Another Fashionista Day

Not a Pretty Picture Dept.

Here is a follow-up on the outfit I purchased from New York and Company last week.

Everything fit me fine. I liked the polka dot blouse and it is a keeper, but I did not like the pants.

The on-line photos gave me the impression that the pants were stretchy leggings made of a cotton and spandex blend. Instead, the pants were a rayon, nylon and spandex blend and did not stretch much at all... not like leggings. Instead of clinging to my legs like leggings, they covered my legs and did not hint at the shape of what was underneath.

Maybe they were too big, but they were also very wrinkled and not attractive at all (on me), so I am returning the pants along with the matching cardigan for a refund.

Ten Happy Piggies Dept.

I wanted to wear my "new" Nine West high heel pumps out to dinner last Wednesday, but I was a little hesitant. The heel is 4-1/2-inches high and at that height, comfort can be a problem.

I have high heel inserts that usually provide some comfort, but I decided to try something different: ball of foot cushions that I recently purchased. The cushions are different than to what I am accustomed. Rather than slipping the cushion in your shoe, you wear your hosiery over the cushion and the cushion has a loop that slips over your second toe (the little piggy that stayed home) to keep the cushion in place.

They worked. I wore my heels for over six hours and comfort was not an issue. I even wore them driving my manual transmission go kart.

(Source: Pinterest)

Frederick Weller femulates in television's In Plain Sight (2012)

Fashionista Friday

I watch old movies... the blacker and whiter, the better... and my TV is usually tuned to Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Wednesday evening, TCM showed and I watched True Confession, a wacky 1937 comedy featuring Fred MacMurray and Carole Lombard.

The film was fun and the humor held up despite being 79 years old. I particularly liked the acting of Carole Lombard. I had never sat through one of her films before and I thoroughly enjoyed her performance.

I also loved the outfits her female co-stars wore throughout the film. They were so classy and feminine that I wanted to ride the wayback machine back to 1937 in order to hit the racks at Macy's and Gimbels. (I am positive that I dressed like those women in a previous life.)

Una Merkel and Carole Lombard

Una Merkel, Edgar Kennedy and Carole Lombard

Carole Lombard and Eleanor Fisher

Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray

Carole Lombard on the witness stand.

Carole Lombard and Una Merkel surrounded by cops.

Wearing Prada (coat), T by Alexander Wang (dress) and Manolo Blahnik (shoes).

Blonde having more fun!

My Secrets

On Tuesday, Paula left the following comment: Love your style; please share your secrets with us and post your favorite on line shopping sites!

I had to think about my "secrets" because most of what I do style-wise comes naturally to me. I don't think about it, I just do it. And this is what I do. 

Emphasize your assets.

My legs are my best assets, so I show them off by wearing short skirts and high heels. Heels make my legs even more shapely and short skirts reveal the results.

And there is some truth when I say, "My skirt's not too short – my legs are too long! " I have resigned myself to the fact that the styles I prefer are going to be on the short side due to my leg length.

Dress for your body's age, not your calendar age.

My arms are svelte enough for sleeveless sheaths and my legs are toned enough for short hemlines, so I show off what I've got (while I've still got it).

When in doubt, wear nude pumps.

Matched to my skin tone, they're a safe bet and they make my legs look even longer.

If it works, keep working with it.

When I find a style that looks good on me, I become a fan of that style and populate my wardrobe with more examples of that style. For example, I discovered that I look good in wrap dresses and as a result, I now own an assortment of wrap dresses.

On the other hand, keep an open mind. When you are shopping, try on styles that are not in your style book. You never know – it may look great on you. That's how I discovered that jumpsuits belong in my style book.

Never buy a boring coat.

"Outerwear should never be an afterthought," says Holmes & Yang co-designer Jeanne Yang. "So many people only see you in your coat—if you're not wearing something great underneath your trench, they'll never even know!"

With that thought in mind, fur coats are never boring. I own two full-length fur coats and a fur jacket. And I love animals, so all my furs are fake.

Own something in animal print.

Animal prints are timeless, racy enough, and always glamorous. I own a variety of animal print clothing and accessories.

Scarves are not for hiding.

Scarves are recommended for girls like us to hide our Adam's apple. I don't have much of an Adam's apple, so I never wore scarves... until about five years ago, when I came across my dear departed Mother's stash of scarves. One girls' night out, I wore one of her scarves in her honor; I liked the look and began collecting and wearing my own stash of scarves.

Bigger jewelry is better jewelry.

Most girls like us are proportionally larger than cisgender girls. As a result, some of the jewelry designed for cis-girls is proportionally too small for us. So when I shop for jewelry, I shop for jewelry that is bigger rather than smaller.

