My wife has long been the policewoman looking out for fashion no-nos. By that I mean seeing to it that I don't get too feminine for the situation. These could be a simple as seeing to it that I'm dressed masculine enough to be seen with her, to seeing to it that I'm dressed masculine enough to be seen by our friends and family that don't know I'm T.

To that end, she's vetoed many of the shirts I bought thinking they were masculine enough for general use. The shirt/blouse I described in my previous post was one of them. I bought it thinking it was suitably masculine enough to be worn to church... Not! However, it, with a little pushing from me, has become acceptable enough to be worn under a jacket, which is how I ended up being able to wear it yesterday to get my surgery.

In the past, simply wearing knee-hi stocking in place of socks was a no-no when she was with me, but in the last two years they have become my standard when wearing my penny loafers. (Even to church.) I've waited to be called on this, but she turns a blind eye when she sees me getting dressed or undressed where the knee-his are plainly visible.

The shoes pictured below are some flats that I purchased a few years ago and have been wearing around the house as slippers, but over the last six or seven months, I've worn them out to dinner with her and shopping when she's come along. Again, I have expected to be called on it, but she never has. I had Friday after Thanksgiving off this year and as Friday is her day to clean the church, she asked that I come in with her and help so that we could get done in half a day rather the eight or nine hours it takes her by herself. So I did. On the way there, she wanted to know what shoes I was wearing. (A little late to worry about it.) I told her I was wearing my other loafers, not the penny loafers I wear to church, but my "other loafers". I'm sure she looked at them when we went in. However by calling them loafers, rather than flats, she had the mindset that they were OK.

Since then I have inadvertently (perhaps a Freudian slip) worn them twice when our church friends would be there. The first time was when I was dragged to a co-ed baby shower. Since when did showers become co-ed? I had intended to change to my penny loafers before going but neglected to. We had been there for about an hour when I was sitting at a small table and crossed my legs and became aware of the flats I was wearing.

Again yesterday as I was getting ready to go for my surgery I knew I needed to change shoes because I had been wearing a pair of round toed flats in faux suede with an inch and a half heel. I went to my bedroom, and without turning on a light, slipped off those shoes and quickly donned what I thought were my penny loafers. In my own defense they are of similar color. Off I went for my surgery with our church friend driving (my wife doesn't drive) wearing these flats. Again, I didn't realize what shoes I was wearing until I crossed my legs and looked down. My wife didn't say anything, so I guess these are now acceptable shoes.