By the amazing Cristy Garcia
2009
That day I went out shopping and then to the therapist, wearing this outfit.
2006
Which photo do you like better and why? Dos and don’ts 🙂
Oh…the ’80’s
I choose these two photos that I have posted before to start a series with annotations explaining things I find interesting about them. In this case it is mostly about 80’s fashion but I plan on annotating previously posted photos pointing out things I like or don’t about them.
Both photos here show me walking candidly away from the camera but I like that fact that even then, I was conscious of keeping my body straight and pulling my shoulders back, as I walked. I recall that it was rare to find heels that were higher than 3″ and walking in them while keeping a good posture, was a piece of cake.
Matching the purse with the shoes and belt, if wearing one, was also fashionable; unlike today when mix and match is ok as long as there is a noticeable expensive brand or a fake, on display 😛
Taken in August 2002 (before the internet)
Digital cameras were finally becoming available to the public at high but still fairly affordable prices. A whole new world opened up for those of us who had a secret side to document! I borrowed a camera from a friend and convinced my wife to let me shave all my body and spend a weekend taking the first ever digital photos of Cristy. At the time, I did not have any intentions of sharing them with the world.
This was the first time I shaved my legs and chest since 1988 and my first attempt at producing a taped cleavage. It really worked but, big mistake, I used duct tape!!!!! You can imagine the consequences!
I was yet to discover the big difference that a nice smile can do to your feminine appearance; something I still recommend to every girl that does not show teeth in her photos. Being young-er, I was able to get away with it and still look ok, unlike today 🙂
Another factor that I realized I had to take care of was avoiding the farmer’s tan. I wore short-sleeved shirts to work every day and still did for some time but started putting sunblock on my arms to reduce the effect. I then went for long-sleeved shirts for work and on weekends I would put sunblock to prevent the tan lines from being too noticeable. Another thing I do today, whenever i go to the beach, is put sunblock from the elbow down and tanning lotion from the elbow up to compensate when there is a noticeable line.
TGirls today do not realize how hard it was for those of us, back then, to break ground and even harder for those before us. Thank God for digital cameras and the Internet!
10 Responses
The photo in B is better, your hands are positioned better, the slight head tilt also and yes a nice beautiful smile as you pointed out is always a good thing to have.
I’ve done my best as well to look the part when I go out and yes it takes time to rid ourselves of those male traits we learned so early on
Great post
Thank you, Rachael, I agree with you 🙂
Great advice as always. I hate Farmer’s Tan!. I make sure I wear more sleeveless tops when I’m out in the sun now.
Lauren
Either that or long sleeves, Lauren 🙂
Just be glad you shaved your chest before using duct tape. Thanks for the good laugh. It reminded me about the shoulder surgery I had years ago where I shaved the upper quadrant of my chest. However, the doctor taped from my back over the shoulder and then diagonally down to my waist. It was excruciating to remove.
You must have seen the same 1970’s show I saw showing Las Vegas show girls taping their chest to improve cleavage. Think of it, we were ahead of the game. Today there is a class of products called BOOB TAPE. And I use KT tape (not duct tape) for this with a little eye shadow.
Photo B…Hands. To quote Seinfeld, photo A emphasizes man hands.
The things a man must go through to look like a woman, Cali! After tape I went trhough all sorts of things, including expensive forms, only to conclude that I like it better when I wer nathing at all and became a flat chested girl! 🙂
Cristy – I see your article as sage advice from one of the best – and affirmation for me as my journey continues! I’ll be applying my sunblock, tilting my head subtly and smiling big for each photo, and making sure my posture is straight when I walk. Theses are all things I never do in my male persona, so my alter ego once again assists me overall. I will also make sure not to tape anything!
Thanks
Kris
Just a few pointers I came to realize were, maybe trivial, but important to consider, among many others. However, the best example to follow are real women; especially those who are more graceful and feminine!
Thank you for commenting Kris 🙂
Cristy,
How fashions change , the ” must haves ” then are almost ( sadly ) forgotten now . While crossdressing and being transgender are in the open far more , acceptance has improved in leaps and bounds but in some respects it’s become harder . Femininity has been given the cold shoulder in society , the choice of clothing has narrowed the gender gap , the problem is if we now go out and act and dress as women we can look more obviously a crossdresser . Our clothing looks stylish and feminine , our makeup skills more than perfect compared to many women , many of us have better figures and shapely legs .
When I went full time almost six years ago it proved to be a steeper learning curve than I expected , I had to learn minimum rather than excessive , how little makeup to apply . My lovely expanding wardrobe contained many items I couldn’t wear everyday , I vowed never to wear trousers again , well that promise had to go . In a way none of this was a bad thing . Women care far less about their looks on a daily basis , things get thrown on , they give their hair a quick flick with the brush and may avoid any makeup at all , perhaps the real downside is they often don’t care too much about their figure , obesity really is a problem that needs solving .
My point about all this is how you choose to face the world , I accept I have GD so my aim is to be accepted as a normal woman ( I have to pinch myself sometimes because I can’t believe I’ve achieved it ). Some people faced with limited dressing time may be transgender but their main concern is dressing as well as they can preferably with their latest outfits and hopefully challenge the world for a few hours . To them being read isn’t too much of a problem , they have validated and satisfied their needs , I know also it’s a “high” as I’ve lived this scenario . It is a balancing act and one that often changes with time , it becomes obvious that crossdressing is an indication for something more . I see the act of dressing as a window to the world of how we feel inside , how else can we put that message across ?
We need to do some serious people watching , what women wear and how , also how they deal with their figure problems , if you ask most women they will admit they hate something about themselves , on the whole men don’t give a **** ! Personally I go for a balanced figure , all I have are small breast enhancements and no lower padding , I know my dress size when shopping and on the whole I know what suits me , I don’t go looking for compliments so when I do get them it’s a bonus . Saying that please don’t assume people don’t notice , women don’t miss much even if they don’t always pass comment .
I think you make a good point, Teresa. However, for a crossdresser, like myself, it is all about the feminine clothes and appearance. As someone who wears the wife’s clothes, I have access to all kinds of clothes, including slacks and not typically feminine items. I have usually gone for those that I find more traditionally feminine but have also learned to dress down to blend in. Lately I have also stopped worrying about my figure. I have gained some weight and I have compensated by wearing loose clothes and for the past two years, I have stopped wearing hip padding or breast forms. Ironically, I have mever felt more comfortable and pleased with my feminine illusion.
Having said that, if the day in which men and women dress in the same way, ever comes, crossdressing will stop being something that would not make sense anymore to me.