Dina’s Diner 7/25/22

THOSE LOVIN’ ARMS

We’re right in the middle of the bare arms season and I wonder how you feel about that. In regard to crossdressing, that is. For practical reasons, I usually keep my arms covered in cold weather, even while indoors. In the summer I go sleeveless. However, if you’re a fellow with dark arm hair or man-sized arm development, sleeveless or short-sleeved fashions may be problematic.

I’ve noticed that our local television newswomen seem to sport bare arms even in the winter months. In fact, it is this year-round gun show by our local newswomen that made me think of this topic in the first place. I think a shapely arm (not necessarily muscular) is attractive on women. It also works on crossdressers who have arms that are proportional to their overall feminine look.

It turns out that bare arms for women in the workplace was an issue as recently as several years ago. I found articles about dress codes or public criticism of bare arm displays as recently as 2018. One news article offering a positive spin said this: “Arms are culturally fetishized but not sexually objectified; nobody goes ‘look at the arms on her’, yet that perfect arm, with muscle definition even in repose, a youthful narrowing from the shoulder, as solid yet slender as the neck of a violin — this is the must-have accessory of the female body.” I agree. If you have nice arms, might as well show them off.

A crossdresser baring her arms.

The quote above says that arms are fetishized but I think that is only in reference to athleticism or sculpted arms. In my mind, the arms remain just below the surface of our consciousness of beauty. In literature and song, though, the arms are important features of the opposite sex (whichever side you many be on). Arms can hold or encircle us, hold you close, or hold you tight, one can “fly into the arms” of another. Even if you never consciously notice arms, the unsung part they play in attraction and romance is there.

The crossdresser shown here wrote in a Reddit.com posting that she was self-conscious about her arms. That might be a humble brag because her arms are perfect to my eyes. Years ago, I saw a crossdresser who had muscularly developed arms and it was a very interesting contrast (in a good way) with her feminine presentation. If you’re of the skinny arms and bony elbows persuasion, well, who am I to tell you what to show and what to hide. Spread your wings, er, arms and fly away, darlings.

KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND

I saw an article on the HuffingtonPost.com website headlined What Your Pedicurist Knows About You Just By Looking At Your Feet. It appeared on the site June 14, 2022.

I decided to write up this item because many crossdressers seem inordinately fond of their feet. The photo sites are filled with crossdressers’ photos of their feet shod and unshod, hosed or un-hosed. I get it, sort of. But a dozen (sometimes more) photos of your piggies seems a bit much.

Back to the article, though. “Feet often tell a story,” manicurist Erin Beckett-Gland said. “I can tell when someone is wearing shoes too small for them by the way their toenails split or their toes are curled into hammer toes or claw toes. I can tell when they over pronate, roll their feet inward too much or need an arch support because they have the signs of a bunion and the big toe deviating.” Podiatrist Robert Spalding, author of The Science of Pedicures, said that “hyper-thickened calluses are a dead giveaway of abnormal pressure points on the foot or toes.”

Continuing on, the article points out, “Professionals might also get a hint about some of your activities based on your feet. “When someone comes in with fungal issues, I might ask questions to see if they picked those up from walking around their gym barefoot, or from frequenting poor-quality nail salons,” Podiatrist Brad Schaeffer said. It’s easiest to spot runners and climbers because of the damage to their big toenails, said nail artist Vanessa Sanchez McCullough. “Constantly banging the big toe against the sneaker usually creates nail damage that will appear bruised, and many times causes the nail to lift from the nail bed.” Other types of shoes leave their mark, too. “People who wear high heels a lot will very often have bunions and excessive calluses around the toes,” she said.” Professional feet observers can also detect diabetic foot damage or even melanomas.

I don’t know if any crossdressers wear their high heels often enough to create long-term damage to their feet. But what can the ordinary civilian do to keep their feet in shape — especially for close-up photography sessions. The article advises: “Exfoliate the sole of the foot once a week with a foot file or a good scrub. Pumice stones are too porous, harbor too much bacteria and are not beneficial to the exfoliation process. But don’t stop there. Choose a rich lotion intended for feet, experts said. The basic body lotion isn’t going to cut it when it comes to the soles of the feet. The sole of the foot has no hair follicles, so there are no sebaceous glands to help protect the skin from drying out. Soles also have an extra layer of skin that is nowhere else on the body. Choose products that have a molecular structure small enough to penetrate the sole of the foot skin.”

I’m only here to remind everyone about the absence of sebaceous glands. The rest is up to you, ladies.

TAPE IT UP TO GO

The New York Times had an article in the Style section headlined When A Bra Won’t Cut It. The article appeared on July 6, 2022. The article points out that humans are the only species with ‘permanently enlarged’ breasts. The author is speaking here about women although we’ve seen some fellows with calorie induced breast development. But let’s move on.

