evening gown

As I wrote here last Thursday, I am going to Fantasia Fair for the first time.

I will be going for the whole fair, i.e., Sunday evening to the following Sunday morning, so I will be en femme 24/7 for 7 straight days (maybe "straight" is not the correct word, but you know what I mean).

Needless to say, I am very excited about it and the Fair has been on my mind all the time ever since I decided to go.

Yesterday, I started compiling a list of things to bring to the Fair. First, I listed the events at the Fair that I will likely attend (all of them, of course) and then I made notes of what I will wear to each event.

I had no problem coming up with enough outfits to wear, but I am not sure what to wear to the Saturday night "Gala Awards Banquet." I have a couple of knock-out cocktail dresses that I have worn in the past to my support group's annual banquet and they will be more than adequate, but I'd really like to wear something new and more formal (longer) than a cocktail dress, i.e., an "evening gown."

So, I am gown shopping. I started my search by browsing the various Web sites where I normally shop and a few where I have never shopped, but I found nothing that floated my boat; nothing that cried out "Staci, I am so you!" So, my search continues.

If anyone has any suggestions, please pass them along.

a boy and his boobs

Yesterday, I was listening to a podcast by Ethan St. Pierre's "The Radicalguy" in which he interviewed Mila Pavlin.

During the interview, the Mila mentioned that as a young pre-op transwoman, she was mortified whenever she had to remove her top to go swimming or participate in other activities in which males were expected to go shirtless because in her mind, she was female and going topless was not something females did in public. During such occurrences, she would try to cover up with a towel in order to feel less embarrassed.

When I was young, I experienced something similar whenever I was expected to be shirtless because I have boobs. I don't know if my breast development was the result of being overweight, hormone imbalance, Gynecomastia, or a combination of some or all of the above. Whatever... I have boobs that nearly fill a B cup bra.

In my youth, my breasts embarrassed me; I would notice people checking out my breasts and occasionally, I would hear hurtful comments like "He should wear a bra?" As I grew older, I began avoiding situations where I had to go shirtless and as an adult, I am never in a public situation without a shirt.

On the other hand, I am very happy with natural breasts when I am en femme and I seldom have to wear anything in my bra to augment my bust. The only time I stuff my bra is when I wear a low-cut top or dress and want to display some cleavage (as in the accompanying photo). To achieve cleavage, I tape my breasts together, but by doing so, my bra cups are only half-filled, so I use stuffing to fill out the cups. But normally, the only thing in my bra is me.

Admittedly, my breasts are small for a woman my size, but they are all mine and they feel as natural as can be. And my breasts are no longer an embarrassment; they have become an asset.

Crossdressed in the Past

(Click on an image to enlarge it.)

I'm going to Disney World ...for crossdressers!

I'm going to Fantasia Fair (or "Disney World for Crossdressers," as I like to think of it).

Fantasia Fair (FanFair for short) is an annual week-long mid-October event (October 19-26 this year)in Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where the boys are girls and the girls are boys and all the transfolk have the run of the town presenting themselves in their gender of choice 24/7.

I have many friends and acquaintances who have attended FanFair in the past and they have nothing but great things to say about their experience. They have urged me to go, but until now, I have been unable to do so.

Presenting as a woman 24/7 for a week will be a new experience. I have done three-day events in the past, but not a week-long event, so this will be more of a real life test for me!

Anyway, I am thrilled that I will be able to go this year. And I wonder how the experience will effect me.

how do you put a bra on

Robin sent me this link to a cute video and I am passing it on to you.

top shoe trends for fall 2008

"The era of the ostentatious 'it' bag is over. Blaring logos are dead.

"But this fall, statement shoes are bigger, taller, and more opinionated than ever."

Kate Schelter wrote all about fall shoes here.

dress to shop

Meg wrote, "When you're dressed and shop, what do you wear?

"I'm planning to talk to saleswomen and ask to try clothes on next time I go. I've wanted to but never done it so far.

"Is a dress better than a skirt/blouse? If I'm wearing the latter and I want to try on a dress, I have to remove both and there May Be Many Buttons. If I wear the former, I need to find a top to go with a bottom, or vice-versa when I want to try one on, and if the dress goes over my head my wig could get out-of-sorts (also with a pullover top, hence the worry about buttons.

"How about sharing your experiences?"

I'll gladly share my experience, Meg.

