My Secrets

Paula recently commented, “Love your style; please share your secrets with us!”

I had to think about my “secrets” because most of what I do style-wise comes naturally to me. I don't think about it, I just do it. And this is what I do. 

Emphasize your assets.

My legs are my best assets, so I show them off by wearing short skirts and high heels. Heels make my legs even more shapely and short skirts reveal the results.

And there is some truth when I say, “My skirt’s not too short – my legs are too long!” I have resigned myself to the fact that the styles I prefer are going to be on the short side due to my leg length.

Dress for your body’s age, not your calendar age.

My arms are svelte enough for sleeveless sheaths and my legs are toned enough for short hemlines, so I show off what I've got (while I’ve still got it).

When in doubt, wear nude pumps.

Matched to my skin tone, they're a safe bet and they make my legs look even longer.

If it works, keep working with it.

When I find a style that looks good on me, I become a fan of that style and populate my wardrobe with more examples of that style. For example, I discovered that I look good in wrap dresses and as a result, I now own an assortment of wrap dresses.

On the other hand, keep an open mind. When you are shopping, try on styles that are not in your style book. You never know – it may look great on you. That’s how I discovered that jumpsuits belong in my style book.

Never buy a boring coat.

“Outerwear should never be an afterthought,” says Holmes & Yang co-designer Jeanne Yang. “So many people only see you in your coat—if you’re not wearing something great underneath your trench, they’ll never even know!”

With that thought in mind, fur coats are never boring. I own two full-length fur coats and a fur jacket. And I love animals, so all my furs are fake.

Own something in animal print.

Animal prints are timeless, racy enough, and always glamorous. I own a variety of animal print clothing and accessories.

Scarves are not for hiding.

Scarves are recommended for girls like us to hide our Adam’s apple. I don’t have much of an Adam’s apple, so I never wore scarves... until about five years ago, when I came across my dear departed Mother’s stash of scarves. One girls’ night out, I wore one of her scarves in her honor; I liked the look and began collecting and wearing my own stash of scarves.

Bigger jewelry is better jewelry.

Most girls like us are proportionally larger than cisgender girls. As a result, some of the jewelry designed for cis-girls is proportionally too small for us. So when I shop for jewelry, I shop for jewelry that is bigger rather than smaller.

***

If you have any questions about my secrets or anything else, please ask (stana-stana at sbcglobal.net).

(Thanks to InStyle.com for helping me bring out my secrets.)

Wearing New York & Company

Diether Krebs femulating in West Germany's television series Sketchup.

Someday Funnies

 

Wearing Brooks Brothers

Your grandfather’s womanless beauty pageant

Doing Something Write

Everyday, I  receive email related to this blog. Most of it is positive and occasionally the email indicates that I hit it out of the ballpark like the following email from Faye.

Dear Stana,

May I tell you how much I have always enjoyed reading the Femulate website. Many a working day was brightened by the Someday Funnies or your down to earth approach to the ups and downs of being the women we are.

I did say how many’s working day had been brightened by reading Femulate, because after 30 years working for the same company, of which five years I worked as Faye and winning employee of the month and then employee of the year on two occasions over those five years I have finally retired.

I was presented with some lovely gifts by the other ladies, and from the head office in Hamburg I received a very generous monetary gift, this woman will be hitting the shops big time!!!

In contrast to my office wear, today my high heels remained in the wardrobe and business dresses on their hangers. I could not pull myself down to wearing leggings to do the top to bottom house clean that I would so often have to do on my day off ( the weekend ), hence the skirt and top!!, and on completing the bedrooms and bathroom I sat myself down and took the enclosed pic.

I am humble enough to know that if not for you and your own experiences in and out the office , I would never have achieved the acceptance and confidence I received from my Supervisor, HR and the other women in the office. Thank you Stana and thank you on behalf of every one of us whose heels have followed on the path created by yourself.

Though an ocean separates us, our sisterhood will always bring us together.

Faye xx

Wearing Bebe

Another office femulator

Someday Funnies: Happy Father’s Day

Wearing Chickwish

Father of the bride

Fantastic Film Femulations

Lee Pace in Soldier’s Girl

A few days ago, Mikki commented that Mehdi Dehbi in the film He’s My Girl “does the best job of female impersonation I’ve ever seen in a film. Unlike very many of these films, there’s no reason to go into ‘deliberate suspension of belief’ when perceiving Naim/Habiba as a female.”

I admit that my trans-radar did not sound off immediately when I first saw Mehdi Dehbi in that film and he should receive two bra cups up for his femulation. On the other hand, there are other film femulations that can compete with Mehdi Dehbi. 

Lee Pace in Soldier’s Girl, Romain Duris in The New Girlfriend and Matthias Schweighöfer in Woman in Love come to mind immediately and I am sure there are others that are just as good. (For a long time, I thought Tony Curtis’ femulation in Some Like It Hot was excellent until I discovered that his very female voice was dubbed in – by a man, Paul Frees.)

That’s just my opinion. So who do you think was an excellent film femulator? Let us know in the Comments below.

Wearing Retro Stage

Matthias Schweighöfer femulating in the 2011 German film Woman in Love (Rubbeldiekatz).

Someday Funnies: The Long and Short of It

Wearing Bebe

Two 1950-era femulators in the 2006 British short Private Life.

Very Comfortable

A reader commented, “You must feel very comfortable in your skin to be able to go into the situations you go into Stana.”

Yes, I am very comfortable.

I admit that before I take that first step out the door en femme, I am a little hesitant. Part of it is due to fear and part of it is due to awe.

 “Fear” that something may go wrong. (Except for wardrobe and automobile malfunctions nothing has ever gone wrong.)

“Awe” that I am actually going out en femme and functioning as a woman in society.

I hesitate for only a moment or two, then push myself out the door.

As soon as I hear the click of my high heels on the floor, pavement, sidewalk, or wherever I take those first steps, I stop thinking about being en femme because at that point, I am femme.

Wearing New York & Company

Ronnie Barker femulating on British televisions’s The Two Ronnies.

Someday Funnies: High Heel Help

Wearing Ococo Sand

Mehdi Dehbi femulating in the 2009 French film He’s My Girl (La Folle Histoire d’amour de Simon Eskenazy).

Separated at Birth

In an email titled, “She looks just like you...,” Tami wrote, “when i first saw this short video i thought it was you!”

I was flattered and responded, “Separated at birth! LOL”

Tami retorted, “You should post her video and link to her site... see if others see the resemblance that I saw. She also seems to have a similar fashion sense, with pretty feminine clothing. She also has very feminine mannerisms - she’s someone all of us 'gurls' should strive to femulate!”

Do I resemble her, who BTW goes by the name “Deborah Boland”? 

In my opinion, there is some resemblance especially when my hair is blond. But I should be so thin – Deborah probably weighs 70 pounds less than me! 

I do agree that our fashion sense is similar – emphasizing pretty feminine clothing – and my mannerisms are comparable to hers. And absolutely yes, she is someone all of us should strive to femulate.

By the way, Deborah also has a YouTube page, which I now subscribe to.  Coincidentally, I also am subscribed to Schellea’s Fabulous 50s YouTube page. (Wonder if there is a Fabulous 70s YouTube page. If not, maybe I should start one!)

Wearing New York & Company

Abdel Moneim Ibrahim femulating in the 1960 Egyptian film Sukkar Hanem (Lady Sugar).

Someday Funnies: Now Showing

Wearing Venus

Femulating in short-shorts