Everything I Know About Wigs

Old ladies like me can knock ten years off our age just by femulating. Makeup hides some of our faces’ signs of old age. Girdles hide some of the pounds we put on as we mature. But I think wearing a wig makes the biggest difference. Replace thinning gray hair (or no hair) with a beautiful hairdo in a pretty color and a 60-year-old guy becomes a 50-something lady.

I bought my first wig in 1970, have purchased probably 50 more since then and have learned a lot about wigs in the process. I will relate to you everything I know.

Wig Shopping

You can buy wigs online or at a wig store. I have done both, but I highly recommend that novice wig buyers shop at a wig store because the shop staff can assist you when it comes to the best color, style and length of wig for you. You may pay more at a shop than online, but the added expense is worth it. 

Inexpensive wigs are attractive to femulators because they are inexpensive. Their attractiveness ends there because a cheap wig by any other name is still a cheap wig. 

When you wear a cheap wig, there is no fooling anyone that the hair on your head is fake. And when people see that you are wearing a wig, they might examine you more closely and find other clues that give away your natal gender.

I have owned a few cheap wigs in my time and my photos wearing those cheap wigs convinced me to go upscale in the wig department. “Upscale” meant spending $99 rather than $49 for a wig. That was an improvement, but not good enough. A $99 wig was still relatively inexpensive for a wig (it was just a more expensive “cheap” wig).

Also, starting out, I did not know what wig was best for me. I tried different styles, different lengths and different colors, but always avoided blond shades because I thought that blond was oh so drag. All the boys who wanted to be girls wanted to be blond girls. Also, I avoided short lengths because I thought my head was too big to be properly covered with a short wig.

A trip to a wig shop convinced me otherwise. I told the wig seller to have her way with me. So she sat me down at a mirror and went to the back room to fetch a wig she thought would be perfect for me. A few minutes later, she returned with a short blond wig.

I thought to myself, “Oh no, she's is making a mistake.”

She pulled the wig over my head, finger-combed it a bit and then let me look in the mirror.

In a very soft voice, I said, “Oh, my god!”

The wig looked absolutely fabulous on me and I did not think twice about purchasing it. That wig (“Ryan” by Noriko) was not cheap by any means ($342 is its current list price), but it was worth every penny. It pushed my femulation skills up a few notches. (That’s me wearing Ryan in the photo above.)

Wearing that wig, I lost count how many times people complimented me about my hair. (I never received such reactions wearing my $99 and $49 wigs.)

The bottom line is (1) seek out a professional wig seller for advice concerning the best wig color, style and length for you and (2) be willing to spend much more than $99 for a wig.

And don’t be afraid of shopping in person at a wig store. En femme or en homme, I assure you that you will not be the first male customer at the wig store. 

Shopping en femme is better than shopping en homme because you are all made up and dressed up, so as you try on various wigs, you will know exactly how they look on you when you femulate. 

So go for it. I am sure the store will welcome your business. If not, there are plenty of other wig stores that will.

However, if you prefer to shop online, there are plenty of online wig stores. Many offer assistance as to what wigs are more suitable for you, but they can only offer general advice, nothing like the advice you will receive in person from the staff at a wig store. 

And choosing colors online is an inexact science. Sometimes the color you order is different than the color you receive. The wig store is not trying to pull a fast one – it’s just that colors often appear different on your computer/tablet/smartphone screen than they do in person. Some stores will loan you a color ring that has a sample of all the available colors, but some don’t. And some stores will let you return a wig if you don’t like the color, but some don’t, so caveat emptor.

Large Caps

In general, ladies like us have bigger heads than civilian girls. So it behooves us ladies to adorn our heads with bigger wigs (also known as “large caps”).

In my youth, I did not pay attention to wig sizes – I assumed that wigs trying to escape from my head was par for the course in WigLand. Then I bought a large-sized wig and happily discovered that it did not try to runaway from me like my average-sized wigs!

Here are some signs your wig is too small (according to wigs.com):

👠 If the wig slides back on your head and reveals your scalp or hairline, it’s too small.