When I go shopping and plan to try clothes on in the store, I wear something that is easy to take off and put on, so usually a dress without a lot of buttons. Also, something that has a wide collar so as not to muss up my hair and makeup when I pull it off and on (so avoid anything with a turtleneck).

The best thing I ever wore shopping was a dress that had a zipper up front that zipped from the neckline to the hemline of the dress. I could get in and out of that dress quick like a bunny.

Also, to minimize changing back into the outfit you wore into the store, take as many outfits as the store allows to the dressing room. Or shop in a store where there is personalized service with a salesperson at your beck and call to fetch outfits for you while you are in the dressing room.

If you are shopping for a skirt to match a top or vice versa, then that is a different story and you will want to wear whatever you are trying to match, unless it is so generic that you can find something in the store to use for matching.

On the other hand, if you are just skirt shopping, for example, wear an easy on-and-off dress. When you find the skirts you want to try on, grab a top, too, so that you will have something to model with the skirts. Of course, you don't have to purchase the top, but then you might find one that goes so nicely with the skirt you are buying that you will just have to buy the top, too!

I hope that helps!

---

Occasionally, I receive e-mails asking for advice. Often, the writers of these e-mails indicate that they are hesitant about writing to me for advice because they don't want to bother me.

On the contrary, I love receiving e-mails asking for advice. My maternal side loves to help others if she can, so please feel free to ask. Maybe I can help you and maybe you will help me by expanding my knowledge of the transworld. And maybe our e-mail exchange will inspire me to write an interesting blog posting (like this one).

So, use the "send me e-mail" link on the right to write to me.

where I left off

Busy weekend, not much blogging. In fact, I was so busy yesterday that I did not touch a keyboard until nearly 5 PM, which is almost unheard of in my little world!

I left off with you here Friday morning after I bought that jacket and skirt set on clearance from Spiegel.

After work, I went to the mall to see if Payless had any of the new shoes I was pining for. My timing was great because on Friday was the first day of Payless' frequent Bogo sales (buy one, get one half off).

Nothing gets hands-on service faster than when a 6' 2" guy walks into Payless and heads down the aisle where the woman's size 10-12 shoes are stationed. The saleswoman who greeted me as I walked in almost immediately made a bee-line for me and asked if I needed any help.

I asked her about the new shoes I saw online and she indicated that they were on display at the front of the store. I told her "I do drag" and my size. She had all three pairs, but only two in my size: the American Eagle Latte Mary Jane and the Koko Gilley Pump.

I asked the saleswoman if any of the surrounding Payless stores had the Haste Patent Oxford Pump in my size. She recommended that because of the shoe's design that I look for that shoe one size larger. She went online to check the other nearby stores, but they did not have it in stock.

I bought the two that they had in stock and continued shopping around the mall. The sad state of the economy was really apparent. It was Friday afternoon and the mall was dead despite the fact that it was prime back-to-school shopping time.

On a positive note, as soon as I walked into a store, I usually had an attentive salesperson at my beck and call. Window-shopping, I saw a cute outfit on display, so I went in the store and a saleswoman asked to be of assistance. I was unfamiliar with the store's clothing line, so I asked her how large did their sizes go up to.

She said "14," then asked, "What size does she wear?"

I replied, "I wear 16s or 18s depending on the style of clothing."

Without batting an eye, she said that the store was opening an online store real soon now with sizes going up to 18 and that I should check it out.

I thanked her and went on my way.

I continued shopping, but did not see anything I had to have, so I exited the mall with my new shoes in bag.

crossdressed in the past

(Click on the image to enlarge it.)

clearance sale

Every day of the week, I get an e-mail from Spiegel touting their sale du jour.

I like Spiegel's clothing and have bought a few items from them in the past, but most of the time I don't buy anything because they are expensive.

Today's e-mail from Spiegel announced a clearance sale, so I dutifully checked out what they had on sale and I found the pictured jacket and skirt that I had died for in the past on sale and in my size!

Originally, they cost $79 and $39 respectively, but on clearance, they were $13.99 and $6.99, so how could I resist! In addition, I got 20% off my order by signing up for a Spiegel credit card. So, what would have cost me (with shipping and handling) $126.94 back when I was dying for it, now cost me only $25.72!

