Stana's Favorite Images of 2015

Happy Leap Year!

Wearing Wow Couture.

Crossdressed New Year's Eve party.

Happy New Year!

As another year ends 
And a new one begins,
May the girl in you come through
And your femulations be true.

Kathy's Favorite Photo (of Kathy!)

Hallo Stana,

At first I'd like to thank you for your blog. It's so inspiring and motivational for ― I guess ― a lot of people (including me).

My real name is Karsten (I haven't really decided on a "real" feminine name ― online I mostly go by Kathy so that's fine :D ). I come from Germany.

Always in my life I knew I was different. I also accepted that in a way, but I thought I could just live out those desires in private, for myself. I also have gone out en femme for a couple of years. But I never told anyone except my last girlfriend. She seemed OK at first, but I was still uncertain with my situation, so we eventually broke up.

Anyway, I still tried to keep things private, but in the recent months the pressure was getting worse and I finally decided to seek help. I outed myself to my sister, which was super positive and is now my biggest supporter (love u sis!). We still didn't tell our parents, but will eventually at the end of the year (so I can have the new year as the start of my long journey).

I also recently started to take pictures of me (something that I before avoided), but I never really was satisfied with it until That picture!

It feels like for the very first time, I really caught a glimpse of the beauty that is inside of me. I even started to cry a little when I first saw it on my computer screen :')

That picture moved something in me. I guess for the first time I realized who I really was. I am that girl! I will become that girl inside and outside. I will fight for being that girl ― for being me.

It will be a long journey ― but I'm finally on my way.

Wish you all the best in the world!

Love Kathy

Calling all girls! 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 Alexis Sonia.

Boys are girls in Brazil, too.

Paula's Favourite Photo (of Paula!)

Hi Stana,

You recently put out an appeal for favourite photos. I feel a bit of a fraud since I sent you a photo a last year. That was the one with my trombone taken as an ad for a concert I was playing with the London Gay Symphony Orchestra. Since then a lot of water has flowed under the bridge and my life has changed in all sorts of ways. Not least that I am now living authentically full-time.

Earlier this year my Friend Vanessa Lees (http://www.vlfmp.tumblr.com) put together a photographic exhibition of portraits of trans people going about their normal day-to-day lives; a welcome change from the usual overly glamorous or sexualized images we so often see.

As one of her subjects, I was invited to the first night, maybe not quite a red carpet affair, but nonetheless, great fun. During the course of the photo sessions, Vanessa and I became better and better friends. She expressed this very generously by letting me have a pair of earrings she had made and a dress she had bought for herself, but had no occasion to wear.

Attending the exhibition I knew I wanted to present myself well. I also wanted to make a big thank you to Vanessa for all she was doing. I could think of no better way of thanking her than by wearing the dress and earrings she had given me. The photo shows me with one of the photos of me at the exhibition on that first night. It is a wonderful memory of a great evening, it was also one of those rare occasions when my whole look came out just how I wanted. I felt like a star, my self-confidence came together and frankly, I haven’t looked back since!

Keep up the good work, it is a very big commitment to keep getting out a daily blog, especially of complexity of Emulate.

Many thanks,

Paula

Calling all girls! 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 Dolce & Gabbana.

Marty at a New Year's Eve ball in Brooklyn, NY, 1974.

Paulette's Favorite Photo (of Paulette!)

Here's a picture of me, taken about 10 years ago. Born in 1950, I've had over half a century of happy crossdressing, and not "grown out of" my sartorial preferences yet.

However, since every silver lining has a cloud, here are a couple of (im)pertinent questions

1) I've always failed to understand my behavior. Luckily, Stana's recent heads-up on the topic broaches the not-unreasonable possibility of my mother's use of the female hormone diethylsilbestrol when pregnant with me to conquer miscarriage. And now since both parents are long dead, happily (can I say that?) I'm excused aren't I?

2) I've always enjoyed an arousal element and this is not yet extinguished. In my case, dressing still energizes like a dose of HRT. And so it has to asked, would not all seniors benefit from silk underwear and some decent heels?

3) After a lifetime in the closet, I worry just a little at the possibility of a sudden stroke while dressed. If not immediately fatal, surely I'll die of shame when the paramedics arrive?

4) Then how will my executors cope with the sheer quantity of my many extravagances? Will my heirs be forever finding caches of forgotten clothes every time the house is remodeled? ("Oh look, a hidden cupboard full of granddad’s crinolines. There, under that old bird's nest. Oh. It's another wig.")

