Oh, how that greeting card rings true for me! My sister moved back home after she discovered college was not for her. She got a job as a bank teller and was required to wear skirts to work every day. She had a lovely wardrobe and we were the same size 12. Whenever I was home alone her closet was a delight to investigate and try on cute outfits. It was the early 80’s and cottage core was all the rage. She had this Victorian style blouse with leg o’ mutton sleeves and lace insets trimmed in ruffles that she wore with a flounce-hem denim full midi skirt. Whenever I could just get 10 minutes in that outfit, I could feel like I was “myself”. I would dream of going to school dressed like that and getting compliments from the girls. They would welcome me and teach me feminine comportment. My sister’s clothes were powerful.
A quick check finds the Hallmark card offering a bit thin. https://www.hallmark.com/search?q=transgender+cards&oq=transgender But it takes the bigger companies longer (read "glacial") to adapt. the search for just "Transgender cards" yielded a few "nice" ones, but it's probably too soon to find really funny ones. Here's one I really like: https://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/gender-reassignment-sex-change-announcements/transgender-announcement-retro-514938?campaign=googleshopping
On a completely different track, Stana, The name on your card brought back a memory from High School. We had two(!) girls in our class who were "supposed" to be boys and their fathers planned to name the boy a "Junior". So these girls were burdened with "Henryetta" and "Harryette", and when they had brothers you can guess what their names were, a sad reminder of how so many girls were considered "second class" back in the 1940s-1950s. Back then having a girl rather than a boy was considered a failure by so many men. I didn't share that feeling, by the way, and so often wished I had an older sister and that my mother hadn't been so small -- I couldn't fit into any of her clothes by the time I was in the 6th grade. I do know that once Harryette went to live on her own she had her name legally changed to "Helen". She liked the initial, but not the rest. Good for her!
I looking at the young femulators you posted , I was just looking back on pictures of myself in my 20s and if Femulating was more common and being more ok back in those days and if there was online availability of womens heels and dresses etc , I could have presented as a cute girl and that would have set a permanent path for me , Femulating as a partial part of my life
Oh, how that greeting card rings true for me! My sister moved back home after she discovered college was not for her. She got a job as a bank teller and was required to wear skirts to work every day. She had a lovely wardrobe and we were the same size 12. Whenever I was home alone her closet was a delight to investigate and try on cute outfits. It was the early 80’s and cottage core was all the rage. She had this Victorian style blouse with leg o’ mutton sleeves and lace insets trimmed in ruffles that she wore with a flounce-hem denim full midi skirt. Whenever I could just get 10 minutes in that outfit, I could feel like I was “myself”. I would dream of going to school dressed like that and getting compliments from the girls. They would welcome me and teach me feminine comportment. My sister’s clothes were powerful.
ReplyDeleteThat’s a cute card, I understand that Hallmark has a line of transgender themed greeting cards now Paula G
ReplyDeleteThat is a real Hallmark card. Only the "Your Brother..." signature is fictitious.
DeleteA quick check finds the Hallmark card offering a bit thin. https://www.hallmark.com/search?q=transgender+cards&oq=transgender But it takes the bigger companies longer (read "glacial") to adapt. the search for just "Transgender cards" yielded a few "nice" ones, but it's probably too soon to find really funny ones. Here's one I really like: https://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/gender-reassignment-sex-change-announcements/transgender-announcement-retro-514938?campaign=googleshopping
ReplyDeleteOn a completely different track, Stana, The name on your card brought back a memory from High School. We had two(!) girls in our class who were "supposed" to be boys and their fathers planned to name the boy a "Junior". So these girls were burdened with "Henryetta" and "Harryette", and when they had brothers you can guess what their names were, a sad reminder of how so many girls were considered "second class" back in the 1940s-1950s. Back then having a girl rather than a boy was considered a failure by so many men. I didn't share that feeling, by the way, and so often wished I had an older sister and that my mother hadn't been so small -- I couldn't fit into any of her clothes by the time I was in the 6th grade. I do know that once Harryette went to live on her own she had her name legally changed to "Helen". She liked the initial, but not the rest. Good for her!
ReplyDeleteReminds me of a former co-worker named Claude, who had three daughters named Claudia, Claudette and Claudine. (I kid you not!)
DeleteMy daughter had a friend called Demelza.
DeleteHer older brothers were Darin, Duncan & Damien.
I looking at the young femulators you posted , I was just looking back on pictures of myself in my 20s and if Femulating was more common and being more ok back in those days and if there was online availability of womens heels and dresses etc , I could have presented as a cute girl and that would have set a permanent path for me , Femulating as a partial part of my life
ReplyDelete