"The Male Ego" episode of The People's Choice

The People's Choice was an NBC television situation comedy starring Jackie Cooper and a basset hound named Cleo. The show ran from 1955 through 1958.

I saw many episodes in rerun shown during the daytime hours in the late 1950s and early 1960s. One episode, "The Male Ego," which aired originally on February 20, 1958, left an impression on me.

Here is a brief summary of that episode from the CTVA US Comedy The People's Choice episode guide.

Sock, played by Jackie Cooper, "loses the sale of a house because the prospective buyer's wife dislikes a minor detail. Convinced that women are beginning to take over the world, Sock goes to sleep and has nightmare on the subject."

The episode guide does not describe the nightmare, but I remember it. Note that I have not seen this episode in over 45 years and I only saw it once, so some of my memories may not be right on the money, but here is what I recall:

Sock's nightmare takes place in a world where the women are taking over and are in the process of acclimating men to their rule. All the women wear futuristic pants suits and they are shown forcing reluctant men to enter a transformation booth, which "refines" their personalities and their attire.

When they exit the booth, the men act effemininely and wear futuristic mini-skirt outfits. As Sock enters the booth, he seeks help from his loyal canine companion, Cleo, but she refuses to help him because Cleo is female and more loyal to the distaff side of civilization rather than her owner.

That is all I remember, but it left an indelible impression on my impressionable mind back then, just another added twist in my gender identity that began when my mother put me in a dress for my christening at age one month.

If anyone has any other details concerning this episode of The People's Choice, I would love to hear them. Or better, if anyone has a video recording of that episode, I'd love to borrow it. (I searched high and low and no recordings exist for sale or viewing anywhere I looked.)

confusion in kindergarten

Reflecting on yesterday's blog posting, I recalled this episode in my life.

I attended kindergarten during the 1956-57 school year. Back then, men were men, women were women, boys were boys, and girls were girls. I was unaware of anybody in between. They were not part of my world.

In kindergarten, there was a weekly play time that lasted for a half hour or so. You had no choice on how to use your play time. Instead, the teacher assigned you to a specific play station. As a result, you would play at a different play station with a different mix of fellow kindergarteners each play time. One time, you might be at the sandbox, another time, at the building blocks, etc.

The boys and girls were segregated at play time, so my fellow play station mates were always boys.

The play station assignments did not vary much. The same kids were at the same play stations each week. I was usually at the building block station, but occasionally I received a different assignment and one time that assignment was the dreaded house play station. Yes, I had to play house with four or five of my fellow male students!

I dreaded this assignment because in my humble opinion, playing house was a girl's game and I was not a girl. I was very surprised how my fellow male students did not mind playing house and had no problem wearing very feminine pinafore aprons and playing the Mommy role.

I don't recall how I got through it. If I had a choice, I imagine I played the Daddy role. If I had no choice and had to play a female role, maybe I played the dyke sister of one of the Mommies.

I wonder what those "male Mommies" are doing today? No matter what they are doing, I bet they would be surprised how this reluctant male Mommy turned out!

The Frill of It All

"Another Fashion Week here in New York, another frenzy. But hidden in all the hairspray, hubbub and hilarious air kisses are clues not only to what we'll be wearing next season, but what that says about us as a society right now, what we're feeling, and where we may be heading. Fashion historians have long known that clothes are just as accurate a barometer of the culture for which they're created as any political or literary histories."

Read all about it here.

Can a freer vision of girlhood survive without reimagining boyhood?

This is something I have often thought about and in my opinion, the answer is: it should not.

Read a discussion about this thought-provoking question here.

Grammy-wear

You know you are out of step with the current music scene when you have no idea who is the opening act of the Grammy awards show. She was beautiful, her gown was to-die-for, and her duet with a Frank Sinatra hologram was interesting, but who was she?

The mystery ended when she won the first award presented on the show; she was Alicia Keys. (I scoured the Internet looking for a photo of Ms. Keys in her to-die-for gown, but the best I could find is this one.)

There were other interesting outfits worn by the distaff side of the entertainment last night.

Carrie Underwood looked hot and Rihanna always shows up wearing something interesting, but there were some trashy outfits, too, outfits that this femulator would not be caught dead in (but then again, I guess I wouldn't know what I was wearing unless there really is an afterlife).

T-girl Links Updated

I made two additions to my T-Girl Links: Jess and T's our life in pink and Joanie's place.

Transfixed

Transfixed is a recent foreign film featuring male-to-female crossdressers (femulators). I rented the film and was very impressed with the high quality of femulation. The crossdressers are absolutely gorgeous and the film is worth watching just to gawk at the high art of femulation achieved in this film.

Here is the plot of the film according to Blockbuster:

"A cross-dressing man allows himself to be used as bait to trap a killer in this crime-drama. Bo Ancelin (Robinson Stevenin) is a twentysomething man from Brussels who feels most comfortable dressing and living as a woman. Some might see Bo's lifestyle as a marked contrast to that of his father, a successful and well-regarded businessman, though it seems father has some secrets of his own after no-nonsense police detective, Paul Huysmans (Richard Bohringer), arrests him on charges of child molestation.

"While Bo bears his own scars from his upbringing, he's not eager to speak against his father in court, but before long both Bo and Huysmans have bigger fish to fry -- a serial killer is walking the streets of Brussels and choosing as his favored victims prostitutes and cross-dressers.

"When two of his friends are murdered by the killer, Bo decides he must step in to help catch the killer that Huysmans hasn't yet found on his own, though Bo soon falls into a dangerous position when he falls in love with Johnny (Stephane Metzger), a sullen and street-smart hustler who helps rent-boys find profitable assignations with older women."

The photo above is actor Robinson Stevenin in Bo Ancelin drag. Early in the film, he wears a Chanel suit to die for!

