What I’m Underwearing

Self-portrait in pencil (2008)

I am always trying to improve my presentation. Losing 25 pounds last year made a big difference, but also required that I purchase new foundation garments because the undies I had been wearing were now too big. So a review of what I am currently underwearing is in order.

From top to bottom...

My bra size did not change. Maybe because what I was wearing was too small and now fits just right. I wear a longline bra to keep my tummy in check and recently switched from a Rago to a Carnival longline bra. I switched because the Carnavil is a front closure bra, whereas the Rago is a back closure bra. The front closure is just so much easier to deal with especially with a longline bra. Caveat emptor: the Carnival runs small and I had to order one band size larger (42B instead of 40B).

My derriere was not very shapely before the weight loss and was even more lacking after the loss, so I decided to experiment with padded panties to improve things down under. I found the Rago High Waist Padded Panty to be the solution for me. It adds a nice curve to my derriere where there was none before and it also acts as a girdle to flatten my tummy.

Under the bra and padded panty, I occasionally  wear a corset – the occasion being whether or not the outfit I am wearing is “body conscious” (“body con”). Corsets can be expensive, but I found a very inexpensive one that works for me – Frawirshau satin underbust corset that only costs $12.99! (It is so inexpensive that I bought a second one!)

So that’s the shape I’m in these days.

Wearing Marta Ferri  

Christian De Sica femulates in yet another film, Amici Come Prima, a 2018 Italian comedy.
You can view the film’s trailer on YouTube.

Fashionista Wednesday

Black opaque tights with black patent high heel pumps

I am very busy this week packing for my daughter's move to Hartford, but I will be going out to dinner this evening and am looking forward to dressing to the nines.

In light of my Fashionista Wednesday, I recommend reading Rhonda's must-read "your style" post.

And over at Who What Wear, Kat Collins writes about three fashion blunders that may be aging you (and me).

Meanwhile, Romney recently asked me, "What is the 'rule' for color/shade of stockings in consideration of the color/shade of skirt?"

I really don't consider the skirt or dress color when choosing a hosiery color. I am more concerned with the shoe color, for example, I would never wear a shade of hosiery that is darker than the color of my shoe.

Being a fashionista, I usually wear a nude shade of hosiery because fashionable ladies don't wear any hosiery at all and a nude shade is as close to achieving the same results (I don't think my legs are good enough to go without hosiery.)

One look I love is wearing nude hosiery with nude high heel pumps. It creates the illusion of having longer legs (as if I needed that!).

For dress-up occasions, I often wear black or off-black for a sexier look. Dressing for my company's Christmas luncheon, I wore pin dot pantyhose, which added a bit of pizzazz to an otherwise plain off-black shade of hosiery.

If I wear tights, which I often do in the winter to add a little warmth when wearing a skirted outfit, I usually wear black opaque tights, which look very fashionable when worn with black patent high heel pumps.

I hope that was helpful. If not, ask again.

Black opaque tights with black patent high heel pumps (Source: Pinterest)

Alan Manson femulates in the 1943 film This Is the Army.

Unbared Legs

Susan King, Femulate Contributing Editor of Transitioning into Tomorrow fame writes about how we clothe our legs.

In the 1960's, I remember how wearing my mother's stockings and garter belt felt so good and along with her shoes, were my first foray into "crossdressing."

Now it seems that stockings are out of style unless it's a formal affair or a dress code requirement. That's too bad because I love wearing them. I still wear tights and legwarmers in the winter, but I have a drawer full of stockings that I have not worn in a decade. I should throw them away, but I can not.

I do remember in the 1980's through the 2010's, wearing off-black sheer stockings, not only in the house, but out in public. Hopefully, stockings will come back in style, but I doubt it as woman are dressing more casually everyday.

(Stana's Two Cents: If you have legs that look good without hosiery, then go for it. As for me, I am "old school" and always wear hosiery and probably always will. Although my legs look good without hosiery, they look better with hosiery and better is better.)  

Here is a nice infographic of all the different types of legwear.

Wearing Madeleine.

