Do you preen en femme?

[Kate Simmons]

It's a given that both men and women preen, especially in social settings or in unconscious anticipation of a potential romantic encounter. I know when en femme I do it more than I do en homme though. Why do you think this is, is it the nature of the beast? I guess because there are more things to pay attention to and touch up when you are a woman. When interfacing with others en femme, I find myself fixing my hair more, checking my makeup if I have the chance, making sure my clothing isn't helter skelter and I make a good impression. I find it more so, however, when encountering men while en femme. I'm beginning to think that the mindset is so strong that it becomes second nature to us even if there are no romantic intentions on our part. This would indicate to me that when en femme we are actually closer to filling the female role than many of us may think. What have you noticed in this regard? :)

[Sara Jessica]

I get lots of crap at home for preening my hair, not to mention playing with it, flipping it, twirling it around my fingers, etc. Probably because I'm calling attention to something my wife doesn't like in the least bit. But it's hair, and it's there, and I find myself doing this without even thinking twice about it.

[Stephanie47]

When wearing a shoulder length wig, when you have almost no hair under it, it is natural to sweep the tresses away from your face. This is especially true when working in the kitchen. When en homme clothing which usually consists of nothing more than jean, underpants and tee shirt, there is little to adjust. However, when en femme and only wearing dresses with a full slip, bra, panty and hosiery, there is always something to adjust. The dress and slip do not necessary move together in the same direction. And, those bra and slip straps seem to move off the shoulder and need to be put back. Of course, a woman when sitting down in a dress, especially with a wide sweep at the hem, always has to smooth the dress and slip so it does not bunch up when sitting down. Of course, if the hem of the dress rises above the knees when sitting, it is always necessary to pull that hem down whenever it starts to rise up the thighs. And, those pesky thigh high stockings have a tendency to slip down after several hours. Sometimes I see a GG adjusting her thigh high hosiery by rising her dress or skirt and pulling them up without ever realizing she is doing it. It seems the more en femme I am the more these mannerisms take hold. That's a good thing. It's a part of the presentation.

[Ann Smith]

I'm beginning to think that the mindset is so strong that it becomes second nature to us even if there are no romantic intentions on our part. This would indicate to me that when en femme we are actually closer to filling the female role than many of us may think

I get what I think is the point of your question, Kate. The whole romantic intentions thing... Dressed in drab, attracting a man and making love to him is the absolute farthest thing from my mind. When lots of time goes by between "Ann sessions" it becomes a non-existent concept. Then when I get back to being Ann, and days of dressing and preening and primping all string together, I start to drift toward a sexuality that is hetero for the female persona I'm getting deeper into. So, that means fantasies of sex with guys.

[Sarah Doepner]

Yes, but it seems there is so much more to pay attention to when en femme. If I eat in guy mode, it's make sure I don't have salsa on my shirt, wipe the guacamole off my chin and go. En Femme, it's eat carefully and then repair the damage to makeup, fix the hair that's been pushed out of the way, make sure my clothes haven't reestablished themselves in a much less acceptable manner, or make sure I haven't eaten one of my earrings that may have fallen on to my plate while I was chatting or any one of a number of things. Finally there is the realization that I could have worn something else and make the attempt to make this outfit look like that.

[Kate Simmons]

I guess this is one reason many women dress in casual these days for every day stuff. They don't have to pay attention to potential wardrobe malfunctions so much. Although I do see them fixing their hair, checking their makeup and sometimes fondling their jewelery to make sure it looks okay. Being women, I don't see that part going away any time soon. In any case we have a lot of good female teachers out there and if the overall effect is good grooming habits then I see the CDing playing a positive role in that. :)

[kimdl93]

I certainly fret more about my appearance when I'm en femme.

[EllieOPKS]

I'm so dumb I had to look up "preen" in a dictionary. LOL! My only preening would be checking the hair and maybe lipstick. In drab, I don't preen.

[Antoinette]

I'm almost always fixing myself up. I usually become aware that my lipstick has rubbed off or my hair is a mess. I guess I do preen A LOT when in femme. Not so much for my male persona with him I'm more concerned about my hair lol.

[suchacutie]

I never knew about preening before there was Tina.

Now preening is a way of life!!!! :) Why? I think it's pretty simple:

1) I preen in male mode because we share one body and Tina just needs certain parts to be taken care of better than my male self might without her, e.g. nails, eyebrows, eyelashes (washing daily so they are healthy and long), body hair, and general skin regimines! Of those, only keeping my nails in great shape is a constant preening, the rest are done in the process of normal daily ablutions.

2) Tina just has more issues. Generating the illusion of a feminine presentation on a male body requires maintenance. When I joke that Tina is high maintenance, I'm really not kidding! Also, there are just issues that our male selves just don't have to deal with such as makeup and long hair. Makeup needs constant attention; just the nature of the beast.

So, it seems to me that preening is a requirement of our transgendered selves!

[Sam-antha]

Preening is to do with the wearing of the clothes that cover us. Men sort of use them to cover themselves while women use clothes not only to wear and cover themselves, but a;lso to display themselves. Preening is essential when dressed.
~Samm

[Sandra1746]

I play with my hair now that has gotten long no matter what I am wearing. I also find myself more attentive to mirrors in stores. Just the "girl" showing through...LOL.

Enjoy life,
Sandra1746