Going Out in Drag

I had my company Christmas party on Saturday night. I work for a fairly large engineering firm, and while I like most of my co-workers, I don’t really know many of them very well. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I don’t really click with many of them. Which is fine. But it makes for a looooong three hours when you’re seated at a table with these virtual strangers and their wives (oh, did I not mention that my co-workers are about 90% men?? ‘Cause they are)

So, not the most comfortable of situations to start with. But it gets worse, at least for me. Because this is a formal occasion, which typically requires a dress. Generally I feel pretty good about my appearance. I don’t necessarily turn heads all the time, but I think I’m cute, and I’ve got enough moxie to up “cute” to “va-va-voom” when I pull out that attitude. My outfit of choice on these occasions is jeans, cute top, sexy-as-hell shoes or boots and some striking make-up (any eye make-up in fact, will look flamboyant… I’m very lucky to have large eyes and long lashes. My biggest problem is that I can sometimes look cartoon-ish). I think I can do “dramatic” or even “sexy” on a good night. “Pretty” is not something I’m comfortable with. And dresses are meant to be pretty.

To top this off, body issues rear their heads. I’m relatively tall. I work out with big, heavy weights, which makes me feel good about myself. I have big legs that are crazily strong, and I love them for that. I have naturally broad shoulders that are well-muscled, which again, I’ll usually try to highlight. But in dress, these assets don’t work.

The end result is that I feel that I look like a man in a dress. Combine that with my long, naturally full hair, big feet and the dramatic eye make-up that I favor, and you get a drag queen.

You now what doesn’t feel so good?? Being the girl who looks like a dude in drag.