Someday Funnies: Big Girls Run in the Family

John D. Collins and Nicholas Frankau femulating on British television’s 'Allo 'Allo!

Someday Funnies

Wearing Cynthia Rowley

Ronnie Barker femulating in an episode of British television’s The Two Ronnies.

The Iceberg

I am fascinated by the number of crossdressers on the Internet. It seems that everyone is crossdressing – kids, teens, young adults, the middle-aged and senior males are all crossdressing and documenting their feminine side with photos posted all over the Internet.

However, the tens of thousands of crossdressers on the Internet does not translate to the numbers of crossdressers out among the civilians. If the numbers correlated, you would be running into crossdressers everywhere, but the sightings of crossdressers in public are rare (which does not take into account those crossdressers who pass and as a result, fail to be counted in the crossdresser census). 

One can assume that most of the crossdressers on the Internet are closeted and don’t mix it up with the civilians.

And one can also assume that the various estimates of the crossdressing population are low. You can’t count them if you can’t see them, although there are plenty to see on the Internet.

My guess is that there are a lot more crossdressers out there than most people believe. The Internet might just be the tip of the iceberg. 

After all, most males want to crossdress (don’t they?) and the mainstreaming of crossdressing today gives reluctant crossdressers the courage to do so. The majority may stay in the closet – so far back in the closet that they will never post photos anywhere. And those that do post photos are in the minority, but the numbers of that minority are huge as evidenced by the Internet, so can you imagine the numbers below the waterline of the iceberg!

Wearing Venus

Paul Dano femulating in the 2020 film The Extra Man

Really a He

Really!!!

I wear many hats in my amateur radio organization. One hat I wear is to compose and distribute announcements regarding our organization. I make the announcements via five email lists that my organization sponsors. Typically, the announcements get re-posted on other email lists.

Last week, I distributed an announcement calling for speakers for our upcoming annual conference. The announcement traveled hither and yon and ruffled some feathers on one email list because someone considered it to be spam. A half dozen posts were exchanged on the subject and someone asked why I even made the announcement.

Someone Else replied to the question as follows, “Because she (really a he) is desperate for content for the conference.”

I don’t know Someone Else, but he obviously knows about me. 

I have no problem that people know about me. After all, I voluntarily outed myself in the amateur radio world, but was the “(really a he)” necessary?

I was annoyed, so I asked Someone Else that very question in a private email. So far, I have not received a reply.

Source: NameBrandWigs

Eddie Shields femulating on stage in Casa Valentina

Someday Funnies: The Other Labor Day Joke

Source: Rue La La

Waiting for Halloween

Halloween 1983

Growing up, October 31, also known as “Halloween,” was my favorite holiday. To me, the candy was incidental; the costume was the attraction.

I never wore an off-the-rack costume. Rather, I assembled bits and pieces to create my costume. I was the Frankenstein monster, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Alfred E. Neuman and a Pittsburgh Pirate (the year Mazeroski beat the Yankees in the World Series). Although I had girly inclinations, it never occurred to me to dress as a girl for Halloween – I mean, “Who does that?”

Turns out, lots of guys. 

One year, making the rounds of my relatives homes on Halloween, my aunts were all aflutter about the neighborhood boy who showed up en femme. I remembered that they were very impressed that he was wearing nylons and high heels. Wow – was I jealous!

A couple of years later, my best friend complained that he had shown up at my home to trick-or-treat and was disappointed that I was not home because he wanted me to see his costume. You guessed it: he was dressed as a girl. 

Next year, he tried to convince me to join him and dress en femme for Halloween. To guard my fragile male ego, I indicated that I had no interest in joining him, but in my heart, I was dying to do so.

It turned out that guys did dress as girls on Halloween. So after dressing surreptitiously in my mother’s and sister’s clothes for the better part of the 1960’s, I decided that Halloween 1969 would be my debut as a girl. 

I did not want to reveal how good my femulating skills had become during the previous years, so I toned down my costume and wore boy sneakers rather than Mom’s heels, boy underwear rather than my Mom’s bra and girdle, minimum makeup, a skirt, top, woolen cap and wiglet borrowed (without permission) from my sister’s wardrobe.

Mind you, I had no place to go. I was way too old to trick-or-treat, I had not been invited to any Halloween parties and I was too young to go bar-hopping. So I drove around town and visited some friends and relatives. And had the time of my life!

Next morning, I was back in the closet looking forward 12 months hoping that the next Halloween would offer an opportunity to crossdress among the civilians again. Most years, I was disappointed, but on a few occasions, I was invited to a Halloween party. And unlike my first Halloween out, I did not hold back. Instead, I used all my femulating skills to present myself as a woman. 

Attending those parties, I realized that over the years working hard in my closet, I had gotten pretty good at femulating because more than once when I showed up at a party, other guests wanted to know who was the woman not wearing a costume!

