Day 21: 6am home 3pm wake up

Sunday, I mostly slept.

Ha!

I'm awake now...Guess what I'll be doing.

Yep, sacrificing one of my OWN batches of lycra to make this damned dress. Don't worry, I'll be putting the cost of that fabric on the invoice so I can go and buy it again :-)

Hot chocolate anyone?

It's the last week from tomorrow! Eep!!

/o\

Day 20: The weekend is here!

Yo yooo!!! Late entries as usual over the weekend...

Having slept for 2 hours (it was meant to be 30 minutes. Oh well) I needed my zebra back!! Due to go to The Egg (nightclub), and as the night is called "Wearable Art" I figured I'd not be the craziest thing there.

So I got my stray zebra lycra pieces, quickly pinned them up and went to town with the overlocker. The main body took less than 30 minutes to put together. The Hood was a b**ch to put together, but I didn't care. It was going to be done tonight!

Perseverance is such a good thing :-)



I couldn't be bothered with the arms so yeah, double layering fun! I'm really enjoying the double layering thing (since the bad first experience) but for totally different reasons. There's none of the sensuality going on. Yes there's friction and constriction but it just accentuates what it would feel like if you actually had to put skin on! My blue suit literally "disappears" when I wear it, then "reappears" when I wear something over it. It's a bodily game of hide and seek!

Anyway, I left my place with the hood up and as it was 11.30pm it was dark and the main issue of "pure" zentai hit me...visibility :-(. Being spoiled with my modifications in the black suit means I had to try and adjust to my visibility being below 40%. I managed OK to the bus stop but wanted to hail a cab and couldn't see the yellow light indicator they have on the top of their cars.

I couldn't hail a cab. A) not many drove by B) those that did thought I was mad and wouldn't stop. Bastids! So I got random buses and had to walk a little between them. I got a nice complement from an Italian guy, "Heyyyyyy, sexy zebra womaaann. Love what you're wearing". "Thank you" I said with a grin.

Finally got to the club, and my heart sank for a second. The Levi jeans, the shiny black shoes, the Ben Sherman crumpled shirts...the gaggle of drunk girls arguing with the "door whore" the bouncers standing around like they had better things to do...The sober people standing around in a cue to get into the nightclub all of a sudden feeling totally undressed when they saw me.

HA!!!!

So...I don't think many people took the night's name literally (shame) and it was most certainly going to be a jungle in there. *rubs hands menacingly*

I get in no problem, walk up to the cloakroom and put my beanie, gloves (they had a special corner that cost a bloody pound!! crooks!) and tailcoat in. Time to observer the playground...

First area is a kind of terrace/garden space. Full of people, some started staring at me when I walked down the stairs. This with my hood down, it was odd to try and think of what - if anything - would bother me. Nothing did. I know either way, be it my face or hidden behind zentai, no one's really seen someone like me. Unless they know me already. Some waved and smiled, I returned the gesture and moved on to where music was playing...naturally.

Main room, Awesome bright LED panels on the roof = possibility of wearing my hood without fear of the "darkness". Now, wearing the zebra outfit meant I lit up like a Christmas tree :-) and people were looking, tapping their friends shoulder and pointing at me and loads of smiles. I got a drink (Gin and Tonic, standard) the only drink of the night. And found a place to stand and observe. Mostly to actually see how people move in and out of the room, where stairs are, where possible places to avoid were as well (so when I had my hood up I'd be able to avoid or remember to be more cautious).



So, whilst standing and watching, top hat tucked under my right arm, little shoulder bag under the left and drink in my left hand; this guy starts dancing in front of me and backs up a bit too much. A hand automatically went out to keep him from squishing me. He turned around and started dancing at me, with his friends looking on. I obliged a little and imitated his dancing a little, with all my bits in tow. It's nice when a crowd vibe is on the positive regardless of what you look like.

As we were fooling around dancing, these two girls come up to me with the biggest grins on their faces, "Oh my god!! I love your outfit!! Can I take a picture?!"

"Sure, hang on"

I put my drink and bag down and put my hood up and about to put my top hat on...

The screaming!!...I hit the back of my head on the wall I was just standing in front of they startled the crap out of me!