Gender role reversals at Delta (Ohio) High School in 1998.
(Thank you, Starla, for the image!)

Gamulating

Fashions come and go and then they come back again. If you are old enough (like me), you have witnessed it yourself.

My mother taught me to wear hosiery (stockings or pantyhose) whenever I go out, so that's what I have done all my feminine life.

I have nice legs, but they are not perfect and hosiery hides some of the flaws. Hosiery also helps keep my legs warm when the weather does not, so I have never considered going without knee-highs, thigh-highs or pantyhose.

But as I went along on my merry way, I did not realize that younger women were abandoning hosiery and going out with their legs bared. I guess if you got it, flaunt it, but until I read somewhere that pantyhose sales were plummeting, I had no idea.

But pantyhose may be making a comeback, thanks to Princess Kate. The Princess has legs to die for and she wears hosiery most of the time, so some women have taken notice of that fashion fact and are gamulating Kate.

Fashion writer Alison Syrett is one of those women and she wrote about her experiences for Good Housekeeping in an interesting article titled "I Tried the Secret Behind Kate Middleton's Flawless Legs."

The article confirmed my feelings about wearing hosiery, but if you are unsure about baring or adorning your legs, I recommend reading this fun article.

Wearing StyleWe.

Yes, she was a boy in Atlantic City in the mid-1960's.

Starting Out

By Paula Gaikowski

We all started out “borrowing” our sisters’ and mothers’ clothes as we grew up struggling with duality of ourselves. We depart from the designation of youthful curiosity and exploration when a spark inside of us calls out to us louder and louder. I’m speaking of that moment of self-identity when you realize that you want your own clothes.

I was 22 and had just started my new job with a high-tech company in Clifton, New Jersey. There was a dress shop in town that I walked by each day during my lunch time walks. It was an old fashioned kind of place that you don’t see any more, locally owned and operated.

It was the 80’s, so think Designing Women style dresses (sigh). Well, there were all kinds in the window, but one caught my eye --- a blue print dress with a belted waist and lace collar.

After several days, I decided that I had to have it. As it was early October, the Halloween excuse was perfect.

It took several days of trying to even go into the store. I have to laugh now --- like a secret agent I made sure none of my colleagues were out in the area and I doubled back a couple of times in front of the store.

Finally I opened the door and a loud bell deliberately announced my arrival. Sheepishly, I made my way toward the back of the store and a middle-aged lady looked over the rim of her glasses appraisingly. My heart was pounding; my face was red as I stammered out a request for the dress in the window.

She was very pleasant and settled me down. She took my measurements, determined I was a size 16, and pulled a similar dress in my size from the rack. She then proceeded to sell me an expensive bra and then a girdle along with a pair of my first Hanes Silk Reflections, the brand I still wear today. Looking back, I think she saw right through me and was an expert saleswoman.

I walked back to my car and hid my purchase watchfully as if I had just bought something illegal.

I never wore the dress outside my bedroom. The dress and foundations would be lost in one of the Great Purges of the 80’s. However, an important step had been taken in my journey: I bought my first dress!

 

 

 

Wearing MyHabit.

 

 

 

The always lovely Britney Smith.

A Leg Up

Unlike the laddies, ladies have many hosiery options (unless of course, you are a laddy who dresses like a lady).

I started femulating when ladies wore stockings with seams that were suspended by garters, typically, the garters built-into the girdles they wore.

That's how I started, but shortly thereafter, my hosiery supplier (Mom) switched to a new type of hosiery: stockings without seams. Since Mom switched, I also switched to stockings without seams, which were still suspended by "my" panty girdle ("my" because my girdle was "borrowed" from Mom).

A few years later, Mom switched again --- to a another new type of hosiery: pantyhose. I switched too and wore pantyhose for over 35 years.

About two years ago, I switched to thigh high stockings with built-in stay-up support. In general, I am very happy with the switch. During warm weather, they are cooler than pantyhose. In all weather, they are sexier than pantyhose and when nature calls, thigh highs are a non-issue unlike pantyhose.

