Great site. I thought I'd write to tell you of how I started. I intended it to be brief, but it just sort of grew. When I was younger I was caught out playing in Mum's dress. It was Mum who caught me and I was embarrassed, not so much from wearing the dress, but for being caught doing something I shouldn't. Fortunately Mum wasn't angry and she simply took me downstairs to have my tea and cake, as if it was perfectly normal (it was mid afternoon and when I was at home during the week we had tea and cake).Nothing was said and it was soon forgotten, until I was about fifteen. We were due to attend a party, well it was really a sort of function, at my dad's club. The party was to be fancy dress (as usual) and I was going as a rocker - the theme being 'Grease'.

About two months before the party Dad's mate and his family came for dinner. They had a daughter called Anna who was about my age, and while we normally got on well, for some reason that evening we started arguing, and with the appropriate use of tears on her part it soon became my fault. I was making fun of something that she had said, saying, 'That's always what girls say', and our Mums were united against me.

It was decided that I should see what it's like being a girl at a dance, and instead of my rocker gear I was to get a poodle skirt.The next day, when I came in from playing, Mum was waiting for me. I had to have a bath, and then when I was dry she handed in through the bathroom door a pair of pants - white satin girls' pants. I protested but she simply told me to hurry up. When I went through to my room she was waiting. She had a pair of high heel shoes. I was told that before the party I needed to get used to walking in heels. When I put them on there were two problems - I almost fell over, and they seemed to stick to my feet. For the second problem she produced a pair of tights, which after a struggle I managed to put on. For the first, she produced a pair of court shoes with a lower heel. I was able to walk about now.

She told me that we'd practice until I was comfortable in the high heels. Next came another surprise. I was told to put out my arms and before I could say anything she'd slipped a bra over my arms which she fastened behind my back. When I started to protest she told me I could hardly go around in tights and high heels wearing my jeans (I didn't think to point out that a lot of women do). Soon I had stepped into a waist slip and skirt. Next she slipped what I found out were a couple of silicon pads into the bra cups, and gave me a top to put on. When I was dressed she smiled, and said that I looked fine, and by the time the party came around I should be comfortable in a skirt and blouse, so as not make an exhibition of myself.

I spent the rest of the day in the house - well I wasn't going outside like that! And, as I wasn't going to go out, I had to help Mum in the kitchen and with the housework. When Dad came home it was almost as if he hadn't noticed. All he did was ask how I was getting on with the shoes. When I went up to my bed I found that my usual pyjamas had been replaced by a mid length satin nightdress.The next day was Sunday, and when I woke up I found Mum had left another set of clothes for me. So I found myself dressing in a pink bra and pants set with a pick lace suspender belt, full satin slip (white), with a blouse and a pinafore dress. After washing I dressed, it took a bit of fiddling to work out how to work the snaps on the suspender belt. When I went down for breakfast Mum smiled, Dad just asked if I was alright. Again I didn't want to go out, so again I spent the day with Mum, helping out. We even went up to my room and changed the bedding to a pink cover and a pink duvet. I had another night in a nightdress, but at least the next day was school so back to my 'normal' gear.

When I got back from school there laid out on my bed was a dress, bra and pants set, stockings and suspenders, and a lacy slip. I changed and then sat down to do my homework. After homework it was time for dinner and I helped Mum do the dishes. When I went to help with the dishes she brought out an apron she had made for me. Once the dishes were done, I was asked if I'd help her with her sewing. I found she'd cut out a pattern for a skirt and she showed me how to lay it out on some fabric and then cut it out, it was a pale blue cotton material and a blue lining fabric. By bedtime the pieces were cut out and had been edged, by me, on the overlocker. The next evening after homework while wearing the blose and pinafire dress, I sewed together the skirt and lining, and I even managed the zip without too much trouble, beginner's luck no doubt.

Mum had laid out the pattern and fabric for another skirt. This time it was to be a circular skirt. Mum made a petticoat to wear with the skirt which had an outer and inner layer of satin, and two inner layers of chiffon which sandwiched a layer of tulle. Each layer was three tiers, each fuller than the other, and the bottom of each layer was trimmed in lace. The top satin layer had each tier edged with lace, and a trim of pale blue satin ribbon. The ribbon formed a bow at the middle front of each tier, and on the bottom tier my name was embroidered.

