Top Off Your Look With a Hat

This is the fourth in a seven-part series of posts written by Femulate Contributing Editor Susan King of Transitioning into Tomorrow fame. Susan describes how to determine your face shape and then, how to put that information to good use.

I do not wear hats because I must wear a wig and I think that the circumference of my head with a wig is too big. But I have learned that the opposite maybe true, if you wear the correct hat (style and size). As in the previous post, its about the shape of your face. You can change the shape of the face, feminize your face by adding a hat with curves/movements and you can add to your overall image and style.

I have very limited knowledge of hats. Here is a great article about hat styles and their history. Seventeen different styles are discussed in a very concise format.

Here is a short video on how to measure your hat size.

Lauren Valenti from Marie Claire describes the best hat styles for the major face shapes.

The goal is to slim the forehead to make it appear more narrow. Any brimmed style that is medium in length will achieve this.

You'll want something with a little width and a shorter crown that will balance out the length of your face. A medium-sized floppy, cloche, crusher, or bucket style would work best.

You can pull off pretty much any style. Go for something cool and more fashion-forward like a fisherman cap or boater style.

The goal is to create length, so something with a tall crown will give you that height you need. Look for medium to long brim fedoras, porkpies and trilby styles. Avoid anything low to the head and rounded — this will only accentuate the roundness.

You'll want to soften the angles. So anything with a curved silhouette will do the trick. Floppy's, cloches, or bowler styles will help to round out your features.

I am going to try some hats next summer. This summer was so hot and I need to find cover from the sun. I hope you add a hat or two to you wardrobe.

Happy shopping!

Wearing Scarlett (top).

Femulating South Korean pop star Kangnam

Loving All Earrings

This is the third in a seven-part series of posts written by Femulate Contributing Editor Susan King of Transitioning into Tomorrow fame. Susan describes how to determine your face shape and then, how to put that information to good use.

I love wearing earrings because they feminize, add color and balance my face. It's fun trying to match the correct style and color with my outfit.

I used to wear clip-on earrings only because I could not pierce my ears. Then a few years ago, I learned how to wear pierced earrings without piercing my ears and how the shape of your face can assist you in choosing the proper earrings.

I now wear colorful stud earrings without pierced ears. I even have a few dangling earrings. I cut off  the stud from the earrings and use nail glue to attach the earring to my ear lobe. It works great as ou can see here.

I still buy earrings based on color and design and now I have so many more choices. The only determining factor is the shape of my face. This past Friday I wrote a post about determining your face shape. Mine is oval, but it's changing due to my HRT. My face is thinning which is changing my shape from oval to oblong. 

Based on the two earring guides below, there is not much difference in the choices for oval and oblong. The first guide has a few differences and the second guide does not include oval, so I consider oval in the oblong group.

In the second guide, the "Oblong and Rectangle" group represents my current pierced earring styles. Again, I cut off the stud and glue the earring on my lobe. Once I remove my earring, I can wash or rub off the remaining glue.

I found this nice storage bin at Goodwill and use it to hold my chip-on earrings. I still use them, but I mostly use my stud-less pieced earrings.

I love shopping and wearing earrings that match or highlight my outfit and the rest of my jewelry. The right jewelry can enhance that outfit. 

Go shop and have fun.

Wearing Neiman Marcus.

Jai Rodriguez femulates on a 2011 episode of television Harry's Law.

SaveSave

Two Trans Passing in the Night

Wearing Intermix.

Tim Smith of The Prancing Elites

Glasses for Your Faces

This is the second in a seven-part series of posts written by Femulate Contributing Editor Susan King of Transitioning into Tomorrow fame regarding how to determine your face shape and then, how to put that information to good use, for example, how face shapes and hairstyles get along. 

In yesterday's post, I provided ways to determine your face shape. This is important because, knowing your face shape will help you choose items that can feminize your appearance just enough to make a difference. Over the next six posts, we will discuss some of those items and how knowing your face shape can help you make better buying decisions. 

Today's post will discuss eyeglasses and the correct eyeglasses to wear based on your face's shape.

Not everyone is an eyeglass wearer. I have worn glasses since I was about 7 years old. I could never get my head around contact lenses and putting something in my eye. I have enough trouble putting glaucoma eye drops in every night. 

Back in the 1990's, I had two pairs of glasses. One when in boy mode and a second pair when out as Susan. My current pair are woman glasses. I went shopping for glasses (including the eye exam) in "Femboy" mode and it did not take long for the clerk to show me female glasses. I wear these glasses all the time and no one ever mentions anything about my glasses.

When it comes to finding the perfect fitting glasses, a lot depends on your individual face shape. Different frame styles can either play up or play down your unique facial contours, so learning what works best for you is key. Whether your face is round, square, heart, oval or triangle, the following guide highlights what you should and should not focus on when it comes to shopping for the perfect glasses.

