You mean this stuff?
If I had problems with conventional shampoo Iād be tempted to try a complete-rinse labware cleaner like Liquinox.
Great thing about where I live and work is that if I wear trousers thatās already dressier than many of my colleagues, and if I tuck in my shirt Iām presumed to be heading off to court or a wedding.
As for shaving, my nice bristle brushes are now used for cleaning LPs; Iām back to a multi-edge in the shower and lathering by hand. Razor from Dorco because theyāre great and blades are cheap (direct from the company). Beard/hair trimmer from Panasonic because its torque on batteries beats my old plug-in Remington and it cleans easily.
I used to alternate between beard on/beard off in 2 month cycles, but once I went for a few years with the beard, then removed it before a party. This was when I was recently arrived in England, and hadnāt yet mastered the language. When friends asked about the beard being absent, I said āI havenāt had it off in years.ā Much sympathy ensued.
Bespoke shoes. Theyāre expensive, but last so much longer than the off the shelf crap that youāll almost certainly financially break even over time. But oh so comfortable and with the mix of practicality and/or style that you want.
Buy at least 2 pairs and rotate them. Look after them and theyāll last 10 years or more. And you can eliminate the pile of not-quite-right crappy off the shelf stuff in the bottom of the cupboard and save some storage space.
Do you get yours from a local cobbler/shoemaker or from one of the larger houses? The ones Iāve heard about in the past are John Lobbs, and I think I remember their bespoke shoes costing $5k-$8k per pair, which is a heck of a lot of Converse All Stars.
Ever since I got a dog, my shoes have all become slip-ons, what with running in and outside a dozen times a day.
Russell Moccasin. I tend to go for practicality over style so their utility suits me. Bit of a waiting list though, so order 6 months before you need them.
At the rate I wear out off the shelf shoes I break even in 5-6 years per pair. So anything longer than that is only at the cost of replacement soles.
The other neat thing is that you can ring them up, talk to a craftsman and get a shoe or boot made for the purpose you require, not just made to an off the shelf pattern or design from the website.
Iāve cross-dressed a few times. Not for me. I canāt live without pockets. Thereās not enough hooks and crooks on the human body to store all my loot without extra pockets in my clothing, and bags are just one more āexternalā thing that can get lost or pilfered. I do use a backpack if Iām planning on hauling extra loot. And I have a very special relationship with that backpack. If you touch it, be ready to lose that hand.
Highly recommended. Comfy, grippy and tough. I go through a couple of pairs a year, but thatās in conditions that would destroy normal hiking boots in a fortnight.
Feel like I ought to offer something on footwear here, but as my last pair of trainers cost me $30 and I tend to live in thongs (jandals/flipflops) or bare feet, I got nothing. Dunlop Green Flash for the win though. Still as good as they ever were.
Because it is part of your toilette. ie: grooming, dressing and make up in private, usually in ones bedroom. (Toile means lace.) It predateds indoor plumbing and toilets and the word got misappropriated by you yanks in the 1800s trying to be all fancy! ;p
The times I go āfull femā on the spectrum are fairly rare and in such circumstances that itās not a problem that my outfit doesnāt have pockets, but yeah, the lack of pockets in clothing designed for women is a known and persistent problem. (Even my cis-female friends complain about that one, although there are a variety of solutions.)
The partner I live with tends to horde things a bit ā books, chocolate, stuffed animals. One of the things she hordes is bags / backpack like containers, so we do have a nice selection from which to choose, although for most days I use my large laptop backpack. (Sheās insisting that bags donāt really fall into the hording category, as she does give those away. I think sheās splitting hairs, but sheās the lovely dragon of the house, so I guess she gets to define āhorde.ā)
Seriously, why donāt womenās clothes have pockets.
I remember, in high school marching band, we were issued full uniforms and regalia. I got to wear a beret as a sousaphone player, since the shako hat wouldāve knocked into the bell.
I discovered that while my pants, top shirt, and vest all had fully functional pockets, they were sewn shut. So I fixed these defective products with a very sharp knife tip.
And my band director punished me for that.
Without those pockets I had to carry EVERYTHING in my hands. But he wasnāt hearing it.
Such bullshit.
Pockets both are fashion and utility. Donāt stifle my ability to carry a stick of gum.
I suspect itās because of the bias that women are expected to transport their everyday carry in purses, and that pockets may be viewed as un-svelte. So yes, Kind of bullshit.
