Saturday is Someday

Lo and Behold X 2

The Risks of Online Shopping

I ordered a sweater dress online from Amazon. The online size chart indicated that I should order Large, so that’s what I ordered.

Dress arrived and when I tried it on, it was too big. I checked the tag attached to the dress and lo and behold, there were two tags: one read L for Large and one read XL for Xtra Large, whereas the label attached to the dress’s shipping bag read L for Large.

I really liked the dress, so I reordered it in size M for Medium. Upon its arrival, I tried it on and it was big, too. (The tag and shipping label read M for Medium.)

I had not returned the Large dress yet, so I decided to compare the L with the M. I laid one on top of the other on my bed and lo and behold, they were both exactly the same size! What the hell!

Do I dare order a Small? I think not and I will return the dresses for a refund. 

Wearing Michael Kors

Buster Keaton femulating in the 1923 film Our Hospitality.

Click here to view this film on YouTube.

Sounds Familiar

I occasionally fill the Femulator slot belowwith images of femulations from the various flavors of television’s Your Face Sounds Familiar. In case you are not familiar with Sounds Familiar, the premise of the show is simple: professional singers perform a song while imitating another pro singers, for example, Bing Crosby imitating David Bowie singing “Rebel Rebel.”

Occasionally, a male singer will imitate a female singer and the femulations are usually pretty good. It helps to have a television show’s costume and makeup department behind your femulation and some of the femulations are absolutely amazing!

My friend Clive of A Gender Fluid Life fame, has collected all of the femulations that appeared on Sounds Familiar this past year. It is quite a collection. I was surprised at the quantity (the quality was no surprise) and I congratulate Clive for putting the collection together. Click here to access Clive’s collection on Dropbox.

By the way, the image above from Clive’s collection is Veniamin Dimitrov femulating Shakira on the Bulgarian version of Sounds Familiar. You can view this femulation on YouTube by clicking here.

One more thing... just saying that the gents who do the best femulations often do additional femulations on other episodes of Sounds Familiar.

Wearing Ann Taylor

Bob Lockwood femulating in the 1986 West German film Chocolate Cop (Die Schokoladenschnüffler).

Catherine the Great’s “Metamorphosis Balls”

When Russian Men Stepped Into Women’s Silks

In the glittering social world of Catherine II’s Russia, few court inventions were as visually striking—or as politically shrewd—as the so-called “metamorphosis balls.” These events, held during the early years of her reign, required the entire court to invert traditional dress codes. Women wore the garments of male courtiers; men appeared in the full regalia of women’s fashion.

While the court gossiped about their novelty, the balls served a deeper purpose: they showcased Catherine’s absolute authority over court ritual while gently mocking stiff aristocratic hierarchies. And no aspect drew more fascination than the way Russia’s most powerful noblemen suddenly found themselves trussed up in gowns, lace, and towering coiffures. 

Why Catherine Introduced the Metamorphosis Balls

Catherine understood the political utility of spectacle. Within a court known for rigid ceremonial formality, she engineered an event that:

• Defused political tension by placing everyone in a mildly ridiculous position.
• Flattened rank and gender expectations, if only for a night.
• Signaled her control, since no one could refuse to participate without appearing disloyal.

By inverting appearances, she reminded the nobility that identity at court was ultimately constructed—not inherent—and entirely at the Empress’s mercy.

Men in Women’s Dress: A Bold, Carefully Controlled Transformation

At a metamorphosis ball, male courtiers weren’t simply asked to wear a token shawl or skirt. Catherine expected full fidelity to the women’s wardrobe of the era, which was lavish, structured, and utterly foreign to the men who normally strutted in military-inspired uniforms.

Gowns and Silhouettes

Men wore:

• Floor-length silk or brocade gowns, often borrowed from court seamstresses. 
• Stiff corsets, laced tightly, forcing the inexperienced wearers into an elegant posture that felt unnatural and often uncomfortable.
•  Wide panniers or side hoops to create the fashionable broad-hipped silhouette.

The contrast between the men’s natural build and the exaggerated feminine silhouette was part of the intended theatricality.

Hair, Wigs, and Cosmetics

The transformation didn’t stop at clothing:

• High powdered wigs, decorated with ribbons, feathers, or miniature ornaments.
• Rouged cheeks, powdered faces, and tinted lips, applied by court attendants with a seriousness that mocked the men’s unfamiliarity with cosmetics.
• Beauty patches, those small decorative black appliqués, were placed on cheeks to complete the look.

For men who had spent their lives cultivating martial gravitas, the sight of themselves in delicate ringlets and powdered rouge often produced a mix of embarrassment and laughter—exactly the disarming effect Catherine intended.

