How much of an exhibitionist are you?

[Tristan Thinks]

How do you feel about being up in front of an audience, or on view, when it comes to doing something unusual or attention-grabbing?

 

How far do you feel you can go in terms of being a total extrovert and exhibitionist?

 

Here's a scenario to consider - one that happened to me:

 

A local bar has theme nights every month. Your friends persuade you to go despite your better judgement. The theme is "Stars of the Screen". Who would you go as, and how much effort would you put into the costume?

 

If you want to you can think about an alternate theme. Other theme nights I've done include "Beach Party" and "Super-Heros and Villians".

[Tristan Thinks]

My 'first time' was "Hollywood". My friend Ken and me decided we would shock all our friends and go in costume so we planned it all secretly.

 

Ken is about 6'3" and stocky so you can imagine what he looked like in full Liza Minelli 'Cabaret' costume: fish-net tights, suspenders, silver bodice, cane, top-hat and tails

 

 

I couldn't make my mind up on a costume. I knew I didn't want to dress up as a woman, but nor did I want to do something relatively easy like a tuxedo as a suave James Bond.

 

The issue for me was it would be my first time dressing up in public and I knew I'd chicken out if I didn't do something that really pushed the boundaries of my comfort zone.

 

Being a fan of cartoon animations I somehow decided on going as Mowgli from Jungle Book, which would avoid me having to get frustrated trying to create a complex costume. I had to colour my blond hair jet black to make it look authentic. My hair was quite short back then so it didn't quite look like Mowgli's 'mop' but it was okay. I made a loin cloth from a piece of calico left over from a roman toga party I'd held recently.

 

I looked rather naked and it was hard to tell who the character was so I had a moment of inspiration and decided to 'wear' the 10-foot long green snake I won at a fairground. Usually he hangs from the ceiling at home. So, Ken and me did some threading of cotton and buttons to ensure the snake's coils hung uniformly, and pinned the head so it was peering over one shoulder.

 

We were all nerves on the drive to the pub in costume, hoping not to be stopped by the cops and have to explain our dress - especially as I was just in the loin cloth! At the car-park I got 'into' the snake and off we went.

 

I can still remember the silence that descended the moment I walked through the door, as everyone stared. I almost turned and ran but then I saw all the smiles and grins and heard the 'wows' and I thought, "Yeah, I can do this!". Once I'd got used to the feeling of being almost naked I found I was enjoying myself, and certainly getting a lot of flattering attention from some of the hotties too

 

The funniest/scariest/worst part was that the drag queens seemed to decide en-masse that I belonged to them and would surround me and keep on trying to grope me under the loin cloth. I discovered that by crouching down quickly the snake's coils would trap their hands and protect my innocence

 

I think there were about 12 people that dressed up, the rest were boring sods! There was a vote mid-way through the night for best costume and I was amazed when I won it. It made me realise though that the entire thing had been worth it and people didn't think I was stupid.

 

On stage with the runner-up

 

 

Xander, me, Ken and Steve.

[rknapp]

Storm trooper. Covers the whole body so nobody can see me

[corvus]

The issue for me was it would be my first time dressing up in public and I knew I'd chicken out if I didn't do something that really pushed the boundaries of my comfort zone.

 

...

 

The funniest/scariest/worst part was that the drag queens seemed to decide en-masse that I belonged to them and would surround me and keep on trying to grope me under the loin cloth. I discovered that by crouching down quickly the snake's coils would trap their hands and protect my innocence

 

Funny how true that is -- you'd think that first-time nerves should be assuaged by doing something unobtrusive, but it's pushing-the-envelope stuff that makes it work.

 

The last time I dressed up was Halloween with my brothers. I was some kind of bird. Anyway, I honestly don't know what my reaction would be, and I think it really depends on who I'm going with and the atmosphere.

 

I must say though that Tristan's prize was very well won. It reminds me of Bjork's swan dress. And I can quite understand those drag queen.

[AFriendlyFace]

Well I'm pretty comfortable dressing for effect, in fact I do it quite often, but that's usually in the form of quickly altering styles, hair colours/cuts, and in general pushing the envelop with clothing choices. As most people around here know, I love fashion and am very interested in it. However, while I'm probably quite well dressed the majority of the time, I have no doubt that on many occasions I've strayed onto the wrong side of the line. This doesn't particularly bother me.

 

I quite like that people who haven't seen me for more than a couple of weeks would usually be quite hard pressed to figure out what fashion I'll be wearing, or what look I'll be sporting.

 

As for revealing outfits...no problem there either. I was at a party recently and when I walked in a good friend of mine laughed and said, "you know you might as well just take that off", in response to the skin baring outfit I had on.

 

Still, the most recent time I "dressed up" in the costume sense, was for Halloween. I was attending a friend's costume party and the theme was "Pirates" (it was shortly after the 3rd installment had come out). So, I didn't want to go with the standard sorta outfit, so I eventually decided on a "Slutty cross-dressing pirate". Standard pirate hat, skull black leather choker, standard pirate shirt, black glove on one hand, skull ring on the other, black panties, with fishnet stockings over black pantyhose, and then high heel black boots.

 

I think it turned out whether well. My costume (and butt) received quite a bit of positive attention

 

Anyway, I wouldn't describe myself as an "exhibitionist" in the strictest sense, I mean I don't strip, or purposely walk around naked with the blinds open (I've done it by accident a few times though ), but I'm not really shy either.

