The Ones That Got Away

Lexy Tranner’s last cartoon got me thinking: not about women or mates, but about dresses. How many great ones have we missed out on, because they weren’t quite right? They just didn’t fit perfectly, so we toss them.

After I read the Lexy ‘toon, I was doing some revamping of my home page. (You know the one: it’s provided by TGForum, free with your subscription!) And I came across a couple of dresses I loved, and no longer have.

This was first favorite dress. Crushed velvet. Off-the-shoulder. Form-fitting. And ooooh, did it feel nice. I don’t remember where it came from, but it was a head-turner.

And I got rid of it. Not because it didn’t fit, or because it was out-of-style, but for greed. I was cash-poor back in the late ’90s, and needed some bread to finance my frequent forays out. A gal by the name of Danielle in Chicago loved the dress as much as I did, and offered me $50 for it. She was a doll, and a good friend, and promised to send me pictures of her wearing it.

After I sent it to her, and got my $50, she vanished. So, not only do I not have the dress, but I don’t know that it found a good home!

Going through those old photos, I found another dress that, at the time, I wasn’t all that enamored with. But, seeing it now, I’m kicking myself for not keeping it.

Shown here with Lauren Thomas, this black and white, Spandex-like number came from an overstock store in Omaha. It too was slinky and shapely, and it gave great cleavage. Seriously: great cleavage. But, unfortunately, it came at a time when my look was tending more towards the “real.” My makeup was minimalist, and my hair, well, my hair was atrocious.

So, there wasn’t much of a need for a tarty party dress in my wardrobe, and I happily lent it out to a friend. Barb promptly moved to Vegas, and I haven’t seen her or the dress since.

While it’s doubtful I could fit into either dress today, and look anything but obscene, I am getting back in shape, and my look has been evolving towards larger-than-life.

If there’s a moral to the story, it’s that you should recognize a good thing while you’ve got it, hang on to it, and treat it and yourself well. Things may not always work at the moment—but there’s always a tomorrow.

Category: Style, Transgender Fun & Entertainment, Transgender Opinion