How Old?
Pardon the delicate personal questions, but how old are you? How old is your girl self? How old Is your wardrobe? Why do I ask? Well, it’s kind of a tie-in to my previous installment of Stuff about shopping. There I mentioned that you should enjoy the shopping process and the wearing of your acquisitions.
So, why these questions? It’s about dressing your age. Society seems to demand that women dress differently according to how old they are. What is acceptable for a teenager is deemed inappropriate for somebody in their 50s.
Presumably these “rules” apply equally to femulators. Today, “dressing your age” often implies restraint. A 20-year-old might be applauded for experimentation, while a 50-year-old in the same outfit could be labeled “trying too hard.” My photo (righyt) might be labeled as trying too hard, but I enjoyed an evening out like that.
Your Preferences
With that somewhat sad thought, how many of us dress our age? I don’t. I don’t even dress my girl age, which is probably 20 years or more younger than my guy self. It seems to me that my girl side just loves the latest fashions. No, not what teens are wearing. More like what society types are wearing. I’d be interested to hear what your preferences are.
Shopping Your Age
Here, finally, is the tie-in to my previous Stuff about shopping. Many women’s clothing stores target specific audiences. Take a walk through your local mall and note what the stores are showing in their windows. You’ll see a wide range of clothing styles.
The store might as well put up a signs that say “Teens Shop Here” or “Professional Women Shop Here.” Oddly, though, I don’t see windows that suggest “Grandmothers Shop Here.” Similarly, I don’t see windows that suggest “Femulators Shop Here.” Well, maybe Vicki's AKA Victoria’s Secret.
As I mentioned above, it seems like my girl side is younger than my guy side. Perhaps that’s because in the first ten or so years of my life, I wasn’t aware I had a girl side. Add that societal pressure to appear young is especially strong for women.
Of course there is also a practical dimension. Bodies change over time. Metabolism shifts, muscle tone fluctuates and skin wrinkles. For some, adapting their wardrobe is less about conforming to age norms and more about honoring physical reality. Perhaps they are the same thing. Fabrics that once felt forgiving may no longer feel supportive. Silhouettes that once flattered may need adjustment. I think that choosing garments that feel comfortable and empowering is the way to go for me personally.
Dress for Your Life
Instead of “dressing your age” how about “dressing your life?” In real life, a woman who is balancing career, caregiving, travel, and creative pursuits will build different wardrobes that supports those roles. A retiree exploring new hobbies may embrace colors or patterns previously avoided.
The trick is to know what your girl life is really like. That’s something that we seldom actually think about as we femulate. Especially if your dressing is limited to once a month in which case we typically have the urge to go a bit over the top. It’s the thrill of being out dressed which influences our clothing choices. So we factor that into our shopping habits.
I’ll Be Back
There will be more Stuff. As always 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 if there is something you would like to read about please let me know!
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| Wearing Ann Taylor |
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| Bob Hope femulating in the 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid. Click here to view this femulation on YouTube. |
"What should I wear today"?" is the forever conversation on every cross-dressing site. You ask how old am I? I am going to hit 79 this summer. I will clearly state with no exceptions that I will be caught wearing women's trousers or pants or whatever you want to call garments co-opted from the men's department. That should spark a conversation. I will affirm my granddaughter looks terrific in the skinny butt jeans she has to buy in the young men's department because she has no butt. And, yes those flannel shirts grandpa freely gave up also look terrific on her. I do agree a woman, and this a femulators, should dress as she desires. I grew up in a neighborhood where women never wore pants. It was dresses, and dresses only. No matter the season or the day, it's a dresses, heels and hosiery, and all the proper undergarments. I call it the "June Cleaver" look. You'll find me in the kitchen wearing a retro bib apron, baking or preparing dinner, cooking or washing the dishes. On other days you'll find my male side wearing cut off jeans, tee shirt and unshaven for several days.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say to this is "you go girl!!!" Do exactly what makes you happy. JJ
DeleteHi JJ!
ReplyDeleteSuch a pertinent topic with so many layers.
Firstly, our female selves do not often come close to our biological age as we often just don’t have the accumulation of life experience of a cis woman our age.
That said makeup, hair dye, and such make many a woman look much younger than she actually is. Wear what flatters you…….. within reason I say. Many older women wear more modern styles, but it can be pushed too far when you start trying to look like a high school girl.
One word of caution I give is to ask how much attention you want or can handle. Dressing very young, very short skirts, or right stylish outfits are likely to turn heads, so be prepared for the attention that comes with it.
For the retro styles of yesteryear, they are in! I just see it over done at times and makes a woman look aged. There is sort of an art to combining retro pieces with modern ones to pull off a classic look without looking like grandmothers of years ago.
Best wishes!
Norah
Thanks for the comments Norah! All very good points. I try to dress to blend in and being "age appropriate" is part of that effort. Every time I get ready to go out, "what shall I wear" is something that I ponder for several days before the event. Even then, it's sometimes changing my mind after seeing the outfit all together. It's a girl thing. JJ
DeleteWe genetic men might have an advantage over genetic women. We have firmer collagen than genetic women, so we may look younger "en femme" with makeup than cis women our age. I notice Stana and myself look younger than typical cis women our age.
ReplyDeleteJohn
1-I feel that the majority of genetic women have allowed peer pressure to "dress their age".2 with so many wonderful choices of dresses I wonder if it is that pressure or just laziness for older women to opt for pants,no stockings etc.Don't they realize that bony or blotchy legs are horrible.3-slips are now out but you are really missing a femme experience--emily
ReplyDeleteJj looks fantastic and blends in nicely….time for a Costco run and get some gas
ReplyDelete