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| Wearing Bardot |
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| The results are in: My most “faved” photo on flickr in 2022! |
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Someday Funnies: Her Future Wife
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Stana on a Sunday
My Left Knee
My Physical Therapist (PT) visited on Tuesday and said I am at a six-week level of recovery at only three weeks.
Walking outdoors two or three times each day with a one. Indoors, I only use a cane for going up and down stairs. I can do the stairs without a cane, but use it for security.
Last night was the first night since surgery that I was able to sleep through the night without taking Tylenol.
So we are making progress.
Raquel
She had two connections with our community. In 1970, she played a transwoman in the film Myra Breckenridge. The film reviews were so bad (“the worst movie ever made”) that I never bothered seeing it, although I did read and enjoyed the book that was the basis of the film.
Raquel had a successful business selling wigs. I don’t have to tell you how important wigs are to our community (don’t leave home without it) and over the years, I purchased and wore a couple of Raquel Welch wigs. They were expensive, but you got what you paid for and they were quality products and more importantly, looked good on me, too.
God bless you, Raquel.
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Eddie Izzard: She/Her
A few months earlier, Izzard had been a guest on the Sky Arts series Portrait Artist Of the Year, and was asked, for the first time, which pronouns she preferred. She replied “she and her” and never gave it another thought. By the time the programme was broadcast, Izzard had forgotten about the conversation. And suddenly she was headline news.
The funny thing, Izzard says, is that she had first announced she was trans in 2017 in the Hollywood Reporter and nobody had taken a blind bit of notice. But this time it was different. Within hours of the show being broadcast everything had changed – her Wikipedia entry and IMDb history were revised, and every media organisation was running stories about how he had become a she. Actually, Izzard says, she had not intended to be so definitive about it. She had always talked about being in boy mode most of the time and girl mode part of the time, and she was still hoping to keep her options open. For her first half century, boy mode had dominated, and now it was time for girl mode to take centre stage, but on occasions she would still like the freedom to be a he. She soon discovered that wasn’t an option, though.
Take, for example, the new Netflix series she is currently working on in Manchester. In the adaptation of Harlan Coben’s thriller Stay Close, Izzard plays a small-town lawyer called Harry. “As I’m playing a male role, I suggested people should go back to calling me he and him for this, and what the world seems to have said to me is you can change your pronouns but you can’t use he and him as well. You’ve just got to be she and her from now on because we’ve only got so much time on our hands, thank you very much.” How does she feel about that? She beams. “Great. I’ve been promoted to she, and it’s a great honour.”
Click here to read the rest of this article from The Guardian by Simon Hattenstone.
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| Wearing Ann Taylor |
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| Matt LeBlanc, David Birkin, James Cosmo and Eddie Izzard femulating in the 2002 film All the Queen's Men. |
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Someday Funnies: Cross Dress Code
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| Wearing Bebe |
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| Paul Gilbert (center) femulating in the 1965 film Sylvia. |
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Our Conundrum
By Paula Gaikowski
Conundrum: a problem or puzzle which is difficult or impossible to solve.
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| Jan Morris |
What is most interesting about her transition is it occurred in 1972 when gender transition was still a rarity. While Renee Richards was making headlines, Jan Morris very quietly transitioned and continued writing and publishing highly acclaimed books. One of her best-known was the Pax Britannica Trilogy, a history of the British empire. I had heard about her transition back in 1972 and consumed anything I could find about her in newspapers and magazines. But I never got to read her autobiography.
Jump ahead to the 1990’s and I was working as a field engineer for Motorola in northern New Jersey. In between service calls, we needed to stay in our territory. Subsequently, I found local libraries a great place to do paperwork and read while waiting for the next service call. The Morris County library was a huge regional library that had many books on sexuality and topics like transgender, which was still very new. I would read anything I could find by transgender authors like Caroline Cossey, April Ashley, Paula Grossman, Lili Elbe, Coccinelle, Renee Richards, Christine Jorgensen and I finally came across Jan Morris’s book Conundrum.
I just want to add a bit of context here. I was reading and researching in a library (using the Internet was not an option then). When that happened, our world would open – we would be connected and able to share with each other as we do here in the Femulate community. However, in the 1990’s, we were isolated souls lost in the forest trying to find our way.
It took me a few days to finish the book. I’d visit the library and grab the book and find my favorite chair off to the side and read for a while. Finally, as I neared the end of the book, I was feeling a bit melancholy and downhearted. As I turned the last page, in the back I noticed a folded piece of paper tucked away in the cover. A piece of lined notepad, ripped and heavily creased, I unfolded it with mild anticipation and there written in blue ink in a friendly cursive script were the words, Know, that you are not alone.