Attending one of those parties with my bride changed my life. Noting my femulating skills and having become familiar with my past Halloween “costumes,” she put two and two together and suggested I find and join a support group, which I did as quickly as possible. 

The support group provided opportunities to crossdress among the civilians on days that did not proceed All Saints’ Day. No longer did I have to depend on that one day in October hoping that someone, somewhere would invite me to a Halloween event. But don’t get me wrong – I have not abandoned October 31 and have dressed appropriately many times on the “Crossdressers’ Holiday.”

Wearing Nanette by Nanette Lepore
(I said yes to this dress and ordered it on sale from Rue La La.)

Yet another modern couple

Someday Funnies: The Labor Day Joke

Wearing Hemant and Nandita

Charles Hawtrey femulating on British television’s Our House (1960).

Brick and Mortar with Compassion

Curves by Rago

By Paula Gaikowski

Florence Fashions brings one back to a time when femininity was a true art played out in the fashions of the day. Every lady had her own dress and lingerie shop – a place where she was welcomed, advised and fussed over. Whether it was a formal gown or a dress for work. it was there she would find the right dress, shoes and foundations.

Florence Fashions was founded in 1965 on Main Street in Wakefield, Massachusetts. It wasn’t long after they opened when a nervous and self-conscious gentleman walked in and asked for a girdle that might help his (clearing throat sound) “bad back.” Florence was happy to help and the word soon got around that there was an understanding and kind lady who would help girls like us. By 1978, The Tiffany Club of New England was formed and Florence Fashions began advertising in their newsletter.

Over the years, Florence Fashions has maintained their original identity as a lady’s dress and lingerie shop. Barbara has taken over from her mother and still provides a charming and delightful shopping experience. A true enclave of femininity and glamour. In that way, it differs from other stores that cater solely to the transgender community. 

The day I wandered into the store, I was greeted warmly and asked for help finding a new wig. Barbara went right to work asking questions, looking at my photos and lining up possibilities. We tried on scores of wigs. Her enthusiasm made me feel relaxed and I enjoyed the experience even more. I contrast this with other boutiques and transgender specialty shops that seem frustrated when after three wigs you haven’t made a decision. She was having as much fun as I and it was contagious. I finally found the one I wanted. 

Just as I was getting ready to check out, I noticed a rack of Rago shapeware! Yes, I blame Stana for this one. After she raved about her Rago longline bra and Rago high-waisted girdle, I just had to have one, too!

Barbara prodded me to try some on – mind you, it didn’t take much persuasion. The next thing I knew she was handing me girdles and bras, zipping me up and hooking me together in a whirlwind of activity. I finally was measured and correctly fitted for a bra. I finally found the set I always wanted, a high-waisted girdle and black longline bra, both in black. 

Before we were done, Barbara insisted, \I try them with breast forms and with my wig. We even tried on a few dresses. I was overjoyed, never have I been treated with such respect and dignity when shopping for women’s clothes. 

Those of you who live here or travel to New England, I highly recommend a trip to Florence Fashions. Although specializing in bra fittings, the store offers all manner of clothing from sportswear to classic gowns. The shop itself is replete with wigs, breast forms and lingerie. The well-stocked aisles display towering stacks of finery for all women. You can be assured that along with a new look, you are sure to leave with bit more dignity and self-confidence in who you are.

(Rago is now offering 15% discounts to Femulate fans and readers. Just use the stana15 discount code when making a purchase from the Rago website.)

Wearing Boston Proper

Femulating in India

Someday Funnies: Earning Your Bona Fides

Wearing Eloquii

The Modern Couple

Knee Knews

Stana's Knees

I went to an orthopedic doctor last month regarding my knee problem and he said the options were a cortisone shot, a gel shot or knee replacement surgery. My insurance would not cover the gel shot unless we tried the cortisone shot first, so I chose the cortisone shot because knee replacement surgery would have me laid up for two weeks and since I am Nurse Stana for my wife, I thought we could put off surgery until she gets better.

So the doctor drained the swollen knee, but he did not like the fact that the liquid he drained was cloudy. The liquid went to a lab for analysis and I went home without a cortisone shot.

The lab found nothing wrong, so I revisited the doctor on Monday and a physician’s assistant drained my knee and gave me a cortisone shot.

By the way, I was in semi-girl mode wearing woman’s (no fly) shorts and recently shaved legs. No one cared or even noticed as far as I can tell.

I did not notice much improvement right after the shot, but as the day progressed, my knee felt better and after a good night’s sleep, the improvement was amazing. It felt like 2021 all over again when I was able to go on my daily mile hikes and get up out of a chair with no issues. 

I don't know how long this improvement will last, but right now, I am very happy with the results.

Wearing Sea

Nancy Ng on the catwalk at Fantasia Fair with Miqqi Gilbert MC’ing the show.

Nancy is a long-time reader of Femulate and Miqqi ran the show at Fantasia Fair for years. (Miqqi is a professor at York University in Toronto, where she is totally out.)