I think you will enjoy the film, but be forewarned that you will have to deal with sub-titles to view the film "in English."

Suzy Parker

Laurie was the first person to correctly identify the mystery Femulate This model as Suzy Parker and as a result, Laurie will be the recipient of a "major award." (Thank you all, who participated in the contest.)

Suzy Parker was the first supermodel and made such a splash in the 1950s that she signed a movie contract. Her film and television resume includes a wide range of roles.

I first saw the gorgeous Suzy on an episode of the original Twilight Zone. The episode was called "Number 12 Looks Just Like You" and takes place in a future society, where Suzy's character chooses not to undergo a transformation, which happens to everybody at the age of nineteen and makes them beautiful and immune to disease. To undergo it, a person must choose from a limited collection of models, labeled by a number, to transform into. (In my opinion, Suzy was more beautiful than any of the models she had to choose from, so I don't blame her for balking.)

I became a fan of Suzy Parker. I actually have an autographed copy of her photo that appears above. Over the years, I have made an effort to view as many of her acting appearances as possible. She was an average actress, but she was tall (5' 10"), leggy, and beautiful, just like I wanted to be, and I relished every moment she appeared on the screen.

She married film actor Bradford Dillman, stopped modeling and acting, and died at the age of 70 in 2003.

The Beatles recorded a song named after her, which they performed in the film Let It Be.

guess the Femulate This model

Be the first to correctly identify today's Femulate This model and you will win "a major award."

Two rules: (1) only one guess per contestant and (2) you must submit your guess as a comment to this posting.

blondes have more votes again

The Wig Poll is over. The blog readers who voted preferred me in the short blonde wig rather than the long brunette wig by an overwhelming 3 to 1 ratio. There was a total of 109 votes, 85 (77%) for the blonde and 24 (22%) for the brunette.

I was surprised how many people voted! The last poll I ran here had less than half (50) the voters of this poll.

I should not be surprised that the blonde won. In my previous poll, my hair color poll, blondes came out ahead (46% voted for blonde, strawberry blonde, and platinum blonde, while 34% voted for brunette and 20% for red).

I have no plans on getting rid of the brunette wig and plan to wear it when I am in the mood. But, I am now considering getting the long brunette styled wig in a blonde shade!

coming soon to a department store near you

first anniversary

Today is the first anniversary of this blog. (Hurrah!)

I am very amazed by the growth of this blog's popularity during its first year (see the chart below).

These days, the blog averages 467 hits a day, which includes an average of 73 repeat visitors each day. Thank you for your support and for coming back!

Alice in Fashionland

Being a fashionista, I found this article about a first foray into New York Fashion Week by Cintra Wilson, interesting and amusing.

Von Furstenberg Fall 2008 collection

Since Diane von Furstenberg is the our favorite fashion designer du jour, I thought you might like to see her Fall 2008 collection, which she showed last night in NYC. Fashion Wire Daily has the story and the photos.

View the slideshow and note the hair styles on most of the models. They remind me of the styling of my long brunette wig!

wig poll

Don't forget to vote in the Wig Poll.

We are about half way through with about 3-1/4 days to go, so if you haven't voted yet, there is still time to indicate if you like me in the short blonde wig or the long brunette wig.

In the meantime, you can read what Laura wrote about the poll:

"I voted for the brown wig. Then saw the poll that said more people chose the blonde and was asked if I wanted to change my vote. It's my opinion that the two are both very nice, but more important and to the issue is the fact that you look passable in either -- not swishy-fem in a sissy sort of way, but in a respectable classic beauty way. I think you'd look good in a babushka.

"The two looks are two very different looks. While the blond wig makes you look more like the women of your age, many women do prefer longer, prettier hair. (Frankly, I've never met a man who preferred short hair on a women he liked.)

"I like the brown, longer hair look because it gives you a more elegant look -- much more of a Diane von Furstenberg elegance. It's my opinion that if you want to blend into the background and be less noticed, wear the blonde wig. However, I think you'll feel more like a women with longer hair. As Diane said, 'Want to fell like a women? Wear a dress.' I think it is so with the hair too. 'want to feel like a women, wear longer, prettier hair.'"

vintage crossdressing (circa 1952)

let's make-up

I received an e-mail from a femulator, who is having problems with her makeup regime. She has bought books on the subject and visited Web sites to hone her makeup skills, but she complains that the "experts" are often in disagreement about how to apply makeup. She asked me for help.

I made two suggestions.

Experiment.

If the experts disagree, try doing it each way that they recommend. Then see what works best for you and incorporate that into your makeup routine. (I have been at it seriously for over 20 years and I still experiment with my routine. If I find something new that may work for me, I try it. If it works, great; if not, I chalk it up to experience.)

Get made over.

You can read books, visit Web sites, and watch videos on makeup application, but nothing beats getting a makeover. When you get a makeover, the cosmetician will do her magic on you (and not some model in a book or video), so whatever she does will be specific to you. And you can ask questions to your heart's content.

Getting a makeover may be easier said, than done. I live in a very open-minded part of the USA and I have never been turned down when I sought a makeover, whether it was in a small local salon or a big franchise store in the mall.

Your mileage may vary depending on where you live. If you live in the country, head for the city, specifically a mall near a city. In my experience, M•A•C and Sephora are franchise makeup stores located in many malls that will makeover femulators without hesitation. (For what it's worth, my best makeover experience was at Sephora in the West Farms Mall in West Hartford, CT.)

wig poll

I am torn between two wigs. Some people prefer me in my short blonde wig; others prefer my long brunette wig.

What do you think? Vote in my Wig Poll and help me decide.

orange

I received an e-mail asking why I recommend orange beard cover and not some other color.

Because...

Blue is the color you are trying to hide when you use beard cover. To hide blue, you use blue's complementary color, which is orange. (Blue and orange are opposite each other on the color wheel.)