***

If you have any questions about my secrets or anything else, please ask (stana-stana at sbcglobal.net). In another Femulate, I will deal with the second part of Paula's comment and discuss my favorite on-line shopping sites.

(Thanks to InStyle.com for helping me bring out my secrets.)

 

 

 

Wearing Cynthia Rowley.

 

 

 

Gaurav Ghera femulates as Mrs. Pammi Pyarelai on Indian television (2013-15).

Elongation

Back when I was studying to be a girl, I learned that to elongate your legs, you should wear shoes that do not break the continuous line of your leg from the hemline of your skirt to the throat of your shoe. Anything that breaks that line ruins the illusion and makes your legs look shorter. As a result, ankle straps and similar adornments should be avoided. So I am confounded by the popularity of some of the shoe styles being worn by women these days. Specifically, I am referring to the styles that cut the legs off at the ankles and have no throat at all. Each to her own, but this girl wants her legs to look long. So I will try to follow this shoe advice, although I do admit having an affection for Mary Janes and cannot resist breaking that rule occasionally.

 

Actors Dennis Marsico, Tom Vazzana, Louie Gravance, David Kelley and John Graham, some femulating, some not on stage in Murder's a Drag 2011.

 

 

 

Wearing Maggy London.

Got Hats

(This post was inspired by Peter Lappin's "Requiem for Ladies Hat" post on his Male Pattern Boldness blog.)

Peter wrote, "...during the first half of the Twentieth Century (and a bit beyond), women wore hats outside -- and sometimes in -- as a matter of course.  A fashionable woman would no sooner be seen outside without a hat than she would without stockings or gloves..."

My mother wore hats for fashion through the mid 1960s, that is, during my formative fashionista years. As a result, I would don one of her hats when I femulated during that era especially if I was wearing one of the outfits she had put together that included a hat (like mother, like son).

Hats died out in the late 1960s. Just as my mother stopped wearing hats circa 1967, I stopped wearing hats when I femulated.

My mother passed on years ago and when we emptied her apartment, we discovered some of her hats. She kept some of her favorites. I don't know why; maybe she thought hats would make a comeback or maybe she just could not part with them. Whatever the reason, I could not throw them all away, so I kept my favorites of her favorites and have them stored in various nooks and crannies in the house.

Now that Peter has reminded me about hats, I plan to peruse my mother's hat collection and see if there are any that will go with the outfits I plan to wear out in the near future.

 

 

 

Actor Geoffrey Rush femulating on stage in
The Importance of Being Earnest, Australia 2011.

 

 

 

Wearing Boston Proper.

Fantasia Fair Fashionista

Attending Fantasia Fair requires planning if you are a fashionista.

The first time I attended the Fair, I brought eight pieces of luggage! That's over one piece of luggage for each day of the week long event.

On the other hand, I know a Fan Fair attendee who brought one dress for the whole week.

The second time I attended the Fair, my luggage was lighter because I was attending for a half week versus a full week. Cutting my stay in half would logically make my luggage lighter, but I also packed more intelligently to make my luggage still lighter and that is my plan (in progress) for my week long stay at the Fair in less than two weeks.

My first step is to obtain the Fan Fair schedule and see what is on tap.

In addition to being a fashionista, I am also a computer nerd, so I build an Excel spreadsheet to plan for the week after I get the schedule.

In the first column of the speadsheet, I list each day of the week twice - once for day wear and once for night wear.

In the second column, I list each night activity and in the third column, I categorize how dressy each night event will be. (Will a cocktail dress do or will full glam evening gown be necessary?)

In the fourth column, I list items from the Stana Collection to meet the requirements of each day and night event.

I add four additional columns: one each for shoes, hosiery, jewelry, and handbag to accessorize each outfit.

After I fill in all the blanks, I sort everything to arrive at an initial packing list. Hopefully, there will be some duplication (most likely in accessories).

To the initial list, I add scarves, unmentionables, outerwear, wig, makeup, lighted mirror (to apply makeup), baby wipes (to remove makeup), Nair, nails, shaving stuff, dental stuff, other toiletries and the electronics (camera, cell phone, computer, etc.)

Hopefully, I will not need eight bags to pack everything. Such is the lot of a Fantasia fair fashionista!

Stana’s Fashion Trands: A Closet Update

Added to Stana’s Closet 
Ponte Heart Print Dress from Julian Taylor (via ideeli)

Solid ponte knit sleeveless dress with a wide scoop neck, center front and back heart-printed panel, buckle detail over left shoulder and hidden back zipper closure. Not lined. 35" long.

