Regular readers of this space will have seen my never-ending quest for female-appropriate footwear in my larger-than-average size. Sadly there is precious little to choose from, but I will never give up. Google is my friend in this matter, and it has rewarded me with more than one unexpected find.
A case in point is the pair I found last week. Flat heeled Mary Janes, available not just in my size but tow sizes above that. Nothing fancy, but entirely appropriate for example for smart office wear or a going-out ensemble. Made-to-order in Thailand, and available via mail order from a supplier catering for the TV Little Girl market.
That's right, the model is pictured wearing LG white socks and enough pink frills to keep the worldwide satin industry alive through the recession.
It's funny, I'd never considered looking into that market for everyday footwear. I have LG acquaintances and I've encountered LGs at events like Sparkle, but I guess I'd never really looked at their accessories and noticed that some of their shoes are surprisingly normal. Unexpectedly it is the footwear intended for the more flamboyant members of our wider community that's often most available in my size, I could have several pairs of thigh boots, outrageous heels, or things with buckles, padlocks and zips all over them if I so chose, but in the words of my late friend Dawn: "You wouldn't wear them to Tesco".
So I've ordered a pair of LG Mary Janes and I should have them by the end of the month. Paired with a conventional outfit they will not attract attention, only I will know their unexpected origin.
A rare victory I think, worth celebrating.
Showing posts with label crossdressing footwear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crossdressing footwear. Show all posts
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Monday, 29 October 2012
Fun with papier mâché
Making a mould of your foot turns out to be a surprisingly difficult business. You scrub your toes and put socks on, so your feet are a perfectly accessible part of your body, right?
You find out just how inflexible you have become as you grow up when you have to hold your foot up in the air and apply wallpaper paste soaked newspaper to its sole. As an experiment yesterday I had a go at using papier mâché to mould my foot for lastmaking, and I have to report mixed results. And a lot of contortion and aching leg muscles, it's surprisingly difficult to not put your right foot on the ground for a couple of hours.
We all made papier mâché stuff at primary school. My art teacher mother reminded me that schools have the luxury of leaving stuff to dry for a week, my cast had to dry in an evening. So there I was last night with a hair dryer, trying to make my soggy paper covered foot dry enough to remove the paper in one piece.
It worked, just. Eventually I was able to ease a soggy paper slipper from my foot and place it on a wire cooling tray to dry out. And though it will inevitably have settled a bit, with a carefully placed teaspoon or two to maintain its arch, it looks as though it'll deliver a reasonable mould of my foot.
I'm still going to go with my original plan of using latex moulding compound for the same task. And I may also pick up some of the moulding supplies used by podiatrists, foam impression moulds and polymer moulding socks. My preoccupation is with making an accurate mould of my foot, and if it takes several attempts then I'm quite happy to go along with that.
You find out just how inflexible you have become as you grow up when you have to hold your foot up in the air and apply wallpaper paste soaked newspaper to its sole. As an experiment yesterday I had a go at using papier mâché to mould my foot for lastmaking, and I have to report mixed results. And a lot of contortion and aching leg muscles, it's surprisingly difficult to not put your right foot on the ground for a couple of hours.We all made papier mâché stuff at primary school. My art teacher mother reminded me that schools have the luxury of leaving stuff to dry for a week, my cast had to dry in an evening. So there I was last night with a hair dryer, trying to make my soggy paper covered foot dry enough to remove the paper in one piece.
It worked, just. Eventually I was able to ease a soggy paper slipper from my foot and place it on a wire cooling tray to dry out. And though it will inevitably have settled a bit, with a carefully placed teaspoon or two to maintain its arch, it looks as though it'll deliver a reasonable mould of my foot.
I'm still going to go with my original plan of using latex moulding compound for the same task. And I may also pick up some of the moulding supplies used by podiatrists, foam impression moulds and polymer moulding socks. My preoccupation is with making an accurate mould of my foot, and if it takes several attempts then I'm quite happy to go along with that.
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Sacrificed in the name of engineering
With a very few exceptions, larger size ladies footwear aimed at the transgender community tends towards the fetishistic. Shiny PVC, painful heels, lots of straps and buckles. No doubt very tasteful if that's your thing, but mine it ain't. So I'm left with a tiny array of simple styles, mostly in black patent. could be worse, but I could weep when I see the shoes my natal female friends can pick up so easily.
So do I put up with it and do nothing? Hell no!
I'm an engineer, I make stuff! I've never made a shoe before, but the blessing of being a trained engineer is that assurance that you can make just about anything if you put your mind to it.
So I'm going to make shoes. No, they ain't going to be pretty, not at first, anyway. I have to learn how to make shoes. But you have to start somewhere.
