Validation

Some people seemed concerned that when they receive a compliment about their appearance (“You look great”), the person making the compliment is really saying, “You look great... for a crossdresser.”

So? I would rather look “great” for a crossdresser than look lousy for a crossdresser!

I appreciate any compliment I receive, whether the person making the compliment reads me as a crossdresser or not. Perhaps, the nicest compliment I have ever received was, “You look better than most women I know.”

You can't get much better validation than that!

Wearing Andrew Gn

Shingo Katori femulating in the 1997 Japanese film Hong Kong Night Club.

Someday Funnies

Wearing Venus

Lee Tergesen femulating on televisions' Drop Dead Divas.

Passing in the COVID-19 Vaccine Line

When Connecticut announced that people my age could get the COVID-19 vaccine, I worried that making an appointment would be difficult after hearing the horror stories about people unable to make appointments. But it turned out to be easy – I got online and in less than five minutes, I made an appointment for my wife and I for March 11 at a facility 10 miles from our home.

We arrived at the facility on time yesterday morning and were greeted with great news: it was the first day that this facility would be using the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine rather than a two-shot vaccine! What luck!

So we got in line with about six people ahead of us. The line moved quickly and we found ourselves at the “Registration” window staffed by a twenty-something women, who asked us our names. 

I told her our names and wise-ass that I am, I added, “I'm Stanley and she’s Laurie.”

She replied, “Oh, I don’t know – I think you could pass for a ‘Laurie.’” 

I was in boy mode at the time.

Wearing Venus

Craig Olsen femulating in the 2012 film Pop Kowboy.
You can view the film’s trailer on YouTube.

Young Stana

I do not recall ever wishing I was a girl. I just wanted to do the things that girls did, for example, act like a girl, play like a girl, dress like a girl, etc.

Acting like a girl was easy because I did not have to act. I acted like a girl naturally. And the bullies could not convince me to act otherwise.

Playing like a girl was easy too because I had a sister who was happy to have a playmate for girl play.

Dressing like a girl came later, but once I found the courage to dress like a girl, I was all in.

So I did not wish to be a girl because I was already living as a girl. Yes, I was a boy, but I did not let that stop me from being the best girl I could be.

Wearing New York & Company

Iain Armitage dressing pretty on television's Young Sheldon.

Leolines

By Paula Gaikowski

A friend recommended an online clothing retailer that specialized in clothes tailored for transgender men and women. I was immediately skeptical; I had visions of overpriced fetish wear and poorly designed clothes. However, I was pleasantly surprised and put them on my list of potential places to shop.

Leolines was started by Chris McKelvey a seamstress who sewed custom made dance and gymnastic costumes. One day, the parent of a transgender girl asked if she could make an outfit that would meet the needs of her transgender daughter. She was elated with the results and asked her if she could make underwear and swimsuits. The word soon spread in the transgender community and thus her business was born.

Leolines panties are designed to hide the more masculine parts of a femulator’s anatomy. The reviews I’ve read all stress how they changed the life of so many transgender women who could now have the confidence to wear leggings, jeans and bodycon dresses. They are also very comfortable and eliminate the need for gaffs, tight panties or Spanx. Along with all that, they are pretty.

As I wrote here, I have this whole tucking thing down to a science so why would I need something special and besides, for me there is a certain joie de vivre knowing that I am wearing clothes made for a female.

Here’s where it got interesting. My wife and I have DADT agreement going when it comes to my femulating. She runs hot and cold and there have been times over the years when she’s bought me clothes and also given me some of hers. 

A few years ago, I inherited two of her sport bras, which I took to wearing under sweaters in the wintertime. The other day she saw them in the wash. They were very worn and she remarked that I need some new ones. 

“Well, my birthday is coming up,” I joked. 

I never expected anything to come of it.

How she found Leolines on Esty I’ll never know, but I was surprised, elated and touched in the heart when I opened my gifts and found a Leolines Racer Back Bra and High Waist Panty, both in the Tinkerbell print. Tinkerbell is a playful name my wife has used over the years when referring to me and femulating. 

There was a lot in that gift: true love, acceptance and grace. I love wearing them under sweatshirts on cold days here in Maine. It’s my way of knowing deep down who I am. As you all can relate, it just feels right. 

About half of Leolines business is transgender children. The other is transgender adults and most of them are younger. The generation of transgender persons behind us are out and upcoming. They are consumers and the business world is rising to meet their demands. Moving out of their niches and into the mainstream are retailers like Bindle and Keep, who custom make suits for transgender men. I predict we are soon to see a transgender line of clothing by a mainstream vendor such as Victoria Secret, Maidenform, Spanx or Torrid.

Wearing Oscar De La Renta

Rob Harmon femulating in the 2008 film Between Love and Goodbye.

Your Favorite National Dress Day Dresses

On National Dress Day, I invited you to send me a photo wearing your favorite dress. The following lovely ladies responded and I thank them all.

Angela Booth

Anna Maria (and friend)

Dawn Wyvern

Dee

Deedee

Jocelyn

Julie Michelle

Kandi Robbins

Lena

Mikki

Nancy Ng

Rachel

Suzanne W. Jeffries

Tina Davis

Virginia

Wearing BGL

Marques Houston femulating in House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute.

Male Woman

70 years old today and counting

Today is International Women's Day. 

As we prepare to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, our resolve to keep pushing for gender equality is stronger than ever. And we won’t stop until girls and women are equal everywhere.

That’s because equality is her birthright, enshrined in the UN Charter, but it isn’t her reality. Despite some progress, there is no place or part of life where a girl or woman has the equal rights or opportunities as a boy or man.

As a male woman, I am very sympathetic to these goals. Though some would say that I have “male privilege,” I would argue that male women are treated worse than cisgender women and I yearn to achieve the same equality sought by women.

Even living much of my life disguised as a man, my natural femininity marked me as less than a man and I was treated accordingly by both males and females. 

Living as a male woman was an improvement. I was living as my true self and females seemed to embrace me as someone who had joined their team. On the other hand, males treated me even more poorly than they did when I was in my man disguise.

I am sure that all male women have had similar experiences and also long for gender equality.

Wearing New York & Company

Olive