👠 If the wig has a lace front, check it out. If it’s rolling under instead of lying flat, you need a bigger wig.

👠 Likewise, if your wig has a monofilament top, it should lay flat too. If the monofilament cap sticks up like a point on the top of your head, that’s a symptom of a wig that’s too small.

👠 Lastly, if it’s too tight, it’s obviously too small. If it squeezes your temples or pulls your biological hair, it’s too tight. (It may also give you a splitting headache.)

I learned my lesson and now I only buy large-sized wigs. They not only fit better, but they look better because they are properly proportioned for my large head.

The only problem (and it is a big problem) is that the selection of wigs in large sizes is limited. For example, I searched one online wig retailer (wigs.com) and found 28 large-sized wigs, while that same retailer had over 825 average-sized wigs! So I am always on the lookout for new large caps.

My Prefs

I favor the monofilament wigs from Noriko, specifically the models that are available in gradient dark-rooted colors. The dark roots add authenticity to the wigs.

Since I began wearing the Noriko brand, I have been told countless times that my wigs look like real hair. Some people were very surprised when I told them I was wearing a wig.

In the next installment  of “Everything I Know About Wigs,” I will write about wearing and maintaining wigs. So, stay tuned.

Warning: I have no formal training in the femulating arts. However, I do have over 50 years experience practicing those arts and have become so adept at them that I pass more often than not.

Wearing Venus

Jimmy Eagles femulating (to Bing Crosby's surprise) in the 1933 film short Billboard Girl.
You can view the film on YouTube.

Click here to visit Stanley's Avon store.

What would be your reaction...

...if you walked in on a guy trying on a dress?

Source: De (de_chasing) on TikTok

Wearing Paige

Piotr Gawron-Jedlikowski femulated Jessie J on Polish television's Twoja Twarz Brzmi Znajomo. You can view the femulation on YouTube.

Someday Funnies

Wearing Madeleine

Jack Haley (right) femulated in a lost scene from the 1945 film George White Scandals.

Easter Envy

Easter is not a big holiday in my family. We hardly notice it.

It was different when I was a kid. My family were practicing Catholics, so it was a big holiday for us back then.

Our usual Easter routine was Mass on Sunday morning, dinner with the whole family at my aunt’s house Sunday afternoon and an egg hunt for the kids after dinner.

In preparation for Easter, Mom would sew new Easter outfits for herself and my sister. My Dad and I wore whatever suit was the most recent addition to our wardrobes.

I was jealous of my sister. She usually wore a new dress, new shoes and a new hat for Easter. My female cousins got dolled up for Easter, too, meanwhile, I was stuck in a boring suit.

I wonder how many Femulate readers also experienced “Easter envy?”

Wearing Venus (a recent Stana purchase)

British femulators in the 1920's

TG TV Ads

By Paula Gaikowski

It’s been a long winter. Our CFO (Chief Femulating Officer) has not been feeling well, the pandemic, has many of us locked away at home and after that incident in the supply room during the Femulate holiday party, I’ve been assigned to the front desk at Femulate World Headquarters (by the way, if anyone finds a black Victoria Secret bra, please email me) . 

So, to get back in the good graces of senior management, I’ve decided to take some initiative and find some positive transgender television advertisements. Too often in the past, transgender persons are depicted as the butt of a joke or incorrectly as a drag queen.

The first two commercials I found very positive because they take a real issue that we all have dealt with and treats it respectfully. While out and about as Paula, I’ve often been treated as a woman until I hand over my male credit card and hear “Thank you, sir” or “Thank you Mr. Gaikowski.” In this commercial, Mastercard does a great job showing how it feels and how you can now have your true name put on your card. Citibank does the same.

The next commercial runs a bit deeper and takes a while to watch. It features a social experiment about people working together and one of those persons is transgender. It’s sponsored by Heineken and involves building a bar complete with beer so, of course, I loved it!