So given that, where does one start? In the first case, make a mould of your foot. In cobbler's terms, a last. A foot-shaped working surface on which to assemble your shoes.
I bought the rubber moulding compound to do this about a year ago and haven't had the courage to start. I guess it's time. In effect I'll be making a pair of custom rubber socks, into which I'll pour a moulding material such as plaster or resin to make the last itself.
But mould aside, how do you make a shoe? They don't teach you this stuff at school. As with most engineering projects, it's best to start by looking at work someone else has done, so to that end I've got hold of some discarded ladies shoes from a friend, and I'm about to dissect them. Pull them apart, even cut a pair in half with the bandsaw.
It's going to be messy, isn't it.
Friday, 10 February 2012
Asset review
When MtF trans people of whatever hue get together, they will often talk about the same stuff. Body hair removal, for instance. A common response I elicit at this point is one of envy from those who are undergoing painful full body laser treatment, because I am fortunate enough to naturally not have much to laser. A patch of hair on the chest, that's it.
I'll usually respond with a jokey "Well you've got petite size 9 feet you B**ch!", because the chances are they'll be sporting a to-die-for pair of boots that will simply never be seen in a size 15.
It's something to consider, isn't it. We all dwell on our worst points, how about our best points? I have almost defined myself by my size, but here I am with an enviable lack of body hair.
I should remind myself, I'm lucky enough to have a slim figure, great legs, and thick slightly curly hair that I've had natal women envy since I've grown it out.
You should do the same, list your assets first. It don't 'arf make you feel better!
I'll usually respond with a jokey "Well you've got petite size 9 feet you B**ch!", because the chances are they'll be sporting a to-die-for pair of boots that will simply never be seen in a size 15.
It's something to consider, isn't it. We all dwell on our worst points, how about our best points? I have almost defined myself by my size, but here I am with an enviable lack of body hair.
I should remind myself, I'm lucky enough to have a slim figure, great legs, and thick slightly curly hair that I've had natal women envy since I've grown it out.
You should do the same, list your assets first. It don't 'arf make you feel better!
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
A day in town
Monday saw my second assessment at the GIC. The same train journey with my wife, walk across the park and through West London. Past the fancy shops, the Bristol Cars showroom, the Olympia exhibition hall. Nice day for it. I bought my wife a scarf.
Most Londoners are aghast if you tell them you walked across their city. For a whole hour! But it provides an entertaining interlude, a chance to de-stress, and some welcome exercise.
The GIC was much busier than last time. A healthy cross-section of our community, men and women attired from the conventional to the slightly bizarre. I was the only scruffy bloke among the MtF contingent, in fact at all, the transmen present could hardly be described as scruffy.
My appointment was with one of the doctors with a more fearsome reputation. One who by all accounts doesn't suffer fools gladly and who sees his job as to challenge his patients. It's his technique to pull no punches, if you go forward on his say-so you have to be really committed to your path. Some people are upset by this, but I see why he does it and if you are prepared for it then it is a welcome exercise in self-challenging.
I had a fixed objective, to receive their specialist counseling services. Their first question at these appointments is always "Why are you here?", so I gave him my objective and explained why. We then discussed my situation and history, before having an entertaining chat about what I do for a living.
As an interesting aside, he revealed that my blood test showed I have a benign inherited liver anomaly with a very long name that I'll need to remember should I ever suffer jaundice. Nothing else was mentioned, so I'm guessing my baseline hormone levels must be exactly where they are supposed to be. Healthy is good.
So I came away with a referral to further counseling. Exactly what I wanted. I'm pleased with this result, it shows that help is available at the GIC for those of us taking non-standard paths. I haven't needed to present as female and I haven't been given a hard time. Sometimes I feel that few people relate their good news GIC stories.
Out of the GIC, into the Tube. Through the maze of deep tubes, onto the Victoria Line to Walthamstow. A slightly run-down high street like any other, home of Doreen Fashions. A long established ladies clothing shop that specialises in supplies for cross-dressers. Staffed by a wonderful pair of Cockney ladies who were very friendly and helpful. I was looking for an item of shapewear to help tease a feminine silhouette from my angular frame - is that what they mean by "squeezed middle"? - , and while I was there it was always worth seeing whether I could fit any of their size 14 shoes.
Opportunities to buy ladies shoes in my size don't come my way very often. There are so few made in a UK15 or US16. So if I find a pair and they aren't wild fetishwear, then I'll buy them. Like these sandals, actually a US16 but labelled as a UK14. OK, I haven't got anywhere to wear them, they're a little dressy for my requirements and November is the wrong time to buy sandals. But I have probably just bought the only pair of ladies sandals in my size in the country, so am I bothered? Of course not!