My heart quickened, my mouth was opened in a gasp, I looked around fearful of what I’m not sure. Then I quickly came to the realization that I wasn’t the only one like this! Someone else cared. There were others like me right here, they came to this place and read the same books. Perhaps then, just maybe we could find our way out of the forest. Our conundrum.
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| Wearing Joie |
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| Ross Adams femulating in British televisions Hollyoaks. |
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Someday Funnies: Bro-Borrowing
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| Wearing Bebe |
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| Gabriel Sanches femulating on Brazilian television’s Pega Pega (The Big Catch). |
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Femulating Foto Fun
You simply upload a photo to the website and after a second or two or three, the website displays your gender swap. (The website permits you to make ten swaps. After ten, you have to register to continue swapping.)
I uploaded a handful of recent photos and the gender swaps were interesting. I could definitely see the male me in the resulting female swaps. Here are two of the best swaps:
Then I tried something different. I uploaded some photos of moi en femme and the results were amazing. (I’d do the results!) Here are the best – blond, brunette and the redhead image at the top of this post:
One lesson I learned from all the swaps: I’d probably look more feminine if I thinned my eyebrows more than I have already thinned them.
Anyway, this online app is very addictive. You can spend hours swapping your gender. Have fun!
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| Wearing Black Halo |
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| Christian De Sica femulating in the 2018 Italian film Amici Come Prima (Friends Like Before). |
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Someday Funnies: The Prodigal “Daughter” Returns
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| Wearing Gracia |
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| Jonny Beauchamp femulating on television’s Katy Keene. |
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Wear a dress!
March 6, next Monday, is National Dress Day when we celebrate the most versatile and fun article of clothing there is — the dress!
Fashion designer Ashley Lauren founded the day to help pay homage to dresses and the magical moments that happen when we wear them. “I remember the dresses I wore to my prom, first job interview, first date, competing in a pageant, my first red carpet event, the list goes on.” (In our case, remembering the first dress we wore or the dress we wore the first time we were out among the civilians.)
“This is a fun day to cherish and celebrate those memories.”
The simplest way to celebrate National Dress Day is to wear a dress! Because the day falls during March, it may be cold where you live and maybe you’ve been wearing pants for months. Use the day as an excuse to get out your favorite dress — no matter how springy — put on some leggings or tights and make new memories in your favorite garment.
I hope you will wear a dress next Monday and if you do, take a selfie, send it to me and I will post it here to celebrate National Dress Day online.
By the way, next Wednesday is International Women’s Day, so if you can’t wear a dress on Monday, wear one on Wednesday (when I will be wearing my birthday dress).
Even better, wear a dress on Monday and Wednesday!
I plan to wear a dress on those days. But it is too early to wear heels. Everything I’ve read says that you have to wait three months after knee replacement surgery before you can wear high heels. I guess I could pose for a few selfies in heels, but I won’t be hoofing anywhere in stilettos for awhile.
My recovery from surgery progresses. I no longer need a cane to get around, however, for my own sense of security, I use a cane when I am going down stairs (although I have navigated the stairs a few times when I forgot my cane).
I had my first rehab session on Friday and the therapist says I am recovering fast, so it won’t be long (yeah) before I will be able to go out en femme again.
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| Wearing Millie |
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| Lilo Wanders, German professional femulator |
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Someday Funnies: Hemmed In No More
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| Wearing Ronny Kobo |
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| Walter Evers, Paraguayan professional femulator |
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Trending
“The shirt, which Hawke styled as a dress over a black bodysuit, featured a window-pane plaid pattern in white and baby blue. Across the chest and collar, the piece boasted a wavy white grosgrain embellishment. She wore the shirt partially unbuttoned at the top and bottom, transforming the button-up into an instant minidress.”
Maybe some fashion-forward males will adopt the no-pants trend. Stranger things have happened.
In the meantime, men’s skirts are growing in popularity. Christian Allaire recently wrote For Vogue about his initial positive foray in skirts. After he wore his first skirt back in September, he was hooked and has added more skirts to his wardrobe.
It is worth noting that some of the men on the Internet wearing skirts are also wearing handbags. Skirts typically don’t have pockets, so fashion-forward fellows need handbags to carry their keys, wallets, makeup, spare pantyhose, etc.
Speaking of pantyhose, it is also worth noting that some Internet male skirt wearers have hairless legs and a few were wearing pantyhose (or some type of hosiery).
And then there are the guys pairing their skirts with high heels.
And so it goes.
