Almost Back to "Normal"

My health has improved and I plan to return to work tomorrow after taking two sick days in a row (first time I've done that in a very long time).

My blog postings should return to their regular schedule and I am starting to answer e-mails again.

And so it goes!

Femulator at Oberlin College drag ball, 2004.

Wearing Tibi.

Getting Better All the Time

I felt a little better today, so here is a midday Monday post.

Starla sent me another batch of high school yearbook femulations, which you can view on flickr. The above photo features a femulating member of the school staff. I always wonder when a school staff member femulates; is it school spirit or something else?

Wearing Alice + Olivia.

100.9 degrees

100.9 degrees Fahrenheit is my current body temperature. I feel lousy, so I'll catch you after this blows over!

33 inches

Between mid-morning Friday and early morning Saturday, 33 inches of snow fell in my neck of the woods. The ground was actually bare here before the storm and we were having an easy winter, but not anymore!

Maybe it's the pants

Must-See TVs

NBC's Thursday night must-see TV had a handful of TV moment.

Community (episode titled "History 101") had Dean Pelton (played by Jim Rash - photo above) en femme again. Initially, he appeared wearing a long red evening gown, silver pumps, and a black wig. When it came time to do the tango with Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), he stripped off the red dress to reveal a short green sequins strapless number.

At the end of the show, Abel Nadir (Danny Pudi) and Troy Barnes (Donald Glover) appeared en femme in order to gain entrance to a female-only club. Dean Pelton, now in boy mode, manned the entrance to the club, complimented the "girls'" dresses and allowed them to enter.

When Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs) tried to enter the club, the Dean blocked her admittance because he clocked her as a male in drag.

The Office (episode titled "Couples Discount") had the staff pair up and play hooky to take advantage of a two-for-one Valentine's Day sale.

Clark (Clark Duke) and Nellie Bertram (Catherine Tate) paired up and went to a nail salon to get manicures. During their manicures, one of the manicurists asked Clark to remove his glasses. When Clark does, the two manicurists working side-by-side on Clark and Nellie began giggling.

When asked why they are amused, one of the manicurists said that Clark looks like a pretty girl.

Nellie checked out Clark and agreed that he is a pretty girl, then she made a crack about how Clark was developing and suggested buying him a training bra.

Clark exploded in response.

She's got legs; she knows how to use them*

I recently received another e-mail complaining that my skirts were too short for my height and/or my age (I am 6-2 and will be 62 next month).

I think the height complaint is a non-starter. Tall women have long and shapely legs --- who to better show off them off then by wearing short skirts?

Online, I found this about tall women and short skirts.

"Tall women of all ages look great in a short skirt. As you grow out of your college-partying days, you will probably want to veer away from the ultra-short, ultra-tight mini skirt, but there’s nothing wrong with a skirt that ends at your fingertips or mid-thigh. If that seems too edgy, try a skirt that ends equidistant between your knees and your fingertips. A skirt this length will help prevent embarrassing Brittany-esque moments, but will still show off enough leg to make people take notice."

I also found this.

Editor-at-Large from Glamour magazine Suze Yalof Schwartz appearing on Today said "Her 'rule of thumb' (pun intended) is that a mini skirt's hem should not be any shorter than a wearer's thumb when the hands are at the side. I actually think, however, that you have to see the wearer and the garment and that rules like that don't always apply across the board. Plus, the thumb line can be pretty short.

"For example, the wearer's legs make a huge difference in whether a mini dress or skirt makes you look fabulous or half-naked. Take Real Housewife of New York City Kelly Bensimon, for instance... As a tan, statuesque (6' 0" - Ed.) former model, her style is synonymous with mini skirts. Are her skirts, shorts, and dresses a tad too short sometimes? Sure. But does she have great legs and all the business in the world rocking a style that shows off her inherent gam glory: Absolutely!"

http://instantstylist.blogspot.com/2010/05/mini-skirts-age-limit-length-guideline.html

Personally, I think that my legs are ok, but other people have convinced me that they are more so. My legs have always received good grades. My mother often said I had beautiful legs (and that "you should have been a girl with legs like yours"). My wife and other genetic women have admitted that I have nicer legs then they do. Friends and strangers have praised my legs. A friend's spouse even nicknamed me "Leggy."

