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National Post – Sat. May 1, 1999

Retail Therapy – Alex Tigchelaar

Taking A Walk On The Wildside?
Paddy can help you find, and dress, the real you.

If you're a cross-dresser then you already know how vexing it can be to find fashionable women's clothing that fits well, along with the never-ending terror of shopping in a public milieu if you're closeted. It doesn't help that you can easily get larger sizes either, because let’s face it girlfriend, you're just built differently. Take A Walk On The Wildside at 161 Gerrard St East, is a store which caters solely to the male-to-female cross-dresser, from balding head to great big toes. Paddy Aldridge has had the store since 1988, and her background in theatre and stripping has made her an expert at heavy make-up and glamorous outfits. "I grew up being a big woman," says Paddy, who because of her statuesque build made her own costumes when she was an exotic dancer. Paddy's husband, Roxy, can often be seen out and about in his wife's creations. He was in the audience at the Mike Bullard show on Monday, with his pal Renee, "playing hooky" in a custom-made school girl kilt ($79-99 with a Velcro waistband for that unpredictable male waistline), and frilly white blouse ($39.99, made with extralarge shoulders). "People like-roleplaying when they cross-dress," says Paddy, holding up The Socialite, a black dress with white cuffs and collars perfect for a cocktail party cat fight with Alexis Carrington. The biggest sartorial conundrum with cross-dressing is finding large shoes. Paddy carries up to a size 15 for $69. Sitting in the glass display case alongside sparkling showgirl jewelry is a pair of size 12s worn and signed by Willem Dafoe from the film Boondock Saints. He came to Paddy to consult on his screen look, as Paddy is famous for her "transformations." For $128.40, she’ll put together a complete look, which includes wig, make-up, dress, and heels. The Transformed can stay at the private club upstairs until closing, reveling in their new look with others who share an interest in ladies apparel. The store front is extremely discreet; just a small plaque on a quiet block of Gerrard. "People can come in and not feel ashamed," says Paddy. They stock literally everything for the novice and professional: wax to hide eyebrows, stockings to conceal leg hair, instructional videos and books. At $50, their wigs are such a steal that Paddy says "even the cops come in to buy them when they're going undercover."

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