Can this girl shop or what!

vintage vriday

FYI, the woman featured in today's Vintage Vriday edition of Femulate This: is the late Italian actress Alida Valli, who was best known on this side of the Atlantic for her role in The Third Man.

Tricia Helfer

Greg wrote to tell me that Tricia Helfer of Battlestar Galactica fame is 5' 10" tall, so I added her to the Famous Females of Height list.

new news feature

About half way down this blog's sidebar, you will find a new feature: NEWS. Click on "transgender" for a list of transgender news articles or "crossdress" for crossdress news articles.

Transgender Contestant to Compete on Top Model

(updated below)

(This bit of news popped up yesterday afternoon, so you may have read about it already, but I think I should mention it here in case any of you missed it.)

One of the 14 girls who will compete on the new season of America's Next Top Model – which returns to The CW on September 3 – is transgender.

Read all about it here.

UPDATE: I just read the comments to this article and found it interesting that most of them were supportive and only a few were from yahoos.

Staci needs new shoes

I love shoes and I own too many pairs, but I can't resist them. My favorite shoe store du jour has three new models for the fall season that are calling my name. (Click on the photo to make them bigger.)

American Eagle Latte Mary Jane — "The American Eagle Latte Mary Jane features a comfortable round toe, two pretty Mary Jane straps with adjustable buckles, a padded insole and a 4" two tone wrapped heel. Manmade materials."

I am a sucker for Mary-Janes and I love the color of this pair, but I may hold off buying them because I already have many Mary-Janes.

Haste Patent Oxford Pump — "This sleek, trend-right bootine features a patent upper with shoestring piping, a menswear cap toe, laces for the full oxford feel and a towering 4" wrapped heel. Padded insole. Manmade materials."

I love these booties and are Staci "must haves"!

Koko Gilley Pump — "Make a bold fashion statement with this retro-inspired pump. It features a faux suede upper with a peep toe and a 4" patent stiletto heel. The shoelace tie gives it a trend-right oxford feel. Fabric and manmade materials."

These shoes are so chichi and are also Staci "must haves."

a world where men can wear skirts

Catherine Price writes here that "Maybe a time will come when one of my oldest fashion grievances -- that it's OK for women to wear pants, but demeaning for a man to wear 'female' clothing -- will be laid to rest."

high women updated

I added a few more women to the Famous Females of Height list.

killed the diet "progress"

I am still trying to lose weight, but I decided to stop posting my progress (or lack thereof) on the blog.

The intention for posting my progress was "to keep me on track" so that "I will be less likely to cheat because I would be embarrassed when I publicize any weight gains here."

That sounded good in theory, but it did not work in practice and so, it goes.

(You got to love this photo of the woman weighing herself in heels. Maybe that is where I went wrong; I should have worn strappy high heels whenever I weighed myself!)

On The Importance Of Details

Ignore the details and you may draw attention to yourself... and not in a good way

This excellent article about the importance of details should be required reading for anyone trying to pass as a woman, whether she is male or female.

dream analysis

I visited the town library yesterday to look at the books they had on dream analysis trying to find references to dreams about crossdressing. There were about a half dozen books and I looked through them all.

One book devoted one paragraph to the subject and was not very revealing. In a nutshell, the book indicated that if you dreamed about crossdressing, then you may have gender issues!

Who would have thought?

random thoughts on a rotten day

I am on vacation and it is a dank and dreary day today, so I am spending some time blogging because going out is not too inviting.

I went to the Mohegan Sun casino yesterday. I had a good time. I have a better time when I win, but even when I lose or break even, it is interesting.

I like to watch the people in the casino. I have been thinking about going to the casino en femme one day this fall, so I made mental notes concerning the wardrobes of the female patrons. If you see an ad for the casino on television or visit the casino's Web site, all the women are dressed to the nines. Maybe that is the case on a Friday or Saturday night, but not on a weekday. I estimate that 95% of the female patrons wore slacks, trousers, jeans, or shorts; about 5% wore skirts. The only dresses I saw were on women, who work at the casino.

I ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant at the casino: SolToro Tequila Grill. The meal was excellent, but it did not do much good for my diet!

to church en femme

As I've written here many times before, I seldom remember my dreams and on those rare occasions that I do, the dreams are usually trans-related. Such was the case last night.

I dreamed I went to Sunday Mass en femme wearing a beige suit, open toe pumps, hat, and purse. Dressed to kill, but not atypical for a going to Mass outfit circa 1960.