My only complaint with thigh highs is that sometimes there is slippage and I have to find a ladies' room to pull them back up, although I do admit to sneaking a surreptitious thigh high adjustment outside the confines of the ladies' room if the coast is clear.

To prevent slippage, I bought a set of garters. Maybe I am taking coals to Newcastle, but I am willing to try the garters and avoid going back to pantyhose.

I am curious.

What type of hosiery do you girls wear when you are dressing up?

Leave a comment or e-mail me with your answers.

Actor Julian Eltinge (right) femulating for a performance by the Dominos Club,
November 25, 1935, chats with actors Pat Collins (left) and Edgar G. Robinson (center).

 

Wearing T. Tahari (jacket).

Wednesday On My Mind

I am still thinking about my wonderful day at work en femme on Wednesday. Some of my co-workers were still talking about it on Friday and I had some requests to share my photos. I gladly shared my photos with my co-workers and I am also sharing another photo with you here today.

One thing I did not mention is that early on Wednesday, I ran one of my thigh highs. I noticed the run when I sat down in my cublicle that morning. It started at the elastic and ran down half way down my calf. I probably started the run when I was getting dressed hurriedly in my closet at home.

I did not have any nail polish with me to stop the run from running, but it seemed to stabilize and did not get any worse as the day progressed.

 I only mention it because the first time I dressed at work en femme, I also ran my hose and was so concerned that I went out during my lunch hour to buy a new pair of pantyhose.

This time, it did not concern me and I did not let it ruin my day. But next time, I will carry extra hosiery in my bag.

How You Polled Your Leg

Last week's poll asked "When you femulate, what kind of hosiery do you usually wear?" and after a week's long poll with 679 respondents, the results are:

• 62% (424 respondents including myself) usually wear pantyhose or tights

• 30% (204 respondents) usually wear stockings

• 7% (51 respondents) usually wear no hosiery at all

I was surprised that 3 out of 10 usually wear stockings. Before the poll started, I guessed that femulators would be more likely to wear stockings than genetic women, but I did not expect that figure to be that much more likely. Personally, I don't know any genetic woman who usually wear stockings, so that 30% result is amazing!

There are some comments to the original post that explain some of the respondent's votes and non-votes; they have only a miniscule effect on the 62-30-7% results.

Poll Your Leg

I’m curious. Maybe you are, too.

When you femulate, do you usually wear stockings, pantyhose, or no hosiery at all?

My guess is that femulators are more likely to wear stockings than generic women and that genetic women are more likely to go without hosiery than femulators.

Anyway, sate our curiosity by taking the poll located at the top of the right sidebar of the blog.

all bundled up

On Thanksgiving Day, I went to New York City to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I had a great time, even though there were fewer celebrities in the parade that I recognized than there were last year.

Last year when I wrote about my trip to The City to view the parade, I noted that half the woman I saw "wearing skirts or dresses were also wearing black tights with black patent high heels." This year, the weather was a lot cooler and most women were bundled up to stay warm.

One woman in our group wore an incredibly short skirt, with black tights and black patent heels despite the weather (something I would do), but she was the exception. Most women were dressed appropriately for the weather including Miss USA (pictured here), who looked beautiful. Click on the photo to magnify the image and check out her boots!

legs

Rachel wrote to me about legs.

Noting the recent appearance of actress Gwyneth Paltrow without hosiery, Rachel asked, "When is the naked leg look appropriate and which women thrive on this look?"

Gwyneth looks fabulous without hosiery. In my opinion, if someone has the legs for it, going without hosiery is a fashion option especially during warmer weather.

Most young women like Ms. Paltrow, have the legs for it, but older women, may not.

I think I have shapely legs, but I would never go out without hosiery because my bare legs are not a pretty sight. New varicose veins, scars from surgically removed old varicose veins, and skin discoloration ruin the appearance of my legs and some kind of cover-up is necessary. Other women my age may have similar problems.

Rachel also sent along a a fashion tip to make your legs look longer: wear clear shoes. And to give the leg a final definition, paint your toes.

joining Hillary's team

Women are taking over.

