Strike a Pose

How to pose a portrait: 54 creative ideas is an article from Digital Camera Magazine that offers suggestions on how to pose for a portrait.

Below are their suggestions for shooting portraits from high and low camera angles. The article also offers suggestions for full-length portraits, seated portraits and facial expressions.

I know I can certainly add some variety in how I pose for photos and maybe you can use a little variety, too!

Wearing Tory Burch (Source: Tory Burch)

Contestants in the United Way of Scotland County (North Carolina) womanless beauty pageant.

Someday Funnies

Whereas the funnies that usually appear here are parodies that I cook up, today I offer a couple that are genuine femulating-related funnies that were published in the near past.

Wearing Madeleine (Source: Madeleine)

Professional femulators in France, circa 1955

Excuse Me

Excuse me for not posting on a daily basis this week, but life got in the way.

Last Friday, I woke up to 12 inches of new snow on my 120-foot driveway. Not a big deal except that the temperature was hovering around 0 degrees Fahrenheit. So I bundled up and got the job done in less than two hours.

After I got the snowblower and shovels back in the garage, I closed the garage door and (Bang!) the garage door spring broke. It is a two-car wide garage door and weighs so much that it is impossible to raise it without the spring.

My daughter and I managed to raise the door with the assistance of the electric garage door opener so we could get the cars out of the garage, but that was such an intensive two-person operation that we were resigned to not using the garage door until the spring could be replaced. So instead of using the garage door for the majority of our entrances and exits from the house, we had to use the front door.

Saturday was ever colder than Friday and when we returned home after dining with some friends, I snapped the key off in the dead bolt lock when I tried to unlock the front door. We got into the house with a spare key through the back door and I unlocked the dead bolt lock manually from inside. The front door has two locks, so we could still use it the door, but I needed to get the dead bolt lock fixed.

By end of day Saturday, I had three calls into garage door repairmen and one call into a locksmith.

The locksmith showed up early Tuesday morning and spent 45 minutes unsuccessfully trying to remove the broken key from the lock. He figured that it was frozen and suggested that I soak the lock in WD-40, then try to get the key out myself and reassemble the lock. He warned me about being careful if I had to disassemble the lock works in order to get the broken key out because the works might "explode."

Midday Monday, a garage door repairman showed up. He said he had to order a replacement spring and would be back late Tuesday or early Wednesday to install it.

Meanwhile, I had to go out and buy a can of WD-40 because I had used up the last can. About 2 PM, I filled a small cup with WD-40 and began soaking the lock works. At 6 PM, I checked to see how the soaking was going. The lock works still seemed frozen. The broken key did not seem any looser than when I started the soaking.

I figured that the only was to get the key out was to disassemble the works. So I stuck the works in a vise and tried removing the lock works cap with a pair of pliers. It took a few attempts, but I finally got the cap unfrozen. But the key was still not moving, so I slowly removed the cap and the lock works "exploded" with pieces of the works flying all over the garage!

The broken key was now free, but I had to spend the next 90 minutes on my hands and knees in an ice-cold garage gathering up all the pieces of the exploded lock works.

After consulting the Internet, I realized that I could not reassemble the lock works without some sort of jig, so Wednesday morning, I phoned the locksmith and he told me to bring the parts to his shop and he would reassemble the works. I immediately brought the parts to his shop and he reassembled the works. I went home to reassemble the lock in the front door.

Meanwhile, the garage door repairman called and said he would be showing up around noon Wednesday to repair the garage door spring, which he did.

I forgot to mention that our big screen LED TV died a few days earlier!

And so it goes!

Wearing JustFab (Source: JustFab)

Except for the three women in the foreground, all the women in this scene are femulating actors in the 1990 film The Witches. (Thank you, Zoe for this femulation.) 

How to Start

By Paula Gaikowski

As we move into the new year, I remember a resolution I made to write more for Femulate. This also helps justify the luxurious office suite that I occupy here at the sprawling Femulate World Headquarters.

It also compels me to spend less time at the water cooler sharing makeup and fashion tips. Although CEO Stana can be a taskmaster, we keep a close watch on the Dress Barn sales flyers knowing well those days are best for our long lunches.