If you use another color of beard cover, it may look like it is doing the job when you look in your mirror, but have your picture taken and you will still see blue in your photos. Only orange beard cover gets rid of the blues in both your mirror and your photos.

my kind of pageant

Pageant is a new documentary about contestants competing in the Miss Gay America beauty pageant. It is "my kind of pageant" because the "contest is about the art of illusion, so hormones and surgical body enhancements are forbidden."

(I can do that!)

According to the film's Web site, "The movie follows 5 of the most talented and beautiful female impersonators as they prepare to dominate in this underground competition. Hear from the men as well as from those in their entourage: husbands, mothers, sons, and little brothers.

I watched the movie's trailer on the Web site and I would love to see this film, but I doubt it will be playing at the local movie house any time soon. Hopefully, it will be available on DVD eventually and then I will be able to see it.

planning ahead

My support group (Connecticut Outreach Society) has their annual awards dinner on March 29.

This is probably the biggest T-event in the state and typically draws 50 to 70 T-people each year. The event includes a cocktail hour, sit-down dinner, awards presentation, Moonhawk River Stone as an after-dinner speaker, follies, and dancing with a DJ spinning the CDs (both kinds) until midnight.

I have not missed this event in years. I actually was chairlady for this event for three years. It was a lot of work, but it was very rewarding.

I already have my outfit for the event (a dress "to die for" from Victoria's Secret) and as in the past, I will lip-sync a song in the annual follies. I am not sure what song I am going to do yet.

I always have a great time at the banquet and look forward to it again this year.

I am thinking about going to the Chicago Be-All in May. Lately, the Be-All has gotten a reputation as being one of the best, if not the best T-event in the USA and I would sure like to see it for myself.

It is a long day's drive to Chicago, but I am used to driving long distances and prefer to drive if I can because then I can bring everything I need for the better part of a week en femme. I don't know how I would manage to pack if I flew!

50,000 customers served

Just 8 days short of this blog's first anniversary, the hit counter hit 50,000 this afternoon!

Screen Actors Guild awards show

Due to the writers' strike, there has been a dearth of awards shows this winter, but last night, TNT and TBS broadcasted the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards.

I watch awards show because I am a fashionista and a film and television fan. For a change, many of my favorite shows won prizes including "The Sopranos," Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), Mrs. Tony Soprano (Edie Falco), "The Office", Tina Fey, and Alec Baldwin. (Lately, my favorite television shows are "30 Rock", "The Office," and "The Sopranos." Fey and Baldwin appear on "30 Rock").

On the fashionista front, there were some knockout gowns to die for. Marion Cotillard, Angelina Jolie, and Rebecca Romijn were my favorites.

Also, there were a few T-moments during the show:

James Spader and William Shatner appeared in drag in a clip from "Boston Legal".

The absolutely gorgeous Rebecca Romijn mentioned that she plays a "transgender" on "Ugly Betty." This occurred at the beginning of the show when random SAG members seated briefly describe what parts they play and/or played and conclude by saying "I'm so-and-so and I'm an actor."

My favorite T-moment occurred earlier in this segment when "30 Rock" star, Jane Krakowski, explained that the best part about being an actor is that it allows you to completely transform yourself into another person. She concluded with, "I'm Johnny Depp, and I'm an actor."

vintage crossdressing (circa 1959)

vintage crossdressing (circa 1955)

I don't have much to say today, so I will share an old photo from my collection: a trio of partying crossdressers back in 1955.

beard cover

In my Top 30 Things Every Crossdressing Man Needs In His Wardrobe To Emulate A Woman, I recommended using beard cover.

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 today and the price is now $22.

found

While looking for something else, I found a photo that was among the missing: Helen Boyd and I at the 2006 installment of the my support group's annual banquet. I was chairperson of the banquet that year and Helen was our guest speaker.

The Whitest Kids U'Know

I noticed ads for a new television show on IFC called The Whitest Kids U'Know. The ads reminded me of Monty Python Flying Circus and Kids in the Hall, i.e., a show featuring an all-male comedy team doing short comedy skits. And like Monty Python and Kid in the Hall, the female roles are often performed by males in drag.

I checked the TV schedule last night and noted an airing of The Whitest Kids U'Know at 8 PM. The listing indicated that one of the skits would be a parody of The Dating Game. I figured there was the potential for some drag in that skit, so I tuned in at 8 PM.

Sure enough, The Dating Game parody had a male in drag interviewing three potential dates. The drag was so good that initially, I thought it was a woman playing the role, not a man in drag. Nice outfit, excellent makeup, and even "her" voice was convincing, but her blonde wig was too shiny and when she frowned, she looked like a guy.

I won't go into details, but The Dating Game parody was not my cup of comedy. It was more outrageous, than funny, but the drag was worth the watch. I watched other skits on the show and in my opinion, there were some hits and misses.

I will continue to tune when I can to check out the technical aspects of the female impersonation on the show and maybe have a laugh, too.

my workshop

Yesterday, I learned that the True Colors Conference committee accepted my proposal to present a workshop at the True Color Conference in March. The conference is for school-aged GLBT youth and their adult supporters and/or facilitators (parents, teachers, guidance counselors, social workers, etc.).

The topic of my workshop is "Body Image and Male-to-Female Crossdressing."

Here is my description of my workshop:

"Body image is how we think our body looks. In some cases, our body image can be dramatically different to how our body actually appears to others. Crossdressing is the act of wearing clothing commonly associated with another gender, for example, a male dressing like a female. The potential disparity between body image and reality is very high when you add crossdressing to the mix. This workshop addresses this potential disparity and describes how to work with it."

One of the stated goals of my workshop is "To evangelize the normality of crossdressing."

I attended the conference last year for one day manning the booth that my support group sponsored. It was such a rewarding experience interacting with the kids and adults that I wanted to do more, so this year I will do more.