"OH MY GODD!!! YOUR FACE!!!!! YOUR FACE!!!!! No, no don't take it off! It's amaaaaazing!!!"

So after understanding it *didn't* freak them out, I put on my top hat and they took a few pictures with me. The guy was obviously lost with the music, but turned around and you could hear him say, "F**king hell!" then he started waving at me...I waved back and him and his mates burst out laughing.

A few more people came over and asked to take a picture with me. Thankfully no one had a proper camera, so the LED flash on their camera phones meant I wasn't dazzled for a few moments. They left, and I returned back to idling status with G&T in tow :-)

The music was quite bland (techno always is. For me anyway) so I drifted off upstairs. ARG!!! UV CANNONS!!!! Kryptonite to the white side of zentai, I tells ya! I took my hood off and realised that the rest of the clubs lighting definitely wasn't zentai friendly. A guy on his way to the toilets walked by and went, "Grrrr, sexy sexy!" I didn't hear him properly, but you know when you feel someone's directing an energy at you? I looked back and he was grinning at me, "Oh you KNOW you love it" I didn't really know what to say so being the ever coy lady I replied, "Oh baby, say it like it is!" That seemed to have gone down a treat as he ran off to the little boy's room.

I carried on upstairs and people were literally jumping out of my way due to how the white off the zebra and my top hat (now on my head) were popping in the UV space. A few smiles and waves and...Aww yeah someone's playing some Bmore this is the room for me!

Lighting unfortunately is a tad dire, except for when the smoke machine goes off to fill up the room. I guess I kinda feel like Dare Devil in the sense that I can see f**k all unless there's smoke (rain is his equivalent) in the air to bounce light around on people. So I find a corner, put my hood up and proceed to dance like no one's watching. Then the music changes/DJ's switch over...Meh!!! Time to move around.

The loft space was dead, and the sound system only had mids and horns on them. Basically no bass! which - even if it was meant to be a bar space - is dire.

Back down to the basement room and I'm standing around again. It's nicely smokey now so I put my hood up and look around whilst trying to find a "groove" in the mundane techno/house that's playing.

More people come up and ask questions. You know...it's kinda cool to tell people, "yeah I made these" and see their reaction. In equal measure to the wonderment and amazement you see on their smiling faces. More pictures then this guy..I think his name was Matt, starts chatting to me, but you can tell he's not all quite there. Still, he's pretty coherent and his friends come up to him, say hi to me, then pop off wherever they get off to.

Blah blah blah, and I'm on the dance floor...right in the bloody middle. I don't like dancing in the centre of a dance floor in zentai unless I'm with my friends who can keep a watchful eye out. On my own, I usually have a wall at least 40cm away from me so I know no one can "surprise" me from behind. Still, I danced for a bit then migrated to a pillar.

I took all I could in that room, and in a drop in the music I could hear the Bmore rhythm pounding upstairs. Immediate B-line (heh) upstairs. Hood up, through the UV Cannon stairs of doom into room 2. I think I slightly tripped up once on the stairs but was on a mission!

I found a corner near emergency doors, that was emanating a nice stream of light over me so I could see my immediate area and a bit further afield.

And I proceeded to: DANCE.MY.NUT.OFF

Sweating in double layers is interesting...one layer absorbs the sweat off you, the other one due to friction and such evaporates it. Awesome!

A group of clubbers gravitated towards me and one guy said, "I don't know who you are, but I HAVE to dance with you!!" and dance he did :-) and dance they did! And dance we all did!!!

More of the same from people with regards to pictures, comments and looking and smiling.

As the floor emptied, I just got lost in the music playing (I was here to support my good friend Scally Dan Dan and I think I did a bloody good job!). Limbs all over the place, concentrated breathing through the hood and checking my top hat was still there every now and then.

I think it was 5.30am when I realised, yeah my feet hurt! I tried to dance on a little more...but the insane dubstep-come-electro mess playing through the speakers was distorting a bit too much, and the sound engineer in me was having a hissy fit.

So a glass of tap water as I descended from the heavens to the cloak room. My tailcoat and gloves back in my clutches and off out home...

