Being

Wearing Boston Proper

John Ritter (1948-2003) was an American actor who crossdressed on television shows and films including television’s Three’s Company, The Love Boat, Hooperman and the film Stay Tuned.

How to crossdress when you are an old lady

Crossdressing as an older woman works best when you aim for polished, mature, and comfortable rather than trying to look decades younger.

Choose clothes that flatter your present shape: wrap dresses, softly tailored skirt suits, straight or A-line skirts, elegant blouses, cardigans, and well-fitted trousers. Defined waists and clean lines usually look better than oversized clothing. Do not assume maturity requires long, shapeless dresses—you can still wear shorter skirts or fashionable styles when they suit your legs and proportions.

Use lighter, moisturizing makeup. Heavy foundation and powder can emphasize lines, while cream blush, softly defined eyes, shaped brows, and a flattering lipstick add life to the face. A good wig with natural density is important; a bob, layered shoulder-length cut, soft waves, or a stylish pixie often looks convincing and sophisticated.

Comfort matters more with age. Wear hosiery or smoothing garments that fit without restricting circulation. Choose stable pumps, block heels, kitten heels, or attractive flats for longer outings. Save higher heels for occasions where you will not be walking far.

Accessories make the presentation feel complete: earrings, a necklace or scarf, a structured handbag, and properly fitted glasses. Avoid wearing every feminine item at once; one or two strong details usually look more elegant.

Most importantly, do not dress as a stereotype of an “old lady.” Observe stylish women around your age and dress as the woman you would naturally have become—confident, experienced, and still entitled to look pretty.

And so it goes.

Wearing Staud

John Inman (left) femulating on British television’s Are You Being Served?

Got Milk

Male-to-female crossdressers can create the appearance of a female bust in several ways, ranging from simple clothing tricks to highly realistic prosthetics. The best method depends on comfort, cost, body shape, and whether the goal is a convincing everyday silhouette or a more dramatic presentation.

Breast forms

The most common option is a pair of silicone or foam breast forms worn inside a bra. Silicone forms have realistic weight, movement, and softness, while foam forms are lighter, cooler, and less expensive. Forms come in different shapes, including triangular, teardrop, asymmetrical, and full-coverage styles.

A properly fitted bra is essential. Full-coverage, pocketed, or mastectomy bras hold forms securely, although many ordinary bras work well when the band and cups fit correctly. A snug band provides most of the support; shoulder straps should not be doing all the work.

Adhesive forms

Some silicone forms can be attached directly to the chest with built-in adhesive or medical-grade body adhesive. This allows more freedom with lower necklines and can produce more natural movement. The skin must be clean and free of lotion, and only adhesives designed for skin and compatible with the forms should be used.

Anyone with sensitive skin should test a small area first. Forms should be removed slowly with the recommended adhesive remover rather than pulled off.

Breastplates

A breastplate is a single prosthetic piece that covers the chest, often extending toward the neck, shoulders, or upper abdomen. It can create cleavage and allows the wearer to use low-cut clothing. High-quality breastplates can look convincing, but they tend to be heavier, warmer, and more expensive than separate forms. The edges may also need to be hidden with clothing, jewelry, a scarf, or makeup.

Cleavage techniques

Crossdressers with enough natural chest tissue may create cleavage by pulling the tissue inward with a strong bra, tape, or specialized cleavage devices. Makeup can enhance the illusion by adding subtle shadow between the breasts and highlighting the upper curves.

Tape should never be wrapped completely around the torso or applied so tightly that it restricts breathing or circulation. Ordinary household tape can damage skin; body-safe fashion or medical tape is safer.

Padding and homemade methods

Socks, foam pads, fabric inserts, water-filled bags, and rice-filled stockings have long been used as inexpensive substitutes. They can work under modest clothing, although they usually lack the weight, movement, and consistent shape of commercial forms. Water-filled items can leak, and loose materials can shift, so they are less dependable for extended public wear.

Bras that create shape

Padded, push-up, plunge, and molded-cup bras can create a bust even without separate forms. Some crossdressers combine a lightly padded bra with smaller forms to achieve a smoother, less artificial transition from the chest to the breast.

Longline bras, bustiers, and shapewear can also help by shaping the torso, defining the waist, and keeping the bust in proportion.

Clothing choices

Clothing can make as much difference as the prosthetics themselves. Wrap dresses, gathered necklines, ruching, darts, princess seams, patterned fabrics, scarves, and structured jackets help create dimension. Very thin or clingy fabrics can reveal the outline of forms or gaps at the chest.

Proportion matters more than simply choosing the largest cup size. A bust that suits the wearer’s shoulders, height, waist, and hips usually looks more believable than oversized forms. For many broad-chested wearers, moderate forms with a wider base produce a more natural silhouette than narrow, highly projecting forms.

The most convincing result generally comes from combining a suitable bra, correctly positioned forms, balanced clothing, good posture, and realistic proportions. Comfort matters too: a slightly smaller bust that stays secure for several hours will usually look and feel better than a larger one that shifts, overheats, or causes strain.

Wearing Boston Proper 

Sebastian Muntean femulating Corina Chiriac on Romanian television's version of Your Face Sounds Familiar.
Click here to view this femulation on YouTube.

Dressing Your Man

Women might want to feminize their male partners for a variety of reasons, often with more than one reason at play.

Some women love the way it changes things—picking out clothes, makeup, hairstyles, jewelry, and watching how dramatically their partner’s appearance shifts. For them, it can feel like styling a model or sharing a fashion hobby.

Others find it fun or intimate. Dressing together can build trust, vulnerability, and a private experience that’s just for them. A man who lets his partner guide his appearance might be showing that he feels safe with her.

