Rhonda’s Favorite Photos (of Rhonda!)

We all love our photos. In a way, I guess we invented the selfie. I remember getting all dressed up very early on and taking photos in the basement when the rest of the family was gone. Yes, mastering the camera self-timer was the first challenge. What worked ― what did not work ― learned in front of that 35mm camera. 

My secret justification for having a darkroom was so I could process and print my own "selfie" portraits. I lived in a very small town and taking the film to the camera shop for developing and printing was not an option. I am really dating myself here ― 35mm film, self-timer, darkroom, developing, and the chemicals. I am sure others remember, too. 

Choosing my favorite photo is difficult. Just this past year I finished scanning all of the old prints to have them sorted, stored and backed-up electronically. Someday I will create Rhonda’s Life ― a coffee table book. Maybe not. 

I have wonderful memories and wonderful photos (of Rhonda) going back to the early 80's, but I tend to like current photos the best. We all seem to be a work-in-progress as our feminine image has advanced and evolved. Less makeup, natural hair, and not the deer-in-the-headlight look. "If we only knew then what we know now." But that is a different post.

So, this past Saturday after getting my hair done and having a wonderful lunch out, I decided my photo album needed an update. It is hard to think "selfie" when you are using a huge Nikon digital camera, on a tripod, with an infrared trigger, two flashes, all electronically connected, with WiFi preview. Darkroom, nowhere to be found. But selfie it is. 

Two hours and 200 photos later (how many rolls of film would that have been?), I did have several new photos for the coffee table book. These are the ones here. Enjoy! 

These were the first complete set I have done since the "Age Reassignment Surgery" I wrote about here last November.  I am still very pleased with the results and sorry I waited so long.  

On another note, Stana has been so wonderful allowing others and I to occasionally post on this site. Her unselfish sharing is a testament to the person she is. We have all learned about the incredible depth of intelligence and beauty in our transgender community. Thank you so much Stana. 

On that note, I would like to announce my own blog, Rhonda's Escape. In my wildest dreams I can only hope to have a small portion of the interest that Femulate garners. I hope to see you there, please visit and feel free to comment. 

Thank you, Stana, for the wonderful site you provide and work it take to keep it going.

Rhonda Williams

Got selfies? My open invitation to post your favorite photo along with the story behind it and the reason it is your favorite photo still stands, so don't be shy, send me your fave foto. ― Stana

Wearing Brahmin.

Brother and sister or just sisters.

Busy as a T

It was another busy weekend.

A month ago, I had volunteered to staff my town's historical society's booth at the local country fair on Sunday. Of course, when I volunteered, I did not foresee that my mother-in-law would be in the hospital, so my trips to the hospital had to be worked around my volunteer time at the fair. Any free time was used to work on my book, Fantasia Fair Diaries.

I finished the contents of the book on Friday. Over the weekend, I worked on the book's format. Two are required: one for the printed hard copy and one for the electronic e-book version. 

The print version is done. I just have to tweak the e-book version some more and then I begin the actual publication process. 

I'm so tired!

Wearing Trina Turk.

Allied prisoners of war femulating at Stalag Luft-3 during World War II.

Weekend Reconsidered

My original post was removed by Second Thoughts.

Actor Shawn Pyfrom femulating in a
2007 episode of television's Desperate Housewives.

Are You a Front-Clasper or Back-Clasper?

I admit it: I am a front-clasper.

When I put on my bra, I clasp it in front, then twist it around. But after reading "You Might Be Putting Your Bra On Wrong" on BuzzFeed Life, I will make the transition and strive to become a back-clasper.

Thank you, Diana, for recommending this article for Femulate.

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The mailman just delivered the new issue of Harper's Bazaar, the fall fashion issue. When I saw this tome in my mailbox, I thought it was a new Jameco electronics parts catalog; the page count of this tree-killer is 702 pages!

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My first trans-related book Fantasia Fair Diaries is almost ready to go. I just have to tweak a few more things, then I am done. The September 1st release date looks solid.