2 night busses and it's almost 6am on Sunday morning...

Day 20: First Skin check..

Mmmm, Saturday. Lovely.

My skin is behaving quite erratically today. So shall mostly be nudey in my robe towel again. Maybe my skin's protesting against its second cousin?

But going out later, in zentai (of course!), to a nightclub that's part of the whole London Fashion Week thing. I'm not on it at all, but I have friends who are big on it so being supportive of those who support me is a good start :-)

woo!

iZ

Recap: Day 19

Yes, posting this a day late but still under Friday...I'm a stickler for order, so sue me ^_^

So, after some jolly good Nina Simone in the morning...and uhming and aahing early afternoon, I finally got my butt outta the house and off to Oxford Street to go and buy stuff.

As per usual people would stare, or people who didn't like the concept would glare then turn away (as you do!?!) then glare some more. Hmmm, lovely London public.

Now, I know in busy places having a "faceless" person walking around even if all they want to do is buy something, can be seen as a national threat or something stupid. But hey, you never know unless you try, right?

So I found Primark with the sole agenda to find a cheap dress to base the design of this camo thing on. I walked in and immediately saw the security guy out of the corner of my eye but carried on walking, oblivious to the sheer panic that must have exploded across his face. I had my headphones on so couldn't really hear much. As people were literally parting way for me (nice!) and closing up quite quickly behind me, it made this security guy's job a bit harder to try and stop me from "infiltrating" the shop or whatever.

Eventually gave up trying to catch up with me and started shouting at me. Again, I barely heard him. Then he grabbed my arm. If I wasn't A) pushing my luck B) in a good mood and C) aware he was trying to get my attention....he would have had a broken nose by then. Yes, I can be a bit tetchy like that sometimes, there's no need to grab people...ever.

He said in an exasperated fashion, "What are you doing?" ..."What?" Again he said, "What are you doing?" I know what he means but my GOD are his communication skills rubbish. "I'm walking into your fine shop to buy a dress" .."No, you can't do that"

"Why ever not?" I tilt my head slightly

"Why have you got that on your face?"

"Hmm?"

"That, on your face! Why?"

"er..social project?" (I actually wanted to give him a smart ass reply but didn't fancy the aggro. Poor guy was stressing as is anyway)

"No, you must take it off?"

"If I take it off, and wave at a CCTV camera for like 2 minutes so you can get the details of my face then put it back on would that be ok??"

"No, it's Primark policy that you cannot hide your face."

(I'm sorry, but BS is it actually written in their policy. And why aren't these policies readily available for the public to read as they're obviously walking onto private property and need to know what's good and what isn't?)

"Fine"

I leave...walk to another shop and there's nothing there either. So, I really need to go into Primark to get a damned dress. Pride is swallowed and in a flash the hood is down and I'm charging through this place trying to find something suitable, pay for it and get the hell out of there.

I hate busy shops like these in "normal" circumstances. Add to that, my face is exposed and well...that panicky feeling is doing a number on me. Further more, the security guy I gave a bit of a hard time earlier for some reason has come ALL the way from his post, to the other side of the store to stalk me. My hood is down but my beanie is on as are my headphones and my collar turned up. From where I stand that's in line of their "policy" and seems so for him too as his constant chatting into his radio must signify his superiors are fine with me too.

Oh lookey, adult onsies!



Anyway, careering through this place trying to get the hell on out of there, I find nothing...Incidentally, people are staring at me with *more* shock/awe than usual. It's not every day you see a slightly androgynous looking person with no eyebrows :-) It then dawns on me that there are EPIC queues for everything! And it's then my frustration/panic-o-meter goes mental and I leave that place, simultaneously whipping the hood back on and crossing the street without losing my stride.

...and breathe...



So, I go to my new found "home" for trimmings and fabrics n stuff and to calm down, and focus on the fact that I need to make a dress from scratch. In I walk and the ladies behind the tills don't batter an eyelid, one of them grins as she notices the concealed zipper on my face that I bought from her only a few weeks ago.

I rummage around for bits and bobs then go upstairs to see if there are any better patterns I could buy for this dress. There aren't. I come back down and get one of the girls to let me pay for the stuff I've got.