Who am I to argue? The consensus is that I have great legs, so they meet the qualification to be shown and height is not a cause for disqualification. 

But does my age disqualify me?

For starters, I don't look (or act) my age. Even in boy mode, I look younger than my age. In girl mode, with makeup and a wig piled on, I look even younger. People typically guess I am in my 40s. But what's age got to do with it?

From the Internet again:

"To use her as an example yet again, Kelly Bensimon is 40 years old and not slowing down when it comes to donning miniskirts. I don't think there should be any hard and fast rule about not wearing something after a certain age. The key is being honest with yourself about how you look in it."

I honestly think I look good in short skirts despite my age, real or apparent. Until I am convinced otherwise, you will see my knees and more.

* You all probably recognize that line from ZZ Top's hit recording "Legs." I wonder if you remember a brief T-moment in the video for that song. In that video, leggy girls, who are dressed over-the-top, are shopping in a boutique outfitting another girl who is more conservatively dressed. The T-moment occurs when one of the leggy girls grabs a dress from a guy who is holding the garment up to himself to see how it fits/looks  in it. in a boutique outfitting another girl who is more conservatively dressed. The T-moment occurs when one of the leggy girls grabs a dress from a guy who is holding the garment up to himself to see how it fits and/or looks on him.

Happy Birthday, Jack Lemmon

Actors Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon femulating in the 1958 film Some Like It Hot.

 

Wearing Alexia Admor.

Thoughts for Thursday

Thank you all very much for your congratulations and compliments regarding the seventh anniversary of this blog.

***

Ian commented, "Now for something I’ve been curious about for quite some time: ‘The Femulated’ contains documented shots of various femulators en femme. I get that –and enjoy them. What I don’t get, though, is the title. The way my brain works is such that when I see the words ‘The Femulated’, I expect to see shots of women who’ve been the object of our femulations."

It never occurred to me; Ian has a good point. I think the title can be taken either way, that is, it refers to males who femulated or as Ian suggested, it refers to females who males emulate (or femulate).

To avoid the confusion, I am changing the title to "He Femulated," which I think complements nicely with "Femulate Her."

***

I turned on my iPhone this morning to find a blizzard warning from Accuweather! My neck of the woods may get up to 18 inches of snow between midnight tonight and mid-afternoon Saturday.

That kind of puts the kabosh on my plans to attend the LGBT Valentine's Dance on Saturday evening.

There is talk that if the weather turns out to be as bad as the forecast, the governor will shut down the state roads, which may cause the dance to be postponed to another day.

We'll have to wait and see.

Happy Birthday, Eddie Izzard

Actor/comedian Eddie Izzard (center) femulates with Monty Python Flying Circus femulators Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, and Terry Jones, 1999.

 

Wearing Jay Godfrey.

The Seven Year Itch

Today marks the seventh anniversary of this blog!

Seven years ago, the blog had 35 hits. These days it averages about 5,300 hits and the total hit counter is fast approaching 7 million.

The popularity of Femulate is very gratifying, but after seven years, I occasionally get the itch to pull the plug and take a break. Then I would not have to worry about posting something new each day. Actually, I would not have to worry about posting four new things each day: The Femulated and Femulate Her images, the blog text and an image to accompany the text. 

What keeps me going are the positive e-mails I receive about the blog especially those e-mails that thank me for inspiring someone to get out of the closet and experience society as the woman they really are.

Those success stories fulfill the goal of this blog and I like that! So keep those e-mails coming and I will do my part.

Happy 7th Anniversary, Femulate

Femulating Stana observes 7 years of blogging Femulate.

 

Wearing Julian Taylor.

Videos You Must See

Two must-see transgender videos came my way in the last 24 hours.

Thanks to Juan over at New Male Fashions for the Alternative Man, I viewed a new music video, Push the Button by Alon Ben Ziv, featuring the gender ambiguous Stav Strashko. Click here to take you to Juan's blog where you can view it. You will be amazed and probably confused!

The other video comes by way of India and it is a promo for a DVD of Aravani Girl, an award-winning film that documents the lives of five Indian teenage boys who have decided to change their sex. The promo sold me and I think it might convince you to buy the DVD, too. Click here to view the video.