Surprisingly they're quite comfortable to wear, too. I haven't quite got the walking technique right though. There will be some comedy wobbling moments ahead of me wearing these shoes, but I shall persevere.
So, Monday was a good day.
Most Londoners are aghast if you tell them you walked across their city. For a whole hour! But it provides an entertaining interlude, a chance to de-stress, and some welcome exercise.
The GIC was much busier than last time. A healthy cross-section of our community, men and women attired from the conventional to the slightly bizarre. I was the only scruffy bloke among the MtF contingent, in fact at all, the transmen present could hardly be described as scruffy.
My appointment was with one of the doctors with a more fearsome reputation. One who by all accounts doesn't suffer fools gladly and who sees his job as to challenge his patients. It's his technique to pull no punches, if you go forward on his say-so you have to be really committed to your path. Some people are upset by this, but I see why he does it and if you are prepared for it then it is a welcome exercise in self-challenging.
I had a fixed objective, to receive their specialist counseling services. Their first question at these appointments is always "Why are you here?", so I gave him my objective and explained why. We then discussed my situation and history, before having an entertaining chat about what I do for a living.
As an interesting aside, he revealed that my blood test showed I have a benign inherited liver anomaly with a very long name that I'll need to remember should I ever suffer jaundice. Nothing else was mentioned, so I'm guessing my baseline hormone levels must be exactly where they are supposed to be. Healthy is good.
So I came away with a referral to further counseling. Exactly what I wanted. I'm pleased with this result, it shows that help is available at the GIC for those of us taking non-standard paths. I haven't needed to present as female and I haven't been given a hard time. Sometimes I feel that few people relate their good news GIC stories.
Out of the GIC, into the Tube. Through the maze of deep tubes, onto the Victoria Line to Walthamstow. A slightly run-down high street like any other, home of Doreen Fashions. A long established ladies clothing shop that specialises in supplies for cross-dressers. Staffed by a wonderful pair of Cockney ladies who were very friendly and helpful. I was looking for an item of shapewear to help tease a feminine silhouette from my angular frame - is that what they mean by "squeezed middle"? - , and while I was there it was always worth seeing whether I could fit any of their size 14 shoes.
Surprisingly they're quite comfortable to wear, too. I haven't quite got the walking technique right though. There will be some comedy wobbling moments ahead of me wearing these shoes, but I shall persevere.
So, Monday was a good day.
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Walk a mile in his shoes
It ain't easy, trying to be a girl when you have big feet. I sometimes see t-girls complaining that they can't find ladies' footwear in a UK size 8 or 9, I tell them they simply aren't looking hard enough. More than one of my natal female relatives takes those sizes, and they can find them on the high street.
People with a size UK10 to 13 have life a little more difficult. They can get almost any style from a specialist, but they may have to go online or travel further afield if they want to try them on.
14 and above though, now there's a problem. With my size 15s the choice is narrowed down to an impossibly small selection if I'm lucky. Pleaser and Le Dame are my best bet, but though they are very good quality shoes they are expensive to bring in from the USA and their styles are more suited to the evening than the high street. Every t-girl wants to toc around in a set of killer heels once in her life but as my friend Dawn puts it: "You wouldn't wear them to Tesco". At least, not twice.
So, given that the mass of everyday female footwear is inaccessible to me, what are my options? I can get footwear made-to-measure, for one. Any style I want, in superlative quality. Trouble is, with the quality comes an eye-watering price, and I can't justify that as a part-timer. If I ever go full-time that might be an option I'd consider, but for now I have better things to spend my cash on.
My sister provided me with an answer. She takes a UK size 9, and though I didn't realise it, the casual shoes she often wears are men's shoes. She just picks the right styles and they never look out of place because she wears them in appropriate situations.
So I started looking at my normal supplier of large size male footwear as I never had before. At some of the styles I'd never even think of wearing as a scruffy bloke. It's funny how gender conditioning works, even though I have known all along I had something of the girl about me I dared not permit myself to wear even slightly androgynous footwear lest they look a little gay or something. Your mind does stupid things to you, sometimes.
What I found first were some Vans skate shoes. Pretty similar to the shoes I saw my sister wearing, though available in nicer colours (She reads this blog, she'll berate me for that! :). They look great with a pair of jeans, and they're about as comfortable as it gets in a shoe. Not very good with a skirt or a summer dress though so for my trip last month to Sparkle I found a very acceptable and very cheap alternative in the form of a pair of old-fashioned white canvas plimsolls not unlike these ones. It's all about blending, if your footwear don't look too different to those an onlooker might expect, they won't be noticed.
