Transvestia

such envious exclamations from nice old ladies and teasings from their schoolfellows, but sensitive as I was, on the matters, I felt that perhaps somehow they were right in their opinion about me. More and more I felt that I had something of a feminine nature in my inner self.

When I was 15 years old my overweight disappeared and I had a fine slender figure. However, the fat on my breasts remained.

I did not like to show myself naked to my school- fellows when we dressed for gymnastics. In my eyes it was a blow against my sense of decency every time I had to take a shower together with the other boys after gymnastics. The sight of the other naked boys was disagreeable and unpleasant. I found it unseemly. I have the same feelings to day and have never visited a public swimming hall if I could not have my own ca- bin for changing my clothes.

I never use trunks always a bathing suit. At school and college my gym suit was composed of a pair of shorts and a shirt, though most of the other boys were stripped to the waist when doing gymnastics. I remem- ber how bashful I was when I had to subject myself to the compulsory examination of men liable for military service. When I had to do this service, however, my country was occupied and I only had to do civil service without living in barracks, but could live at home.

Ever since I learned to read my favorite reading has been the fashion pages in the newspapers and ma- gazines. Especially I was thrilled and happy to read the correspondence columns about beauty questions and beauty culture which gave me my first idea of the wonder- ful world of cosmetics. My mother did not use any form of cosmetics, so I had to study the girls and ladies in the street. I think all these observations at an early age gave me a keen eye for feminine things. Soon I began secretely making scrapbooks with clippings and pitcures about fashions and cosmetics. Later in life

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