The next commercial was so relatable. If you remember the first time you were out in public, you will appreciate this commercial. It features a beautiful nervous transgender woman out in public for the first time. It’s an ad for Secret Deodorant and it touched my heart.

Every time I am addressed as Paula or Ma’am, I feel a pinch of joy. Starbucks' commercial does a great job showing that joy.  

The last commercial for Holiday Inn ran in the 90’s for the Super Bowl. Back then, it was pulled because some people objected to the topic. Today, some transgender persons don’t like it because of the unrealistic standard of beauty that it demands for transgender woman. I have to say I loved it. I thought it was funny, cute and saw myself in the starring role going to my class reunion.   

Interesting to note that back in the 90’s people complained to Holiday Inn that they were “offended” by a transgender person. Times have changed thank goodness. 

Wearing Rue La La

I'm not a drag queen

Transgender Day of Visibility (Today)

A reader sent me the news that Coca-Cola has a drag artist as a spokesperson for their products. 

“I’d call that a big step forward,” said the reader who sent me that news.

Yes – a big step forward for drag queens, but I'm not a drag queen! Doesn't do much for me or my trans sisters.

The new Coke queen is not the first. For the past year or so, drag queens have been appearing in television commercials here and there. The queens are all over-the-top and have no relation to femulators like me. 

The only transwomen I’ve seen on television are in ads for AIDS-related medicines. I applaud the pharmaceutical companies for that, but it would be nice to see a transwoman in an ad for a more generic product like Pepsi or Ford or Walmart where the crossdresser is just another consumer and not the butt of a joke.

Wearing Paige

Peter Outerbridge in the 1999 Canadian film Better Than Chocolate

Survey for Connecticut LGBTQ+

The Connecticut Legislative LGBTQ+ Health and Human Services Network is working with the Department of Public Health to survey the LGBTQ+ community in Connecticut to determine our needs and if they are being met. The results of this survey will be shared with the Connecticut legislature, LGBTQ+ organizations and funders to support initiatives for Connecticut's LGBTQ+ community. The Legislative LGBTQ+ Health and Human Services Network is the only LGBTQ+  committee in the nation that has been created to advisor the state legislature by law on our issues and needs of our community. As part of our charge under the law, we have created this needs assessment.

If you live in Connecticut and are 18 or over, please take the 30 minute survey here… https://bit.ly/3siusqC

Wearing Bebe

Anthony Tyler Quinn femulating in television’s Ask Harriet

Décolletage

I received the following request: While looking at your photos, I noticed cleavage. Could you do a post on how to achieve it? I've tried but it never works for me. Thank you so much.

Up front (pun intended), I want to be clear that your mileage may vary because breast-wise I am naturally well-endowed for a male. I won't go into the reasons why I have feminine breasts because I don’t know for sure myself, but I assure you that my girls fill a B-cup (and as a trans-girl, I could not be happier about those circumstances).

In the past, I used surgical tape to tape my breasts together to create cleavage. It was very effective, but removing the tape was very painful and always resulted in skin abrasions and occasionally minor bleeding that took days or weeks to heal.

I now use a painless method to create cleavage, which is just as effective. 

The key to my painless method is to use a padded push-up bra, like Victoria's Secret Bombshell push-up bra. Victoria claims it adds two cup sizes, but the bra alone does not provide me with cleavage. I add breast forms to the mix, as follows:

I insert a breast form into a bra cup with one hand, lift my breast with the other hand, place the form under my uplifted breast and repeat the procedure with the other breast. The uplifted breasts create the cleavage and the padding of the bra holds everything in place just like the surgical tape had done so in the past.

I have gone whole evenings without my breasts moving out of place, but if there ever is any slippage, I can quickly lift my breast(s) back in place when I have a private moment (like in a stall of the ladies’ room).

By the way, I made my own breast forms using a female impersonator’s recipe: birdseed in a sock. (I actually used dried green peas instead of birdseed.)

