Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Slipping Slip Sales


By Paula Gaikowski

Last century, in the 1980’s, my wife called me in a panic. She had left the house in such a hurry that she forgot to wear a slip under the dress she wore that day! Fortunately, she was able to telephone a friend who brought one of her own to work and saved the day. 

That’s how important a slip was in a woman’s wardrobe at one time. Some of us here at Femulate might remember our mothers or sisters rushing around the house in a slip getting ready for work or church – another layer of femininity that most of us noticed and eventually sought out. One of my most lasting memories is probably Elizabeth Taylor in the 1958 move Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Secretly, many of us wanted to be her slinking around in that slip.

Slips serve various purposes. 

  • They help a dress or skirt hang properly, especially when static cling might otherwise cause the dress to wrap around the wearer's legs. 
  • They protect the skin from chafing against coarse fabrics such as wool; conversely, if the outer garment is made of fine fabric, a slip protects it from perspiration. 
  • Slips may be worn for warmth, especially if the dress or skirt is lightweight and thin. 
  • In very warm or humid climates, a slip made entirely from cotton may be desired. 
  • Slips are often worn to prevent the see-through of intimate undergarments such as panties or bras. 
  • Slips may also be used to prevent a silhouette of the legs showing through clothing when standing in front of a bright light source.

The decline of the slip coincidentally coincides with the decline of pantyhose. There was a changing of the guard in the mid-90’s. Women became managers and gained control over dress codes and fashion choices in business. Female executives began to realize that there was no compelling reason why she or her colleagues had to spend $50 to $100 a month on pantyhose or wear them when it was hot and humid. 

The same thing happened with slips as women started to define the dress codes in business, the need to spend extra money on a garment that was thought old fashioned and too hot in the summer was tossed aside. Products like Spanx, Shape Slips Slip Shorts, etc. helped smooth out bumps and panty lines and replaced slips. 

I have several slips in my wardrobe: a nude and black half-slip and a beautiful pastel pink with lace trim full slip. They are a delight to wear and add a layer femininity and with it, joy to the process of getting dressed. I welcome the layer of warmth they provide during the cold New England winters. I’ve also joined the modern girls and have a selection of Spanx-like garments that I love.

Slips still have a place in modern women’s wardrobe, although they now are reserved for special occasions. Many women still proclaim the glamour and sexiness of wearing a garment designed to look pretty and feminine.  I couldn’t agree more.



Source: Venus
Wearing Venus

Alistair Sim
Alistair Sim (center) and other femulators in the 1957 British film Blue Murder at St. Trinian's.

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

E-Mail Subscriptions Not Working

A number of readers have written to me that their e-mail subscription to this blog are no longer working. My guess is that all e-mail subscriptions to Femulate are affected. 

Something is amiss and I am looking into it. In the meantime, access the blog through your web browser using www.femulate.org

Someday Funnies




Source: Rue La La
Source: Rue La La


Patrick Livesey (right) femulates on the Australian stage in Gone Girls (Source: Caty).

Monday, August 8, 2022

Does Facebook have anti-trans biases?

By Vince Kayser

Our website (http://mytransgenderdate.com/) is currently experiencing a problem with Facebook, which begs the question “Does Facebook have anti-trans biases?” We wrote an article on it here: https://mytransgenderdate.com/blog/2022/07/does-facebook-have-anti-trans-biases

To summarize that article, we have been experiencing abusive and intrusive reviews by Facebook to the point of harassment. They have banned our pages and our admins for no reason. We also found out that we aren’t the only ones experiencing this. There are also other trans/LGBT sites that have been victims of Facebook.

Your Femulate editor is another person who experienced Facebook’s anti-trans bias. You can read all about it here, but in a nutshell, Facebook banned me from using their service because I used my femme name.



Source: Venus
Wearing Venus


Femulating en masse
Femulating en masse

Friday, August 5, 2022

What’s Up, Patient?

I shave everything I can reach from the neck down. 

In the past, I did not shave if I had an upcoming doctor’s appointment because I did not want a doctor asking me about my shaved body parts.

