Colleen’s Favorite Photo (of Colleen!)

The story behind the photo is that I took an opportunity to visit a makeup artist/photographer for a makeover and photoshoot several years ago.  I had never been seen by anyone else while dressed until the day of the makeover/photoshoot. 

First Amanda did a fabulous job of making me look like a woman.  I didn't recognize myself.

Second, she opened her closet to me an allowed me to select from an extensive wardrobe that  she had collected over the years. 

Once I was dressed in the borrowed clothes we started the photoshoot.  It was exciting, but also very tiring.  It's hard to continue to smile when your feet are hurting from the shoes you are wearing and some of the foundation garments you are wearing start to chafe your skin.  However, those trifles were more than made up for by the quantity and quality of the photos that Amanda took.

After we tried several different costumes it was time to go home.  I dressed in an outfit of mine and after having several photos taken, I made a huge decision: I decided to wear that outfit home.  I had to travel approximately 85 miles back to my home and I did the whole trip dressed up as a woman.  It was exhilarating and dangerous ― dangerous because I kept checking myself out in the rear-view mirror during the trip.  I loved it.

I've had Amanda do my makeup a few times, but that first time was the start of my new life of being who I am more than I had ever done before.

I hope you like the photo.

In response to my open invitation to send your favorite photo along with the story behind it and the reason it is your favorite photo, I received a lot of photos and stories that I am posting in the the order I received them. My invitation still stands, so don't be shy, send me your photos! And by the way, there are currently 17 girls' photos in the queue.

 

 

 

Wearing Bebe.

 

 

 

Professional femulator extraordinaire Laverne Cummings, circa 1965.

Pockets

In my "Self-Gifting" post, I wrote that “I want to introduce more womenswear into my boy wardrobe, so I bought four pairs of pants from DressBarn --- two pairs of dress slacks that I can wear to work and two pairs of denim jeggings that I may be able wear to work. I am not sure about the jeggings; they may be too feminine for boy wear, but I don't have any jeans for girl mode, so now I do.”

A few day ago, the mailman delivered the slacks and I immediately inspected my order.

The two pairs of dress slacks fit perfectly and are suitable for either girl or boy mode. The only issue I have with the dress slacks is that the front pockets are shallow.

The two pairs of jeggings also fit perfectly, but in different ways. The legs on the one pair were very narrow and very tight just like a pair of leggings. There was no question that they were womenswear. The other pair had wider legs similar to your typical menswear stretch jeans.

The only issue was that both pairs of jeggings had false front pockets; it looked like they had front pockets, but in fact, there were no front pockets.

In boy mode, I populate my pockets with a wallet, loose change, car keys, a comb, a handkerchief and if there is no shirt, vest or jacket pocket available, an iPhone. So I think I will need a purse when I wear the jeggings and maybe even the dress slacks.

Wearing Bebe.

Actor and comedian John Cleese in British television's Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Short and Sweet

Tuesday evening was the local Avon representative Christmas party. I took Tuesday afternoon off to do some things around the house and then get ready for the party.

My getting ready routine was different on Tuesday due to the dress I was planning to wear. It had a very narrow collar and I found out the hard way when I tried the dress on that it was impossible to get my head through the collar without smudging my makeup and soiling the dress.

So I dressed first and then did my makeup. To prevent my makeup from getting on my dress, I wore a big old T-shirt over the dress and I tucked tissues in around the collar of the dress. It worked perfectly; I got my makeup to go where I wanted it to go and not where I did not want it to go.

I was ready early. The party was at 6:30 PM and it was only 4:30, so I decided to go to Serphora at the Brass Mill Center mall in Waterbury to buy a gift card for my daughter.

Brass Mill Center was a new venue for this girl. I was born and raised in Waterbury and have family, friends and acquaintances there, so I usually avoid going en femme in my old hometown.

I am sure no one would recognize me as a woman, but they might recognize my car and its distinctive license plates. But since it would be dark by the time I arrived at the mall, I figured it would be safe, so I drove to Waterbury.

The parking lot was packed ― no surprise considering the time of year, but I scored a spot near a mall entrance, entered the mall and walked to the Sephora section of JCPenney.

It was all for naught. The gift cards that they sold could only be used in a Sephora store that was imbedded in a JCPenney store. Since my daughter shops in a variety of Sephora outlets, as well as online, that would not do. So I returned to my car and drove to the site of the party.

By the way, while I was walking through the mall, guys were checking me out, which was quite flattering for this very mature woman as well as a big ego boost, so my mall visit was not a complete loss!

I arrived at the party at 6:30 on the dot. I checked in and found a seat with a group of women, who I did not know, but welcomed me to join them.