Added to Stana’s Closet
Belted Crepe Knit Dress from Julian Taylor (via ideeli)

Crepe dress with cap sleeves and V-neck, bold print and solid side panels, side elastic detail on waist seam, optional skinny belt with studs. Not lined. 38" long.

May Be Added to Stana’s Closet
Palm Jacket and Stretch Flounce Skirt from Ann Taylor

jacket - Wear-now style: a fresh take on suiting makes a chic summer statement in noteworthy neutrals inspired by natural textures. Pair with an embellished top for an irresistibly feminine touch. Front hook-and-bar closure. 3/4 sleeves. Besom chest pocket. Front flap besom pockets. Lined. 20" long.

skirt - A ruffle hem imparts a delightfully feminine flounce to this alluring skirt, finished with a hint of stretch for a truly flattering fit. Hidden side zipper with hook-and-eye closure. Lined. 18" long.

Stana’s Fashion Trands: Fringed Boots

I love these new fringed boots from ShoeDazzle!

Named "Callia" and available up to size 11 in red or black, this fringed faux-suede ankle boot has a 1.25" platform, 4" heel, and side-zipper.

And there is “Maki,” a faux-suede peep-toe ankle bootie with tassel accents and back zipper. It has a 0.5” platform and 3” heel and is available up to size 11 in black, brown, and purple (I love the purple).

I can’t decide which to buy --- Callia or Maki!

Watching Oscar

I am watching the Academy Awards shows tonight and will be posting my trans-fashionista comments here until the end (mine, not necessarily the shows').

19:16 EST: Switching between the red carpet shows on E! and TV Guide Network (TVGN). E! has a better staff than TVGN except for the glaring exception of transgender-bashing Kelly Orbourne. How does someone who dresses like her get off dishing on the way anyone else dresses? I hope her 15 minutes is over soon.

19:22 EST: I much like Rose Byrne's black sequins evening gown.

19:27 EST: I also much like the evening gowns worn by Jennifer Lopez, Stacy Keibler, and Milla Jovovich.

 19:34 EST: Is it just me or was Bridesmaids overrated? If it wasn't for the feces jokes, that film would have been a blip on the radar that would have faded long ago. Personally, I found the feces jokes disgusting and not amusing.

19:41 EST: I also much like Leslie Mann's evening gown.

20:01 EST: What the... I assumed the Awards show would start at 8 PM like it has for the past 45 years! Wrong! It starts at 8:30. At that rate, I may fall asleep before Billy Crystal finishes his opening act.

20:15 EST: Having seen most of the outfits worn by the stars tonight, the outfit I would most like to femulate in is Rose Byrne's black sequins evening gown.

20:23 EST: On the other hand, I loved Midnight in Paris. I watched it for the first time last night and it is right up there with my favorite Woody films, like Annie and Hannah.

20:44 EST: Billy Crystal's opening act was the same time-proven shtick he used for hosting the Oscars in the past.

21:22 EST: The Wizard of Oz focus group was very funny. (Love those flying monkeys!)

21:51 EST: I'm running out of gas --- next commercial and I may call it quits.

21:54 EST: Ben Stiller represents nepotism at its greatest. I think his parents are talented, but Ben... not so much.

22:07 EST: Christopher Plummer wins the Best Supporting Actor award. I will always remember his excellent femulation in The Silent Partner.

22:22 EST: My eyes are getting sleepy.

22:30 EST:  My fave Woody wins for Best Screenplay (for Midnight in Paris)! Hurray! On that positive note, I am going to bed.

Read Today

I had no idea that some places require sterilization before a person can legally change his/her sex, but I found out all about it in Ann Tornkvist's article "Sweden’s shameful transgender sterilization rule" that appeared on Salon today.

And it’s not only in Sweden…

“'Forcible sterilization' [before SRS] has been quietly practiced for decades in countries typically cast as progressive on LGBT rights: France, the Netherlands, Australia and a number of U.S. states still require it. Italy and Germany have just recently overturned similar legislation."

"Although Swedish leaders have been talking for months about repealing the sterilization law…"  "…the conservative Christian Democrats have doggedly opposed the repeal, arguing that sex reassignment surgery is a threat to traditional social roles."

You can read all about the government's robbery of a fundamental human right --- procreation --- here on Salon.

Over at The Huffington Post, Rebecca Juro takes MSNBC's Ed Schultz to task for guesting a gay man to discuss the Chaz Bono Dancing with the Stars controversy.

"The first concern is also the most obvious. Given that Chaz Bono is a female-to-male transsexual man, one has to wonder why Ed Schultz invited a gay man and not an actual transgender person to appear on his show to speak on the topic.It's kind of like hosting a discussion on issues faced by African Americans with a white person presented as an expert, and makes just about as much sense.

