RANSVESTIA

catalogue, but times change and they're no longer available by mail order. Following this purchase, I browsed through the immense selection of dresses and gowns: again, I experienced that excitement of my previous visit. Just where would I begin?

An exotic, floor-length gown, made of gold embroidered material from India kept drawing my attention. Holding it up, I knew that it would fit well. I didn't have the nerve to go back into Uba's fitting room to try it on.

While Uba wrapped the gown, I made some small talk with her, and referring to my previous visit, I asked her about the long, opaque black stockings. Yes, she had some new hosiery, but probably not sufficiently long for my height. Well, I decided to take a chance anyway, and found that she was correct: when I returned, later, to my motel and put on a pair, gartering them to a Playtex all-in-one corselet, I found that I had to stretch the garter welts a bit too much, and the stockings quickly developed runners from the strain. And besides, they were seamed, which just might draw attention to them, under certain circumstances. But, it's the search for just the right things that is one of the fascinations of these trips: I wasn't all that much disappointed.

Finally, I got up the nerve to ask Uba to fit me for one of those black, satin maid's costumes-a short skirted dress with matching bloomers, the short skirted dress trimmed with white lace around the high collar, the bloomers with red lace about the legs. This would take some fitting: like any stereotype femme, I thought my size was 16, but Uba advised otherwise, indicating that I am at least 18, perhaps over 20, she said. "Here, take these two into the fitting room back there, and try them on. I'll probably have to alter the bloomers, anyway." And, she added, "Just be sure to put on your rubber panty first, before you pull on the bloomers."

In a few minutes, I let Uba know that I had changed, and she came in to check the fit. I had slipped on a pair of my new black stockings, as well; unfortunately, I hadn't worn a corselet or girdle that day, and so I had no hosiery supporters. The elastics of the bloomer legs did hold up the stockings, as long as I didn't move around much, and the effect, I would see in the mirror, was going to be just fine.

The dress fitted just right, the skirt reaching down to just about two