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| Wearing Elisabetta Franchi |
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| Swedish singing group Pink Pistols Click here to see them perform “I Am Somebody” at Melodifestivalen 2014. |
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Someday Funnies: All in the Family
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| Wearing Ann Taylor |
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| Pieter-Dirk Uys, South African professional femulator |
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Various Items of Interest
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| Johnny Downs femulating in the 1941 film All-American Co-Ed |
His/Herstory Dept.
“The history of drag on screen: Strutting from ancient times to CBC’s Queens” is an interesting take on drag history from a Canadian perspective. A few of the videos in the article are missing, but most of them can be found on YouTube. Click here to read the article.
How High Dept.
Some women are most comfortable in kitten heels or low wedges, while others feel right at home in 4 inch heels. But why?
Dr. Emma Supple, a London podiatrist, says it’s all in the structure and flexibility of your foot. When relaxed, your foot has a natural incline. This is the position in which your foot feels most comfortable. It is also your ideal heel height according to Dr. Supple.
“What is your ideal heel height?” will assist you in finding your ideal height. Click here to find it.
Needs a Two-Piece Dept.
Velma alerted me to a tv commercial for Sotyktu, a drug for psoriasis, where the father is wearing his wife’s red bikini bottoms. When he turns to a profile view, he shows off his man boobs and obviously needs to wear his wife’s bikini top, too!
Testing Dept.
Feeling better all the time, yesterday I slipped on a pair of knee-highs and a pair of Nine West high heels, then proceeded to walk around the house.
My new knee did not complain about my footwear and that was very good news! So I expect that I will be heading out en femme sooner than later. I will be finished with rehab in two weeks, followed by a visit to my surgeon and then I think I will be good to go.
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| Wearing Bebe |
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| William Bendix (center) and company femulating in the 1944 film Abroad With Two Yanks. |
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Someday Funnies
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| Wearing Hoie |
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| World War II British prisoners of war femulating on stage at Stalag 383 |
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Happy National Dress Day!
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| Wearing Boston Proper |
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| Femulating on Russian television’s Ekaterina depicting males forced to dress as women to attend Catherine the Great’s weekly “Metamorphosis” balls. |
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My Eyes Are Up Here
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| Warner Womanmaker bra ad, circa 1964 |
“Has your blessing presented any difficulties when presenting as male? Do you take any measures to minimize their prominence under those circumstances? Or do you simply get on with life without concerns about what other people might think? I would be very grateful for any insights you might offer.”
I replied...
I don’t swim or go to the beach, so I am almost never topless in public. In fact, I can’t recall the last time I was topless in public.
On those occasions when I was topless in the past, a few neanderthals made comments suggesting that I needed a bra. One troglodyte even offered to lend me his girlfriend’s. Their comments, especially from friends and relatives, were hurtful, but I ignored them and went on with my life.
Clothed, my breasts are not obvious unless I wear a tight top. In my opinion, my breasts are no more obvious, probably less so than the man boobs that overweight guys shamelessly display, so I am not concerned with my perky twins.
I hope that helps.
For what it’s worth, when I measured my bust, I came up with B cups, but when I went for a bra fitting by a pro, she insisted that I had C cups.
And so it goes.
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| Wearing Venus |
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| Viet Alex, male womenswear model |
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Birthday Girl
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| Wearing New York & Company |
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| Yours Truly |
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Someday Funnies
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| Wearing Adrianna Papell |
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| Bradley Whitford and Jeffrey Tambor femulating on the television series Transparent. |
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Items of Interest
A promo for this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live has guest host Jenna Ortega interacting with the Please Don’t Destroy boys who are crossdressed as Wednesday of Addams Family. I don't know if the boys will appear crossdressed on the show or if their appearance is strictly for the promo. So stay tuned.
Monika Interviews Mariette Dept.
Monika alerted me to her recent interviews with Mariette Pathy Allen, who has been taking photos of our community for almost 50 years.
(I ran into Mariette at various trans gatherings in the past. In fact, I danced with her at Fantasia Fair about 10 years ago. But she never took a photo of me! LOL)
College Resources Dept.
Sierra from BestAccreditedColleges.org wrote that their team created a guide, the Top 50 LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges, which provides essential information on the best colleges for LGBTQ students, including:
- Campus clubs
- LGBTQ housing
- Campus safety
- Counseling
- LGBTQ-inclusive policies
These factors are vital for creating supportive and inclusive environments for LGBTQ students and the guide provides comprehensive information on the top colleges that offer these resources. Click here to view the guide.
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| Wearing Venus |
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| A modern Japanese couple |
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National Dress Day Participants
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| Wearing Brandon Maxwell |
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| Alastair Sim (left) femulating in the 1954 British film The Belles of St. Trinian's. |
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