I am often asked by transgender persons who want to start expressing their femininity, "How do I start?"

Whether you just want to experiment at home or want to go out and about as a woman, being a girl takes work and time and it truly is a lifestyle.

It will take time to find your niche or comfort zone as a woman. It truly is an evolution. It’s important to enjoy the journey, new shoes, a good hair day, perfect eye makeup or your first steps out the door.
I recommend starting with something that interests you, begin small. Maybe you want to get that first wig or start learning makeup skills.

The important part is to start, nothing will happen if you do nothing.

I’ll cover three areas where you can initiate a positive move toward your feminine core.

First is makeup. Back in 2009 I approached the cosmetics counter at Lord and Taylor trembling inside asking for a foundation to provide good coverage. The first woman I spoke with directed me to the NARS counter.

At this point I thought, “Oh no, they are freaking out,” but the young woman I met (Kasey) was polite and helpful. Over the next few months, I would come back to build my needed stock of makeup. Each time, Kasey taught me how to use the cosmetics and also encourage me. We had some in-depth conversations about transgender people and the world. During this time, she would extend the repeated offer of a makeover. I never would have dreamed of going out in public. But over that year I started to get my proverbial transgender wings and started going out regularly.

Kasey worked for NARS and has since moved onto a career in the corporate world. So I became a devoted MAC girl. I cannot recommend them more highly. Other Femulate readers will concur that the policy at MAC is highly inclusive; they have many transgender customers and will treat you with the upmost respect. If you recall, MAC sponsored Caitlyn Jenner’s “Finally Free” lipstick and donated the proceeds to transgender youth.

What you are really looking for as an emerging transgender person is to slowly open yourself up in a positive environment. You will begin to feel good about yourself and in turn, slowly build a collection of makeup and beauty products that will help you with your goals.

The guidance and support you will get from the makeup artists at MAC will surely be worth the added expense of their product.

There is nothing more liberating than telling another woman, "This makeup is for me, I am transgender."

It all flows forward from there.

Next week, we will talk about building a wardrobe.

Wearing Jovani (Source: Edressme)

Jan Cina femulates Madonna on the Czech Republic' version of television's Your Face Sounds Familiar.

Self-Feminization

Recently, I received an e-mail from Miss Z bemoaning the fact that her face is too masculine, so she never presents as a woman in public because she fears being ridiculed as a man in a dress.

Over the years, I have received similar complaints from other readers, for example, Miss K once wrote, "It's easy for you to go out – you are drop-dead gorgeous! But it's not so easy for the rest of us who are not born with gorgeous genes!"

Thank you, but I assure you I was not born with gorgeous genes. In boy mode, no one mistakes me for a woman. Although I don't have a craggy-face like Tommy Lee Jones, I also don't have the beautiful visage of Catherine Zeta-Jones. I just don't slip on a dress and heels and look like Stana – I have to feminize myself before I can approach drop-dead gorgeousness!

In this and near future posts, I plan to write about some of the things I have learned and used to feminize myself.

Day-to-Day Maintenance

I do not present as a female everyday, but I perform maintenance on my body everyday to enhance my female presentation on those days I do.

I shave my face and neck daily with a Philips Norelco rotary electric shaver.

When I am finished with my face and neck, I shave other parts of my body. One day, I do my legs, another day, I do my arms. My breasts, shoulders and back are also part of this daily routine. So over a four- or five-day period, I shave all the parts of my body that may be exposed depending on what I wear as a woman.

Being an Avon lady, I occasionally receive free samples. About 15 years ago, I received a free sample of a product to deal with wrinkles around the eyes. Looking in the mirror at the wrinkles developing around my eyes, I decided to try the free sample.

After a week or so, the wrinkles were less noticeable. After a few weeks, I had to examine my eyes closely to find the wrinkles. So, I was sold on the eye cream and currently use Avon Anew Clinical Eye Lift Pro Dual Eye System every morning.

I also moisturize my face and neck in the morning using Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer. After many, many years of shunning skin care, I began using a moisturizer after my success with eye cream and it made a huge difference. My skin is smoother, more supple, healthier-looking and my makeup goes on easier and looks better.