For some women, it’s about switching roles. They might enjoy taking the lead while their partner becomes softer and more receptive. This can range from harmless teasing to a more powerful female-led relationship.

A woman might also notice that her partner already has a feminine side and help him express it. In that case, she’s not creating the desire; she’s giving him permission, encouragement, practical advice, and confidence.

Other reasons could include:

• Wondering how attractive or convincing he might look.

• Enjoying breaking traditional gender rules.

• Preferring men who seem gentler, prettier, or less traditionally masculine.

• The pleasure of sharing clothes, shopping, salons, and beauty routines.

• Humor, costumes, parties, or special occasions.

• A desire to reshape the relationship around her tastes or authority.

The key is consent. When both partners enjoy it, feminization can be affectionate, exciting, funny, or deeply meaningful. But if one partner uses pressure, humiliation, threats, or control that the other doesn’t want, it stops being a healthy experiment and becomes coercive.

Often, the simplest explanation is that the woman enjoys femininity, the man enjoys being feminized, and the experience gives them a closeness they don’t find elsewhere.

Wearing Boston Proper

Hansi Sturm, German professional femulator, circa 1930

Stuff 124: Old Stuff

Old Stuff? Yech!

By J. J. Atwell

Yes, that’s the reaction I usually get about old stuff in general. I’m not talking about nostalgia in this case. Instead, I’d like to look back at some of my original writings from about three years ago. Hopefully that won’t trigger the same reaction.

Way back in Stuff #1, which Stana published on July 17, 2023, I introduced myself to you all. At that time, I said that I preferred the CD (crossdresser) label, and I’m still sticking with it. Not that there is anything wrong with other similar labels—I simply feel that CD is the most descriptive of who I am.

The photo above accompanied that first installment. It’s not bad, but I’ve moved on from there, as we all do in life. Of course, when we move on, we hope we don’t lose track of the important things and how we got here. With that in mind, today I’ll revisit some of the topics I wrote about in Stuff #1 through #6.

Personal Growth

Perhaps this is the most important aspect of my CD life. In fact, it may be one of the most important aspects of any life.

In my case, personal growth was directly related to joining a local CD support group. Through that group, I met many others in similar situations, and the friendships I developed have helped me beyond measure. I credit the experiences of being out and about over the past three years with making me much more comfortable expressing my femme side.

Just as important, my significant other has enjoyed those friendships as well, which has made her more accepting of my dressing. Personal growth is not just for you—it can benefit your entire family.

Hair

In Stuff #4, I started a topic that is near and dear to the hearts of many CDs: hair—how to lose it and how to get it.

This is still a hot topic for me. Lately, I’ve been focused on both by purchasing new wigs and removing hair from my arms, legs, and body.

Since that original post, I’ve bought three or four new wigs. I loved each one when I purchased it, and I eventually retired each one as I searched for different styles. I think of it as a natural evolution, similar to what many GGs do when they decide they want a new hairstyle.

I prefer buying wigs from a brick-and-mortar store so I can try them on in person. I believe that makes a huge difference. I’ve written more about wigs in Stuff #91 and Stuff #98. Just remember, once you buy that new wig, you’re not done. To look its best on your head and complement your face, it will probably need some trimming and styling.

Now for the opposite side of the equation—how to lose hair.

In previous Stuff columns, I mentioned several options, including shaving, depilatories, and waxing. As most of you know, shaving is a very temporary solution because the hair simply grows back. You can begin to feel stubble in as little as 12 hours. For facial hair, a shave may only last a day.

Longer-term solutions include electrolysis and laser hair removal, neither of which I’m qualified to discuss because I haven’t tried them myself.

For the rest of your body, shaving, waxing, electrolysis, and laser are all possibilities. I shaved my arms, legs, and chest for a long time before deciding to try waxing. On my arms and legs, waxing worked very well. Yes, it was somewhat painful, but not unbearably so.

More recently, I moved on to my chest. Ouch! That was definitely more painful. However, the results were so good that I plan to continue with it. I find that waxing lasts a couple of weeks, and subsequent sessions tend to be less painful.

Again, I can’t comment on electrolysis or laser treatments because I have no firsthand experience with either.

I’ll Be Back

I hope you have experienced personal growth over the years and that you will continue to grow in the future. In a future Stuff column, I’ll revisit some of my other early observations and experiences.

As always, I welcome comments and suggestions here on Stana’s page or by email at Jenn6nov at-sign gmail dot com.

Wearing Ann Taylor

George “Gabby” Hayes femulating in the 1934 film The Lucky Texan.
Click here to view this film on YouTube.

Friday the 13th falls on a Saturday this month!

There may be some 'splaining to do!

Source: Wigs.com

Robert Livingston femulating in the 1944 film Goodnight, Sweetheart.

Dad Shopping

Wearing Bardot

George E. Stone (right) femulating in the 1948 film Trapped By Boston Blackie.

Why High Heels?

High heels change everything.

Heels transform your stance, gait, leg appearance, and most importantly, your sense of self. Slip into a pair, and ordinary movement becomes deliberate, graceful, and feminine.

For many, heels were the first unmistakable sign of femininity. A borrowed dress, a secret lipstick trial, but heels made the transformation tangible. The sound alone, that confident click on a hard floor, could be exhilarating.

Heels elongate legs, improve posture, and add elegance to even the simplest outfit. However, their allure extends beyond appearance. They demand poise, slow you down, and make you acutely aware of each step. In this way, they don’t just complete an outfit, they complete a presentation.

Yes, heels can be uncomfortable, require practice, and sensible shoes are easier. But sensible shoes rarely ignite the heart.

For the dedicated femulator, high heels are not just footwear; they are a declaration.

Wearing Boston Proper

Daniel DeCò femulating on Italian television’s Forte, Forte, Forte.
Click here to view this femulation on YouTube.