5) And then there's the 1-in-5 possibility of late-onset alzheimer's. As when confronted by a wizened lady in the bedroom mirror, I shout, "Do I know you? You're not my mother. Get out of my house!"

Crossdressing is not easy at the best of times. All that dodging and hiding. Not to mention smudged lipstick on the teeth. And just lately I feel there should be some recognition of the extra difficulties faced by gender-bending seniors. Luckily, some of this is covered in Amazon's excellent Transparent episodes. And hooray, a new series started 11th December.

Keep up the good work!

Paulette

Calling all girls! 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 Pierre Cardin.

Two females and one femulator.

Carolyn's Favourite Photo (of Carolyn!)

Here is another favourite. Since sending you the last one, I thought a warmer weather one would compliment the previous wrapped pic.

I am sitting in the atrium of the Midland Hotel in Manchester in front of the sumptuous flower feature. The Midland is a lovely place for afternoon tea or a gorgeous meal; the restaurants are exceptional. 

I am wearing my summer plumage (well, my only summer plumage really). I don't do hot weather so my choice of summer clothes is very limited. Gloves as always, I never am without them, they are my passion, my main fetish, I have fifteen pairs at the last count, all in thin kid skin. What I am without, sadly are my usual f/F stockings, it was too hot for them that day, Ah!

The photo, as usual, was taken by my special friend Madame Margi. She and I just love getting out and about dressed to the nines, especially in winter (which is most of the time) where we can wear our cosy woolens long gloves and of course, fabulous furs. I'm glad I live in a cool climate.

Is it my favourite favourite? Well, maybe but a good one nevertheless, for me to show off. Not bad for a 71-year-old?

Carolyn in dreich Edinburgh

Calling all girls! 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 Alexis.

Transwomen wedding party in Plainville, Connecticut, in 1974.

Marie Anne's Favorite Photo (of Marie Anne!)

Dear Stana,

For your favourite pics, here I am in 2010. Lovely day of dressing and modelling my clothes, with a great professional make-up. A picture to treasure.

Best wishes,

Marie Anne

Calling all girls! 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 Dolce & Gabbana.

Kim August, professional emulator, circa 1962

To all my readers…

Been There, Done That

Gloria's 1962 Christmas card from Casa Susanna

The Care and Feeding of Clip-On Earrings

By Amy

Today, our regular contributor, Amy, writes about clip-on earrings.

I have not pierced my ears, but may yet find the courage to do it someday. I can rationalize lash extensions, Botox, dermal fillers and long hair for every day, but just haven’t taken this step. Go figure.

Clip-ons can be maddening as some are too loose, some are too tight, while seemingly few are just right. I have a couple pair that cause my ear lobes to scream after a full day of wear.

Those earrings that are too tight often get taken off when I am in the car and placed on my lap as I drive, while I rub my ear lobes! Then I forget where they are, jump out of the car and they go bouncing across the parking lot, sometimes unseen and lost. I often walk into my destination and discover my ears are bare!

But I get along pretty well with clip-ons. If I find a pair of post earrings that I just have to have, I can usually get them made as or converted to clip-ons when I order them. Alternately, after the purchase, I may take them to my jeweler for conversion.

Some jewelers don’t want to mess with this type of work especially if they are made with base metals and some won’t even bother with silver. Since most my earrings are not gold, I have found a couple of local jewelers who will fix whatever I come in the door with.

I found the Earring Doctor that has a great assortment of fixes for clip-ons and posts. The Earring Doctor has a good selection of pads that better distribute the pressure of the clip-on and also correct a heavy earring from sliding off – critical! They even have a wrench like tool for adjustments.

I just purchased a vintage pair of Chanel clip-ons, quite large with large pearls as drops. The weight of these really requires a sticky pad on the back of my lobe. I have a trick for heavy earrings; I use a broad pad on the back clip and a dab of It Stays skin adhesive on the back side of my lobe. This creates a really nice holding surface that lasts; you can forget about losing one or both earrings and enjoy your day.

Coco Chanel once said, "I always take off at least one piece of jewelry before I leave the house… to ensure that I am not overdoing it."

Good advice.

Wearing Jay Godfrey.

Boys and girls crossdressed at a Christmas party, circa 1935.