I also moisturize my feet every morning using Avon Foot Works Intensive Moisture Foot Cream. I began moisturizing my feet about 18 months ago and it has made a big difference. Before I began moisturizing, my feet were drop-dead ugly. There was no confusing my feet for a lady's. Eighteen months later, my feet are actually pretty! My thigh highs and pantyhose slip on and off easily; no longer getting hung up (and running) on a callous or other dry skin anomaly. And my high heels feel more comfortable on my silky, smooth feet.

About six months ago, I received a tube of Avon Foot Works Peppermint Reviving Leg Gel which was bundled with a purchase of the Avon foot cream. Since I was already stripped down to my panties when I moisturize my feet, I decided to try the gel on my legs. The gel's function is to refresh and soothe tired, achy legs with a "cooling gel featuring peppermint oil." I liked the way the gel feels and smells and it feel when I massage the gel into my legs, so it is now a part of my morning routine.

Until last year, I maintained my weight. For about 45 years, I kept my weight within a five-pound range. Whenever it edged up five pounds, I would take measures to bring it back down.

About a year ago, I started a diet. It was simple; nothing drastic. I just cut down on my sugar and bread intake and tried not to eat in between meals and by June, I lost 20 pounds.

I don't have to tell you how that missing 20 pounds improved my female presentation. I dropped two dress sizes, lost my back fat, dropped one shoe size, thinned my face, improved my figure and overall, felt better not to mention, more feminine.

Finally, for what it’s worth, I have never smoked in all my 66 years and I seldom drink alcoholic beverages (I probably average less than one glass of beer per month). I am sure that has contributed to my appearance and enhanced my ability to femulate.

Wearing Catherine Catherine Malandrino (Source: HauteLook)

Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis femulating in the 1959 film Some Like It Hot.

To Tuck or Not To Tuck

Reacting to this photo in yesterday's post, Paula Goodwin commented, "As something of a self confessed fashionista (although not of your standing!) I always enjoy the photos you share. Today's Femulatee picture does beg a question for me ~ To tuck or not to tuck?

"I have always felt that a jumper should be worn "out" over the waist line of the nether garment, yet I have a few skirts and trousers with lovely waist line details that then get covered up. Clearly there can be no hard and fast rule, but I am now rethinking this little problem."

It is a question that I have struggled with in the past (even in boy mode). When confronted with the tuck or no tuck question in boy mode, I will ask any handy cisgender female, "Which looks better?" and I usually go along with their advice.

In girl mode, the answer from a not-so-supportive female might be "neither," so I don't bother asking and look in the mirror for an answer.

Before I dropped 20 pounds, I usually did not tuck because my girdle did not reduce my girth enough and I ended up with a muffin-top. Down 20 pounds, the muffin-top is gone and I can tuck or not tuck with great abandon.

When I dressed for the company Christmas party, I initially tried my outfit on wearing the top untucked. The top came down to my hips and hid half of the pretty skirt I was wearing. So I tried tucking and I was much happier with the results, as you can see in the accompanying photo.

So, it depends on what you are wearing. For example, you would not tuck a top that was obviously designed to be worn untucked like a belted top, pleated top, a top with flounces, etc. Similarly, if the skirt or slacks you are wearing demands to be seen in their entirety (like my gold pleated mini-skirt), then you want to pair it with a tuckable top.

Wearing Bebe (Source: Bebe)

Actor Ames McNamara dresses femininely in television's 2018 reboot of Roseanne.

Someday Funnies

Wearing Pixie Market (Source: Pixie Market)

Femulating soldiers entertaining the Allied troops in Palestine in 1941
(Source: Australian War Memorial)

War on Transgenders

Trump's War on Transgenders continues...

Rolling Back Transgender Inmate Protections

"The Trump administration is expected to rollback Obama-era protections for transgender inmates."

Read the whole story here.

Trump thought about the trans military ban for all of 10 minutes

"A paragraph from journalist Michael Wolff’s new expose on the Trump administration, Fire and Fury, contains a shocking detail about the president’s decision to ban transgender people from the military."

Read the whole story here.

Throw the bum out and stop the War on Transgenders.

Wearing Badgley Mischka (Source: Rent the Runway)

Femulating soldiers get ready to entertain the Allied troops in New Guinea in 1943

(Source: Australian War Memorial)

All-Woman

In light of the foot of snow that fell here yesterday, I recall another January six years ago when it snowed and snowed and snowed some more.