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I will be busy at Fantasia Fair this year. In addition to co-hosting the Fashion Show, I will be presenting ― time, date and specifics to be determined, so please standby for an update.

Actor Matthew Sim femulating in the 1988 British film Without A Clue.

Wear Me

As a youngster, I became fascinated with female impersonation when I saw advertisements in the Daily News depicting glamorous women who were actually men performing at a nightclub in New York City.

One thing led to another and around age 12, I was home alone one day when I heard a voice call me. It came from my parent's bedroom ― specifically, the drawer of my mother's bureau where she kept her unmentionables.

Just like the bottle that invited Alice to "drink me" and the cake that invited her to "eat me," opening the drawer, the voice said "wear me." And just like Alice, I accepted the invitation and removed a pair of nylon stockings from the drawer. Then I sat on the edge of the bed, carefully slid the nylons up each leg, stood up and straightened the seams just as I had seen my mother do countless times.

I examined my legs in the full-length mirror, which was mounted on the inside of my mother's closet door. Since I was still hairless, I thought my legs looked nice, but something was not quite right.

With the closet door now open, I noticed the stack of shoe boxes on the closet floor. I removed the lid from the box on the top of stack to reveal a pair of high heel pumps that my mother had recently purchased.

I slipped them on and they were a perfect fit. Then I reexamined my legs in the mirror and discovered that thanks to the high heels, my legs were now shapely; they had become "gams" and looked as good as any pair I had ever seen on a real life high-heeled woman!

Ever since that first experimentation in femulation, high heels have been an indispensable part of my wardrobe. As a result, I own a lot of high heels ― probably in the neighborhood of 100 pairs and I am always on the lookout to add new neighbors.

Nine West just introduced their new arrivals for the fall and the "lavish T-strap pump" pictured above and below is inviting me to "buy me."

Wearing Nine West.

Actor Kevin Rahm (left) femulating in a 2010 episode of television's Desperate Housewives.

Flee from Fall Fashion Failures

Fall fashions are my favorite.

I am not a summer person. I don't like the heat, hate humidity more, and dread summerwear because the clothes of summer are too revealing.

It is not that I mind showing a little skin, but it requires a lot of hair removal. For example, when I wear a skimpy bikini to the beach, it requires hours of depilation.

I prefer autumn. The clothes are less revealing and require less prep in the hair removal department. Also, under the cover of fallwear, women like us can use all sorts of shapewear and tape (surgical and duct) to mold our bodies into more feminine figures.

Although I prefer fall fashions, that does not prevent me from having fall fashion failures.

Don't you hate it when you see a dress on the rack that you like, try it on in the dressing room, conclude that it looks fab on you in the mirror image, pay for it, take it home, wear it out and then see photos of yourself wearing your fab find and discover from the photos that the dress looks awful on you?

Luckily, I found an article on SheKnows that may prevent fashion faux pas this fall. In "How to dress for your body shape," Catherine Conelly writes "Body shape is all about proportion, and fashion is all about dressing those proportions to look their very best... Once you've determined your body shape, you can begin to consider which fashion trends to embrace and which to avoid." And her article tells you how to do it.

Like a lot of transwomen, my body is apple shaped, that is, "fuller on top and in the midsection and slimmer on the bottom." The photos accompanying this post are dresses recommended for the apple-shaped.

I particularly like the DVF dress on the right, but with a $398 price tag, I will shop for something similar.

Wearing JustFab.

Singer/actor Bing Crosby gossips with the other girls in the 1960 film High Time.

Overwhelmed

The Town Crossdresser

As a long-time transwoman, I got used to the anonymity of being trans.

Occasionally a letter would appear in Dear Abby or Ask Ann Landers about being transgender or someone would gain notoriety for being caught crossdressed or a new film would be released that included something transgender-related, but usually the topic of "transgender" and all of its relatives were not on the public's radar.

Then the transgenderquake occurred and its aftershocks are still being felt to this day. In fact, the aftershocks are stronger than the original quake. Now something new transgender-related appears in the media every day.