This year, for the first time, the conference is at the University of Connecticut, my alma mater. Last time I was in Storrs, I wore a graduation cap and gown. Who would have guessed that my next visit to Storrs, I'd be wearing a dress again!

20 years!

While reading Huffington yesterday, I noticed this headline, "Oprah Talks Masturbation," but I did not read the article that accompanied the headline.

When I arrived home after work, Oprah was on the television. I was not paying much attention to the show until there was a spot with Ben Affleck in which he admitted that he did it for 20 years!

I was quite surprised that a major film celebrity would admit that on national television, but as I stayed tuned, I realized that the topic of the show was smoking and not that other thing!

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.

the rest of the story

Back in May, I wrote here about how I e-mailed my state senator and state representative asking them to support the gender anti-discrimination bill.

My state representative replied, but my state senator did not and he voted against the bill. The state senate passed the legislation despite my senator's negative vote, but the bill never came up for a vote in the state house of representatives.

Out of the blue, I received an e-mail from my state senator yesterday. He wrote:

"I was reviewing old emails and came across yours, to which I do not believe I ever responded. Please accept my apologies for that oversight. As you may know by now, I voted against the bill in the Education Committee and on the floor of the Senate because of the provision relating to our public schools. I was and remain concerned that young children may not be able to comprehend the fundamental change that someone in this situation is experiencing. I appreciate your writing to me about this and would encourage you to contact me again for any reason."

I have no comment, so far.

Suzanne Pleshette

I fell in love with Suzanne Pleshette in 1962 when my aunts took me to Radio City Music Hall. Back then, Radio City showed a first run movie after the stage show. The main attraction for us was the stage show, but we stuck around for the movie anyway.

The movie was a love story, Rome Adventure starring Troy Donahue. Ms. Pleshette was Troy's love interest in the film. I don't recall the plot of the film, but I do recall how I became infatuated with Ms. Pleshette during the film. She was gorgeous and I began seeking out all her film appearances. (A year later, she appeared in The Birds, where I think she looked even more gorgeous.)

My experiments in female emulation had just begun and Ms. Pleshette was my role model. She was famous for her deep mannish voice, an attribute transwoman often take note of when they try to femininize their voice. Back then, I was only interested in the way she looked and dressed; I wanted to look and dress just like her.

I just heard the news that lung cancer took her life at the age of 70. I am very sad and will miss my role model.

shopping again today

My wife's coat search continued today and I took her to another Marshalls in the area.

My wife found a coat to buy and I also found a couple of items to add to my feminine wardrobe: a cute black knee-length skirt for $10. It is a straight skirt with pleats from the hem up about six inches. I also bought a black shirred chiffon scarf/shawl with silver flecks for $15.

shopping today

The little woman wanted me to take her to Marshalls to look for a coat to buy, so I did.

While she was trying on every coat in her size, I spied a cute cream colored cropped retro sweater jacket in XL for $25.

The more coats my wife tried on, the more I wanted that sweater jacket.

My wife did not find a coat to buy, but I decided to buy the sweater jacket and when I returned home, I tried it on and it was a perfect fit.

Funny! Going into the store, my wife remarked how often we go shopping for her and she comes home with nothing, while I come home with something.

high heels reconsidered

I dunno about you, but after viewing this photo, my feet began to ache even though I am not wearing heels!

beyond Katy Keene

When I was a youngster, my first favorite comic book character was Katy Keene, the long legged fashion queen with jet black hair. I was fascinated by her glamorous image and I loved cutting out the Katy Keene paper dolls and outfits that appeared in the pages of her comic books.

No one ever discouraged Little Lana's interest in Katy Keene. In fact, Ma abetted it by helping me cut out the more difficult outfits. (Sometimes I think Ma wanted me to be a girl. She always encouraged me in all of my interests including those on the feminine side of the street.)

I don't recall any crossdressing in the pages of Katy Keene, but I did wish I could wear some of the outfits that Katy wore.

As I grew older, I started to worry about my image, so I stopped buying Katy Keene off the comic book racks to avoid being branded a "sissy." Superman, Batman, Dick Tracy, and Mad magazine replaced Katy and soon I encountered crossdressing in their four-colored pages.

I remember a female impersonating gangster appearing in a Batman story. I also recall a story in which Superman's pal, Jimmy Olsen, went undercover en femme. Dick Tracy had so many encounters with gangsters in drag that I still wonder about the Chester Gould's feminine side. Over the years, Mad had numerous encounters with crossdressing.

An excellent source for these crossdressing references is the TG Graphics and Fiction Archive. Last time the Web site was updated was March 2002, but the site is still live and an excellent resource for learning more about crossdressing in the comics.

Meanwhile, Japanese comic books (manga) and cartoons (anime) have lots of crossdressing. I am researching this subject now and discovered the fine work of Jana, who has a Web site, Jana’s TG Manga And Anime Pages, and a blog, Jana's TG Manga and Anime Journal dedicated to trans content in Japanese comic books and cartoons.

vintage crossdressing, part 2

I prefer vintage clothing. When I can't get the real stuff, which in my size is often the case, I will wear modern retro clothing as a substitute.

I told my vintage crossdressing story before, so I won't bore you with it again. I just want to mention story I found on the Internet about another vintage clothing goddess. (Be sure to check out the images and see the vintage outfits to die for.)

Feel like a woman, Wear a dress!

"Feel like a woman., Wear a dress!" so says the message on this image that accompanies an interesting interview with Diane von Furstenberg, famed fashion designer and creator of the wrap dress, which is my favorite.

How old does Staci / Lana look?

Thank you for participating in my poll.

For the record, I am 56 years old going on 57 in seven weeks.

I must be doing something right because 75% of the voters think I look younger than my actual age and over half (52%) think I look ten years younger than I really am.