I attended Mass at the same church my family always attended when I was growing up and I sat in a pew next to my grandmothers (both have been dead nearly 40 years).

No one said a word about my appearance; both grandmothers paid no attention to me. I wondered if they were ignoring me or were accepting me. I waited for their reaction, but none was forthcoming.

At the end of the Mass, I could not find my pocketbook and I awoke searching the church for my lost bag.

Mary-Louise Parker on Letterman

Updated: August 3, 2008

Mary-Louise Parker was a guest on Letterman last night. I stayed up just to watch her appearance. As luck would have it, she was the last guest and did not appear until well after midnight.

She was worth the wait!

Unlike some guests who appear on Letterman and Leno as if they just came in from slopping the pigs, i.e., wearing jeans, the 5' 8" tall Ms. Parker was dressed to the nines in a short red satin dress, black pantyhose or tights, and black patent Mary Jane heels (not the outfit as in the photo to the right).

She looked classy!

I loved her outfit and could see myself in something similar, if not identical.

---

Note to Moi: Add Ms. Parker to the "famous females of height" list.

vacation

I am on vacation until August 11, so my blog postings may be scarce this week.

not so fine

I live most of my life in boy mode and only spend a few hours per month in girl mode. Day-to-day in boy mode, I used to do next to nothing for my appearances in girl mode except to try and maintain my weight.

A couple of years ago, I noticed fine lines appearing around my eyes. As time passed, the fine lines became less fine and more noticeable and cosmetics did nothing to conceal the lines when I was in girl mode.

I am an Avon representative and as such, received a free sample of eye cream that was intended to help eliminate the lines. I looked in the mirror and thought, what do I have to lose and tried the free sample, applying it around my eyes every morning. (I also began using a moisturizer for the rest of my face.)

It did not take long before I noticed that the eye cream was working and after I used up the free sample, I bought some more. Four containers later, I look in the mirror today and many of the lines are gone and the ones that remain are less noticeable.

If lines are beginning to show up around your eyes, nip the problem in the bud. The product I use is Anew Ultimate Transforming Lift Eye Cream. It is expensive, but each container lasts a long time (four to five months).

There may be better creams available and your mileage may very, but I am happy with what I am using and will stick with it until someone proves to me there is something better that is comparable price-wise.

bunnies in skirts

Bugs Bunny has been known to crossdress on occasion. Her femulations are usually very passable, and well they should be because she has professional artists at her beck and call.

While looking for something else on IMDb today, I came across a list of Bugs Bunny's appearances in drag and I thought I would share it with you. So, here is the list of the famous hare appearing as a her.

men in skirts

A bunch of articles have popped up on the net recently concerning the push by fashion designers to put men in skirts.

It seems that this effort is not just a pipe dream that goes nowhere, as in the past when some odd designer would show a few skirts in his/her men's collection. Now, men are actually beginning to appear in public wearing skirts; recent men in skirt sightings have occurred throughout the world and they are occurring more frequently.

In addition to men in skirts, we also have:

• men in pantyhose or "mantyhose"
• men in leggings or "meggings"
• men in girdles or "mirdles"
• men in bras or "manssieres"
• men in high heels
• men in makeup including "guyliner" and "manscara"
• men in purses or "murses"

There is not much left for men to borrow from milady's wardrobe.

Are men becoming the new women?

Will the feminization of men's fashions make it easier or harder for crossdressers?

We'll have to wait and see.

cover girl boy

Remember National Lampoon, the humor magazine that was popular during the 1970s and 1980s? I was a regular reader of National Lampoon and recently obtained a DVD containing all its back issues.

Using the DVD to reacquaint myself with the magazine, I began recalling trans-related references and items that occasionally appeared in its pages over the years.

One trans-related item that was not apparent to most readers was the cover of the October 1974 issue. The theme of that issue was "Pubescence" and the cover featured a young teenage girl displaying a cherry that she plucked from the top of an ice cream sundae.

As I recall, the National Lampoon editors were unhappy with the original cover because the model looked too old, so they enlisted a young male model to play the pubescent cover girl and he, crossdressed as a she, graced the magazine cover that month.

gender imbalance (and the end of crossdressing as we know it)

In certain villages in northern Greenland something is completely out of whack — only girls are being born.

Read all about here.

tv guide

just for fun

I added a bunch of images to my just for fun Web page.