Sandals though present a problem. Male sandals tend to be of the 'Jesus' variety, either with leather straps as worn with socks by men with beards at folk festivals, or with more modern Velcro straps and worn by young blokes on the beach. I have a pair of the latter as it happens and they're great shoes, but dainty they ain't. The best I've come up with so far has been a pair of Base London Global flip-flops in white, something I'd never wear as a bloke but which as a girl was perfectly suited to a summer barbecue.
So it has been a pleasant surprise to find that for casual styles at least I can still find something I can work with even if it's not the footwear I wish I could have. I appreciate that the potential audience for this post is miniscule, after all how many t-girls can there be with size UK15 feet? But it's important to share, because I know all about the feeling that I'd never find anything.
People with a size UK10 to 13 have life a little more difficult. They can get almost any style from a specialist, but they may have to go online or travel further afield if they want to try them on.
14 and above though, now there's a problem. With my size 15s the choice is narrowed down to an impossibly small selection if I'm lucky. Pleaser and Le Dame are my best bet, but though they are very good quality shoes they are expensive to bring in from the USA and their styles are more suited to the evening than the high street. Every t-girl wants to toc around in a set of killer heels once in her life but as my friend Dawn puts it: "You wouldn't wear them to Tesco". At least, not twice.
So, given that the mass of everyday female footwear is inaccessible to me, what are my options? I can get footwear made-to-measure, for one. Any style I want, in superlative quality. Trouble is, with the quality comes an eye-watering price, and I can't justify that as a part-timer. If I ever go full-time that might be an option I'd consider, but for now I have better things to spend my cash on.
My sister provided me with an answer. She takes a UK size 9, and though I didn't realise it, the casual shoes she often wears are men's shoes. She just picks the right styles and they never look out of place because she wears them in appropriate situations.
So I started looking at my normal supplier of large size male footwear as I never had before. At some of the styles I'd never even think of wearing as a scruffy bloke. It's funny how gender conditioning works, even though I have known all along I had something of the girl about me I dared not permit myself to wear even slightly androgynous footwear lest they look a little gay or something. Your mind does stupid things to you, sometimes.
What I found first were some Vans skate shoes. Pretty similar to the shoes I saw my sister wearing, though available in nicer colours (She reads this blog, she'll berate me for that! :). They look great with a pair of jeans, and they're about as comfortable as it gets in a shoe. Not very good with a skirt or a summer dress though so for my trip last month to Sparkle I found a very acceptable and very cheap alternative in the form of a pair of old-fashioned white canvas plimsolls not unlike these ones. It's all about blending, if your footwear don't look too different to those an onlooker might expect, they won't be noticed.
Sandals though present a problem. Male sandals tend to be of the 'Jesus' variety, either with leather straps as worn with socks by men with beards at folk festivals, or with more modern Velcro straps and worn by young blokes on the beach. I have a pair of the latter as it happens and they're great shoes, but dainty they ain't. The best I've come up with so far has been a pair of Base London Global flip-flops in white, something I'd never wear as a bloke but which as a girl was perfectly suited to a summer barbecue.
So it has been a pleasant surprise to find that for casual styles at least I can still find something I can work with even if it's not the footwear I wish I could have. I appreciate that the potential audience for this post is miniscule, after all how many t-girls can there be with size UK15 feet? But it's important to share, because I know all about the feeling that I'd never find anything.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Interesting news for the large of foot
Why? It is the first piece of footwear to be produced using 3D printing. If you are unfamiliar with 3D printing let me explain: it refers to the process in which three dimensional objects are fabricated by laying down successive layers of their component materials. Any object can be made with a 3D printer, the only limitations being the size of the device and the materials available to be used in it.
As an engineer I have been interested in 3D printing for over a decade and I had anticipated seeing it used for footwear. I hope that within a reasonable timescale I will be able to order my very large ladies shoes online in almost any style because instead of their being volume produced and shipped from a warehouse they will be made specially for me in my size on a 3D printer. It is likely that by then the industry will have developed some better materials than the Melonia's white plastic.
Something to look forward to, I hope you will agree
(Image from The Register. Very naughty, using one of their images in this way, go and visit them for top quality tech news!)
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Toc
This is a learning process, isn't it. In girl terms, we're fourteen years old, we don't really know nothing about nothing despite decades of closer observation of femininity than is normal for a bloke. I don't have to take the crash course required of someone going full-time so none of it's too serious for me, but even so from time to time there comes one of those moments when I realise I have something to learn.
If you ask a cross-dresser wearing any label about their formative experiences the chances are that somewhere in the mix will be a tale involving shoes. Stana posted hers a few days ago, I'm sure a read around the blogosphere will reveal more. Trying on one's mothers or sister's heels seems to be an important rite-of-passage for the gender variant youth, meaning that the wearing of heels is as much a part of it all as the rest of the clothing and walking in them as an adult does not present a problem.