Round Shape

Square/Rectangle Shape

Triangle

Heart

Oval/Oblong

(Source: Coastal.com)

Here is a nice infographic showing seven face shapes with suggested frames... 

And a video that discusses which frames work with which facial shapes. 

Along with your face shape, there are three other characteristics to remember about your glasses:

Contrast — "The shape of your frame should contrast the shape of your face, so if you have rounder features, you want more angular glasses, and if you have more angular features you want to soften them with more curved shapes."

Proportion — "In general, you want your frames to be in proportion with the rest of your face. It's different when you are shopping for sunglasses, which tend to be larger for greater coverage, but what looks good as a sunglass will not necessarily look good in optical."

Color — "Choose a color that compliments your features. Black is always good for highlighting and outlining your eyes. Glasses that contrast the tone of your face and hair will stand out more, but it's up to you how much of a statement you want your glasses to make."

(Source: Harvey Moscot, the fourth generation owner of 100-yr old optical brand MOSCO)

I hope this helps for those who need glasses and have decided against contact lenses.


Good luck and have fun shopping!

New York City street style, September 2016

Goan Fragoso, male womenswear model

On the Radio

My friend and Fantasia Fair sister, Melissa Loucks, inaugurates her new transgender news radio show, Out & About, on the air this Friday afternoon at 1:50 PM EDST on WNHH. In the local New Haven area, you can hear the station on 103.5 FM.

It's also online at www.newhavenindependent.org. You can also listen to it on demand by clicking on this link.

(Note that WNHH is a low power, 100 watt, FM station and unless you are in the New Haven area, you probably won't hear it, so use the Internet option. FWIW, I am 12 miles from the transmitter and all I hear on 103.5 is an FM station in Long Island.)

How to Determine Your Face Shape

This is the first in a seven-part series of posts written by Femulate Contributing Editor Susan King of Transitioning into Tomorrow fame regarding how to determine your face shape and then, how to put that information to good use, for example, how hairstyles and face shapes get along. 

Knowing your face shape can help you project a more feminine look by matching your face shape with glasses (if needed), hair style, hat, earrings, eyebrows and blush placement. Using these items to create a pretty look may seem difficult at first, but it is fun and will help you create a more feminine appearance. Remember, this is more art than science. We are going to create a guideline and helps you to choose the items that may work the best. Your mileage may vary, so feel free to make changes to suit you.

I have found nine different face shapes. Most articles and videos cover less than nine by merging some of these together.

I have four ways to find your face shape. Two are based on charts and two using videos. Figure out which technique is best for you. You may want to try different ones to see which works best for you.

Good luck and have fun. Sometimes we are too serious. Being a girl is fun!

By Measuring

By Flowcharting

By Liplining a Mirror

as described in this video.

By Measuring 

as explained in this video.

Wearing Nine West.

Reputed to be femulating father and son, but I am not so sure about the son.

I am my own wife

Due to my wife's health issues, I have taken on many of the tasks usually performed by a housewife. I do the laundry, buy the groceries, do the vacuuming, wash the floors and the dishes (not at the same time) and perform any other cleaning duties, as needed.

I usually do not cook because I work full-time Monday through Friday, so by the time I get home from work, there is not enough time to prepare a meal and eat it before we go to bed. However, I imagine I will also be doing the cooking once I retire from my 9 to 5 job.

In many ways, I am my own wife. And I am pretty good at it. More than once, my spouse has praised me and added that I should have been the wife and mother in our family.

Whenever she says that I want to blurt out, "Not should have been... I am," but I bite my tongue to avoid making her feel bad about her physical disabilities.

Lucky that I am such a feminine guy. I imagine that many manly men would not cotton to performing womanly chores, but I am not bothered by it. When I was a youngster, I enjoyed helping my mother around the house doing the cleaning and laundry. She was my role model and I guess it was inevitable that I would make someone a good wife someday!

Wearing Temperley London.

Asifa Lahore, professional femulator

Leapin' Holidays!

Office Gurl, Halloween 2013

Last year, Halloween was on Saturday, so I made my annual appearance as a woman at work on Friday since my salt mine is closed on Saturday.

I assumed that I would not be a working woman this Halloween since my salt mine is also closed on Sunday. I could celebrate the occasion as an office girl on Friday, two days early, but that is so gauche. And celebrating the occasion the day after (on Monday) was even more gauche!

Checking next month's calendar to see how Fantasia Fair and the baseball post-season synch up, I noticed that Halloween is on a Monday. I forgot that this is a leap year, so Halloween got bumped two days instead of the usual one day.

That means Stana will be subbing for Stan at my salt mine on Halloween, not the day after nor the day before.

Veronica Beard on the cover of the current issue of Elle Decor.

Frequent femulator Paul Rudd appearing in a 2013 episode of Saturday Night Live.