Linda (in drab) spots another t-girl approaching down the Walmart aisle. Do they meet? Do they chat? Will this be the beginning of a long and cherished friendship? No, not quite. Today Linda explores the things that kept her from meeting and befriending a fellow devotee of the femme lifestyle. And looking back on the almost encounter Linda wonders if her body language might have scared the gal off.
Pauline Estelle and her wife Gail have put together a slideshow of how you can take a basic dress or skirt and top and add accessories that can make the basic look more dressy, or keep it casual. A little black dress by itself projects class. Add a statement necklace, long earrings and a glittery clutch handbag and you have something to wear to that fancy dinner or cocktail party. The same dress with a simple scarf can be worn for shopping trip or lunch at your favorite restaurant. See all the looks in Pauline’s blog.
Today our Correspondent in Thailand presents a piece of fiction that discusses the nature of time. Isn’t it funny how when you are anticipating something time seems to move so slowly. Then when that thing you have been waiting for arrives suddenly there just isn’t enough time to enjoy it as much as you’d like. While Precious Time is a work of fiction you may well see yourself in the main role.
Today Lorraine Anderson, the woman in charge at The Occasional Woman seamstress service, talks about what she saw when she to a party for trans people. She observed attendees who were otherwise well dressed as women walking like guys. Shoulders were hunched forward and high heel shod feet were planted apart. Then there were the body language errors she observed while attendees were sitting down. Lorraine will go into everything in much more detail and if your goal is to be accepted as a woman in public you should make note of what she says. As a bonus we include a video of a group of men who are trying to walk in high heels for the first time. It illustrates some of Lorraine’s comments.
Today Kimberley continues her adventures out and about en femme. She has tips on how to blend in with the other ladies and become comfortable presenting yourself as a woman in interactions with members of the public.
Cassie feels that it’s best to never tell your wife that you spend time away from her dressing in women’s clothes. All those “business” trips should remain strictly business trips and your wife doesn’t need to know about you releasing your feminine side in public. While “honesty is the best policy” Cassie feels that honesty is overrated and it’s more likely to lead to heartache than relief from the guilt you feel over sneaking around behind your wife’s back. But, if you’re not married yet Cassie recommends that you tell your girlfriend about your femme pursuits. What is her rational for these bits of advice? Read on and find out.
What is her social life going to be like without the Craig’s List Personals to help set the course to new relations, Linda wondered. Then a chance meeting with a ‘fellow traveler’ opened her eyes to new possibilities. Not too long ago news came out that the online classified ad company known as Craig’s List […]
Susan was a mature crossdresser years ago. Which would make her an old crossdresser now. Time takes its toll, and it isn’t easy. But crossdressing never was. Dressing at her age is much like taking an old hi performance car out for a spin. She is cruising along taking it easy with the old machine thinking “this thing is running really well for its age.” Then at a stop light a sleek new Corvette pulls up. The driver and occupant look over, race the engine and giggle. Is that why Susan’s back in the closet?
In the 1990s TGForum had an expert on drag in movies who wrote a series of articles for us. Laurie Sheril was her name and she covered the instances of movie crossdressing through the different historical periods of film-making. We’re bringing her series out of the archives as a Retro Rerun beginning with her article on drag in the early years of the talkies.
Catcalling is a cross cultural thing. Whether it’s from construction workers in New York City or from men lounging on the street corners in Bogota there are always those “gentlemen” who will indulge in making loud comments on the attractive qualities of women walking by. In Bogota it is called El Piropo which translates as “the flattery.” Very few of the ladies so addressed appreciate the “compliments.” Our correspondent in Bogota writes about her experience with El Piropo and includes a newvideo.
What’s cooking down at Dina’s Diner this week? Dina has several special items on the menu. Learn about the Japanese reliving the ’80s with tiara wearing “Princess Parties.” Then she stirs in a soupçon of the the phenomenon of androgynous models and wonders aloud if the thrill is gone, or if the models are still there but no longer shocking. Then she blends equal portions of the appeal of large hoop earrings and the “first pitch girls” of South Korea. She rounds it all off with the attraction of beautiful, professional, and intelligent television presenters. It’s all ready to be served up hot and spicy down at Dina’s Diner.
Every few years the theory pops up again that the subject of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting Mona Lisa was actually da Vinci in drag. If not actually da Vinci some claim it was one of his male models decked out in feminine attire. Either way the only supporting evidence is thin. Susan Grant thinks that she may have a deeper insight on the subject. Today she explores it thoroughly and all she asks is that you pay attention to the hands, not that mysterious smile.
Spring is in the air and spring fashions have wandered off of the runway and into many women’s closets. How do you determine which of the many springtime looks is right for you? With help and advice from Lorraine Anderson, the woman in the know when it comes to fashion! Lorraine is the owner of The Occasional Woman custom clothing and alterations service. Now, let’s leap into spring fashion!