Unfortunately for me I was denied that particular pleasure. I'm sorry to say that what female shoes there were in our house seemed to be spectacularly boring in nature, and having outsize feet from a relatively early age none of them would have fit me anyway. Perhaps that's as well, the most important footwear when you grow up on a British farm are your wellies.
So I was presented with a bit of a problem yesterday when I unwrapped my shiny new Le Dames with their three inch heel. Yes, they fit. Wow! They make my feet look smaller! So that's what the top of the lamp shade looks like! Now, how the hell do I walk in them?
Not as much of a problem as I expected. Ankles intact, I made a circuit or two of our flat. Damn. We live in a tiny flat. I need a proving ground. Ideally a long echo-y corridor straight from a school or a hospital. Tell me you've never sat there all envious as someone toc-toc-tocs her way along! Our flat is too full of furniture. So, open the doors, out of the living room, down the passage, into the bathroom, turn through 180 degrees, reverse the above, and so on. Avoid the kitchen with its lino, make sure to take in the nice bit of hard floor by the front door. Soundless on the carpet, so - - - -toc(by the front door)- - - - -toc- - and so on. At this point my wife thinks it's all very funny. I don't blame her.
The plus side is that after all that fun and games, my feet don't hurt. I can now see why very tall women like my sister or my cousin rarely wear such heels. I'm very glad to have a pair though, it's one of those because I can moments. And believe me, I will.
If you ask a cross-dresser wearing any label about their formative experiences the chances are that somewhere in the mix will be a tale involving shoes. Stana posted hers a few days ago, I'm sure a read around the blogosphere will reveal more. Trying on one's mothers or sister's heels seems to be an important rite-of-passage for the gender variant youth, meaning that the wearing of heels is as much a part of it all as the rest of the clothing and walking in them as an adult does not present a problem.
Unfortunately for me I was denied that particular pleasure. I'm sorry to say that what female shoes there were in our house seemed to be spectacularly boring in nature, and having outsize feet from a relatively early age none of them would have fit me anyway. Perhaps that's as well, the most important footwear when you grow up on a British farm are your wellies.
So I was presented with a bit of a problem yesterday when I unwrapped my shiny new Le Dames with their three inch heel. Yes, they fit. Wow! They make my feet look smaller! So that's what the top of the lamp shade looks like! Now, how the hell do I walk in them?
Not as much of a problem as I expected. Ankles intact, I made a circuit or two of our flat. Damn. We live in a tiny flat. I need a proving ground. Ideally a long echo-y corridor straight from a school or a hospital. Tell me you've never sat there all envious as someone toc-toc-tocs her way along! Our flat is too full of furniture. So, open the doors, out of the living room, down the passage, into the bathroom, turn through 180 degrees, reverse the above, and so on. Avoid the kitchen with its lino, make sure to take in the nice bit of hard floor by the front door. Soundless on the carpet, so - - - -toc(by the front door)- - - - -toc- - and so on. At this point my wife thinks it's all very funny. I don't blame her.
The plus side is that after all that fun and games, my feet don't hurt. I can now see why very tall women like my sister or my cousin rarely wear such heels. I'm very glad to have a pair though, it's one of those because I can moments. And believe me, I will.
Friday, 4 June 2010
There's nothing sensible when it comes to shoes.
A while back I lamented that my only chance of finding ladies shoes in my advanced size had evaporated as the UK supplier of Le Dame shoes had given up on that particular line. Not being one to give up in a hurry I made a few enquiries and now with the help of Bernie at Le Dame and my amused-but-not-shocked Stateside friend G there is a new pair of shoes on its way to me.
It's one of those sheepish moments, being caught in the act of an irrational piece of girl shopping. I don't need these shoes. They will not be the most comfortable footwear I've ever worn. They will look good to me on my feet but I'd have to question the sanity of anyone else who could see me wearing them without giggling. I certainly don't need to rise even further above those around me than I already have. Door frames already elicit an unconscious duck from me, why on earth should I make it even worse?
Yet I want them. They've called out to me ever since I first found them months ago, black patent exerts a strong pull.
Have I been caught in the same way buying frivolous stuff as a bloke? Of course not, naturally, blokes never buy anything frivolous!
Well, maybe there was that Triumph Herald convertible. I didn't need a third car, especially not one that turned out to be as rusty as that one. And was it worth putting up with a 640x480 pixel CMOS sensor for a few years just to be the first person in my group to own a digital camera? Didn't think so. Gotcha!
My shoes will arrive sometime next week, with luck. You'll know me by sight, I'll have a bruise on my forehead.
It's one of those sheepish moments, being caught in the act of an irrational piece of girl shopping. I don't need these shoes. They will not be the most comfortable footwear I've ever worn. They will look good to me on my feet but I'd have to question the sanity of anyone else who could see me wearing them without giggling. I certainly don't need to rise even further above those around me than I already have. Door frames already elicit an unconscious duck from me, why on earth should I make it even worse?