Jewelry and Accessories

Men were expected to carry themselves as fully as any noblewoman:

• Fans, which they were required to flutter and use in social conversation.
• Lace gloves, often impractically thin.
• Necklaces, drop earrings, and bracelets, borrowed from the imperial wardrobe.
• Delicate slippers replacing boots, forcing many men to mince rather than stride across the ballroom.

Eyewitnesses noted that the uncertainty in these men’s movements was part of the night’s entertainment.

The Social Theatre of the Evening

The fun wasn’t only in the clothes—it was in the behavior.

Catherine expected the men to perform femininity, including:

• Curtseying instead of bowing
• Adopting light, measured steps
• Using fans expressively
• Even attempting the conversational style of women at court

The goal wasn’t humiliation but a kind of communal play-acting that dissolved the stiff seriousness that hung around Russian aristocrats. It created a temporary world where gender, rank, and identity were theatrical roles rather than fixed traits.

Cultural Significance and Legacy

While these events were short-lived, their symbolism endured:

• They exemplified Catherine’s fascination with Enlightenment ideas about identity and performance.
• They showed how fashion could be used as political theater.
• And they hinted at a proto-modern understanding that gender presentation was partly social ritual.

Today, the metamorphosis balls are remembered as a charming oddity of the Russian court—but they were also a strategic masterstroke of social engineering.

Wearing Boston Proper

Peter Alexander femulating in the Austrian film Die Abenteuer des Grafen Bobby.

Stuff 99: A Bunch of Stuff

By J.J. Atwell

Yes, Just Some Stuff

Today I don’t have a main topic. I’m just pulling together a bunch of small stuff that I’ve been meaning to write about. On their own they wouldn’t make a post that would be worth the space. Perhaps together they will make this Stuff worthwhile. Oh, and thanks to Stana for providing a place for my Stuff. Yes, that was a George Carlin reference. 

Fall Cleaning

In Stuff 76, which Stana published on June 23, 2025, I wrote about spring cleaning. Well, it’s fall now and once again time for some general clean up around the house. I took the opportunity to go through JJ’s closet and drawers. The result? A large garbage bag full of clothes that I wouldn’t be wearing anymore either because they were old, not to my taste or they just didn’t fit right. Don’t worry though, they went to Goodwill where I’m sure somebody will enjoy them.

I also managed to re-organize my lingerie drawer and now actually know how many bras and underwear JJ has. I’ve got a dozen bras in the usual colors of black, white and beige. And a similar number of underwear. That’s a lot for a girl who only gets out once or twice a month. Suffice to say that I really don’t need to shop for any more. You may want to sell your Soma stock. 

I also discovered that I have at least a dozen boxes of press-on nails. Various colors and lengths. I’m a sucker for red nails, but sometimes I go with something different depending on the outfit. Here again it will be a while before I need to shop for more.

New Year’s Resolutions

You may recall in Stuff 54, which Stana published on January 13, 2025, I made four New Year’s Resolutions as follows:

1. Lose 12 pounds
2. Get my ears pierced
3. Try going blonde
4. Experiment with larger boobs

My progress to date? Not so good. I’ve only lost about 3 pounds. That’s a big fail. I just like eating a bit too much. As far as #4 goes, I put that off as a result of some really good advice from you dear readers. You pointed out that if I had achieved my goal weight my current boob size would look bigger. 

I’m happy to report however, that I did accomplish numbers two and three. I got my ears pierced back in January. That has opened up a whole big world of fun earrings. 

I am still having difficulty changing out my earrings though. Just haven’t quite gotten the knack of inserting earrings when swapping them out. It’s a bit odd doing that while looking in the mirror. I’ve managed to put more than one in backwards! 

I hope you read the previous Stuff related getting a blond wig. So that took care of resolution number 3. 

Pageant Update

I’ve mentioned the beauty pageant my local group holds every year. In Stuff 86, 87 and 88, I talked about how the pageant was organized and what I wore. I also talked about my plans for this year’s pageant and how I planned to up my game. Well, unfortunately this year’s pageant was postponed. It was supposed to be early November, but apparently there is too much going on during this time of year and we would have only had a few participants. So the club leadership (of which I am one) decided it would be better to move the date of the pageant to April next year. I’m a bit disappointed because I was all ready to go with three new outfits and accessories. They will just have to languish in my closet for a while. Sigh.

Glitter Is Everywhere

As the holiday season approaches many of us will be going a bit more flashy when dressed. Enjoy yourself and don’t forget to clean up carefully afterwards. Glitter and sequins tend to fall off and you could wind up in embarrassing situations. 

I’ll Be Back

I’ll be back with more Stuff. Comments are welcome either here on the blog or by email to Jenn6nov at-sign gmail dot com. JJ is always looking for more stuff, so let me know what you would like to read about.

Wearing Mac Duggal

James Charles

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