As in the past, I was probably the nicest dressed woman in the room of approximately 50 women. Most were dressed in neat slacks and tops, while some were dressed not so neatly and in my opinion, did a poor job of representing the company they represent. 

The woman who invited me to sit at her table lived in my town and was very friendly. We chit-chatted about where we live, about the business of selling Avon and about the cold temperature of the hall (and wasn't I freezing in my sleeveless dress?).

The party started with our district manager making a presentation recognizing the sales leaders. In the middle of her presentation, my cell phone rang ― a call from home about a health emergency that necessitated me leaving the party and going home to attend to the emergency.

I was upset that I had to leave the party just as it started, but I was even more upset about my family health emergency. My family has had one health issue after another for over a year and we are all getting very tired of it.

It was a short night out en femme, but a short night out en femme is better than no night out en femme!

 

 

 

Wearing New York & Company.

 

 

 

By popular demand, another photo of actor Ben Porter in the 2004 film School of Seduction.

A Very She & Him Christmas

I attended the local Avon representative Christmas party Tuesday evening, but am composing this Tuesday morning, so as I write this, I don’t know what happened at the party yet! Perhaps I will have time to post a photo from the party before I go to bed Tuesday night. If not, as Ms. O’Hara would say, “Tomorrow is another day.”

Anyway, I am a big Buddy Holly fan and awhile back, I bought “Rave On” – a Buddy Holly tribute CD on which various contemporary artists recorded Buddy Holly songs in their own style.

I had the MP3 queued up on my Apple Victrola the other day and after hearing She & Him’s version of Oh Boy!, I fell in love with that group’s female vocalist and wanted to hear more. So I started sampling other tunes by She & Him, liked what I heard and eventually purchased all five of their albums!

Curious about who was She & Him, I explored the Internet and quickly discovered that the female vocalist of the band is actress Zooey Deschanel.

I had no idea!

 

 

 

Wearing Bebe.

 

 

 

Britney Smith in her Christmas dress.

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

Have you noticed lately the ads on television for law firms willing to sue pharmaceutical companies whose drugs caused boys to have Gynecomastia? Personally, when it comes to Gynecomastia, it has been a cup half empty or cup half full scenario.

In my youth, the cup was half empty.

My peers abused me and bullied me because I was a feminine boy, which was bad enough. Revealing my breasts would just give my abusers more ammunition, so I avoided participating in any activities that involved going topless because when I did go topless, it did not always go well.

For example, I will never forget a game of touch football at a family picnic. I was unlucky enough to be on the skins team and my breasts were bouncing around during every play and became the object everybody's attention. When one of my uncles made a crack that some of the players needed bras, I was so embarrassed that I had to hold back the tears.

However, as I got older and began to embrace my womanhood, I learned to appreciate my feminine body. When I wore a revealing blouse, I discovered the joys of Gynecomastia ― add some push-up bra inserts and a little makeup and my breasts rivaled many women's breasts.

Today, I am proud of my breasts. They bring me joy because they so represent being a woman and I am proud that I am a woman. Even when I am in boy mode, I just have to touch my breasts to remind me that I am a woman and it brings a smile to my face.

So, as an adult, the cup is half full (actually, the cups are nearly full).

By the way, the photo above was taken after I got dressed to attend the Avon representative Christmas party in 2012. I missed last year's party because of a snowstorm, but the forecast is good for tonight, so I will be attending the 2014 installment of the Avon rep Christmas party this evening.

 

 

 

Wearing DailyLook.

 

 

 

Professional femulator Terry Durham, circa 1973.

17 Days

My South African girlfriend Dianne Vernon, who I first met at Fantasia Fair in 2010, was at the Fair this year, too. We recently exchanged some e-mails about the Fair, about our lives as women and about her consecutive 17 days en femme. Dianne kindly agreed to let me excerpt her e-mails; I think you will find them interesting.

Despite the weather, I still had a good Fantasia Fair and more so, that I actually managed to be en femme a full 17 days, which was absolutely fabulous!. I went en femme the Friday morning before Fantasia Fair and the weekend in Atlanta was already a blast. The flight to Boston on Monday was also uneventful, but fun as all was done en femme and by the time I was in P-Town, the bad weather could not even do too much to spoil the awesome adventure.

From there I drove to Newport on Sunday and went on some of the mansions tours there and eventually ended in New London, where I then took the ferry to Orient Point the next day and spent one night in Montauk.

From there it was to NY and NJ and although I did not think or plan it before time, I actually ended up flying out to LA still en femme the following Friday! It was a first for me yet again to be on a 6+ hour flight as Dianne, but it was also wonderful and all ended up well.