My editor is a woman. My manager is a woman. Soon my President will be a woman.

In the not-too-distant past, men filled those positions. Now women are filling those roles and obsolescencing the men.

And it is happening everywhere in both the private and public sectors. Women are breaking through the glass ceiling and erecting new ceilings to keep men in a newfound place, i.e., reporting to women.

The women's team is on a roll and is winning big time in the war between the sexes. If you don't want to face the future as a second-class citizen, join the other team before it's too late.

Crossdressing is one way to switch teams and begin fitting into the new woman's world order. And you don't have to go full femme glam from the get go. Instead, you can ease yourself into playing for the other team.

Start with a little makeup (lip gloss and mascara) and have your hair permed and highlighted.

Replace your T-shirt and boxers with a sports bra and some figure-shaping panties.

Buy a couple of pants suits and maybe a pearl set. (While you are at the mall shopping for your new wardrobe, get your ears pierced, too.)

Knee-highs will do for now, but you must buy a pair of killer power pumps to show that you really mean business. Three-inch heels or higher will show the women that you are serious about playing on their team.

If you don't have a man bag already, buy a designer pocketbook to carry your wallet, keys. cell phone, compact, makeup, etc. because women's pants usually have no pockets, in case you didn't know. (There are a lot more things you will learn playing on the women's team.)

To show solidarity with your teammates, consider a name change. At a minimum, drop your "maiden name" and depending on whether you are married or single, use your wife or mother's surname in its place. Also, again depending on whether you are married or single, start using "Mrs." or "Ms." as your courtesy title instead of "Mr." You might even subtly womanize your first name, for example, change Danny to Danni, Stanley to Stanli, Chris to Chrissi, etc.

Nothing will get you kicked off the team faster than bad bathroom etiquette, so be sure to put the toilet seat down after you use the lady's room. Even better, get used to urinating in the seated position and give your feet a rest from wearing those killer pumps all day.

Those are the minimum requirements for playing successfully on women's team. But be alert. If you see your old golfing buddy down the street going to work in a dress, then it is time to step it up, shave your legs, and visit Lane Bryant for some additional wardrobe adjustments.

pantyhose vs. tights

There is an interesting article about pantyhose and tights in today's local paper.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I like the look of tights and have been wearing them whenever I go out en femme these days.

Top 30 Things Every Crossdressing Man Needs In His Wardrobe To Emulate A Woman

Times Online News recently published the Top 30 Things Every Woman Needs In Her Wardrobe.

I read the article and thought how to apply that list to men that are emulating women. It did not take long to realize that crossdressers needed their own list.

With over 40 years of crossdressing experience under my wide patent belt, I decided I am qualified to put together such a list. So, here is my list of "the necessities" that no man's wardrobe can be without if he wishes to emulate a woman successfully.

waist cincher — The right waist cincher can mold your body into a feminine figure by pulling in your waist and displacing what it pulled in to your hips and breasts. (It helps if you are a little overweight like me. My waist cincher displaces enough of me into my breast area that I can nearly fill the B cups of my bra and forgo breast forms.) I have tried a lot of waist cinchers over the years and I prefer an underbust corset-like design with metal boning and a lace-up back.

wig — Style is your choice, but buy the most expensive synthetic wig you can afford. Inexpensive wigs look like wigs, whereas expensive wigs look like real hair. One of the nicest compliments I ever received was when a woman thought my expensive wig was my real hair.

panty girdle — A panty girdle serves two purposes: (1) it shapes your lower torso into a more feminine shape and (2) it allows you to hide your male parts. I tried a gaff to achieve the latter, but discovered that it was very uncomfortable and that my male parts would escape frequently and required regaffing. The panty girdle did a much better job keeping those parts in place and was much more comfortable. By the way, if you favor short skirts (like me), wear a brief panty girdle rather than a long leg panty girdle, so that your girdle is less likely to show.