Models using Nue tape.

The article points out that for centuries, women have been using different techniques or articles to deal with breasts. “Do you push them up? Squish them down? Will you let them swing loose and free, or must you wrestle them into a nylon-clad submission? The answer depends on one’s mood, outfit, activities and destination. It also depends on what is available. This selection includes the push-up bra; the strapless bra; the bralette; the sports bra; and the stick-on bra.”

Enter boob tape. The article acknowledges that drag queens and nonbinary people have been using tape to enhance or minimize breast tissue for many years. It’s the cis-women’s turn now. Although it’s been introduced before, a new brand of boob tape called Nue is shipping into some women’s retail outlets. It is developed and marketed by Stephanie Montes, a Latina former fashion editor. It comes in different skin shades and can be applied in any number of configurations to achieve a desired effect. The Times article has some illustrations of how the tape can be used for different effects.

The product is designed for women with real breast tissue to mold, hold, or lift so it is perhaps not apropos for crossdressers with male breasts. The Times article acknowledges that duct tape (or other commercial tapes) can hurt or damage the skin when removed. I can vouch for that. The new boob tape didn’t seem to address this issue in the article but presumably it’s more skin-friendly than duct or masking tape.

The Times reporter tried the Nue product and said, “It was freeing to have my breasts feel contained and unencumbered at the same time.” The article points out that in the Instagram age when all breasts must be perky for even middle-aged selfie models, a strategically applied piece of boob tape could keep the girls standing at attention. For us — the boob-deprived — we stand and wait.

THE REAL ESTATE MARKET IS BOOMING

I came across a few Reddit postings in the discussion tree of crossdressers posing in what they termed Real Estate Lady outfits. I had never thought of Real Estate Lady as a crossdressing meme but, you know what? It isn’t a bad idea.

A real estate lady crossdresser.

You may have noticed — as I have — in our male modes that, as a class of female occupation, the real estate saleswoman is usually well turned out. Almost universally well-coiffed, well-dressed, and smiling pleasantly from their listing photos. Judging by some of the crossdressing photosets I’ve seen online, the real estate lady archetype would be a terrific dressing and appearance goal.

I found many articles online about how real estate agents should dress. The advice was predictable, i.e., professional, not flashy, appropriate for the area and assignment, etc. One such article made the point that the agent’s physical presentation was part of his or her “brand.” That’s an interesting way to think of our crossdressing personas too. Even though we may be going outside of our usual selves when dressing, some looks work and others just don’t fit and we should know that intuitively.

One discussion string I saw online talked about how women agents often get hit on by male prospects. It’s a serious issue for women who must meet strangers, drive them around in cars, walk through empty residences, etc. Guys can be pretty smarmy even if that isn’t their intention. But it might make for exciting crossdressing fantasy fiction if you’re into that sort of thing.

They say housing prices and rental rates are booming presently. Maybe this will drive the real estate lady archetype further into the crossdressing consciousness. I’m not in the market now but I might be interested to come up and see our pictured agent’s listings.

SCRUB A DUB-DOUBLE D’S

Nurse Diaz.

Many news outlets picked up the attention-getting story of nurse Erika M. Diaz in July. The New York Post ran their coverage on July 19, 2022 under the headline I’m a Nurse and People Call My Scrubs Inappropriate But It’s Just My Body.

What was all the hubbub about a nurse’s scrubs? As the photo shows, Nurse Erika is no ordinary looking scrub-wearer. As the Post reports, “Erika Diaz, 22, showed off her medical uniform, which clearly defined her shapely figure and subsequently went viral on TikTok. The clip where she answered her critics seems to be offline but it drew 12.7 million views according to the neews reports. Erika has other TikTok clips that showcase her amazing body in scrubs and other outfits.

Commenters who felt that Ms. Diaz’s scrubs were inappropriate suggested that she just needed to wear a larger size to hide her curves. I suspect that she has altered the scrubs to be that close fitting, especially the tops. In any event, it’s a pretty neat trick to turn surgical scrubs into a hot outfit.

Crossdresser nurse.

When I was younger (oh, boy, here we go again), nurses still wore the white uniforms, with pale hosiery and the little white caps. That iconic uniform spawned the popular meme of the sexy nurse with shortened hemline, cleavage peeking between open buttons, and high heels replacing rubber-soled oxfords. And that is still a great meme on the level of the French maid uniform.

So rock on, Erika Diaz, who is defiant in the face of criticism. She told the reporter, “I am 5’2” and 107 lbs. I’m short and little, y’all can say my body is fake all y’all want it’s not.” She added that it isn’t the scrubs that people are reacting to in the photos. “Some people just have an issue with my body not my scrubs and it shows.”

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Tags: crossdressing, featured, opinion

Category: crossdressing, Transgender Fun & Entertainment, Transgender Opinion