I spent the weekend in LA and then drove to Vegas on Tuesday. Unfortunately I had to go drab on Wednesday and Thursday, but it all ended up just shy of three weeks and it was the best three weeks ever!

Not sure if you have experienced the same, but since I got to a point where I am totally comfortable in any situation and place as Dianne, it became so much more fun and so much more relaxing, plus the added benefit is that one passes so much better that it's almost surreal!

There is almost this newfound freedom that adds an amazing new dimension to it all and I really felt like I can do this full-time any day and for me, if the obstacles of work and wife would be OK with it, I will be full-time in a heartbeat!

Not sure about you, but for me there are both this new dimension in my "femulation" where I am so totally comfortable and relaxed out in public en femme to an extent I never imagined before, but also a scary side to it.

Not too long ago, I was always still careful where I go and at what times and would still have sometimes chickened out if I get to a place that was too busy, etc, but in the last three years that has all changed so much. I am these days totally relaxed and not scared to walk into any place or situation as a women would. The peace and relaxation has replaced the edginess and excitement.

On the other side is the fear that comes with this new dimension too, where I actually have seen and can see myself living as a woman 24/7 knowing how much there would be to sacrifice for that and the one side saying its not worth it, and the other saying it is.

I was really amazed how totally comfortable I was in this 17 days even handling a long day of travel, crowded places and situations with more or the same ease I would have done it in drab!

Checking in for the flight to LA in NY, I was almost shocked that I was so relaxed, and after I went through security, I walked around the new terminal and had lunch there. As I was sitting at the gate, Cosette called me and where I would have never had the confidence to chat on the phone in a crowded place en femme before, I was having a nice chat with her this time, enjoying it and totally amazed at how I was just one of the girls there having a conversation and 100% comfortable in such a crowded environment in any situation.

Another amazing thing I have also experienced is that I was totally comfortable speaking to anyone and having a conversation, compared with the past where one tried to minimize it out of fear of being read. In the car rental shuttle in Boston, I was sitting across from two women in their 60’s who were frantically talking and worried if they are on the right bus, so I engaged in conversation, firstly telling them they are ob the right bus and from there we chatted even more, and it was amazing how i was just accepted as a GG and all because I acted totally like one.

Although I have stayed over in hotels many times en femme  it was still an amazing experience to check into a hotel fully en femme as Dianne and notice to see how the staff and everybody there accepted me fully as a GG all the time.

In the past, I would have still timed it to have breakfast, for instance, after the rush or busiest time and now I do not care walking into a busy breakfast area, having my breakfast at leisure and even chat to anybody sitting close by!

Isn't that a wonderful story! And it is something we can all femulate to one degree or another. As they say, "Try it, you'll like it!"

Wearing Kier & J (dress), Wolfie (jacket) and Mitchie's Matchings (scarf and earmuff).

Actor Ben Porter femulating in the 2004 British film School of Seduction.

A few words about the film School of Seduction

It is an entertaining film and I enjoyed it despite the British accent barrier.

Here is the storyline from IMDB: “When gorgeous Italian temptress Sophia Rosselini's School for Seduction arrives in Newcastle, four friends-each hoping to release their inner sex goddess-sign up for an education in the 'seductive arts.' Taking their cue from sultry Sophia, the newly confident women unleash themselves upon their unsuspecting partners with lustful abandon.”

The film can probably be classified as a chick flick comedy, but it’s treatment of the crossdressing subplot was not the target of comedy. The cisgender females treated the crossdresser as one of the girls, not a man in a dress, which was refreshing.

And in addition to the crossdressing subplot, femulators might pick up a few tips on how to better present as a woman. I know I did. 

And don’t put a ribbon on it!

 

 

 

 

Wearing Shoedazzle.

 

 

 

Professional femulator Terri Lean appeared in a magazine ad for fabric in 1970.

Paula’s Favorite Photo (of Paula!)

This picture is from last year when I was on a business trip to San Diego. I had a whole day to spend as Paula. It was a wonderful day that filled me with so much joy. The outfit I was wearing came together perfectly. I was a size 16 and felt so pretty wearing a houndstooth skirt and sweater.

Everywhere I went that day I was called “Ma’am.” I just felt so pretty and female. In this picture, I was at the M·A·C store at the Fashion Valley Mall. I was surrounded by other women and felt so accepted and a part of their world. I spent about an hour with a young woman working on a winter look for my eyes. She had never met a transgender person before and I spent the time telling her my story. She asked me a ton of questions. “Are you gay?” “What does your wife think?” “How old were you when you started?” And, of course, the well-known, “Are going to get the operation?” She was a sweetheart and we hugged when parting.