1.  Use birdseed/dried green peas to fill a thin sock (not a thick heavy sock) to the cup size you desire.

2.  Tie off the sock as close as possible to the ball of birdseed/dried green peas.

3.  Trim off any access sock and fold the remainder over the knot. Under a bra, the knot does a good job of emulating a nipple.

By the way, I made my breast forms about 40 years ago and they are still good to go today. 

If you have any questions, I will gladly try to answer them. In the meantime, practice, practice practice and your fine work will proceed you.

Need advice concerning femulating or other crossdressing-related matters, then e-mail me and I will happily give you my opinion on the matter. My e-mail address is stana-stana at sbcglobal.net.

Wearing Bella Dahl

Lynn of Yet Another T-Girl Blog fame. Lynn's blog predates Femulate by almost two years. Reading her en femme adventures inspired me to start writing my own blog. 

Someday Funnies

Wearing Self-Portrait

Georg Preuße and Reiner Kohler in the West German film
Mary & Gordy: Frau'n, Frau'n, Frau'n.

Nice shirt, by the way

Back in the spring of 2010, when I informed Human Resources that I was transgender, I actually informed the HR Director of the division of the company that employs me. The HR rep for our location was out on that day and the Director, who happens to have her office in our building, was sitting in for our local rep.

Let me tell you about the our local HR rep. She is a drop-dead gorgeous blond in her late 20's. She seemed to be friendly with some co-workers, but she was always aloof with me.

For example, whenever I encountered her and said, “Hello Amanda,” she rarely said, “Hello Stan.” Usually just a cold “Hello” and sometimes not even that.

Things changed dramatically after I came out to HR. The HR Director informed our local rep about my transness because I am our local rep's direct “problem,” not the HR Director's problem.

Anyway, after coming out to HR, our local HR rep became downright friendly and she never misses calling me by my name when we exchange Hello’s.

One day, I wore a shirt that has a blue floral print. I bought it in the men’s department of Walmart, so I know it is a men’s shirt. However, there is no doubting its floral design and some guys might shun such a shirt as being too feminine or at least, too diverse.

Anyway, I ran into our location HR rep today, said,  “Hello Amanda.”

She replied, “Hello Stan” and then she added, “Nice shirt, by the way.”

I was very surprised by her compliment and thanked her for it.

Go figure.

Maybe she feels that I am safe now. I am just one of the girls and no longer one of those guys who would like to bed her.

And so it went.

Wearing Nina top and Frame shorts

Paolo Ballesteros femulating in the 2016 Filipino film Die Beautiful.
You can view the film’s trailer on YouTube.

Making Scents

Does your femulation include smelling like a lady? It should.

For starters, I apply a lady’s deodorant to my shaved underarms. (Maybe I should ask, “Do you shave your underarms?”) Anyway, I use a feminine scent (Lady Speed Stick’s “Powder Fresh”) under my arms. 

After I am fully dressed, made up and coiffed, I apply perfume (Chanel No. 22) to my inner wrists, the base of my throat, behind my ear lobes, in my cleavage, behind my knees  and my inner elbows.

After all that, I assume I will smell lovely (and femininely) to all bystanders. Funny thing is that I have almost no sense of smell, so I cannot appreciate the scents I am wearing. And I have to be careful not to apply too much perfume and overwhelm the onlookers!

Delayed Comments Dept.

A reader e-mailed me, “I could not see my comment last night, but now I can see it!”

I responded, “After a comment is submitted, I have to approve it before it appears on the blog and sometimes there is a delay until I get online to approve it.”

Hitting It Out of the Park Dept.

Tuesday’s blog post garnered 9,187 hits! That is an all-time high as best as I can recall. Typically, Femulate pulls in 6,000 to 6,5000 hits per day, so that 9,187 represents approximately a 33% increase. I wonder if the topic (will men over 50 soon be wearing bras?) had anything to do with the increase.

Success Breeds Success Dept.

Those 9,187 hits has a ripple effect: an increase in the number of e-mails I receive, so if you e-mailed me recently, please be patient – I have a long queue to reply to.

Wearing Boston Proper

Girl and Boy at Tuntenball 2019