Yet I want them. They've called out to me ever since I first found them months ago, black patent exerts a strong pull.
Have I been caught in the same way buying frivolous stuff as a bloke? Of course not, naturally, blokes never buy anything frivolous!
Well, maybe there was that Triumph Herald convertible. I didn't need a third car, especially not one that turned out to be as rusty as that one. And was it worth putting up with a 640x480 pixel CMOS sensor for a few years just to be the first person in my group to own a digital camera? Didn't think so. Gotcha!
My shoes will arrive sometime next week, with luck. You'll know me by sight, I'll have a bruise on my forehead.
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
I am bereft.
The only UK supplier of Le Dame shoes now seems not to be a supplier of them any more. I'm going to have to go all the way to Madison, Wisconsin for my size 15s. Can I really be the only person amongst the entire transgendered spectrum, not to mention the occasional genetic lady of height, with feet this size?
Ah well, better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all I suppose.
Ah well, better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all I suppose.
Friday, 16 April 2010
Lobby for the large of foot!
As part of my investigation yesterday I noticed Walktall are to start supplying large size ladies shoes.
I've dealt with Walktall for a while now for all my bloke shoes and I find them to be a very good company to deal with so in my view this can only be a Good Thing.
There's only one problem, their enquiry form only goes up to size UK13. Nothing for we ladies of larger foot. I've mailed them to suggest that they consider stocking Pleaser and Le Dame to name but two examples in even larger sizes because they could find a surprising number of their existing male clientèle might be interested.
So could I ask any other ladies of imposing height who would also like to see better availability of larger size shoes in the UK to give Walktall a shout and say so? It'll probably come to nothing, but if you don't ask you certainly don't get.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Where does the Queen get her socks?
If you look hard enough, you can get anything made for you. Take shoes, for instance. I've only found one manufacturer of ladies shoes in a UK15 and though their range is very nice it's a little limited if your tastes do not veer towards the slightly more flamboyant end of the spectrum. Not a problem though, when I'm prepared to shell out the cash for a made-to-measure last I've found a specialist who will happily make me any footwear I desire in whatever style I want, and an exact fit.
Socks, however, are a different matter. Girl mode is easy enough in tights but it would be nice to be able to source a nice pair of ladies socks in a UK15. Such a simple piece of clothing, yet so elusive. You'd think they'd be no problem in bloke mode at least, and I guess that's the case. You can have any colour socks you want, so long as they are black. Or grey, or that horrible barf-tastic brown diamond pattern (Just what bloke under 80 wears those things?). Be still my beating heart!
You'd think there would be someone out there making bespoke socks, but no. Not even the Queen has someone with a Royal Warrant for supplying her socks. And there in the microcosm of socks is my more general problem. Since being forced to poke my head above the parapet at the start of this year I've had more than one well-meaning person point out to me that my height alone need not be an impediment to my passing as a woman. And I have now grudgingly to admit they're right of course, every now and then when en femme I'll see my reflection and have a "Wow! You almost had it there!" moment. When not placed alongside a girl of the average sixteen inches shorter than me height, I can see it's not quite as unattainable a goal as I once thought it might be. But that alone, fun though it is chasing it, still isn't enough. To be convincingly female in appearance, you have to be able to do so in more than a few situations. And to return to my example above, you can't do that in bloke socks, no matter how good an actress you are.
Socks, however, are a different matter. Girl mode is easy enough in tights but it would be nice to be able to source a nice pair of ladies socks in a UK15. Such a simple piece of clothing, yet so elusive. You'd think they'd be no problem in bloke mode at least, and I guess that's the case. You can have any colour socks you want, so long as they are black. Or grey, or that horrible barf-tastic brown diamond pattern (Just what bloke under 80 wears those things?). Be still my beating heart!
You'd think there would be someone out there making bespoke socks, but no. Not even the Queen has someone with a Royal Warrant for supplying her socks. And there in the microcosm of socks is my more general problem. Since being forced to poke my head above the parapet at the start of this year I've had more than one well-meaning person point out to me that my height alone need not be an impediment to my passing as a woman. And I have now grudgingly to admit they're right of course, every now and then when en femme I'll see my reflection and have a "Wow! You almost had it there!" moment. When not placed alongside a girl of the average sixteen inches shorter than me height, I can see it's not quite as unattainable a goal as I once thought it might be. But that alone, fun though it is chasing it, still isn't enough. To be convincingly female in appearance, you have to be able to do so in more than a few situations. And to return to my example above, you can't do that in bloke socks, no matter how good an actress you are.
