Up in Arms

Late spring through early fall, I do all our yard work and gardening while wearing women’s shorts and men’s T-shirts. As a result, I have “farmers arms,” i.e., a suntan from my fingertips to about 4 inches above my elbow and no tan the rest of the way up to my shoulder.

Farmers arms look odd when wearing sleeveless dresses and tops. To avoid them, I could wear sleeveless men’s shirts when I work outdoors, but I don’t like sleeveless men’s shirts – they are not style.

I do like to wear the sleeveless dresses and tops in my wardrobe before mid-winter when my farmers arms will fade. So I use self-tanners on my upper arms and the results have been good, but I have been reading up on body bronzers and I think I will give them a try.

By the way, I also have “farmers legs,” but it is not an issue because I never wear skirts that short!

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Wearing Venus

Hiland High School in Berlin, Ohio, is where this blonde bombshell dressed pretty for Halloween in 1984

Benito Skinner femulate Kylie Jenner at Heidi Klum’s 2019 Halloween party

It Feels Like Monday

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Inclusive, welcoming, patient-centered healthcare should be afforded to people from all walks of life, especially those who often feel marginalized due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Learn the challenges we face and the steps we can take to bridge the LGBTQIA+ health gap from the classroom to the clinic with EduMed.org's An Online Guide to Creating LGBTQIA+ Friendly Communities in Healthcare & Education.

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This came over the mojo wire from PinkNews on Saturday: Essential makeup tips, tricks and hacks for trans women that will make getting ready for Pride so much easier.

Jessica Blackler, a British trans-ally, hosts the how-to video and I found it very informative. Since it is intended for transgirls, it provides tips that generic how-to makeup videos do not provide.

Ms. Blackler has her own line of cosmetics – Jecca Blac, which bills itself as “Gender Free Makeup.” A British company, they do ship to customers in nthe USA and their products are available at Walmart.com. She also has a YouTube channel with other informative videos geared toward us.

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The Conversation ran an article last week that discussed the science of some memorable moments from the television show Seinfeld. One topic that the article addressed was “Can men grow breasts big enough to need ‘the bro’?”

You can find the answer here, although girls like us blessed with gynecomastia already know the answer.

Wearing New York & Company

Mr. Barnwell of Peoria, Illinois' Woodruff High School, joined the distaff side of the faculty in this 1987 yearbook pose.

Professional femulator, circa 1910

Someday Funnies

Wearing BGL

Halloween 1986 finds this Chesterton (Indiana) High School lad dressed as a lass

Dieter Borsche and Georg Thomalla femulating in the 1951 West German film Fanfare der Liebe (Fanfares of Love)

In the Nude

Stana's Nudes

Honestly, the only time I feel confident ‘in the nude’ is when I am fully clothed and wearing my nude patent leather pumps. :)

From nude kitten heels to a classic nude pump, here are a few reasons why nude shoes make a perfect wardrobe staple. 

Simplicity

A nude shoe can be paired with more outfits than your classic black pump. You can pair it with browns, grays, blacks, patterns, colors. It can be dressed up or dressed down. It transitions from day to night and season to season. Wear it with shorts, jeans, pants, skirts, dresses - really anything!

Elongate legs

Because a nude shoe doesn’t break the visual line between the leg and the foot, it provides the illusion of longer, more slender legs. And who doesn’t want that? 

Timeless

While some consider the nude shoe a trend, fashion experts claim it won’t go out of style anytime soon.

And hats off to Christian Louboutin, who has expanded the number of nude shades featured in his collection to match our numerous colors of nude.

With Louboutin leading the charge, you know it won’t be long before brands at all price points follow suit.

To help you feel more comfortable in the nude, don’t forget to add Vivian Lou weight-shifting insoles to your shoes.

Ideal for any style and type of shoe with a 2 inch heel or higher, Vivian Lou insoles help you wear the shoes you love 4x longer without pain.

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The above came from Abby at Vivian Lou. I could not have said it better myself.

Last count, I own eight pairs of shoes in the nude. That shade is my go-to shoe color. Whenever I wear nude, I feel confident that my shoes will match my outfit.

One day shopping at the Lancôme counter at Macy’s, the saleswoman loved the nude pumps I was wearing and said they were “classic.” Compliments like that encourage me to wear nude shoes all of the time!

And all my nude pumps have Vivian Lou weight-shifting insoles. I won’t leave home without them! 

As I wrote here back in February, Vivian Lou insoles are different from other inserts I have tried (and discarded). Instead of adding padding to the shoe, which is basically what many 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 heels.

Wearing Boston Proper. Note the nude pumps with the blue dress. 

Miami Beach High is the home of this Halloween femulator 

Darren Trumeter femulates in a 2010 episode of television’s The Whitest Kids U'Know

Not a Civilian Redux

In the previous post, my “Not a Civilian?” run through the alphabet concluded with the letter W. Letters Q, X, Y and Z were no-shows because there are not many schools with names that start with those letters. As a result, the pickins were slim and no one qualified as not a civilian.

Perusing the 4,745 school yearbook images collected by Starla, I discovered a few things.

– A number of schools held Halloween dances where all the attendees showed up crossdressed.

– Starla’s images included 37 male faculty members crossdressed for Halloween. About half looked like “men in dresses,” but the other half put in some extra effort, which tripped my not-a-civilian radar. Photo captions indicated that a handful crossdressed on other Halloweens, which lit up my not-a-civilian radar like a Christmas tree!

It was not an easy task selecting each “Not a Civilian?” ...so difficult that on a few occasions, I could not select just one non-civilian. In those cases, I posted multiple non-civilians. So rather than stop cold turkey with the letter W, over the next few weeks, I will post more images of those who were close to being selected “Not a Civilian?” during the first run through the alphabet.