Pauline Estelle wanted to learn more about how to crossdress and after her first wife passed away she was ready to reach out to a local support group. She joined Xpressions in the Toronto area and soon found herself being a board member responsible for the board’s meeting minutes. Then she stepped in to take charge of the outings known as Pub Nights. Today she tells you all about her time with Xpressions.
Today Katherine Diaz tells you about a makeover place in her city that shows trans women how to do their makeup. She learns all the trick and tips that a crossdresser needs to be her loveliest. From covering eyebrows with glue stick so they can be drawn on in a better spot to using art techniques to minimize a large nose. Roxana Miranda teaches it all at her Tranxtienda salon. The text in en Español but Katherine speaks English in her video.
Today we dig into the past for a Retro Rerun from the 1990s archives of TGForum that takes you much further into the past. Journey now with contributor Andee W to Victorian London when there were magazines that published letters from readers. Letters that discuss the same subjects that you can find in internet chat rooms today. Men would write in and extoll the virtues of dressing in female garb. Or they would write about being forced into a corset and skirts. Andee W dug up several letters from those magazines and presented them to TGF readers in a feature called Footprints From The Past.
This ad won’t be running. Linda, MBICD, learns that a popular online dating service that she has relied on for many years to provide companions when she went out of town for a crossdressed holiday has suddenly closed up shop after a new rule is put into place by the government. She wonders what happens next. What’s a girl with needs to do?
When many trans people begin to dress as their inner gender they feel they have to do so in secret. That leads to sneaking around, creating a secret life that they live outside their “normal” activities. For some that means going “out of town on business” a couple times a month, or having an “important meeting” on the weekend. For Kimberly her adventures en femme started early in the morning. She would get up and put on her makeup, wig and femme attire and go out like a lady running early morning errands. With her spouse’s approval but understanding that the neighbors couldn’t learn her secret Kimberly became an expert at early morning dressing.
When we’re young it’s easier for some males to make themselves pretty and be passable females. Those who have the advantage of a smaller frame or shorter stature can feminize themselves fairly well. As we age, after a certain point, we may not be able to continue to present as head turning hotties but we may be able to blend in more seamlessly. Why? Age causes features to soften and we actually get shorter. In many cases senior women and men are only differentiated by a little makeup and a different type of clothing. Pauline Estelle has some tips on how to take advantage of your senior status to just be one of the older girls.
Our new contributor Pauline lives in a semi-gated community with her Lovely Wife. Pauline is quite open about her crossdressing is seen at community activities, such as the Friday night dances, on a regular basis. To help the other residents understand Pauline her wife wrote a letter to the residents and Pauline shares it with us today. Some may want to adapt the letter to use in their own communities.
It can be hard for a trans woman, whether living en femme full time or just part time, to maintain a feminine voice. No imagine that you are an English speaking trans person who is living in a foreign country. You not only need to pay attention to the pitch of your speaking voice and the way you begin and end sentences. You need to be able to maintain your femme voice while speaking to the local residents in their language. Other languages often have different words or word endings that denote gender. Is it possible to keep your pitch under control while you search your memory for the proper words to convey your gender? Find out how our Correspondent from Thailand, Christine Burr does it.
Our Columbian correspondent writes about a cold night out in Bogota when she and some friends summoned a taxi to take them to a fun spot. The driver was a Caribbean man and his taxi was a mobile disco. She also talks about her friend who only gets out en femme once a month. Read Katherine Diaz’s post en Español or use Google Translate to get the gist of it.
Everyone wants to feel attractive. Cisgender women, trans women, and crossdressers want to look good and attract attention. The right kind of attention, though. In these days of #MeTo and the exposure of sexual harassment in many areas is it possible to look attractive without garnering too much of the wrong kind of attention? Angela Gardner examines sexual attraction in our culture and gives her thoughts on how much attraction is too much. Give her opinion piece a read and add your comments on the subject.
It’s a story that seems like a crossdressing fantasy but it really happened. A con man who was living as a woman started a bogus automobile company in California while he was on the run from charges of counterfeiting and bail jumping. He was so confidant of his female identity that she risked the public eye to head the bogus car company and court investors. Even though she wasn’t that convincingly female. It all happened back in the 1970s. Guest contributor Susan Grant tells you all the details of this amazing story.
Our Man in a Dress, Graham Holmes, writes about the “boy in a dress” character on the reboot of the Roseanne television show that premiers March 27 on ABC. The boy who wears girl’s clothes is played by Ames McNamara and the character’s name is Mark Conner-Healy. He is the son of one of the Connor family women. Graham has a lot to say about assumptions made about the character by the show’s producers. See if you agree, or disagree with his assessment.