Have fun!

Update

I added more images today (July 29, 2008).

being tall & famous females of height

being tall & famous females of height is a new entry on My Adventures in Femulation Web page and it includes an updated list of tall women of notoriety.

Update

I added more tall women to the list today (July 29, 2008).

Saffron Burrows

The Bank Job is a 2008 British film that recently became available on DVD. I watched the DVD last night and enjoyed the film a lot.

The film stars Saffron Burrows, who has cheekbones to die for. I was not familiar with her work, but after I looked her up on the Internet, I discovered that she was a regular on the television show, Boston Legal this year. (I never watched Boston Legal.)

I also discovered that she is 6 feet tall!

It comes as no surprise that she is a former model and coincidentally, plays a former model in The Bank Job.

still fat after 18 days

So far, my diet has been a disaster.

I lost four pounds the first day and came down with an intestinal bug that stuck with me for nearly two weeks. Then, I got on the scale this morning to discover that the four pounds I lost had now become one pound.

But, I am not giving up and will continue to try and lose 16 pounds by Labor Day.

how to talk to a transperson

Is it okay to call someone a transvestite? How do you determine a transgender person's preferred pronoun — he or she — without being offensive?

Read all about it here.

femulations by Jack Benny

I watched Jack Benny: Comedy in Bloom on PBS last night. It was a documentary about comedian Jack Benny's career.

I enjoyed Jack Benny's television show when I was a kid and I also enjoyed listening to recordings of his radio shows.

Benny had feminine mannerisms and some people claim that he was gay. I dunno about that (I have feminine mannerisms and I am not gay), but I do know that Benny crossdressed on occasion.

He crossdressed in the film Charley's Aunt, which is billed "He's funny enough in pants! In skirts he's terrific!"

I never saw Charley's Aunt and I don't believe it was mentioned in the documentary I watched last night. However, they did show a clip of Benny crossdressing on television, in which he played the Gracie Allen role with George Burns.

His femulation was perfect! Benny was dressed to pass and not for laughs, although he received laughs anyway. And I loved his retro-1950s outfit!

crossdressed in the past

Two Boston femulators circa 1900. (Click on an image to enlarge it.)

Dear Staci

Reversing Roles When En Femme?

Dear Staci,

I was curious if as Staci you tend toward assuming/fulfilling the traditional female role in your relationship with your partner? Does your partner then assume/tend toward the traditional male role?

I have been seeing a woman who likes me as Hanna, likes me dressed as Hanna, but is not so sure she likes me assuming the female role if it means she assumes the male role. I am probably stuck in the "one of us has to be the man and the other the woman" relationship model. I know from what you have said you have a very successful relationship and I am curious about what works for you and your partner.

Hugs,

Hanna

---

Dear Hanna,

The success of my relationship is that I have compartmentalized my boy life and my girl life. Therefore, I am the guy in my marriage and my wife is the gal. My wife tolerates my girl life, but does not want to be a participant and I am ok with that.

Best Wishes,

Staci

---

Do you need advice concerning femulation or other crossdressing-related matters, then e-mail me and I will happily give you my opinion on the matter. My e-mail address is staci-staci at sbcglobal.net.

Maggie Gyllenhaal V. Gwyneth Paltrow

A Jumpsuit Fashion Faceoff (POLL)

Just for fun, read all about it here.

(By the way, I voted for Maggie.)

the beauty prescription

Why others see you as 20 per cent more attractive than you think you are

Research shows that others see you as 20 per cent more attractive than you think you are. That's because, when you look in the mirror, you're simply judging yourself on looks. All you can see is your reflection - but none of the personality.

Read all about it here.

me

Christine Baranski

Christine Baranski was in the film Mama Mia, which I saw yesterday.

I have seen Ms. Baranski on television and in other films including the gender-bending The Birdcage and I usually enjoy her performances.

Only yesterday, did I notice that she is tall, but I was not sure how tall, so I looked her bio up on IMDB and discovered that she is tall indeed (5' 10").

In addition to being a tall woman, we have other things in common. We are approximately the same age (she is one year younger), we are both of Polish ancestry, we both live in Connecticut, and we are both drop-dead gorgeous... well, maybe me not so much on the last count .

chick flick

I am taking my wife to see Mama Mia this afternoon. We both enjoyed seeing the musical on Broadway and look forward to seeing the film.