Have a Terrific Trans Tuesday!

Singer Bruno Mars (center) and comedian Bobby Moynihan (right) femulating on television’s Saturday Night Live, 2012.

 

Wearing Casual Couture.

Mother of the Bride

 

Today, I return to addressing the questions and suggestions readers sent me in response to my call for topics that readers would like me to write about or expand upon.

Ron wrote, "Regarding your lunch outing: what you can do for details of the outing is important to us. Things like color of nails, lipstick color; how often during your lunch did you freshen up your make up. How did it feel as a woman having lunch with your boss? Did you notice her pupils; did they expand in your presence? How exactly did you feel (reality check) en femme out and about; any real feelings of doubt or feelings of desire for a close GG to share your adventures with. Have you ever thought about a wedding dress theme?"

My nails are Kiss pre-glued stick-on nails, which are pink with a white French tip. They look so good that everyone who comments on them believes they are real.

My lipstick color was raspberry and my lip liner color was brick.

I did not freshen my makeup during lunch, but I did freshen it in my car before I met up with my editor.

My editor is not my boss, she is my editor. I have dined with her a few times in the past and it is always a great experience dining with a genetic girl (GG). She passes very well (she is very pretty) and by association, that helps me to pass. The restaurant staff treated us like ladies and referred to us as ladies.

I did not notice my editor's pupils expand, but it was not the first time she has seen Stana, so it was nothing new to her (except for my new hair color).

Reality check: when I am out en femme, it is the most natural way to be for me. I used to have a lot of doubts about going out in the past, but seldom have any negative thoughts today. And as far as the desire for a close GG to share my adventures, it is nice to have any company, GG or otherwise, when I am out (I especially hate eating alone).

Regarding a wedding dress theme, the next time I get married, I plan to wear a gown. Kidding aside, I'd love to try on wedding gowns, but have never done it and I think I am too old to do it now. Mother of the bride would be more appropriate!

Happy Birthday Alice Cooper

Comedian Will Forte (left) femulates on television’s 30 Rock, 2012.

 

Wearing MSK.

Flying High With Dianne

I recently received the following e-mail from my friend Dianne, who graciously gave me permission to share her words with you.

Hey Stana,

I find it a very slippery slope as I definitely need to spend more en femme time and the more I go en femme the more I need to! In October, I pushed the envelope quite a bit and the opportunity presented itself for me to spend the majority of my 3-week trip to the US (with exception of 5 days) en femme! and it was Heaven!

I was really pleasantly surprised as to how much more fun some things areen femme  and also as to how well one actually passes if you have enough confidence and a good voice and mannerisms. I did quite a lot of travelling and was amazed how it all went without incident and nowhere did I have any trouble getting on a plane, renting a car or checking into a hotel as Dianne, despite only having my male ID.

I was in the DC, NJ and NY area for a week, then flew from Baltimore to Atlanta, Spent the week there and flew to PTown and a week later back to Atlanta again, all en femme! The flight from Baltimore to Atlanta was actually quite special as the plane had to wait on the taxiway for an hour to get a take-off slot. I was upgraded to business class and there was a GG (genetic girl) sitting next to me who was going to Atlanta for the first time. She and hubby were planning to move there, so she really wanted to know a lot about Atlanta, like which areas to live in and was really pleased to meet someone who lived in Atlanta!

At first I was a little worried that she might read me, her being in her 30's, but later I was really so impressed with the fact that she did not despite the fact that she sat next to me for three hours on the plane and we chatted so much. As we got off the plane in Atlanta, I could see she was still convinced I was a GG and never had that deer in the headlight look at any stage!

I still cannot believe it was such an amazing feeling to be able to pass so well there and it really did a lot for my confidence.

Did you also find yourself getting to a stage where you are almost thinking where's a place or situation I have not been en femme and then go there en femme. (Most definitely, yes! - Stana) And afterwards I feel so happy that it seems I am actually able to be en femme full-time and literally go anywhere anytime en femme without fear, just like a GG... I guess maybe the ultimate "femulation" experience.

Regards,

Dianne

The Music Died Today

Aunty Marlena alerted me about a womanless pageant held in Alabama in November. Photos of the event are on SmugMug.

 

Wearing Alice + Olivia.