Some time ago, I stopped worrying and now I see my doctors in a shaved body. No one in the doctor’s office ever questioned me about it. Even when I had varicose vein surgery and had to display my shaved legs to the doctor, nurses and technicians on the day of surgery and during three follow-up visits, no one said a word about my shaved legs. 

Who knows what was said, if anything, behind my back? 

But after all my recent doctor visits, it dawned on me that no one has ever broached the subject. Maybe the Hippocratic Oath precludes it – I dunno, but it has never been an issue.

For that matter, few civilians have ever mentioned my hairlessness. I only recall it happening when I dressed for Halloween en femme and someone remarked that I shaved my legs!

And so it goes.


Source: Moda Operandi
Wearing Giambattista Valli


Grayson Perry (left)
Grayson Perry (left)

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Sports Bra

By Paula Gaikowski

There’s a scenic road here in New England that I take frequent walks on. It has views of the White Mountains, bucolic fields and stone walls. It’s a popular route and I often meet up or pass others. Most of the ladies’ wear sports bras and I often thought how nice it would be to have my A cup girls held high and tight just like those ladies.

The other day, I was in a thrift shop and came across and beautiful XL Nike sports bra for a bargain price. I couldn’t wait for my morning walk, a pair of black nylon women’s running shorts with small pink logo, a pair of cotton peds with pink trim, light control panty, my brand-new sports bra, and a breast cancer logo baseball cap. I was blurring gender lines just a little bit. 

My sports bra felt wonderful going on. I was amazed how everything felt so snug. I felt like all was right in the world. Off I went and enjoyed a beautiful walk.

When I got home, I was a bit sweaty and decided to change and shower. That’s when things got funny. How do I get this thing off? I tries pulling it over my head, but it wouldn’t stretch and the materiel is super strong. I tried to get an arm through, but no luck. Down on my knees bent this way, bent that way, pull here. Oh, now it’s stuck. I can’t move my arm. Ouch, I just punched myself in the face! It’s stuck –what do I do? Call the fire department! Scissors? Ask my wife for help? It took another exhausating 15 minutes, but finally I was free!

Curious if this was my own incompetence in the feminine arts or was this a common problem. I Googled “can’t get off my sports bra” and low and behold, I find a plethora of narratives, videos, memes and jokes about sports bras after a workout. It seems if you want a sports bra that works well, it tends to be one that comes off with great difficulty. 

Another rite of passage that I feel honored to have experienced. Guess I’ll watch some more videos and read some tips and tricks, but I am will not give up my sports bra until the fire department has to pry it off my twisted and bent body!



Source: Intermix
Wearing Retrofete


Femulator and friend
Femulator and friend

Monday, August 1, 2022

Bras and Girdles

Wearing Rago Styles 2202 and 6201
It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind and when it comes to my unmentionables, I am doing my womanly best. I experiment a lot trying different combinations of foundation garments in order to achieve a shapely figure. As a result, my unmentionables du jour often varies.

These days, I wear three unmentionable. A long line bra, a long line girdle and a padded panty.

All my current unmentionables are Rago products.

Rago Style 2202 Long Line “Expandable Cup” Bra, one in white and one in black.

Rago Style 6201 Extra Firm Zippered High Waist Long Leg Shaper

Rago Style 915 High Waist Padded Panty

The long line bra is a size 40B. Its cups are a perfect fit for my breasts. And its long line flattens my tummy and help to shape my waistline.

The long line shaper (I call it a “girdle”) also shapes my waistline and flattens my tummy. It also does a good job of keeping my tucked friends tucked.

I have a flat derriere, so I wear the padded panty over my girdle to unflatten my derriere.

The three unmentionable combo is also very comfortable. In the past (30 pounds ago), I used to say, “My girdle is killing!” just like in the old Playtex ads, but that is no longer the case. My shapewear is doing its job painlessly.


Source: Bebe
Wearing Bebe

Yet another beautiful Femulator
Yet another beautiful Femulator