Sunday, 14 March 2010
They know me too well
A well-known large size footwear supplier near Northampton provided me with male shoes from my teenage years until about ten years ago when I finally rebelled against their high prices, ugly styles and "We're the only shop in town" attitude to their customers. Guys, look at those cartoons on your wall, they ain't funny, in fact they're mildly offensive if you actually have large feet, which by my observation, none of your staff do.
They've never stopped sending me their catalogue though. Despite no purchases, a couple of times a year I get two envelopes in the post from them. Two envelopes? That's right, they always send me their female catalogue as well as their male one. So I've not bought from them in years, only bought male shoes from them, their girl shoes stop three sizes below mine and back when I last had a pair from them I was a closeted depressive. Yet they still send me their girl catalogue. Someone in Harpole has Awesome t-dar!
They've never stopped sending me their catalogue though. Despite no purchases, a couple of times a year I get two envelopes in the post from them. Two envelopes? That's right, they always send me their female catalogue as well as their male one. So I've not bought from them in years, only bought male shoes from them, their girl shoes stop three sizes below mine and back when I last had a pair from them I was a closeted depressive. Yet they still send me their girl catalogue. Someone in Harpole has Awesome t-dar!
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
I just can't help laughing
Normally I'm very sensitive to adverse comments about my size, and particularly to those which pertain to my feet. There is nothing quite as deliciously frosty as the atmosphere of sudden quiet in the saloon bar of the Dog and Duck just after the diminutive wisecracker has made some unfunny comment about the giant sized bloke's feet. I have a great line in instant-sobering mirthless smiles for just these occasions.
But I'm afraid even I couldn't help laughing as I opened the parcel that arrived yesterday from BreastformStore UK and took out my first ever pair of size UK15 ladies shoes. Don't get me wrong, this is an extremely special moment for me as crossdressing milestones go, it's just you can't escape the fact that they're rather huge next to anything of a more familiar scale. My wife had a "Look, I'm a five year old walking around in adult shoes!" moment which only increased the level of hilarity.
They're not quite the style I'd have wanted as the available range in size UK15 is extremely small, but they are a comfortable fit and once you get over their size they don't look too bad on my feet. Happy? I'd say so!
In case you're curious, here they are. Like normal shoes, only a lot longer. Now I've got the shoe bug, I think I'm going to have to find more wardrobe space.
But I'm afraid even I couldn't help laughing as I opened the parcel that arrived yesterday from BreastformStore UK and took out my first ever pair of size UK15 ladies shoes. Don't get me wrong, this is an extremely special moment for me as crossdressing milestones go, it's just you can't escape the fact that they're rather huge next to anything of a more familiar scale. My wife had a "Look, I'm a five year old walking around in adult shoes!" moment which only increased the level of hilarity.
They're not quite the style I'd have wanted as the available range in size UK15 is extremely small, but they are a comfortable fit and once you get over their size they don't look too bad on my feet. Happy? I'd say so!
In case you're curious, here they are. Like normal shoes, only a lot longer. Now I've got the shoe bug, I think I'm going to have to find more wardrobe space.
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Size 15 ladies shoes located!
A few posts ago I set myself an action plan. One of its points was to find a supplier of ladies shoes in a UK size 15. This post is primarily aimed at the very few ladies both transgendered and genetic whose feet are that size and above, but maybe my research will be of interest to some others.
Over the years the lot of people with larger-than-average feet has become a happier one. When my mother was young, ladies shoes were often simply not available in her high-single-digit size and her feet still bear the evidence of having to wear ill-fitting footwear decades ago. When I was a teenager the situation had improved, but my newly size 15 feet were still at the outer limits of male footwear at the time and I had to wear some pretty awful footwear as a result. The problem with large size footwear design has always been that some manufacturers simply make their size 15s by lengthening the pattern for the size 12s in the middle resulting in something like clown shoes, and lack of competition meant that was all the large size supplier needed to stock.
Now a variety of specialist suppliers cater for the large of foot, and competition in design and supply means as a size 15 man I can wear just about any style of cool shoes I choose. What a difference twenty years makes!
Unfortunately though, there must be extremely few women with size 15 feet. Regular large sized ladies suppliers like http://www.after8shoes.co.uk/ and http://www.magnusshoes.com stop somewhere about 12 and specialist trans suppliers tend to stop at 14. (It pays to be careful when looking, I've seen male shoes advertised as 15 in the past but which turned out to be US 15, more like UK 14)
So that's most transgendered people catered for, but not me!
What can I do? As I see it, there are four options:
One: go barefoot. This isn't practical for most outfits or looks. No stockings, man-legs, it's got very old. This is the reason for my size 15 quest.