 

-Kevin

Edited March 1, 2008 by AFriendlyFace

[YaP]

I usually avoid drawing attention to myself. So dressing up for attention isn't really my thing.

If i can't avoid it (like being on stage with the band, or making a speech in front of an audience) i always have a bad case of jitters . But luckily it goes away after a while, and sometimes i actually enjoy it then

[BeaStKid]

"I like dressing up but wouldn't be outrageous"

 

I chose this option as it was the best that described my thoughts. I think for me it'd be---> Depends.

 

If it were a club, then no. But if it were with my friends, then yes.

 

Damn! Am I making any sense here?

 

Even this option---> It doesn't bother me - can take it or leave it was fine with me.

[old bob]

How much of an exhibitionist are you?

Quite a lot .

The most part of my business life was to talk with different people, to be often "on stage" in front of managers, politicians, bankers, trade unionists, students, military-men (from low rank officers to generals), in different countries all around the world. I had to sale different products and services, but I had above all to sale myself, to impress and you can't success without "show".

So I used my talents as "exhibitionist", always trying to adapt my clothes and my behavior to the people in front of me. Two "extreme" examples : when you have to discuss hard with workers at night in a foundry during a strike or when you participate at a party with "stars" at The Film Festival de Cannes, you cant be the same man .

 

What's the most far-out thing you've done?

The second part of the poll brings me to very old memories. I was 12, on holidays in Paris at my aunt. Her daughter, a 4 years older girl, with a lot of gals and guys friends, dressed me with her clothes (a very short skirt, high heels) changed my look with a ”strong” make up and introduced me as her little cousin from abroad. I had still my “baby” voice and all her friends recognized me as a “nice girl”. What began as a joke became a very “interesting” experience for me. Fist, I liked to appear as somebody I wasn’t, and furthermore I learned very quickly the ambiguity of my nature and the advantages and pleasures I could find in it.

Apart of this experience, I never dressed as a woman, but I often dreamed from these moments of my prepubescent life.

Edited March 2, 2008 by old bob

[jfalkon]

The last time I went somewhere in costume was in September. A TV show was filming its Halloween episode and they needed several hundred people in costume. I went as a zombie. It was partly an excuse to wear cloths that were so worn out that there were holes and stains everywhere. I was comfortable. The I painted on some bruises and dark circles. It was lots of fun. I stood out even among the people in costume. I think mine was one of the creepiest. It was all fun until I arived at home at 3am looking like a dead/rotting person.

 

I also go to some rather public pajama parties. Its not exactly a costume party but it does turn some heads when a group of people walk down the street in in sleep wear.

 

I guess I don't mind being stared at as long as I know why people are staring. As for going completely naked, it's not my thing. I don't like seeing myself undressed so I keep some kind of cloths on, much to the disgust of my nudist friends.

[Hylas]

I don't have a sense in fashion, in the sense that I'm not too ballsy to experiment. LOL So no thanks. I'm comfortable with my normal clothes.

 

Storm trooper. Covers the whole body so nobody can see me

 

Robbie LOL. Exactly the way I feel too. When I was younger, I use to wear sweaters and jackets all the time, along with hats. It just made me feel safer.

 

I wouldn't mind being invisible for example. I've fantasized about going to school in a gas mask or a ninja outfit LOL. The kind of clothes where only your eyes show. Only then would I feel comfortable. ROFL

 

And Storm trooper armor is waaay cool!

[Caipirinha]

I voted for "I'd love it!"

 

I love dressing up. I'll do anything from an actual costume to drag to wild clothes. So long as I can get a laugh out of it, I'm up for anything. Going in drag is probably my favorite though. God gave me the gift of being able to walk in heels, I may as well throw on the wig and booty shorts and make use of my gifts. ;-)

 

I wish I could pin point the craziest thing I've ever done, but I've done a lot of crazy things. One year around Halloween time a group of us went out to a Hooters. Well I decided to dress like a Hooters girl. So we walk in and the waitresses are all in stitches because of my costume and one of them says "Honey if you're going to wear the uniform, you better start serving tables." So I got up and started serving tables with them. The waitresses thought it was hysterical, but I'm pretty sure the guy who had ordered chicken wings from a blonde with double d's wasn't exactly thrilled to see me bouncing up to his table with his order. ;-)

 

I did make some pretty good tips though.

[AFriendlyFace]

I voted for "I'd love it!"

 

I love dressing up. I'll do anything from an actual costume to drag to wild clothes. So long as I can get a laugh out of it, I'm up for anything. Going in drag is probably my favorite though. God gave me the gift of being able to walk in heels, I may as well throw on the wig and booty shorts and make use of my gifts. ;-)

 

I wish I could pin point the craziest thing I've ever done, but I've done a lot of crazy things. One year around Halloween time a group of us went out to a Hooters. Well I decided to dress like a Hooters girl. So we walk in and the waitresses are all in stitches because of my costume and one of them says "Honey if you're going to wear the uniform, you better start serving tables." So I got up and started serving tables with them. The waitresses thought it was hysterical, but I'm pretty sure the guy who had ordered chicken wings from a blonde with double d's wasn't exactly thrilled to see me bouncing up to his table with his order. ;-)

 

I did make some pretty good tips though.

HAHAHHAHAHA

 

That's nifty!

[Tristan Thinks]

Well I decided to dress like a Hooters girl.

 

I love it

 

You know, I'm seriously going to have to invite all the exhibitionists over for a real good party at some point. I can imagine between us all we could create a serious stir