No Way to Femulate

By Jenny Shaw

Christmas and New Year’s are already a passing memory! 

On Christmas Eve, I celebrated a year of living openly and predominantly as Jenny and it’s been absolutely wonderful – so many new experiences and so much acceptance and affirmation from friends old and new. 

One new and unexpected experience took place on 10th December. I had driven to a nearby village to accompany some carol singing for elderly residents. I had just tuned my guitar when I had the most awful tummy pain and broke into a massive sweat that thoroughly soaked my clothes and wig.  

A friend, who is a retired doctor, insisted that I be taken to the local hospital. I was duly driven there by his wife, interrupted by a short stop for me to be sick en route. Following a CT scan, I was diagnosed with pancreatitis caused by gallstones. I was then taken by ambulance to the County Hospital in Lincoln (UK) where I was put in a single-bed room and a gang of nurses helped me to defemulate. My sweat-sodden clothes, wig and prosthetics were stuffed into a plastic bag and all I had to remove my makeup were wet wipes – not very efficient! In the end, the irreducible minimum of outward femininity were my red toenails! 

I was there for nine nights, the first eight in a private room. It was some time before I realized that the private room had been assigned to me out of consideration for my transgender status.  Furthermore, although the paperwork was all in my male name, I was consistently addressed as “Jenny” throughout my stay - even after several days of facial stubble had accumulated.  

I have to return for two follow-up appointments in the next few weeks, but for simplicity will go in male mode.  I can happily report that the contents of the plastic bag were all restored to A1 condition after I returned home. Also, despite feeling under par, I did manage to spend a very lovely Christmas with some of my family.

It was a new experience en femme, but not one I would have chosen! However, as an object lesson in how the NHS in the UK treats transgender patients with respect and consideration, I couldn’t be more impressed or grateful.

Wearing StyleWe

Longtime follower of Femulate, Paula Davina Kennedy AKA Paul David Landry and feline friend. Femulate is the “first page I open in the morning.”

Someday Funnies: Gonna Need a Bigger Closet!

Wearing Venus

Regular reader of Femulate, Aunty Mae

Michael Scott: Crossdresser

I was a regular viewer of The Office during its original run (2005–2013). And I have been a regular viewer of Comedy Central’s reruns of The Office.

The Office does not offer much trans-wise. In the 2005 “Halloween” episode, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) mentioned that he came to work two Halloweens in a row dressed as Monica Lewinsky.

In a 2007 episode (“The Negotiation”), Michael mistakenly purchases a woman’s pantsuit from a bargain bin and wears the suit to work. Michael took some ribbing because of his fashion faux pas and that was the end of it... or so I thought. 

A few days ago, I was watching a rerun of a 2010 episode (“Nepotism”) that I had seen a few times in the past and for the first time, I noticed the following exchange between Michael and the office receptionist Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) when they discover an outgoing package that had been shipped.  

Erin: Oh my gosh – those are the pants you wanted to return to Talbots.

Michael: I'm reconsidering sending them back anyway. 

Erin. I'm sorry. Do you want to try them on again just to see...

Michael interrupted: I know they fit. It’s not about the fit.

Evidently, in this case, Michael intentionally shopped at Talbots, a specialty retailer of women’s clothing, shoes and fashion accessories. Go figure.

Wearing BGL

Jocelyn shopped, dined and took a short walk in the park. Of the thousands of people she saw in the city that day, she was the only person in a dress or a skirt.

Someday Funnies

Wearing Elisabetta Franchi

Barbara Anne Taylor doing what femulators love to do – shop for shoes!

Someday Funnies: The Ultimate Femulation

Wearing Boston Proper

Long-time Femulate aficianado Mindy

Someday Funnies: Me Three!

Wearing Rue La La

Brenda Lorraine attending a crossdresser/transgender weekend getaway (with her wife) at a resort in Oklahoma.

April Ashley

Before I ever heard of Christine Jorgensen or Virginia Prince, there was April Ashley. She was celebrity du jour back in the early 1960s when it was revealed that the beautiful model and actress had previously been a boy.

The news appeared in tabloids like the New York Daily News and Daily Mirror, which my father purchased everyday. I read all about it and was incredulous when I saw the photo above of Miss Ashley that accompanied her story. “No way was she ever a boy,” I thought.

But I was wrong. And her beauty motivated me to try and achieve some semblance of a feminine visage myself. 

Anyway, I just learned (via email from various Femulate readers) that Miss Ashley died on Monday (the BBC has the story of this amazing woman here). 

Her passing saddens me. Of all the transwomen I have encountered over the years, she came along at just the right time in my life (my early teens) and probably influenced me as much as my mother to become the lady I am today.

Thank you and Goddess bless you, April Ashley.

Wearing Michael Kors

Rachel in Orlando – a fun day dressed for lunch, shopping and dinner. Wore three different outfits!! Best crossdressed day ever!!!!

Christmas Selfies

As usual, I did not receive any girly gifts this Christmas. Sometimes my family surprises me, like the Christmas my daughter gifted me with a Kate Spade handbag, but typically Stana gets nothing for Christmas.

I assumed this would be the case this year, so in anticipation of an empty thigh high stocking, I shopped for myself a week before Christmas and purchased two dresses from Venus: a pleated sweater dress and an animal print ruched ddress.. The dresses arrived on Monday and I quickly slipped off my male clothes and slipped into my unmentionables to try on my purchases. 

I was not concerned about sizes because Venus is very consistent size-wise, so I know what to order to fit me. I was more concerned about how the dresses would look on me. And in a word, they looked “fabulous!”

Both dresses are “figure conscious,” that is, viewers seeing me in these dresses will be very conscious of my figure. Both are also leg-revealing with hems above my knees  (the animal print dress is a little shorter than the sweater dress). 

Both are femulator-worthy – the sweater dress is suitable for a day out shopping and/or having lunch with the girls. The animal print dress is very sexy and is a dress to wear to impress. 

I am very happy with my gifts and am anxious to wear them out. 

Wearing Alice + Olivia

Carolina Lynn with her good friend and stylist, Apple Crimson, at the 52nd annual Coronation of the Imperial Court of Los Angeles and Hollywood

Someday Funnies: “Girls’” Night Out

Wearing Michael Kors

Femulate reader Marie Anne Greene in period gown visiting the Road to Tara Museum in Jackson, Georgia

Miss Eng’g: Blast from the Past

A Miss Eng’g Contestant

Femulate readers may be familiar with the fabulous Miss Eng’g (Engineering) womanless beauty pageant at the College of Engineering, University of Philippines-Diliman. I have written about the pageant in the past, but not so much lately.

Over the weekend, a former pageant contestant commented on a Miss Eng’s post from 2011. Since most current readers will not see that post or the recent comment, I am repeating it here.

Anonymous left the following comment:

I always wondered if the “girls” were experienced in dressing before the event, or did they do this for the 1st time. I remember reading an article about one of the girls and their girlfriend helped them out, but looking at some of the girls they are quite experienced looking.

Our weekend commenter responded:

I was a Ms Engg contestant myself but in early 2000s. I wore my female cousin’s 18th birthday gown. It was very uncomfortable because the dress was so tight I almost couldn’t breathe (my mother made me wear a girdle (?) because I had beer belly for me fit into the gown). Not to mention walking/standing on heels. I had fun though as it was my last semester of uni so it was like me saying goodbye to college life with a bang.

Lucky guy!

Wearing StyleWe

Marian Andersen, a Femulate reader and femulator