Recent Entries

• Building a wardrobe

  by Ariane Durand March 12, 2023
  I'm not talking DIY. My version of this is Destroy It Yourself. Instead I have received deliveries from the (reliable) suppliers M&S and Honour. So I now have at least one complete outfit to take to my makeup appointment tomorrow. Some of the items are temporary stand-ins but they are still the real...

• Private dresser loneliness

  by Ariane Durand March 10, 2023
  Imagine what it must be like to suppress a fundamental part of your identity, day after day, week after week, year after year. Always pretending to be something you’re not. Avoiding saying things that people don’t want to hear. This is the reality of life for many people living in the absence of fre...

• Waiting for deliveries

  by Ariane Durand March 10, 2023
  There is one other problem with buying clothes online. You don't always know when it's going to arrive. If you need the clothes for a deadline, you might find yourself left with nothing to wear. This is of course a short-term problem until you've bought all the necessary items and anything extra is ...

• Buying clothes

  by Ariane Durand March 9, 2023
  It's not straightforward for a crossdresser to buy clothes in a shop. You face more obstacles if you want to try something on in a changing room. If you're en femme, and you head off with a dress to the ladies' changing area, you run the risk of being turned back by the staff. Marks & Spencer have d...

• Planning ahead

  by Ariane Durand March 8, 2023
  So this is what's coming up…   Wednesday 15 March – makeup lesson with a local artiste so that I can do my own confidently and properly.   Friday 17 March – travelling up north. Consultation at a hair salon for some expert advice and probably some retail therapy.   Saturday 18 March – in Manch...

• Photoshoot and the next steps

  by Ariane Durand March 8, 2023
  I have created a photo album with the best shots from yesterday's makeover. In order to view these you will need to be a Full Member and also my Friend. I can think of only one person who might qualify and she has other things on her mind at the moment. Although it doesn't really matter as I seem to...

• The Floyd

  by Ariane Durand March 7, 2023
  It's 50 years since Pink Floyd released The Dark Side of the Moon. I don't have anything new to say about DSOTM. It's one of the greatest rock albums ever made, and if you haven't heard it yet, you should.   So then, shortly after finishing up with Antonia Wood, I headed off to The Blues Kitchen i...

• Antonia Wood

  by Ariane Durand March 7, 2023
  Today I went to the Antonia Wood Dressing Service in east London. Antonia is a trans woman and a make-up artiste. She offers makeovers, dressing services, photoshoots and similar services from her flat.   For this makeover we talked about the look I wanted to achieve and the sort of outfit I wante...

• Manchester

  by Ariane Durand March 6, 2023
  Ariane will be going to Manchester for the weekend of 17 to 19 March. The official reason is to watch City v Burnley at the Etihad in the FA Cup 6th round. That's 5.45pm on Saturday 18 March. Although I doubt Ariane will attend in person. I am not completely mad. But Ariane would be interested in s...

• Makeover

  by Ariane Durand March 6, 2023
  I am not the sort of girl who lets the grass grow under her stilettos. After coming out it took me approximately no time at all to realise that I needed to be transformed into Ariane and have some professional photos taken. So today I have had my hair cut at an upmarket salon in my local town. Now i...