Only 14% think I look my actual age, while 8% think I look older than I actually am.

Anyone who thinks I look 60 or older either needs glasses or is just jealous of my Amazonian beauty. I should just discount their votes, but I am sugar and spice nice and will let them have their say (no matter how catty they are).

On the other hand, anyone who thinks I look younger than 19 also needs to check their eyeglass prescription!

Here are the full results:

19 years old or younger: 3 votes (4%)
20 to 29 years old: 2 votes (2%)
30 to 39 years old: 13 votes (17%)
40 to 49 years old: 39 votes (52%)
50 to 59 years old: 11 votes (14%)
60 to 69 years old: 3 votes (4%)
70 years old or older: 3 votes (4%)

blogging without obligation

I found this reading Jodie's blog. She got it from tartx blog.

Blogging without obligation makes a lot of sense to me and I now subscribe to its philosophy.

Here is what blogging without obligation is all about:

After coming across what seemed to be the 4000th or so post on someone's blog starting with "I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile." I decided it is time to rethink what makes a good blog and the expectations that have come to be part of it. I am thinking that no one should utter those words again . . .and with that thought I give you Blogging Without Obligation.

• Because you shouldn't have to look at your blog like it is a treadmill.

• Because its okay to just say what you have to say. If that makes for a long post, fine. Short post, fine. Frequent post, fine. Infrequent post, fine.

• Because its okay to not always be enthralled with the sound of your own typing.

• Because sometimes less is more.

• Because only blogging when you feel truly inspired keeps up the integrity of your blog.

• Because they are probably not going to inscribe your stat, link and comment numbers on your tombstone.

• Because for most of us blogging is just a hobby. A way to express yourself and connect with others. You should not have to apologize for lapses in posts. Just take a step back and enjoy life, not everything you do has to be "bloggable."

• Because if you blog without obligation you will naturally keep your blog around longer, because it won't be a chore. Plus, just think you will be doing your part to eradicate post pollution. One post at a time. . .

It's not your father's girdle!

Shapewear has come a long way. Today's offerings in the body shaping department are high tech and seamless, too.

After viewing this report on today's shapewear, this girl is reconsidering the shapewear she has been wearing forever now and you might do the same.

A Major Award

Hurray for me!
This won a major award here.

King Kong (2005)

Believe it or not, the 2005 remake of King Kong contains crossdressing.

After Kong is brought to New York City, Jack Driscoll (played by Adrien Brody) attends a Broadway play, a comedy titled Cry Havoc. In the scene of the play that appears in this film, a male actor is crossdressed for some convoluted reason in order to win over the girl of his dreams.

(Yup! When I was dating and wanted to win over a girl, I always got crossdressed and drank tea with her.)

He wore a very pretty outfit, but he was not very pretty.

dress to shop

I'll admit it: I overdress when I go out en femme and am a prime candidate for OA (Overdressers Anonymous). But, I just found a perfect excuse for dressing up when I go shopping: better service.

Read about it here.

can you guess her age?

You can read this article about guessing a woman's age and apply its strategy to guessing mine (in the "How old does Staci / Lana look" poll).

The article also offers tips on how to work around those signs that giveaway your age.

dress your age

"Dressing your age isn’t what it was in our mothers’ day. It’s not even what it was the other day... The idea that a style, an aesthetic or a single item of clothing should become out of bounds simply because you cross an invisible Rubicon was always suspect but nowadays, when women keep their looks longer than any previous generation, it’s absurdly simplistic.

"You don’t suddenly turn into a hobbit on your 36th birthday, so outlawing miniskirts for the over-35s doesn’t make a lot of sense. I have a friend who lacked confidence during her twenties. Circumstances changed, confidence soared, the body is fabulous, and at 40 she started wearing short skirts. She looks terrific."

Read the rest of this excellent article that appears today on Times Online right on the heels of yesterday's blog entry here about dressing my apparent age.

Also, don't forget to vote in my "How old does Staci / Lana look" poll!

guess my age

I am getting older all the time, but I still think and act like a kid.

In that regard, being a crossdresser is a blessing. If you are adept at applying makeup, you can look younger than your actual age.

Wigs help a lot, too. A nice wig can subtract a decade from your real age especially if your hair is gray and/or thinning.

You can try dressing younger, too, but I think you can only go so far with that. For example, let’s say that you are a 45-year-old crossdresser. With the proper wig and makeup, you may be able to look like a 35-year-old woman, but don’t think that dressing like a 20-year-old will make you look like a 20-year-old woman. Instead, you will look like a 35-year-old woman trying to dress like a 20-year-old.

If you are successful in knocking off a decade with the proper wig and makeup, be satisfied and dress appropriately for your new age, i.e., if you look like a 35-year-old woman, then dress like a 35-year-old woman.

My problem is that when I look in the mirror, I see a young woman, who can wear anything and get away with it. Sometimes I do get away with it, but sometimes I don’t. The proof is in my photos. For some reason, I can fool myself when I look in the mirror, but I am not so fooled when I look at my photos.

Which brings me to my new poll: How old do you think I look? Don’t try and guess my actual age, but give me your opinion on how old do I look when I am en femme? You might want to consult my photos before you vote.

The poll lasts a week and when I post the results here next week, I will reveal my real age. (Isn’t that exciting!)

new stuff

I added two new links.

In the Tools Links, I added a link to the "How to Walk in High Heels" video (see the previous blog entry below).

In the T-Girls Links, I added a link to Kathryn Cleve's "Longing to be a woman" Web site. Kathryn's story is interesting, inspiring, and proof positive that there are supportive wives out there if you look hard enough!

How to Walk in High Heels

Linda S suggested that I check out this video and I suggest you check it out, too.

Jodie's fishnets

Believe It or Not! Jodie posted this photo on the Internet (a legshot of herself wearing fishnets) and she is not a tranny!

you're "it"

From today's Southern Voice comes this...