Yes, it's a chick flick and a musical to boot, so I should go en femme, but I won't in deference to my wife.

By the way, I like most chick flicks and musicals, too. How femme is that?

Update

I just returned home after seeing the film. I laughed, I cried, and I sang along to the music. I thought the film was very good and worth the price of admission.

do I still look fat?

My diet has stalled. I have only lost four pounds in ten days.

On the eve of the diet, I caught some kind of stomach illness that is still with me today. I won't go into details ("too much information"), but I will say that I have been on a roller coaster ride with this bug and I think it has had a negative effect on my weight loss.

I feel better this morning and maybe this bug is about to depart. Then, maybe I will make some progress with my diet.

be size myself

My Newport-News order arrived yesterday.

The black patent Mary Janes were lovely and fit. The dresses did not and I returned them today for a refund.

I ordered both dresses in my size du jour (16) and nine out of ten times, 16 works, but this time, 16 was too small.

I did not bother exchanging them for a larger size because one dress was sold out in size 18 and the other was so small in size 16 that I was not sure that even a size 18 would fit.

I was very disappointed.

Sizing is always an issue when buying clothing online or via mail order. It is a crap shoot in which I can accept inconsistent sizing when you buy from different stores, but inconsistent sizing from the same store is inexcusable.

It is very frustrating and causes me to consider swearing off future online/mail order purchases.

crossdressed in the past

good call

After a busy weekend, I sat down in front of the television to vegetate for the hour before I usually go to bed.

One million channels and there was nothing much on for 60 minutes that piqued my interest, so I watched the Miss Universe pageant.

I tuned in late and missed the introduction of the 80 contestants, however, I tuned in just as they paired the 80 down to 20. The first of the 20 was Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza.

Without seeing another contestant, I thought that Miss Venezuela should win. The other 20 were knock-outs and Miss Colombia Taliana Vargas was my second choice, but Miss Venezuela was outstanding in my opinion. By the way, I will mention for readers of my previous blog posting that another of the 20, Miss Mexico Elisa Najera, is 6 feet tall.

By the way, whenever I watch a pageant, my picks usually lose, so I did not have much hope for Misses Venezuela and Colombia. When the judges paired the 20 down to 15, I figured my losing record was intact because after announcing 14 of the 15, Miss Venezuela was not among the 14 (although Miss Colombia was). I was very surprised when Miss Venezuela was the last of the 15 to be announced.

Then, I went to bed and just missed Miss USA's trip down the catwalk in her evening gown.

After I woke up this morning, the first thing I did was check the results of the pageant. I was shocked: Miss Venezuela won and Miss Colombia was 1st runner up!

Perfect!

being tall

I am over six feet tall, so when I femulate, I am a tall woman.

About the time I started femulating in my early teens, I became interested in tall women because they affirmed my existence as a tall woman, i.e., I was not the only tall woman out and about in society. Few were as tall as me, but maybe there were enough out there so that I could blend in more easily as just another tall woman.

In the past, tall women tried to blend in with their shorter sisters, so they dressed down (pun intended); instead of celebrating their height, they tried to hide it (to appear less intimidating to men).

Also, tall women did not have a lot to choose from clothes-wise. Few clothiers catered to tall women, so tall women had to make do with what was available, which typically did not celebrate tall women's height.

Today, tall women are out and proud and celebrate their height. They have more clothing to choose from now that more clothiers recognize their potential as customers. They no longer dress down to hide their height. They wear high heels and leg baring skirts and dresses. They don't care if they are intimidating. They've come a long way!

It is a great time to be a tall woman, or a tall femulator. If you are interested in the celebration of tall women, check out the www.tallwomen.org Web site.

dress code

a little online shopping

Yesterday, my daily e-mail from Newport-News informed me that they were having a dress sale and shipping was free if your order was at least $75. I could do that, so I rushed to their Web site and did some shopping.

Like Joe McCarthy, I was on the hunt for reds and found two that I liked, as well as a pair of red Mary Janes that were also on sale. After consulting with Patty, my fashion consultant, I got her thumbs up and went back online to order my choices, a scoopneck dress with fitted bodice and full, pleated skirt (a classic "Staci dress") and a "sophisticated" red floral-print shirtdress.

By the time I got back online to place my order, the scoopneck dress and shoes were no longer available in my size. Patty advised me to wait and they might return later in the day.