"So is that a statement or a protest to something?" she asks.

"Nope...just wearing it for a month, to see how people react"

"Oh, so it's like a performance thing?"

"uhh...no not really. But it's been interesting"

"I can imagine! How've there responses been? I bet people are scared of you!"

"Something like that, yeah. Though most people seem to be bothered by the fact that you can kinda see my eyes"

"You look like you have something to hide!" girl 2 now comes to the counter as she's interested too.

"Ah, but I have nothing to show! What gets me, is how we all think that we have the *right* to see someones face without their permission" I say.

"But that still implies you're hiding something" says girl 2

"Only because that's the way we've been brainwashed to think since day 0. Think about the "peek-a-boo" game? Your face isn't valid to a baby until they see your smile and eyes."

The whole room fills with various "hmmm"ing of approval. I totally forgot there was a room full of people shopping too. Oh well.

"So yeah, to me, it's not an issue. If you want to cover your face...cover your face. Not many people share my view...especially the jobsworth jacket fillers in Primark. Then again the dresses in Primark are shit."

Lots of giggling by the girls on the counter and one lady looking at spools of microweave turns to me laughing and says, "Oh gosh yes".

The conversation carries on, and they're interested in what I've been getting up to so gave them my blog site. At this moment, one of the shop owners walks in to walk up to his office and he looks at me for a long hard minute. The girls are giggling, I'm totally oblivious till I notice they're not looking at me. I look where they're looking and sure enough this elderly gentleman with hair as white as the rays of sun outside looking at me in sheer...terror? I don't know, it was a mixed expression. I was giggling too but said, "Y'alright?!" He broke his gaze and uttered something whilst walking up the stairs.

Apparently he's the guy I need to see in regards to getting my Pfaff sewing machine fixed. And the girls said they think I might have perturbed him somewhat thus making a chat at that particular moment in time, not wise. Fair play.

I bade the girls goodbye, and that Friday feeling was once back with me. Having High Contrast's remix of Hometown Glory playing as I walked down oxford street to a tube station made the psychotic London massive look like a wash of colours. :-)

On my way back, on the tube I'm standing, minding my own business when a father and son come on and stand opposite me. Immediately the kid clings onto his dad and darts in and out of his dad's protection looking at me. I didn't want to scare him so I stayed still. But he carried on. So I waved at him and he grinned and laughed a bit then hid behind his dad again. His dad looked at me and I looked back at him, smiled and shrugged. He smiled back. They got off at their stop and the kid was still staring at me, so as the doors closed I waved at him, he waved back and I put my had over my mouth and "giggled". He giggled back.

Home stretch and I need to buy food (more food than normal) for someone who was coming round for dinner. No problems from the staff as they're pretty used to me now. One problem that I did face was those annoying little plastic bags that you put fruit/veg in. It's hard enough when you've got your normal fingers. It's bad when you've only got your index finger. And lycra makes it neigh on impossible! Still, I managed eventually.

I put a bottle of wine (Pinot Noir) in the basket too then realised...Ug, I'm going to get ID'd (I ALWAYS get ID'd). I grinned and carried on. Got to the till and the guy was grinning at me. "Y'alright?" I asked.

"Yes good thanks" he said smiling

"I bet you don't get this every day?"

"Well I've seen you around the place quite often"

"Yeah, I live around the corner so it's local"

"Ah" He takes out the bottle of wine, "Err..."

I grin. "It's ok, I'll show you my ID and take off the hood, ok?"

He nods still unsure. I show him my driver's license but he still doesn't believe me. (For the record, my license has a picture of me with hair...I now have no hair) I tell him it's me, quote off all the details of the card and he's cool with that.

"Thanks a lot buddy" I said cheerfully as he helped pack everything and put the change in my hand (as opposed to on the counter)

"Have a good weekend miss" he said as I walked off.

Home now, and due to cook up a massive dinner. Unfortunately Salmon fillet isn't lycra friendly...in that it STINKS up the fabric, so the arms were out.

The guest was late, but it's a given as I was late to the dinner party on Sunday just gone. But the food went down well.

Onwards to the sewing!

iZ