"The second problem is more difficult to recognize unless the viewer is already familiar with Chaz Bono himself. Bono is a man who is in a serious romantic relationship with a woman. He is therefore heterosexual, not gay. By asking Mike Rogers if the media attacks on Bono lead to gay bashing, Ed Schultz revealed his clear lack of understanding of what a transgender person is, as well as his ignorance of the difference between sexual orientation, the gender of the person one is sexually and romantically attracted to, and gender identity, whether an individual personally sees themselves as male, female, or something else entirely, a gender identity that doesn't fit neatly into either of those socially constructed boxes."

You can read the entire story here on The Huffington Post.

Finally, if you are a fashionista (guilty) with a penchant for high heel footwear (guilty again), you must read Dr. Steve Rosenberg's "Help... Is It a Shoe Problem or a Foot Problem?" also on The Huffington Post.

In the article, the good doctor describes how you can become your own foot doctor. This is a recommended read for girls like us who consider 4-inch high heel pumps to be our preferred daily footwear.

Big Delivery

Saw the mailman make a delivery, so I took a break from my housework to see what he brought.

Opened the mailbox and among the usual collection of junk mail was a thick catalog. It looked about the size of the old Sears catalogs, but I knew it was not from Sears and I could not imagine what it was.

I pulled the hefty book out of the mailbox to discover that it is the September issue of Vogue --- 758 pages of fall fashionista heaven.

I can't wait to finish my housework so I can peruse it!

How To Develop Your Own Style

"I believe that when it comes to being successful at anything, experimentation is the key. It's essential to try new things so that you know what works & what doesn't! It just makes sense: the more information you have on a subject, the more capable you are of making first-class choices. When it comes to what's hanging in your closet, there are plenty of things you can do to start constructing a more substantial vision of your personal aesthetic."

So begins Gala Darling's great article from The Huffington Post. I highly recommend this article to all of you who are serious about femulating, especially if you are taking your femulations out to the streets.

Being a fashionista for a number of decades (that I prefer not to count), I found that I already follow some of Ms. Darling's suggestions. For example, I always take photos of my outfits, as she recommends, "Then take a series of pictures: front, back & side are most helpful when it comes to assessing how you look. (So few of us know what we look like from the back! This can be a total revelation, if a bit horrifying the first couple of times!)"

I do take photos, but I never thought to take photos from the "back & side," which makes perfect sense. After all, other people are just as likely to see me (and you) from the side or back as they are from the front.

Again, I highly recommend reading Ms. Darling's article, which is posted here.

it’s still almost April in Paris

Back on the 16th, I published a link pointing to a gallery of Paris street styles that demonstrated that spring was in the air in Paris.

That gallery was so inspiring that when a second gallery appeared, I had to pass it on to all you mademoiselle wannabes.

Enjoy!

almost April in Paris

It is not April, but spring is in the air in Paris and the mademoiselles are dressing appropriately, as this gallery of Paris street styles clearly demonstrates.

(To be à Paris en femme is my dream.)

I hope you enjoy the gallery and dream!

is my skirt too short?

Personally, there is some truth to “his fashion faux pas” that I posted here on Saturday. I have lost count the number of times I have gone out en femme and wondered about the length of my skirt (or lack thereof).

I am tall. The selection and availability of skirts and dresses in “tall” sizes is limited; even more so if you prefer something that is fashionable.

I am a fashionista and I prefer fashionable over practical, so most of the skirts and dresses I buy are cut for females of average rather than tall height. As a result, a hem above the knee for a female of average height turns out to be way above the knee on me. Not that there  is anything wrong with that.

I have shapely legs, or so I’ve been told. My mother often said I should have been a “girl” because I have such nice legs. The SO of a trans-friend of mine calls me “Leggy.” Countless other people claim that I have great legs. So, a short skirt on me is nothing to be ashamed of. And as they say, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it.”

On the other hand, I don’t want to expose everything. So I go by the rule that my hemline should be no shorter than where the tips of my fingers reach down when standing upright (unlike Heidi Klum pictured above). I will admit that at times, I have violated that rule, but most of the time, I try to be a good girl and follow it.

new bling-bling

Most of my jewelry is of the inexpensive costume variety. However, I recently received a gift certificate for LuShae Jewelry and I was able to add some real bling to my jewelry box.