I don't know about you, but there is so much going on that I cannot keep up with it. Most of it is good, but I am overwhelmed by it all. Some days all I want to do is crawl back into bed, pull the covers over my head and dream about the good old days when I was the only crossdresser in town!

Wearing Jonathan Simkhai.

Poster for the upcoming film The Danish Girl, which
features actor Eddie Redmayne portraying Lili Elbe. 

I'm Back

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

I'm back from vacation. The weather was perfect, but things were very hectic.

Mother-in-law was transferred from a rest home to a hospital and we spent a lot of time visiting her. Her prognosis is not good.

On the femulation front, I continued preparing my book, Fantasia Fair Diaries, for publication and I worked with Erin Fisher-Daily on planning the Fantasia Fair Fashion Show. (The Fantasia Fair Fashion Show webpage should be updated with our plans real soon now.)

Wearing Ariella Joelle.

Actress Eva Gabor helps actor Kenneth Moore femulate.

Life's a beach!

Just a note to say that I am enjoying my vacation, taking in the beautiful weather, putting the finishing touches on my book Fantasia Fair Diaries and chasing meteors.

Flattery Will Get You Everywhere

I'm easy.

Not long after attending Fantasia Fair last fall, my long-time friend and new Executive Director of the Fair, Barbara Curry, asked me if I would be interested in co-organizing and co-emceeing the next installment of the Fantasia Fair Fashion Show. She thought that being a fashionista would suit me well in the role of co-organizer and co-emcee.

Her request surprised me. Not because I disagreed with her assessment of me, but that I had no thoughts of going to Fashion Fair in 2015.

I have attended the Fair four times between 2008 and 2014, skipping the odd years and attending the even years. Attending the Fair is expensive and going every other year makes it more affordable.

Also, my wife's health has its ups and downs and I am loathe to go away for an extended period of time leaving her alone. So not attending this year puts that to rest.

So, I thanked Barbara, told her I didn't plans to go to the Fair in 2015, but she gave me food for thought about changing my plans.

Months passed, my wife's health had bigger ups and downs and Barbara asked me if I had thought about the Fashion Show.

I laid my cards out on the table and told her that if I planned to go to the Fair, I might have to pull out at the last minute if my wife's health required it.,

Barbara handed my cards over to Erin Fisher-Daily who has been the co-organizer and co-emcee of the Fair of late and would be sharing the job with me this year. She was OK with my cards and so, I am now the co-organizer and co-emcee of the 2015 Fantasia Fair Fashion Show!

That's a far cry from skipping the Fair this year, but like I said, "I'm easy."

Wearing Alice + Olivia.

Actor Adrian R'Mante femulating in a 2006 episode
of television's The Suite Life of Zach and Cody.

In the Nude

"The only time I feel confident 'in the nude' is when I am fully clothed and wearing my nude patent leather pumps," so says Abby Walker in her weekly article for Insolia insole inserts.

I have been a long time fan of Insolia inserts and almost as long, a fan of nude high heel pumps.

Jen sold me on the insoles at a banquet I attended in 2012. I bought a set and slipped them into the next pair of high heels I planned to wear.

Insolia inserts are different from other inserts I have tried (and discarded). Instead of adding padding to the shoe, which is basically what those other shoe inserts do, "Insolia Inserts shift weight off of the ball of the foot back to the heel by placing the foot in the optimal position for high heels."

As a result, high heels are comfortable longer than they would be sans the inserts. They really work and since that time, I automatically buy a new pair of Insolia inserts whenever I buy a new pair of high heels.

And about two years ago, I learned about the advantages of nude shoes from my fashionista reading. I won't steal Abby's thunder - you can read her thoughts about nude colored heels here - but I agree wholeheartedly with her take on the topic and have stocked up on nude heels in a variety of styles.

Nude high heel pumps have become my go-to shoe.

Wearing Gerard-Darel top and Halston Heritage skirt.

Femulating in Paris circa 1960.