I started working on a Plan B for the red shoes and went to the Payless Web site to see what they had in red.

I hit pay dirt! They had an "online exclusive" on a pair of red platform pumps for $13.99. They also had the same shoe in black and white two tone for the same price. I ordered both.

Back to Newport-News and hour later and the dress was back in my size again, but the shoes were not. Since I had implemented Plan B for the red shoe, I was not concerned about that. But my order was still $21 short of free shipping, so I ordered the same shoes in black patent, which was still available in my size. Like Patty said, "The black patent are a staple and should be in everyone's closet." Soon, they will be in mine.

the pot calling the kettle black

In this story about a trans being booted off a Bi personal Web site for being trans, "Daryl Herrschaft, director of Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Workforce Equality Project, said that HRC works to educate gay-owned businesses about the transgender community, but he could not recall an instance of a gay-owned business being so blatant in discriminating against transgender people."

That is amusing since HRC is the group responsible for getting trans booted off the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)! Maybe the gay-owned business is just following HRC's lead.

before Vicky's, there was Freddy's.

Circa 1975, I bought my first wig, bra, and waist cincher at Frederick's of Hollywood at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, Massachusetts. Back then, Frederick's was as common a store at your local mall as Victoria's Secret is today.

Vicky has stores everywhere today, Freddy.. not so much (not even at teh Eastfield Mall). Too bad because Freddy's was practically a one-stop crossdresser's shop. You could buy wigs, shoes, dresses, hosiery, lingerie, and foundation garments, whereas Vicky's offers some, but not all of those femulation staples.

Michelia alerted me that Freddy's is having a big close-out sale and that there are coupons on Yahoo! that offer even greater savings.

Happy shopping!

building a platform that includes transgender Americans

Steve Ralls writes:
...
The Democratic National Committee and Senator Barack Obama have announced that the 2008 party platform will be put together through a more "open" process that includes numerous opportunities for the public to weigh in with their ideas on what the party should stand for. The party, and the candidate, will hold public forums in all 50 states and invite voters to meet with party officials, and policy advisers, in a national discussion about the vision of the Democratic party.
...
It is imperative that gay and transgender Americans, and our allies, participate in this new platform process, and encourage the party to assemble a vision that includes us all.

Among the priorities LGBT voters in both political parties should be focusing on are:
...
Including transgender Americans as equals in the American family . . . and in the eyes of the law. Transgender Americans have been at the forefront of the LGBT civil rights movement. In many ways, you could even say they invented it. From riots at Stonewall to rights in Sacramento (where a transgender attorney won the historic California marriage case), our transgender neighbors and friends have given us all too much to be left behind. Neither gender identity nor expression should be grounds for employment discrimination, dismissal from the armed forces or discrimination in housing or the like. The transgender community must be included in all of our efforts to secure full equality, because we are not fully equal until they are, too.
...
Read all about it here.

fall fever

It is very hot and humid in Southern New England today, a "beach day," but I am not a "beach girl" and I am looking forward to fall, which has become my favorite season.

Sans hurricanes, the weather is beautiful here in September. It is cool enough to femulate without worrying about wig, makeup, and/or foundation garment perspiration, yet it is warm enough to go out without a coat.

Also, the fall fashions are my favorites and I am anxiously waiting for all my favorite online boutiques to start showing their fall offerings. So far, Victoria's Secret is the only one showing their fall lineup, but as the month progresses, I expect that the others will, too.

And as the fall fashions begin appearing, that means clearance sales of the previous seasons' fashions, when I usually can find a bargain or two.

And more importantly, all the previously-mentioned features of fall mean that I will start going out en femme again after the summer hiatus.*

* If the opportunity arises and the weather is moderate, I will go out en femme in the summer, but those conditions seldom are in sync, so I don't count on dressing much during July and August.

art

Months ago, I received an e-mail from an artist, Tamsin Cornish, who wanted to incorporate some phrases from my blog into the trans-oriented paintings she was creating. I was honored by her request and have been in anticipation of her creations ever since.

Days ago, Tamsin e-mailed photos of the two paintings that incorporated my words. The two are titled Green Satin Shoes and Switching Modes.

If you look closely, you can see phrases interspersed throughout the paintings. Tamsin also sent me a close-up of Green Satin Shoes zoomed into the neckline of the dress where my following words appear: Why do I crossdress? Because it's fun.