Afterwards, I headed over to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. There was a queue for tables so I sat and waited amongst dozens of diners. I busied myself with my phone and sat there with my legs demurely crossed.

As I was sitting there, I remembered reading the Geocities pages of a girl back in the 90’s who always went to Cheesecake Factory en femme. I remember thinking, “There’s no way I could ever, ever do that!” But here I was, proving there is hope for everyone.

“Ms. Gaikowski, your table is ready.”

I was seated at a table and in front of me was a huge mirror that gave me a view of the restaurant. I’m always curious what others think of my presentation, so I kept scanning the room looking for the stares or whispers. Happily, I didn’t notice anything like that. Finally, I relaxed and I sat there gazing with wonder into the mirror at the woman across from me.

I guess what was all so exhilarating and exciting is that for most of my life I never thought I would ever leave the house dressed as a woman. I lived with such fear and shame that the thought of being accepted and treated respectfully as a woman seemed foreign and unattainable. Only a few short years ago in 2009, I was afraid even to buy makeup.

I truly treasure exchanges like this and it is with heartfelt sincerity that I say that I treasure and feel privileged to be addressed as a woman.

In response to my open invitation to send your favorite photo along with the story behind it and the reason it is your favorite photo, I received a lot of photos and stories that I am posting in the the order I received them. My invitation still stands, so don't be shy, send me your photos! And by the way, there are currently 20 girls' photos in the queue.

 

 

 

Wearing DressBarn.

 

 

 

Actor and professional femulator Christopher Morley.

Self-Gifting

I Christmas shop for my family and my family Christmas shops for the male I pretend to be for my family. But no one Christmas shops for the woman I really am, so I have to Christmas shop for her myself. Which is not a bad thing because I know what she wants, know the sizes she wears, and therefore, I will never be disappointed by a self-gift.

Recently, I received a cash award at work for a successful project that I worked on, so I decided to reward my female self with some extra gifts this year.

A girl can never own too many panties and mine are starting to show their age, so I  bought some high-leg brief panties from Victoria's Secret.

Also, I want to introduce more womenswear into my boy wardrobe, so I bought four pairs of pants from DressBarn --- two pairs of dress slacks that I can wear to work and two pairs of denim jeggings that I may be able wear to work. I am not sure about the jeggings; they may be too feminine for boy wear, but I don't have any jeans for girl mode, so now I do.

In the last century, I bought a set of silicone push-up bra inserts that I used to enhance my cleavage when I wore something that exposed my girls. They worked great until I inadvertently poked a hole in one with a safety pin. It leaked and was ruined.

Since then, I used homemade inserts when need be. But I missed the silicone inserts, so I sprung for a pair (from Original Looks) that was highly-rated on Amazon.

Also on Amazon, I bought some fishnet stocking stuffers: some slide-on foam cushion backs for my clip-on earrings and earring converters to transition pierced earrings to clip-ons.

I thought I was done self-gifting, then along came an e-mail from WigSalon advertising some new Envy brand wigs. Usually, I just briefly glance at such e-mails and then move them in the trash, but I noticed that they had a new wig similar to the my hairstyle du jour, but in a large cap size.

Truth be told, I have a large head, but a large collection of average cap size wigs. As a result, my wigs are forever trying to jump ship and I am forever pulling at them to keep them on board.

Look around and you will not find too many large cap size wigs and none in a style that I like, so I never owned a large cap size wig... until now. Shari from Envy in sparkling champagne will soon grace my head. You can be sure I will take a selfie of Shari ASAP.

 

 

 

Wearing Madeleine.

 

 

 

A mid-20th century professional femulator.

Don't Miss Miz Gator

Jennifer Merrill alerted me about the YouTube video of the Miz Gator Womanless Beauty Pageant that was put on by the Ware County High School in Waycross, Georgia. The school's cheerleading team organized it as a fundraiser for the football season and they did a fantastic job.

Jennifer's comment says it all, "If the boys in Ware County look this beautiful in evening gowns, the girls must be unbelievable! The gowns, the wigs, the bling, the heels (where they're wearing them) and the way they walk in them... even the manicures and the makeup! Amazing!"

The girls went all out for this pageant and methinks some of the contestants have been practicing for a long time (and may still be practicing today --- if you know what I mean).

Ibida Queen, the girl who ultimately was crowned Miz Gator was the most impressive. Besides gorgeous, she had all the moves and mannerisms of a pageant queen rather than a guy in a dress. Like Jennifer said, "Amazing!"

See for yourself!

 

 

 

Wearing La Redoute.

 

 

 

British actor, magician and stand-up comedian Victoria Elizabeth.