Two: Wear androgynous male footwear with the right outfit. The trouble with androgyny in clothing is that it works both ways. If you're large-male-sized as let's face it, all transgendered people with size 15 feet are likely to be, and you wear an androgynous outfit, it doesn't really matter whether that outfit is one made for a woman. You'll still look like a man. I'm sure there are femme outfits with footwear wearable by both sexes, but is the world ready for a giant cowgirl?
Three: Make your own. This isn't as far-fetched as it sounds. A quick search on "Make your own shoes" reveals a whole community of home footwear manufacturers producing an amazing array of rather nice shoes. It's true some of the parts for size 15 ladies shoes will not be available off-the-shelf and would require fabricating, but one of the best things my male side has given me is the ability to make almost anything. If I can weld up a kit-car or build an embedded computer as well as sew up a ballgown, then I have complete confidence in my ability to put together a set of court shoes. I'll do so if I really have to, but it's all going to be a lot of hard work and I'd prefer an easier option.
Four: Keep searching, find someone who sells them. Over the years I don't think I've missed any suppliers as I've searched the specialised large shoe industry. Partly for myself, and partly on behalf of my closer female relatives who as you might expect from sharing genes with me also have slightly larger-than-average feet. I also don't think I've missed the web sites of any specialist trans suppliers. So it was a bit of a surprise when a possible solution came as part of my research for this piece. Breastform Store UK do shoes, and I'd never really looked at that part of their site. What a mistake! They list size 15s! The sizing includes a handy print-and-cut-out outline, and my feet fit neatly within it. I never expected it to be this easy.
They're not cheap mind, and I'll have to wait for my Christmas sale blowout to work out of my budget, but what can I say but wow! This has almost brought on one of those girlie crying moments.
Over the years the lot of people with larger-than-average feet has become a happier one. When my mother was young, ladies shoes were often simply not available in her high-single-digit size and her feet still bear the evidence of having to wear ill-fitting footwear decades ago. When I was a teenager the situation had improved, but my newly size 15 feet were still at the outer limits of male footwear at the time and I had to wear some pretty awful footwear as a result. The problem with large size footwear design has always been that some manufacturers simply make their size 15s by lengthening the pattern for the size 12s in the middle resulting in something like clown shoes, and lack of competition meant that was all the large size supplier needed to stock.
Now a variety of specialist suppliers cater for the large of foot, and competition in design and supply means as a size 15 man I can wear just about any style of cool shoes I choose. What a difference twenty years makes!
Unfortunately though, there must be extremely few women with size 15 feet. Regular large sized ladies suppliers like http://www.after8shoes.co.uk/ and http://www.magnusshoes.com stop somewhere about 12 and specialist trans suppliers tend to stop at 14. (It pays to be careful when looking, I've seen male shoes advertised as 15 in the past but which turned out to be US 15, more like UK 14)
So that's most transgendered people catered for, but not me!
What can I do? As I see it, there are four options:
One: go barefoot. This isn't practical for most outfits or looks. No stockings, man-legs, it's got very old. This is the reason for my size 15 quest.
Two: Wear androgynous male footwear with the right outfit. The trouble with androgyny in clothing is that it works both ways. If you're large-male-sized as let's face it, all transgendered people with size 15 feet are likely to be, and you wear an androgynous outfit, it doesn't really matter whether that outfit is one made for a woman. You'll still look like a man. I'm sure there are femme outfits with footwear wearable by both sexes, but is the world ready for a giant cowgirl?
Three: Make your own. This isn't as far-fetched as it sounds. A quick search on "Make your own shoes" reveals a whole community of home footwear manufacturers producing an amazing array of rather nice shoes. It's true some of the parts for size 15 ladies shoes will not be available off-the-shelf and would require fabricating, but one of the best things my male side has given me is the ability to make almost anything. If I can weld up a kit-car or build an embedded computer as well as sew up a ballgown, then I have complete confidence in my ability to put together a set of court shoes. I'll do so if I really have to, but it's all going to be a lot of hard work and I'd prefer an easier option.
Four: Keep searching, find someone who sells them. Over the years I don't think I've missed any suppliers as I've searched the specialised large shoe industry. Partly for myself, and partly on behalf of my closer female relatives who as you might expect from sharing genes with me also have slightly larger-than-average feet. I also don't think I've missed the web sites of any specialist trans suppliers. So it was a bit of a surprise when a possible solution came as part of my research for this piece. Breastform Store UK do shoes, and I'd never really looked at that part of their site. What a mistake! They list size 15s! The sizing includes a handy print-and-cut-out outline, and my feet fit neatly within it. I never expected it to be this easy.
They're not cheap mind, and I'll have to wait for my Christmas sale blowout to work out of my budget, but what can I say but wow! This has almost brought on one of those girlie crying moments.
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