After peruring LuShae's online catalog, I chose a pendant called Cluster of Ruby. Here is its catalog description:

The Cluster of Ruby CZ pendant is beautifully designed with ruby red CZ and round clear CZ all clustered together for that indulged look. It draws attention and adds style with elegance to your favorite top or dress. White Gold Rhodium Bond is achieved using an electroplating process that coats the item with heavy layers of rhodium, a close cousin of platinum that costs three times as much, which gives our jewelry a platinum luster.

The pendant arrived one week after I placed my order.

In this fashionista's opinion, the pendant is drop-dead gorgeous. It is one of the prettiest pieces of jewelry I own.

I look forward to wearing the pendant, but first I have to find earrings to go with it. And when I do, I plan to wear my new bling to a fancy occasion, probably to one of the formal affairs coming up in this spring.

Monday, Monday

Saturday, Saturday

I am really jazzed about my upcoming night out on Saturday. It is a semi-formal event and I will be dressed to the nines!

I always get jazzed when I attend an event like this en femme, but this event will be different because it is not a transgender event; it is a benefit for the Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective, so there will be a mix of attendees from the LGBT community and from the general public, as well.

I promise a full report and photos afterwords.

yet another womanless pageant

Google has alerted me to a bunch of womanless beauty pageants that have occurred this fall, but none of them were worth mentioning here as they were all of the "man in dress" variety showing little effort to truly femulate.

However, a regular reader of this blog, Ann Onnymus, sent us a link to a set of photos on Picasa from a womanless beauty pageant held in December 2007. There is no other information regarding the photos, but it looks like a high school event. The "girls" worked hard at their femulations, so the photos are definitely worth a peek.

male fashions

I am a fashionista when it comes to female fashion, but I usually do not follow male fashion trends.

However lately, things are getting interesting in the male fashion world from a femulator's perspective as fashion designers promote female-inspired fashions on the male. And unlike past attempts to feminize menswear, the males seem to be taking the bait this time and are wearing skirts, dresses, high heels, etc. out in public, often with make-up and a feminine styled coiffure.

I eyewitnessed these fashion trends when I visited Manhattan back in June and now I am seeing these trends back home in Connecticut. (Just last week here, I spotted a young male Wal*Mart worker in full makeup and a curly coiffure.)

To keep up with what is going on, I have become a regular visitor to two blogs that are on top of the topic, high heels for men and new male fashion. If you are curious, visit those blogs and you will probably be surprised with how some males are dressing these days.

feminizing menswear for real

This is Fashion Week in New York City.

Again, the catwalks are rife with menswear that borrows heavily on clothing from milady's closet.

Some designers are determined to feminize male fashions, so we see high-heeled male models wearing makeup and carrying their manbags down the runway with lace, ruffles, and bows accenting their pantalettes, kilts, and caftan outfits.

As a femulator and fashionista who loves female clothing and accoutrements, I feel that the designers responsible for feminizing menswear are not going far enough.

Stop pussyfooting around! If you want males wearing feminized clothing, go all the way.

Instead of separating menswear and womenswear, have both male and female models walking down the runways wearing next season's womenswear. Then you'd have something of interest to both fashion-conscious males and femulators.

As a femulator, I would not be caught dead in the current version of feminized menswear, but if they were showing womenswear for males, then I'd open my pocketbook to spend some money.

an invitation

As if I need an excuse to get dressed up, I, Staci, not my boy mode persona, received a wedding invitation today. I was very surprised to receive it. It is the first wedding invitation that I have ever received en femme and I intend to attend.

What to wear to a wedding?

I've never faced that problem before from the feminine side of my closet, but it is a very nice problem for a fashionista like me to have.

It will still be summer on the wedding day, so I have a few summer outfits to consider. Or maybe I should buy something new; with summer winding down, there should be some good deals on summer dresses in the stores.

And, I can't think of a better place than to wear my new hairdo for the first time.

what I will be wearing this fall... maybe

I am starting to see some fall fashions that interest me!

Above left is a dress that appeared in the Kmart flyer that came with Sunday's newspaper. It is a Jaclyn Smith style and the price is right, but I am not going to Kmart to buy it because I hate the local Kmart! It is a pigsty and I refuse to shop there. Also, I have problems with Kmart clothing fitting me properly, so it probably looks a lot better on Jaclyn than it would look on me.

The other two dresses are now appearing in the Metrostyle catalogs. The sheath in the center might look fabulous on me, whereas I have my doubts about the peasant top dress.

Despite its appearance, the peasant top "outfit" is a one-piece dress, not a separate top and a skirt. I love the way it looks on the model. However, in my opinion, the peasant top adds width to the upper body, while the pencil skirt subtracts width from the lower body, which is just the opposite of what I need.

I will add the two Metrostyle dresses to my wish list and forget about the Kmart dress.