beard cover — I feel so badly when I see a beautiful femulator with the tell-tale signs of a beard because there is an easy fix: a good beard cover. By "good" I mean one that is sheer and orange (to counteract the blue color of a beard). (Update: I received e-mail asking what beard cover I recommend. I use and recommend RCMA (Research Council of Make-up Artists, Inc.) BC-2. I bought it online two years ago for about $8. I checked here and the price is now $22.)

little black dress — Purchase a classic little black dress and it will never go out of style. I lost count the number of times I couldn't find anything to wear, end up wearing my LBD, and get compliments on my look.

moisturizer — Moisturize every day even during periods when you are not going out en femme. After many, many years of shunning skin care, I began using a moisturizer and it made a huge difference. My skin is smoother, more supple, healthier-looking, and my makeup goes on easier and looks better.

boots — Buy a pair of boots for practical reasons (to protect your feet in cold weather) and for style (to look sexy).

breast forms — If you are not naturally endowed or if your foundation garments do not displace sufficient flesh to fill the cups of your bra, then use breast forms (unless you are going for the flat-chested waif look). I seldom use forms, but when I do, I use the bird seed in pantyhose versions I made 25 years ago. They are so inexpensive that I made two pairs: a small pair to fill out a bra when my flesh just fails to do so and a larger pair for when I fake cleavage and need big breasts to match.

wallet — Buy a woman's wallet. Don't destroy your look by pulling a man's wallet out of your purse.

watch — Buy a woman's watch. Don't destroy your look by pulling up a lace cuff to check the time on your man's watch.

camisole — Buy one camisole or better, buy two: one in black and another in white. I own a half dozen because they can solve so many personal wardrobe dilemmas.

gold and silver jewelry — To compliment most of your outfits, buy one gold-colored set of jewelry (earrings, necklace, bracelet) and one silver-colored.

makeup — It goes without saying that you must buy and use makeup to emulate a woman. These are the makeup items that I consider necessities: concealer, foundation, powder, blush, lipstick, lip-liner, lip-gloss, mascara, eye shadow, eyeliner, and eyebrow color.

outerwear — If you live in cooler climes, you will need a woman's coat, woman's gloves and perhaps, a woman's hat if you plan on going out en femme during the winter. A man's coat, gloves, and hat will not cut it if you really want to look like a woman.

hand cream — A man has man's hands especially if he does manual labor. So, shave your hands if they have hair and use a hand cream daily to help feminize your man hands.

deodorant — Unless your manly deodorant is unscented, use a woman's deodorant to avoid the manly scent of a man's deodorant.

makeup brushes — Buy a good set of makeup brushes and throw away those foam applicators that came with your makeup. The pros only use brushes. To achieve a professional look, you should use brushes, too.

credit card — Most credit card companies will issue additional cards under the same account for other family members. So get an additional card issued to yourself, but just use the initial of your first name with your last name. For example, John Smith would get an additional credit card issued for "J Smith." Use this card when shopping en femme; it is just another small touch that will help you pass as a woman.

makeup mirror — A makeup mirror can be your best friend. Get one that has lights that you can switch to produce various lighting effects and a magnifying option, which is so handy when you are doing your eyes.

eyeglasses — If you wear eyeglasses, next time buy a pair with unisex frames or if you can afford it, buy a second pair with a feminine frame. (With an eyeglass prescription in hand, you can order eyeglasses online and avoid the embarrassment of buying female frames in person.) If you need eyeglasses for reading, you can buy inexpensive reading glasses with very feminine frames just about anywhere (the local pharmacy, Wal*Mart, etc). Also, you can buy woman's sunglasses just about anywhere, too.

clip-on earrings — Clip-on earrings are a rare commodity and I buy them whenever I come across a nice-looking pair for sale. If you don't have pierced ears, you should collect clip-ons, too.

wrinkle remover — If you have wrinkles, use a wrinkle remover. I never paid much attention to those miracle skin care products that are supposed to remove wrinkles. However, one day I received a free sample of a product that was supposed to deal with wrinkles around the eyes. Looking in the mirror at the wrinkles developing around my 50-something-year-old eyes, I decided to try the free sample. After a week or so, I noticed that the wrinkles were less noticeable. After a few weeks, I had to examine my eyes closely to find the wrinkles. As a result, I was sold on the product and continued using it everyday. Today, the wrinkles around my eyes are still there, but they are not as deep as they once were and as a result, they are less visible especially from afar, which is the goal for using this stuff.