I have lived in the same area of Connecticut all my life and I have never seen a month of winter weather like the past 31 days! In that time, we had seven snowstorms resulting in a snowfall total of over 5 feet!

The weather has played havoc on my plans to go out. Yesterday, I cancelled my day trip to First Event because of the weather. Other plans have met similar fates.

It snowed again (10 inches) early yesterday morning, so I worked from home rather than commute to the office.

While clearing the snow from my driveway at noontime, I decided I had had enough; I made up my mind to go out en femme in the evening.

Late in the afternoon, I shaved, showered, did my makeup, and dressed to go out. I wore my Victoria's Secret green sweater dress, brown tights, open-toed snakeskin high heel pumps, and matching snakeskin patterned scarf. I also wore my white fake fur jacket and brown designer knock-off bag.

If you think wearing high heels is an adventure, try it when there is snow, slush, and ice in your path. But I toughed it out for the sake of fashion!

I drove to a nice Chinese restaurant in the next town. It was about one-quarter full of customers. No one paid me any mind (that I noticed).

My waiter was very polite and called me "Miss." I had a very pleasant dinner and at the end, the waiter presented me with a free dessert: a ball of coconut ice cream.

After dinner, I touched up my lipstick and drove to a nearby Fashion Bug. It was very quiet in the “Bug” --- only one other customer.

The sales staff was very attentive. One saleswoman tried to convince me to be measured and fitted for a pair of a figure-hugging jeans.

I was interested, but I was not sure how I could try on jeans when I was wearing a dress. I had no spare top, so I figured that I would have to strip down to my bra and body shaper. Normally, that would not bother me, but I had not removed enough body hair to strip down to that degree, so I politely turned her down.

I spent about a half hour browsing through the store. I really wasn't looking for anything in particular, but I did find some clip-on earrings that I liked and purchased.

At check-out, I used my Fashion Bug credit card. The cashier, who was the same person who tried to fit me for jeans, asked for additional identification.

I assumed the she was aware I was a male, so I thought nothing about handing her my driver's license.

She looked at it and asked, "Is this your husband?"

"Uh oh," I thought to myself.

"No, that's me," I replied.

She finally realized reality and burst out, "Oh my, God, you look fantastic!"

"Thank-you," I said.

As she was checking me out, she added, "You know, we have other male customers, who dress as women, and I spot them right away, but I never would have guessed you were a guy! You not only look like a woman – you move like a woman, you talk like a woman, you act like a woman – you’re all-woman!”

With that, my high heels never touched the slush as I walked on air out of the store and drove home.

Wearing Eloquii (Source: Eloquii)

German soldiers femulating during World War II.

Dodging Old Age and the Draft

Old ladies like me can knock 10 years off our age just by femulating. The makeup hides some of our faces' signs of old age. Girdles hide some of the pounds we put on as we mature. But I think wearing a wig makes the biggest difference. Replace thinning gray hair (or no hair) with a beautiful hairdo in a pretty color and a 60-year-old guy becomes a 50-something lady.

Some hairstyles are better than others when you step aboard the time machine and put it in reverse. And Fabulous 55 suggests 21 hairstyles that will knock 10 years off your age. (That's a total of 20 years off for a femulator wearing the right wig!)

For what it's worth, some of the suggested hairstyles are actually wigs. I recognized styles offered by Raquel Welch and Tony of Beverly, so if they are one of the hairstyles you would like to try, it is easy-peasy finding a matching wig.

Here is the link to Fabulous 55's article. Happy hairstyle shopping!

👠👠👠

At the height of the Vietnam War, my buddies were cooking up ways of avoiding the draft.

My friend Jack came up with the bright idea of showing up at the draft board dressed as a woman if he ever got drafted. It seemed like a surefire way of getting a deferment and sent back home to mother, but Jack never had to wear frillies and become Jackie because he received a high draft number.

Anyway, I find it a little ironic that 50 years later, the US military is now accepting transgender recruits (not that there is anything wrong with that).

Wearing Alex Perry (Source: Moda Operandi)

Femulator or modern male fashionista?

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