It was only two letters, but said a lot more. The lead paragraph of a Dec. 19 Associated Press article reported "Southern Utah University says a transgendered student must prove its gender in order to live in an all-male dormitory." Language can be tricky when discussing transgender issues, but referring to a human being as “it” is beyond demeaning. The AP should FOLLOW its own stylebook, which instructs reporters to refer to transgender people as the gender they prefer.

femme dans le pantalon

When I left the house today at 7 AM, the temperature outside was 2° F. Two hours later and the temperature climbed to 3° F.

When I dress en femme, I prefer to wear a dress or a skirt, but I think that if I was in girly mode today, I would wear leggings or slacks.

Afterall, my favorite Victoria's Secret model still looks feminine despite wearing slacks, and so maybe I would, too.

how to put on the glitz

In this article from Sunday's Daily Mail, make-up artist to the stars, Kay Montano, shares some excellent tips for a fabulous party look.

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.

Happy New Year!

May all your femulating wishes and dreams come true in 2008!

day at the beach

Went to the shore for a seafood dinner Sunday afternoon. After dinner, we strolled along the beach until we were chilled.

During the stroll, I found a dollar bill wrapped up in the shells and dead plants washed up along the high tide line. I looked for more money, but found none. I put the dollar away in my wallet and will hold onto it. Maybe it will bring me luck.

At the end of the stroll, I noticed this sign at the edge of the beach. It was so weird I had to take a photo.

I wonder who brought what wild animal to the beach to cause the city of West Haven to pass such an ordinance?

Also, somebody needs to inform the seagulls they are breaking the law.

women resembling trans-sisters, part 3

While we are on the subject, I must pass these old postings along to you from my good friend Jodie's blog:

• Do I Look Like a Drag Queen? (Please say yes.)

• Drag Queen Drag Queen Spinning Around

women resembling trans-sisters, part 2

Occasionally, I come across a photo of a woman, who looks like a man crossdressing as a woman. When I come upon such a conundrum, I will share it here for you to see (how catty of me!), as I did in my March 21 blog posting.



Today, I give you Mr. Jessica Simpson. In this photo, Jessica looks like he is wearing a cheap wig. Also, the cleft in Jessica's jutting jaw gives him such a masculine countenance that must make it difficult for him to deny his birth gender.

As I wrote here back in March, "I have nothing against women, who look like trans-sisters. They help us real trans-sisters to blend in society. They obfuscate the line between males and females, which makes it easier for real trans-sisters to pass."

maximum speed no more

I use Revlon Maximum Speed pre-glued press-on nails. There is no bottled glue mess, I can put on a set in less than five minutes, and they usually stay on until I want to remove them. And they look good and have been the object of many compliments from other girls.

I have been buying my Max Speedies on eBay at prices that are half list price or less. However, they have not been showing up on eBay lately, so I went to the local drug emporium to buy a set. There were none to be had! There were other Revlon nail products (all requiring glue), but no pre-glued Max Speedies.

Next, I checked the Revlon Web site and it did not list the Max Speedies, so I assume they discontinued the product.

There are other pre-glued brands, so I guess I will have to switch brands. Too bad because I was a very satisfied Revlon Maximum Speed customer.

Christmas dream

I had another crossdressing dream overnight.

For those of you who are new to this blog, I've written here before that I seldom remember my dreams and the few that I do remember usually involve crossdressing.

Last night's dream found me getting up in the morning to go to work. Just like real life, as I am getting ready for work, my wife is sound asleep. Unlike real life, after I shower and shave, I put on my makeup, wig, and one of my girly outfits.

In my dream, I know that I had just gone to work recently en femme, but I can't remember how I returned home from work. Did I change into boy mode on the way home from work or did I manage to sneak into the house en femme without my wife noticing me? Getting dressed in the morning is easy because my wife is sound asleep, but I am stumped on what happened at the end of the workday.

The dream ended with me dressed en femme, ready to leave for work, but stuck trying to figure how I am going to get back home.

the holidays

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I will be busy visiting friends and relatives. I will be doing so in boy mode, but I wish I could make one visit dressed to kill en femme.

All my in-laws know about my crossdressing. It is a long story, but I was outed by my wife's cousin, who we had entrusted with my secret. My in-laws have had long discussions amongst themselves about my crossdressing, but they never mention it to my face. The family rat, my brother-in-law, even convinced my mother-in-law, to write my wife out of her will because I am "unstable." And yadda, yadda, yadda.

As a result, I have minimum contact with my in-laws, but my wife is forgiving to a fault, no matter how they have abused and mistreated her throughout her life, and she bought them all Christmas gifts.

So, Christmas morning, I will accompany my wife to my mother-in-law's home so she can exchange the gifts. I am just going along as bodyguard and will refuse any gifts that they may try to foist on me. (I don't expect any gifts because my wife has forewarned them that I won't accept any, but you never know with these people.)

I'd love to show up at my mother-in-law's tomorrow in my girliest Christmas finery. It is not that I don't have the guts to do it, but I won't do it in deference to my wife. But I can dream, can't I?

I wanted to close on a positive note: Tyra Banks. I have become infatuated with this woman and she is near the top of my list of women to emulate. So, I went to Google to search for a nice photo of Tyra to accompany this blog entry and I learn that Tyra gave limp McDonald's cheeseburgers to her staff as Christmas gifts!

Tyra just fell off my list of women to emulate, so I guess I have no good news this Christmas! But, Happy Holidays anyway!

crossdressing noted

I saw two crossdressing scenes this weekend, one on film and one on television.

The film was The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, a 1978 mock documentary film that parodies the rise and fall of the Beatles.

