RANSVESTIA

what size I took. And, alas, age has taken its toll. I am no longer young and fresh. I had grown into a body that would never be dainty or pretty, or pass in public. This body of mine would be difficult to fit into womanly clothes at any time.

My shoulders dropped, and despair flooded my body.

I had no need for depression; my dream had come true. I had found a dress shop which catered to men Uba's Fashions, 6013 W. Sunset, Los Angeles, CA. Phone: 213-462-4249. The mistress of the shop, Uba herself, can help you find what size you are, can sell you girlish clothes, and can even sew pretty things that you desire.

A short, round-faced woman with long hair, she smiled at me. "Here," she urged. "Try on this slip; it should fit." She handed me a dark, lace-trimmed slip made of the softest material imaginable. I went into the little alcove which she has as a dressing room, stripped, and pulled the slip over my head to slither down over my body. I felt so delicious and good that I hugged myself, and for the first time, I had on a dainty bit of lingerie which was for me and no one else - no binding across my bust or under my arm pits. I slid my hands down over my hips - it fitted me.

What exhileration I felt! Even giddiness! I wanted to dress com- pletely in feminine clothes, from the waist-cincher on out and try on every nightgown and dress in stock in the store. I wanted to run my hands through the drawer of delicately trimmed panties and hug them to me. I wanted to fling my arms out and glide across the floor, or twirl so that a full skirt would flare and flower around my hips.

But I came to my senses. Many things take long preparation and planning. Where would I wear my feminine things? I am not alone. I have a wife and children. How could I budget my funds so that I could buy the gowns and lingerie that I yearned for? It would take time and a lot of effort. Did I want to be as much like a woman as I could, complete with padded bra, corset, and wig, or would I settle for pretty garments and enjoy myself as a man while I wear them?

—

But all these pretty things displayed before me Uba is a busi- nesswoman who earns her living from the proceeds of her shop, and despite my exuberance, she would not want me running wild. I had the dress which I had selected, and I pulled it over my head and set-