Makeover Your Eyebrows

If you are a regular reader here, you know I have a thing about eyebrows.

Of all the makeup skills, doing my eyebrows correctly was the last one I conquered. Actually, I have not completely vanquished my eyebrow issues yet, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

With that, I point you to another useful article on the subject from Daily Makeover.

By the way, I have not completed answering all your questions and addressing all your suggestions that were the result of my call for your input last week. I just thought a break in the action was called for and I will return to your questions and suggestions real soon now.

Happy Groundhog Day (the movie, not the day)

Actor Lee Pace (center) femulating in the 2003 film Soldier’s Girl.

 

Wearing Moschino.

Woman of Manners

Today, I carry on answering the questions and responding to the suggestions readers sent me after my call for topics that readers would like me to write about or expand upon.

Leann wrote, "One of the challenges of going out en femme and blending in as best we can, is to adopt feminine mannerisms. If you are aiming to use your fine examples of going out and about, maybe a word about re-socializing your self to the feminine might be useful."

I have feminine mannerisms in boy mode, which got me trouble with non-feminine males in my youth and beyond. My feminine mannerisms were not something I put on. My mother raised me, while my father was absent much of the time I was growing up (Dad worked two jobs and as much overtime as possible to make ends meet). Lacking a male model, I took after my mother in a lot of ways, so when I began femulating, my feminine mannerisms fit perfectly.

My most prominent feminine mannerisms were the way I walked, talked, and gestured.

I walked like a girl, which explains why I had no trouble walking in high heels from the get-go. After my mother's frequent comments that I walked like a girl ("I walk the way you taught me, Mom"), I had to learn how to walk like a boy, but I never forgot how to walk like a girl.

I also talked like a girl. I am very soft-spoken. I use words and phrases in ways that are typically female. And when I talk, I gesture with my hands in a very feminine manner often touching the other person I am conversing with. (That last one really freaks me out when I am in boy mode and touch somebody. I do it unconsciously and after I do it, I worry about a negative reaction from the other person, but so far I have been lucky and no one has called me on it.)

So I had all those things going for me as a budding femulator. On the other hand...

Although I walked like a woman, I did not move like a woman. I had to learn how to lower my center of gravity and to glide rather than stomp and to swing my arms gently rather than having stiff arms when I walked.   

Although I talked like a woman, I did not sound like a woman and I had to work on my voice as I explained on Monday.

My hand gestures were right on, but I had to learn other mannerisms, for example, to sit like a woman, to smooth my skirt under my tush when I sat down, to keep my knees together while sitting, to tilt my head slightly, etc.

Practice makes perfect and some of the mannerisms I had to learn are natural to me now, whereas some others I have to consciously think about.

Farewell, Patty Andrews

Professional femulator Tommy Dee (left) joins two other professional femulators on stage, circa 1950.

 

Wearing Moschino.

It is hard work being a woman every day

I continue addressing the questions and suggestions readers sent me in response to my call for topics that they would like me to write about or expand upon.

Diane Leonard of TG Captions fame wrote, "You always talk about how often you go out, that you don't like men, that you are married, but you never mention how your wife deals/handles your girl side, does she participate, etc."

You may have misinterpreted something I wrote or I did not write something clearly. In either case, I don't dislike men. Some of my best friends are men. I am not a big fan of machismo and don't like men who act macho, but in general, I get along with guys. And without guys, there would be no such thing as femulation!

My wife is a saint.

She has little interest in my "girl side" except for my excellent fashion sense. Years ago, she attended one support group meeting and one support group banquet with me en femme and that has been the extent of her participation with Stana.

She realizes that Stana is real and she does not interfere with my need to be Stana. I appreciate that and as a result, I don't live 24/7 as a woman and only femulate once or twice per month.

Shelle asked, "I would like to know how you feel your experiences out en femme differ from someone like me who is transgendered and lives 24/7 as a woman."

I have lived 24/7 as a woman for short extended periods of time.

One difference between those extended 24/7 experiences versus "a day out en femme" is that during a 24/7 experiences, a lot that is special about being a woman during a day out en femme becomes routine over an extended period of time.

It is hard work being a woman every day and I am not sure most guys are up to it, but I would love to try it for a long extended period of time... like maybe the next 40 years.