In addition to highlighting the career of the Rutles, the film briefly mentions what each of the band members did after the break-up of the band. The George Harrison character, Stig O'Hara, played by Ricky Fataar, became an airline hostess for Air India and appears exiting an Air India office dressed as an Indian airline stewardess.



The television show was NBC's collection of the best commercial parodies from Saturday Night Live (SNL). I don't watch SNL as often as I used to in my youth, so I missed this parody when it appeared originally in 2005: a mock commercial for Me-Harmony, an online dating service that matches you to a completely identical member of the opposite sex.

The commercial shows five SNL cast members (four guys and one gal) as satisfied Me-Harmony customers. Each one crossdresses to portray their Me-Harmony match. It is very funny and well-done. You can see it here.

Also, I think the parody says something about crossdressing, but I'm not sure what it is!

25 to 1

This interesting advertisement appears in this week's issue of New York magazine. It is an ad for a singles dating service.

I wonder where they came up with the odds that 1 out of 25 women in singles bars are really dudes. Are those odds only applicable to the New York City area or are they applicable everywhere?

Personally, I think those odds are too low, but you never know.

Annapolis "drag" redux

It did not take much Googling to find out that Annapolis "drag" has nothing to do with crossdressing.

According to an article in the November 29, 1948 issue of Time, "drag" was the Naval cadet nickname for a date, i.e., the girls the cadets dated were called "drags."

I guess if a cadet dated a crossdresser, his date would be a "drag in drag."

Annapolis "drag"

I have seen the January 6, 1947 issue of Life magazine on eBay numerous times and I always wondered about the caption on the cover (Annapolis "Drag").

I assume that "Annapolis" refers to the US Naval Academy in that city, but does "Drag" refer to a crossdressing event at the academy. Is that a Naval cadet in drag on the cover?

If anyone can enlighten me, I would appreciate it.

good fit

The two dresses I ordered from Newport-News last Tuesday arrived on Monday*, but I have been so busy that I did not get a chance to try them until yesterday.

They both fit perfectly, but the heather charcoal sweater knit dress looks much, much nicer with a belt.

* I don't know why, but my last three or four Newport-News orders have only taken a week to arrive after I placed the order. In the not too distant past, there was usually a two to three week wait, so pillbox hats off to Newport-News for the improvement.

I'm a Tammy Lynn Michaels

I took the quiz twice. First time, I selected "female" as my gender; second time, I selected "male." Both times, the results were Tammy Lynn Michaels!

Next, I had to Google Ms. Michaels because I had no idea who she is. I guess I need to get out more!

I always suspected that when en femme I was a "lipstick lesbian" and this quiz confirms it!

What famous lesbian do you most closely resemble? Your Result: Tammy Lynn Michaels   You asked Melissa Ethridge out on a dare and now you're married! You are pretty much known as the wife of Melissa Ethridge, although you've had some pretty cool roles on TV and the movies.
Portia Di Rossi
Ellen Degeneres
Katherine Moennig
Rosie O'Donnell
Jackie Warner
K D Lang
Melissa Ethridge
What famous lesbian do you most closely resemble? Make a Quiz

bonding

crossdressing on ice

Twenty-seven degrees Fahrenheit was the "high" here yesterday and with wind speeds as high as 68 mph, the wind chill was -10ºF!

It is so cold, I don't want to do much of anything that involves going out, en femme or otherwise.

I planned to go en femme to the Avon representative Christmas party tonight, but it was postponed until some undetermined date in January, so I will be spared from the having to deal with cold winds going up my short skirts tonight.

The forecast is for "warmer" temperatures later in the week, so maybe the weather will be more inviting for crossdressing then.

the fabulous Michelle Pfeiffer

I watched The Fabulous Baker Boys on Encore last night. I have seen the film before and enjoy it each time I watch it. The Bridges Boys are excellent and Michelle Pfeiffer is fabulous in her role as Susie Diamond.

The highlight of the film is when Ms. Pfeiffer sings "Makin' Whoopee" as seen in this video.



Enjoy the video, see the film, and consider femulating a woman like her.

2008 spring fashions

Perusing the January 2008 issue of Harper's Bazaar last night, I fell in love with some of the 2008 spring fashions previewed in the magazine.



I love this outfit that appeared in the "Trends From New York" feature. (Click on any image in this blog to enlarge it.)



I also loved these shoes. The pair on the left appeared in the "Runway Report" story, while the pair on the right appeared in the "Fabulous At Every Age" article. The later was actually in the section of the article that featured fashions for women in their 50's, which fits me to a tee.

magazines

I have a variety of hobbies and interests. To keep up with what is going on, I subscribe to magazines that cover my areas of interest.

Over the years, I subscribed to a variety of trans-oriented magazines. I seldom renewed a subscription to a trans mag because I found them trashy, boring, and/or lacking information that I wanted. I gave up on them and I don't subscribe to any trans mags today. (Please recommend any that you feel are worthwhile.)

On the other hand, I do keep up with what is going on in the femulation world by subscribing to woman's fashion magazines.

Years ago, I subscribed to Allure when it was a skinny magazine, but packed with useful information for the crossdressing fashionista. After a few years, I let my Allure subscription expire during a femulation lull.

I resubscribed to Allure about a year ago and was surprised when the first issue showed up in my mailbox. The skinny magazine had become a bloated tome of 200 to 300 pages, chock full of advertisements and little useful information. Whenever a new issue arrived, I perused it once and put it in the recycling pile.

I let my Allure subscription expire and recently subscribed to Harper's Bazaar. My first issue arrived yesterday and it was a pleasant surprise! It was full of ads*, but it also was full of useful articles. I think it is more sophisticated than Allure and I will be returning to it often.

* One good thing about the proliferation of ads in fashion magazines is that they pay for the magazine, so subscriptions are cheap, usually about $1 per issue or less. For example, go here and you can get a one-year subscription to Harper's Bazaar for $10 or two years for $15.

stuck at home

My dear friend Diana often e-mails me to ask if I would like to go out en femme with her. I turn her down more often than I accept her invitation.

