RANSVESTIA

panty-legs, concealing the hosiery supporters, and with the hook-and- eye closure at the crotch.

I had certainly felt quite uneasy, this being my first time openly patronising a store selling women's things, but Uba's quiet and natural acceptance of my needs quickly laid my apprehensions aside.

While Uba was wrapping my coveted purchase, I asked her about the availability of long, black, opaque hosiery-specifically, long stockings I could wear underneath my men's trousers without attracting notice. These days, it is easy enough to find opague panty- hose or tights, but there are not at all convenient to wear underneath an all-in-one panty-corselet: I prefer to wear an all-in-one foundation with its smoother line about the waist, than is possible with a separate bra and panty girdle. An "open" all-in-one corselet needs to be gartered to long stockings, to keep it from riding up, and as I mentioned, pantyhose underneath a panty-corselet aren't convenient for long days at the office.

Uba responded that, at that time, she had only sheer black hosiery and not what I needed, advising me that she was getting a new hosiery supplier, and perhaps in a month or so, she would have what I was looking for.

Needless to say, I looked forward to the next time that business would bring me back to Southern California.

My next trip to Los Angeles found me at Uba's as soon as business affairs had been handled.

First on my list was the purchase of a latex rubber panty, to wear underneath my foundation garment, and protect it from stains. Previously, I had noticed a couple in the display case, and they recalled many memories of the past, rummaging through my aunt's closets, trying on her foundations and stockings, when I was perhaps ten or eleven years old, and coming across those rubber panties, wondering what they were for, pulling them up over my thighs and hips-oh, how sensual they were!-before putting on her corselet and gartering up the heavy rayon stockings. Eventually, I had been able, for a few years, to purchase them through the Montgomery Wards