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.