Only 148 days until Halloween!

Wearing Madeleine

Mr. (or is it Ms.) Phillips is on the faculty at Wasson High School

Terry Noel, professional femulator, circa 1960

Lockdown Secrets to Feeling and Looking Better Without Blowing Your Budget

By Cheryl Conklin
Wellness Central
cherylc@wellnesscentral.info
www.wellnesscentral.info

With so many COVID-19 restrictions and concerns, you may be feeling more worn out than usual. And given the current economic uncertainty, you may also feel anxious about your budget. All that tension and concern can not only impact the way you feel but it can even affect the way you look. If you want to overcome this exhausting cycle and start looking and feeling more like yourself again, here are some things you can try that won’t put a dent in your budget.

Treat Yourself to Something Special, and Some Savings 

Let’s be honest: COVID-19 stress is very real and very frightening. Honestly, most of us have never been through something this big and scary before. So, if you feel like splurging on some extra self-care will help ease some of your anxieties, you should go for it. You don’t have to feel guilty about treating yourself during this crisis, especially when you look for online coupons before you shop. And since you will be shopping online, also be sure to check for Sephora promotions on the website. You can usually score luxe samples and beauty bags when you use these codes and you may even be able to combine them with other deals. By stacking Sephora promo codes and cashback offers, you can stretch your budget even further.

Treat Your Body to Wholesome and Nutritious Foods for Less 

With COVID stress comes stress eating. While there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to pizza or cookies during this difficult time, know that eating a healthy diet is the best way to feel your best. Not only will eating a balanced diet of whole foods help you avoid gaining unwanted pounds, but some foods fight depression. Foods that have been shown to lift your mood, and stay full, include carrots, bananas, poultry breast, and fatty fish. Avocadoes top the list as well, so feel free to snack on some healthy guacamole whenever stress cravings kick in.

Now, you may be wondering how to fit these healthy foods into your budget? Well thankfully, foods that are good for you are usually good for your budget as well. To make things simple, try sticking to a few go-to meal prep recipes or buying frozen fruits and veggies instead of fresh. These tricks will help you stretch your grocery budget even farther. If you are concerned about COVID-19 risks that come with grocery shopping, you can also look for free pickup services.

Treat Your Body and Brain to Some Stress-Busting Exercise 

With your favorite gyms and yoga studios closed, your fitness routine may have fallen to the
wayside. Of course, all of the added stress can also zap your motivation to keep moving, but regular exercise could be the key to getting out of a lockdown funk. Just about any workout can lift your spirits but some exercises may be more effective than others at improving your mood. Yoga and tai chi are both relaxing and mood-boosting exercises that honestly don’t require a lot of effort. You can even follow along with free online yoga classes if you are missing your favorite studio. Walking and running, as well as other forms of cardio, can provide mental health benefits as well. You can get some of the same benefits from an online HIIT workout but you may also want to get outside for some exercise, and some fresh air. As long as outdoor exercise is permitted in your area, you can keep yourself and others safe with a few precautions.

With so much uncertainty, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed by the impacts of coronavirus. It’s healthy to process those feelings, but you really don’t have to let your worries impact the way you look and feel. Nourish yourself inside and out, and eventually you will start feeling like yourself again.

Photo Credit: Rawpixel

Wearing Venus

W is for Wow! Wolfson High School’s leggy Steve Doherty knocks them dead in his showgirl costume. 

Femulators (and vice versa) in the 1982 film Victor/Victoria

#byedon

On My Toes

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

Today’s “Not a Civilian?” selection inspired me to retell this story.

One of my first girly moments was related to the ballet. When I was 5-years-old, my mother enrolled my younger sister and I in a dancing school. My class had about 15 girls and one other boy. Once a week, we practiced tap and ballet for an hour under the tutelage of young female instructors.

I have no idea why my mother enrolled us at dancing school. I could understand enrolling my sister, but why did she immerse me, her only son, in that world of femininity? It certainly was not going to make a man out of me. Maybe she detected the girl in me and thought that I would enjoy participating in such a girly activity. If that was her plan, she was correct. I enjoyed every minute of it!

I loved learning dance and being treated like the other girls. The young instructors became my role models. I even recall dreaming (both day-dreaming and sleep-dreaming) about dancing as a ballerina, wearing a pink leotard, tutu, ballet shoes, and makeup with my long blond hair put up in a pony-tail.

In the spring, we had a dance recital. It was held at the Loew's Poli Palace theater in Waterbury. “Registered as a National Historic treasure, the Palace's elegant lobbies, crystal chandeliers, gold detailing, almost 3,500 seat capacity auditorium, along with its Broadway-sized stage, make this the largest seating capacity theater of its kind in all of New England” when it was built in 1922 (Source: Cinema Treasures). So my first appearance on stage was big time!

Since we were appearing on stage, we had to wear makeup. My mother was my makeup lady, but she knew bupkis about stage makeup. So when she applied our makeup, she made my face up just like my sister's face – lipstick, rouge, eyebrow pencil, eye shadow, mascara – the works! Although I was wearing a boy's costume, I had the face of a girl!

Due to tight family finances, we only took dance classes for one year, but that one year immersion in femininity left a life-long impression on this girl.

Wearing Venus

V is for Vancleave High School in Mississippi where this pretty ballerina tip-toes.

Hard to believe! (Professional femulators advertisement from 1969)

Someday Funnies

Wearing Boston Proper

U is for Upper St. Clair (Pennsylvania) High School’s 1997 Best “Boy” Costume Award winner. 

Femulating Tolga Cevik (right)