TFIF

Hi,

Politer readers may wish to substitute the F in that acronym to make it Thank Goodness It’s Friday 😉 This week has been lots of little things adding up and when it comes to keeping your stress levels down, that can be tricky with a seemingly omnidirectional front. At least if that’s not an oxymoron: how can it have a front if it’s from all sides? 😋

Shall we talk about nice things instead?

Script

You might have noticed a few midweek posts called Script and there’s no judgement of you haven’t 😉 With the negativity and BS from certain outlets – the media and the government – it can feel like you are trying to hold up a heavy wall. Behind it, there’s a couple of the usual suspects, all leaning hard against it yelling their vitriol. Sure, a few allies have stepped in and I’m grateful for that. But, woo, even being on the edges of trying to hold things up is tiring…. which coming from a part timer like me, I have to ask how might it feel to those who’ve transitioned and are now under the shadow of that wall.

Writing to our local MP makes it feel like you’re talking to that wall. I’ve had more constructive and helpful conversations with interactive telephone systems.

Press one to hear the party line of doublespeak or press two to be ignored…

So, I’m turning my hand to what I usually do with things get tough: take the mick and write about things. I hesitate to use the word satire because A) the short posts don’t seem biting/witty, B) it’s not the 60s, and C) I didn’t go to Oxbridge 😉 If they are not your bag, that’s cool. I’ve heard it said that you write for what you’d like to read. You might add if someone else digs it, that’s a bonus. There’s only so many times you can say X won’t work or that’s not how it is, so let’s try something a bit silly.

Keep your hair on

This time at Chameleons, we had a visit from TrendCo; our friendly wig experts, Nicola and Steph. I think this may have been the first visit in around twenty months. The lockdowns and furlough schemes put pay to our usual tri-yearly meet ups.

I feel quite lucky that the group has folk who are willing to come along and give up their evening to do so. That and the TrendCo team know the group’s ages and preferences around styles, colours, and cuts. There’s a mix of synthetic wigs and also ones made from human hair. ProTip: don’t buy one made of cat hair unless you like being chased by dogs 😋 The human hair ones are amazing and have both a great fall/feel in their motion, plus last longer than a synthetic fibre. Yes, they are more expensive, at least, unless you know two specialists…. 👍

Listening to some of the newer members talk about the help and advice they’d heard was really good. Yes, I know you can buy wigs online and fairly inexpensively. However, having experts who can offer different styles, give suggestions, and indeed trim a wig so it’s just right for you; well, that’s time and money well spent in my book. Oh, and if you’re a first timer, trust me, wig stores have been dealing with us trans folk for years.

We used the changing room as a trying on place, as not everyone is comfortable taking their wig off in front of others. I’m glad we kept the large portable mirrors in our move upstairs.

As the evening went on and members had chance to have look and a try, I thought I’d try a different look just for fun.

I’m used to straight hair, so I’m pretty sure I’d not quite teased the waves in this number properly. Nicola did a better job later, but I didn’t take a photo. I could say Blonde Moment, but it’s more likely just me 🙂

Once folk had their try ons and paid up, it was time to say goodbye to our visitors. After that, we put the tables and chairs back to our preference and chatted.

As it’s not a What Happened at Chams post without an outfit shot, here’s the usual hair and a tunic I bought in the summer sale. Thanks to Val for sticking around to help and take a photo. ❤️

No, I’m not sure what I’m demoing either

Given all that had gone on, I felt a lot better as Nicole and I locked up at the end. It was great to see a few new faces and also new members coming back for their second visit.

L x

8 Comments

  1. Sounds like an excellent night.

    I hear you on the all-fronts assault feeling – it is very much like a sustained siege in many ways at the moment. I, at least, have the advantage of going stealth most of the time at the moment and I am very much using that priviledge liberally (or Conservatively, hard to say – and that may be too subtle a pun even for me).

    As for the advice from people who know wigs, I am sorry to have missed that! Finishing work at the time I did and then going shopping meant I wasn’t in a position to do much until 2145 and I thought may have been a bit late to try and make the trip! Sounds like a good night though. I think the blonde wig actually works for you, by the way, if ever you think you need to change the look. Not as much as that tunic (which is absolutely frocking fabulous) but it’s just far enough from your ‘usual’ that it hits all the right buttons for being unexpected.

    1. There will be chance again with TrendCo in the new year. Failing that, the salon is on Friar Lane, so hopefully not impossible to visit. 2145 is a late start, so I don’t blame you for resting up instead.

      Thanks for the kind words about the outfit. That’s really kind of you. The hair felt like a cool look, although the fit wasn’t quite there. Still, they say to go lighter as you get older, so perhaps feeling okay to go that shade is a good thing.

  2. Yes, try to recall the positives too. Again, I’m sorry that Britain is such a shithole right now.

    Glad you had a good meeting. I always found Trendco very helpful when I used to visit them in Kensington. Although the blonde wig suits you, I’d say it made you look quite a bit older. But it does show off one feature I’ve not really spotted before and that’s your brows, which are very neat. I have a real fight with the furry caterpillars above my eyes so commendations on your trim and cute brows (I mean, the rest is trim and cute too, but that’s This Week’s Feature).

    Hope the weekend is more relaxed for you.

    Sue x

    1. Careful, Sue, we may be found guilty of Talking Britain Down and I believe that’s more a Class VI Thought Crime 😉

      As to looking older, I felt it after this week 🙂 I guess that’s the thing with wigs, they – like all haircuts – really change you. Still, if I look like that in a few years, I wouldn’t mind so much. This is my last year in the 40s, so next time it’ll be elasticated midiskirts, a twin-set, and an alcohol free sherry 😁

      As to the brows, thank you. While the remain mostly my natural hair colour, the outer thirds have thinned and faded. My Dad is the same, although I dare say he doesn’t trim the inner end. The rest is just makeup: once my fountain goes on, that hides the fairer parts, so careful application of brow powder follows. I think I’ve got a How To image of you or others are interested.

  3. I’m at that age that I wondering if I could rock a grey bob in the way Emmylou Harris does. (Actually I doubt if anyone could, but it’s a look to aspire for.)
    The visit from TrendCo sounded fabulous. Did you take the plunge and go for a blonde look?

    1. Why not give it a go, Susie? Pre lockdowns a few women were going silver and I’m seeing a few people giving up on hair colour, to embrace their natural grey colour (including the Ever Lovely Mrs J, who looks cool in my book).

      I’m afraid I didn’t take the plunge on the wig, no. I put it on for fun really and I’m quite happy with my current human hair number (I certainly didn’t pay full whack on that which helps). While the blonde number was very different, the band at the front was a little tight and having been a straight hair person – pre and post hair loss 🙂 – I wasn’t sure how to style it. The last bit behind quite evident from the photo! 😁

    2. I should second Sue’s comment about your brows. The photo with the blonde wig does show off them off well. They do take a bit of maintenance (mainly plucking out the coarse white ones these days) but it’s surprising how much difference they make to the face as long as you don’t stray too far into pencil-thin territory.
      Also second Joanna’s comment on your cat tunic dress. It’s rather lovely.

      1. That’s really kind, Susie, thank you.. The tunic was from the summer sale, although getting the material, possibly an item from the previous Autumn/Winter run. A lucky purchase.

        As to brows, IMO, perhaps the camera offers a view that’s different to the real world? That or, and going back to a frequent point, that we’re not quite able to see the same thing others do when we’re our other selves. That aside, thank you.

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