makeup box — Males need more makeup than real females to look female, so get a big box for your makeup. Don't be shy about buying the biggest box you can find or afford. If the box is not full now, trust me, you will fill it eventually. (When I outgrew the last makeup box, I went to the sports department of my local Wal*Mart and bought the biggest tackle box that they sold.)

jewelry box — My wife gets credit for this. Instead of using traditional jewelry boxes to store your jewelry, use clear plastic stackable compartmentalized storage boxes. They are inexpensive and allow you to see what is stored in the box at a glance.

nails — Long painted nails are so feminine, but how is a guy supposed to hide them when he is in boy mode. The solution is to use fake nails. I prefer the pre-painted, pre-glued, press-on nails; they go on in less than five minutes and usually do not come off until you purposely remove them.

perfume — Buy one bottle of an expensive perfume and use it when you dress like a woman so that you will have the scent of a woman, too.

cuticle remover — Whether you paint your nails or use fake nails, you should use a cuticle remover to clean up your natural nails before you go glam.

razor — Purchase an electric razor with a the sideburn trimmer and use the trimmer to remove long hair, then use the head of the razor to remove stubble. For closely shaving your face, get a multi-blade safety razor and always use a new blade before going out en femme in order to get the closest shave.

tights — Tights are very handy when there is no time to shave your legs and they are also very fashionable lately.

attitude — I wish you could buy attitude, but you can't. Attitude is something you acquire and is critical in your success of emulating a woman. When you go out en femme, act as if it is the most natural thing in the world. Don't be ashamed. Rather, strut your stuff. It is your life and if you want to live it as a woman even momentarily, it is your right to do so. If someone has a problem with it, it is their problem, not yours. Go for it, Girl!

random thoughts on a Friday afternoon

Yesterday, I received an e-mail and post office mail from Newport-News informing me that they shipped my new dress. Hopefully, I will get it in time to wear when I go out en femme on Thursday.

Today, I bought two pairs of tights, a black pair and a gray pair, to wear with the new dress. The dress is silver, so I am not sure which color will look better, but one or the other should work. (My guess is black.)

As I mentioned a few postings ago, I ordered the dress one size smaller than usual because (1) I lost some weight and (2) the clothing industry seems to be downsizing again, i.e., yesterday's size 18 is today's size 16. Hopefully, the dress will fit and I won't have to send it back.

The weather forecast looks good for Thursday. It will be cold ("high near 33"), but there is no precipitation in the forecast.

If I have some time before I do outreach on Thursday, I would like to shop for a new winter coat. All my coats are either old and worn or fake fur and therefore, too dressy for normal wear. I do have a cute white fake fur jacket that I wore whenever I went out last winter, but it does not look right with certain outfits, so I need a new coat.

And so it goes.

a tight spot

Today, we went to New York City to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I have probably watched it on television every year since my family bought their first television or since they began telecasting the parade, whichever came last.

It is so much better seeing it in person! It is more colorful, louder, and the air is full of electricity. You see a lot more than you ever see on television and you do not have to listen to inane commentators or commercials. I had a fantastic time.

You may remember that I wrote about tights two days ago. Today I saw tights everywhere around the City. I estimate that half the woman I saw today wearing skirts or dresses were also wearing black tights with black patent high heels.

I love the look and the women wearing the look looked lovely. I think I would nice wearing that look, too.

tights

I like tights and tights are in. So, everything is perfect in the world!

Some people do not like tights. Some people actually hate tights. They say they don't like the way they feel, that they are itchy, unhealthy, hot, their visual impression is just not flattering, etc.

I think they look great. Don't they look great on the model to the left?

And I have never found that they were itchy, unhealthy, or hot.

That expensive dress that I bought from Victoria's Secret was shown in their catalog being worn by a model wearing tights. I plan to wear tights too when I wear that dress to my Christmas party.