Once upon a time there was Lee's Mardi Gras, a crossdresser's heaven across the street from Hellfire. It was back in the day, sweetie, when there were still tranny hookers strolling the cobblestone streets of the Meatpacking District, long before Stella McCartney moved in. Up a rickety flight up stairs and after being careful not to let the cats out, you'd find an oasis of petticoats and structured undergarments.

Sadly, Lee's has gone the way of all other good things, and now we're left with mostly mainstream stores. That doesn't mean you can't still find fabulous bargains for genderfuck nirvana. Sure, you can shop online, but in our opinion, there's nothing more enjoyable than spending an afternoon shuttling between fashionable establishments and ending the day with armloads of shopping bags. Let's hit the streets!


WIGS

If you're looking for a quick fix, there are always the sidewalk vendors on St. Marks Place. Sure, most of their wigs come in pastels and neons, but they have some bland black and blonde bobs in the mix.

If you're looking for something a bit more stylish, however, your best bet is at Pat Field's emporium Hotel Venus. They offer many disco diva wigs to choose from, or you can bring in your own and have them style it.
Hotel Venus
382 West Broadway
212 966-4066

If you'd rather blend in than stand out, try one of the more serious hairpiece shops. There's a new place on Sixth Avenue that has everything you need, from human hair wigs to falls, scrunchies to raver clip-on hair. This is a wonderful place for anyone looking to pass in the nine-to-five world.

X-Tensions Manhattan Hair, Inc.
829 Sixth Avenue between 28th and 29th Streets
212 868-7858

And the long-time favorite wig and beauty supply shop on West 14th Street is sandwiched between discount retailers and taco shops. This is the place to go for everything from nail tips to conditioner. Why not get it all in one stop?

Wigs and Plus
49 West 14th Street
212 675-4129


SHOES
Even if cost is no object, your first stop for shoes should always be Payless! There are a million locations around Manhattan (and the rest of the country), you can browse at your leisure and try on a million pairs, and there's almost always some sort of sale going on. So why not get two for the price of one? They've recently begun carrying up to size 13 at some stores and their wide width shoes are comfy for anyone who wasn't blessed with narrow feet.

Payless
Multiple Locations
www.payless.com

If you're working on putting together an office ensemble with a little flair and you'd prefer real leather as opposed to plastic, check out Kenneth Cole. His lower-end line, Reaction, runs bigger and wider, and the styles are usually an easier fit as well.

Kenneth Cole
95 Fifth Avenue
212 675-2550

597 Broadway at Houston
212 965-0283
www.kennethcole.com

You won't find any fetish boots or stripper stilettos at Tall Size Shoes, but you will find an astounding array of styles in large sizes. Since this is a shop exclusively for the larger sized, the boots have wider calves, there are actually a selection of widths available and the sizes go up to 13. Keep in mind that this is a vanilla midtown store, so there will be more raised eyebrows here than all the other places put together if you're shopping "en femme."

Tall Size Shoes
3 West 35th Street
212 736-2060

Trash & Vaudeville is practically a landmark and no shopping trip below 14th Street would be complete without a stop at this legendary punk rock emporium. There are two floors to browse, with the goth, punk and sales merchandise upstairs and more club kid-type clothing downstairs along with jewelry, hair dye and shoes. And oh, my, the shoes! There are dozens of styles of Doc Martens, a million types of platforms, and Mary Janes till tomorrow. Try to focus, though, because they don't all come in large sizes. We're still heartbroken that we can cram our size 12s into those kitty cat flats! There are some not-so-sensible pumps, stiletto boots and assorted funky styles for those who are more fashion forward. Plus they always seem to be having a shoe sale, so check out the half-price selection.

Trash & Vaudeville
4 St. Mark's Place
212 982-3590

If you've got plenty of time to window shop and you're not too hard to fit, stroll along Eighth Street from Sixth Avenue to Broadway, the unofficial shoe store district. The salespeople are all way too pushy and they'll try to sell you anything that fits, so buyer beware. But the sheer excess of shops and styles will make you dizzy.

Assorted Shoe Stores
Eight Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue


MAKEUP

MAC is a great place to turn back time on your five o'clock shadow. And this is the makeup mecca that chose RuPaul as their corporate icon, right? There are a number of locations in Manhattan, but unless you'd like to be window dressing on Fifth Avenue or in the middle of Soho, we suggest you stop by their West Village location.

MAC
14 Christopher at Gay
212 243-4150
www.maccosmetics.com

Ricky's is the discount shopper's stop for all sorts of beauty supplies: hair accessories, costume jewelry, every imaginable hair product. Their house line of makeup features so many colors and textures it will take you hours to decide. They even have an assortment of glitters. It's loud and bustling and usually full of teenagers, but we can guarantee that you won't be able to leave without spending at least ten bucks.

Ricky's
590 Broadway at Houston
212 226-5552

718 Broadway at Astor Place
212 979-5232

80 East Eighth Street at Greene
212 254-5247

466 Avenue of the Americas at West 11th
212 924-3401
www.rickys-nyc.com


CLOTHES

Obviously, where you'll be shopping for clothes will depend completely upon the image you're interested in projecting. Sober office worker or sissy maid? Drag diva or elegant dinner date? Hotel Venus caters to crossdressers and club kids, but they only carry the skinniest of sizes. Trash & Vaudeville has all kinds of clothing for nightcrawlers, but nothing that won't make you the center of attention. Personally, when it comes to civilized shopping, nothing compares to a muzak-filled afternoon at Lord & Taylor. And Joyce Leslie's prices are so cheap you won't feel bad if you only get one wearing out a blouse or skirt and then just toss them in the garbage!

Joyce Leslie
20 University Place at Eighth Street
212 677-9728

Lord & Taylor
424 Fifth Avenue at 38th Street
212 391-3344

If you'd like to shop in a more discrete environment and you're tastes tend to run in a fetishy direction, Purple Passion is a dignified shopping establishment. They carry a wide selection of corsets, sewn for both the male and female physique, with skirts and crinolines to complement them. You can choose from loads of latex and leather, including custom-made garments. And there's a rack full of sissy maid uniforms and Daisy Mae dresses! They also have a shoe department with fetish styles up to 14.

Purple Passion/ DV8
211 West 20th Street between Seventh and Eighth Aves.
212 807-0486
www.purplepassion.com

If you envision yourself as Quiana-clad queen of disco, decked out in some slinky number with rhinestones and cutouts, L'Impasse is the place for you. They specialize in floor-length gowns that look like prom dresses gone naughty. If you're slender enough to pull these off, go for it, girlfriend!

L'Impasse
29 West Eighth Street at Macdougal
212 533-3255


ACCESSORIES

In our opinion, every woman should own a boa and a tiara, even if she never wears them out of the house. You can pick up a cheap boa on St. Mark's Place or at one of the many Ricky's, where you'll also find a few tiaras. Girl Props has an overwhelming array of sparkle and glitter squished into two tiny shops, one in Soho and the other on West Eighth. And if you've got some serious cash, you can shop where the serious queens do: either Hotel Venus or the garment district. We love to window shop on Sixth Avenue between 34th and 42nd, where you'll see Sweet 16 tiaras and copies of that diamond and pearl number Lady Di once wore. But the one with the stars that adds a full foot to one's stature is by far our favorite!

Girl Props
153 Street at West Broadway
212-505-7615

33 East Eighth Street at University Place
212-533-3240
www.girlprops.com