Diana is single and lives as a woman full-time. I am married and live as a woman part-time.

Most of the time, I am in male mode because my wife married a man and prefers me in boy mode. She dislikes it when I am in girl mode and to keep the peace, I agreed that I only do the girly thing on a limited basis.

I am in male mode most of the time also because my employer hired a man and might not be too happy if I showed up at work in a dress and heels on days that don't end the month of October.

When Diana wants to go out, she opens the door and she is out (lucky girl!). When I want to go out, it is more complicated. I need two hours at a minimum to transform from boy mode to girl mode. And if it is an evening outing, that means leaving work early to get ready.

Since there are a number of complications in my girl life, I have to pick and choose my en femme outings and as a result, I have to turn Diana down more often than I would like. I just hope she doesn't get tired of my rejections and stops asking!

actor femulates Camilla for film role

Rupert Everett makes an unexpectedly glamorous appearance in the new St Trinian's movie in a cross-dressing role apparently inspired by Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

The flamboyant actor, who dons a blonde wig and knee-length skirt for the part of "pantomime dame" headmistress Miss Camilla Fritton, proved to be a striking doppelganger for the royal.

You can read the rest of the story from the Daily Mail here.

Tuesday, Tuesday

I found this in my e-mails this morning:

"Just a note to write that every day I take my vitamins and read your writings. You express feelings which I have and I feel less alone."

What a sweet thing to say!

To tell you the truth, I can use some vitamins and a little inspiration myself this morning. My allergies were bothering me last night and I had a hard time falling asleep, so I took two allergy pills to knock me out.

They did the trick, but I should have only taken one because I feel bushy-eyed and bright-tailed this morning and so far, coffee has not turned me around.

To make matters worse, it feels like a Monday rather than a Tuesday because yesterday I worked from home (to avoid dealing with the icy road conditions).

All work and no play makes Staci a dull girl, so during a break yesterday, a 20% discount e-mail offer from Newport-News moved me to do some online shopping. I spent a long while on the Newport-News Web site, adding anything that I liked to my shopping cart.

When I was finished shopping, I reviewed the contents of my shopping cart and removed everything except for two dresses: a zip-front V-neck dress in "royal purple" and a sweater-knit dress in "heather charcoal," which I ordered (and now wait anxiously for their arrival).

updates

I updated my questions and answers page and added top 30 things every crossdressing man needs in his wardrobe to emulate a woman to my adventures in femulation page.

flicks for chicks

I am a big movie fan.

I like a varied genre of film. There are only a few that I do not like: action films and slasher films. I also don't care much for feature-length animated films, but I love cartoons.

Although I love dressing as a woman, I do like films that appeal to manly men, for example, war films, especially World War II films, westerns, spy films (Connery's 007 are my favorites), mob films, science fiction, horror films, etc.

My guilty pleasure is the chick flick. (I am writing this just after watching Friends With Money.)

Perusing the list of 100 great chick flicks, I've seen most of them, liked most of the ones I've seen, and consider some of them as my favorite films of all time!

As a crossdresser, I guess liking chick flicks is just another expression of my inner chick.

out yesterday

I went out en femme yesterday.

I ran late, so I had to forgo my shopping plans and drove straight to the university where I did outreach at two Human Sexuality classes.

I want to look my best when I do outreach, so I usually dress up and yesterday was no exception. I wore my favorite dress (the leopard sash-tie wrap dress that I bought from Newport-News), favorite shoes (the Joy Baby Doll Pumps I bought at Payless), black tights, and my short white fake fur car coat. Needless to say, I was overdressed compared to most of the females (students and professors) on campus; I looked like a visitor on campus and that's what I was.

Females were in the majority in both classes; each class had about 25 students with two males in the earlier class and six in the later class.

Usually, the later afternoon class is less energetic, but that was not the case yesterday. Both classes were enthusiastic and asked a lot of questions. The second class even applauded us at the end!


Coincidentally, the two same questions that were never asked before came up in both classes:

One was, "How do you hide your genitalia?"

My answer was right out of my Wednesday blog: I wear a panty girdle to keep my genitalia in check. As I wrote on Wednesday, I tried a gaff, 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.

The other question was "Do you do hormones or have you had surgery?"

The answer was "no," but I assume the students asked because they thought I might do hormones and had surgery because they thought that it looked liked I had, which means I looked more womanly than the average guy in a dress. So, I took that question as a compliment.

During the question and answer session in the second class, Maryanne, the transsexual I was paired off with, went on about how it was not about clothes, it was all about gender. She wished that we all wore sackcloths and then we would not have to deal with the clothing issue.

I was ready to jump in as soon as she finished because for me, it is all about the clothes! But just as Maryann finished, the professor, who knows me well, chimed in, "But for Staci, it is all about clothes!" Everyone had a good laugh after her comment.

After the first class, we walked to the Student Union for a bite to eat. I missed it, but everyone else commented on how another professor passed us in the hallway and turned around to get a better look at me. I hate it when that happens and I miss it!

The women in the first class loved my shoes and after the class, a number of them asked me where I bought them. Also, the woman working the Dunkin' Donuts shop in the Student Union where I bought coffee and a flatbread sandwich complimented me on my retro necklace. I thanked her and pointed out my matching retro earrings.

I was tired by the end of the day, but surprisingly my feet did not hurt because my Baby Doll Pumps are so comfortable even with a three-inch heel.

It was another wonderful day out en femme and as always, I look forward to the next opportunity to be the woman I sometimes am.

before going out yesterday

Before I went out yesterday, I took some photos and here are my two favorites from that photoshoot.

Both are my reflections in a mirror. They are out of focus, which is a good thing because being out of focus blurs the signs of old age and makes me look younger!