able to get everyday makeup down to under 20 minutes earlier this week.