At the weekend we even went down town to buy some more fabric and patterns for me. I wasn't in a skirt, but did have to wear a blouse and girls' slacks. We even bought a new nightie and some lingerie for me. I thought we'd finished but no, I had to get a skirt and a pair of court shoes with a two inch heel. Mum made no attempt to hide that they were for me even having me try on the shoes in front of the salesgirl. By the end of the next week I'd made another skirt and a dress, a cream cotton dress with a few flowers on it lined in white. On the Saturday Mum told me to fetch my things down that needed washing. These were in a basket by the side of my dresser. So wearing my cream dress over my petticoat, I carried the basket down for washing. Mum showed me how to seperate the colours, and put the things in the machine and set it. There were two loads: one for colours and one for whites, the whites was mostly lingerie. While we waited for the washing Mum applied some nail varnish to my nails and a touch of make-up and lipstick.

Once the second load had been done Mum said I should put them on the line to dry. I thought we were going to put them through the drier, but Mum insisted I put them on the line. Our back garden wasn't exactly private. The fence between us and our neighbours was not only about waist height, but was also only a wire fence. As I hung up the clothes I heard voices at the back of me, and looking around there was Mum talking to Jenny out neighbour. I could feel my face burning scarlet. When I'd finished putting up the clothes I turned around and now they'd been joined by Alice, Jenny's daughter. Not only was she my age, but she was in my class. Alice had her camera out, she seemed to be everywhere with it, and took a photo as I walked over to join them.

Mum was explaining that I was doing well with the dressmaking and made most of my own skirts and dresses. She invited them over for a coffee, and I was sent in to make four coffees. Alice had another photo of me as I sat down to coffee, trying to be careful not to show too much petticoat, which did however end up showing out the side of the chair. Jenny commented on the petticoat, and Mum then had me show it to Jenny. I had to hold up the skirt of my dress while Mum showed the lace and the trim and even the embroidered name. Alice was scolded, only mildly, for taking a couple of photos of me holding up my skirt, and only merited a mild rebuke when she asked me to hold the petticoat out so she could get a decent picture of the embroidery. Despite the rebuke, I was told to hold it properly as she took her picture. While we had coffee Alice asked if I'd help with her homework. I'd already done mine, so said 'Sure', and she arranged to come over the next day after lunch.

So it was after Sunday lunch I found myself being told to change into a more schoolgirlish outfit, grey A-line skirt and white georgette blouse. At four Alice arrived with her pal Sarah. We spent about two or three hours doing homework, and Mum brought in some tea and cake. After we'd finished the homework, Alice asked if I'd like to go next door and watch a video. I wasn't going to but Mum said I should and handed me my circular skirt, a petticoat, and a satin top. I was going to go to the toilet to change but Mum insisted I change there. So there I stood in front of Alice and Sarah, stepping out of my grey skirt and my white blouse and underskirt, then stepping into my petticoat, and putting on the skirt and top. Meanwhile adding to Alice's photo collection.

Suffice it to say that by the time the 'Grease' night came, I could dance in my skirt and heels and was perfectly at home in them. But my petticoating had been effective. You wouldn't find me making jokes again at girls' expense.

'Julia'

In the books of Dr Havelock Ellis, which I browsed through whilst at university, there is the case of two women, a mother and aunt, who decide that their boy is to attend a fancy dress party to which he has been invited as a nurse, including underwear. The author mentions the gleeful attention which the two women devoted to ensuring that he was dressed just like a girl from the skin out, and their totally ignoring the boy's obvious unhappiness with the idea.

This is a similar case. I do remember the petticoats of the 1950s, and they were absolutely luscious. Read the description of the gorgeous pettis that 'Julia' is made to wear. Aren't they wonderful? And what a turnaround, to change from the tough leather jacket that he no doubt thought he would be wearing, to satin panties, nylon hose, a lacy bra, and those overwhelming petticoats!

The 'leather jacket' fashion of the 1950s was a consequence of the surplus of military wear which flooded the cheap clothing market in the wake of the Second World War.
Susan