I hope you will enjoy Tamsin's work as much as I do! Click on the paintings below for an expanded view and read more about Tamsin below her paintings.

Green Satin Shoes by Tasmin Cornish

Switching Modes by Tasmin Cornish

Close-up of Green Satin Shoes

About Tamsin: Tamsin Cornish lives in Surrey, in England and has just completed her joint degree, one side of which was art.

About Tamsin's paintings: My paintings portray personal glimpses into others' private lifestyles, lifestyles that most people would class as 'perverse' or 'unhealthy.' Using the real words of those who live out their desires, I have tried to open up the avenue of thought that these people feel happier and more complete living as they do, and to show that anyone could be living like this, but keep it so secret that no one would ever know. Rather than a damning of the unnatural, I wanted my paintings to be a journey to uncover and accept the unknown.

Contact Tamsin: ms.t.cornish @ googlemail.com

memories en femme

With nothing much on television last night that held my interest, I selected a DVD to watch instead: Saturday Night Live, season 2, disk number 8.

After watching a so-so SNL hosted by Buck Henry, I checked the extras on the DVD and noticed that it included the special SNL show that was broadcast from the Mardi Gras in New Orleans back in 1977. I saw that show when it was originally shown "live from New Orleans," but had not seen it since.

I was not interested in seeing it again because I recall that it was not very good. But then I recalled a very old memory from that show: a segment from a drag ball with Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams describing the event.

I fast-forwarded the DVD and watched the segment about the drag ball showing males in debutante drag being presented as debutantes are. Ms. Marshall sans Ms. Williams seemed very uncomfortable describing the action and admitted that she had not been told in advance what she would be seeing. She was also exhausted.

(You can read all about the SNL Mardi Gras show here. You can also read the transcripts and view photos from the drag ball segment here and here.)

This was just another one of my old memories en femme that I had forgotten about, but had an opportunity to revisit.

do I look fat?

I want to lose some weight.

I am about 25 pounds overweight, but I don't want to lose 25 pounds because then I would not have any fat to displace to my hips and breasts to give me my girlish figure when I wear my foundation garments. So, instead of losing 25 pounds, I'd like to lose about 15 pounds, which would give me 10 pounds to play with.

I have been trying to lose 15 pounds forever. Well, not forever, but for about a year. I start a diet and I am a good girl for a few days, maybe even as long as a week, lose a few pounds, then cheat on my diet and soon find myself back where I started. Bad girl!

It occurred to me that I should start a new diet and to keep me on track, publicize my progress here. In that way, I will be less likely to cheat because I would be embarrassed when I publicize any weight gains here.

My goal is to lose 16 pounds by September 1. I chose 16 pounds instead of 15 pounds because 16 divided by 8 weeks results in a whole number, i.e., 2 pounds per week instead of 15 divided by 8 which equals a yucky 1.875.

My diet begins on Monday. Wish me luck!

vintage clothing

Girlfriend Robin posted an e-mail on my support group's e-mail list last night about an online vintage clothing store, Unique Vintage. I checked out their Web site and this fashionista recommends it, so much so that I added their Web site to my Tool Links list.

If you like vintage clothing, I think you will like Unique Vintage, so check it out.

advice

Occasionally, I receive e-mails asking for advice. Often, the writers of these e-mails indicate that they are hesitant about writing to me for advice because they don't want to bother me.

On the contrary, I love receiving e-mails asking for advice. My maternal side loves to help others if she can, so please feel free to ask. Maybe I can help you and maybe you will help me by expanding my knowledge of the transworld. And maybe our e-mail exchange will inspire me to write an interesting blog posting.

So, use the "send me e-mail" link on the right to write to me.

transgender rights, transgender perks

Kate Bornstein writes, "Hijras are people who belong to a socially and spiritually recognized third gender in India. They are also the most universally-despised citizens of that country. When you're a hijra, you can't get a job. If you've got the courage to risk getting beaten up, you can go begging, or you can do sex work. That's about it. But hijras have an universally known and respected advantage: they have the power to bless or to curse. For example, you can't have a wedding in India--or give birth to a boy child--without hijras being present to bless the occasion. You certainly don't want one of their curses. Nevertheless, you're not likely to go long in your life as a hijra without being raped or beaten-up. That's what happens to sex and gender outlaws in most countries."

Read the rest of the story here.