advice on walking/acting like a girl

[kev.wong140]

Anyone have advice on how to walk or act like a girl?

[Beverley Sims]

There are lots of examples on Youtube.
It is the best place to look.

[SuzanneS]

Try not to walk like a guy...lol...

Seriously, try to walk like you are holding a book on your head, walk from your hips more, and take smaller steps, confine yourself to a smaller space. Ladies take up less space. Hold your elbows in towards your sides, keep your knees together, but try to "flow" as you walk, using your hips, and maybe swaying them a bit, keeping your feet close.
Watch other women walk, it helps.

Suzanne

[Candice Mae]

Pretty much like Beverly said, search youtube and practice practice practice. Just do not over do it, you do not need the cat walk runway walk for everyday use. Just feminize you normal walk so it will not only look more natural, but be more natural.

[Adriana Moretti]

relax...thats important...it is also important to release all the tension in your back. I usually will strap on a pair of heels and in the doorway lean forward as far as I can while holding the doorway above my head to stretch out my back...stretch out the tension in your neck too . The more relaxed you are the better.

[Erica Anne]

Acting like a girl, just be yourself and believe you are a girl. I have a lot of female friends. They act no different than I do. Hmm, perhaps that does not sound right. Most women I know are no different than my male friends, but the topic at hand may be totally different. If you have a means to take video of yourself, walk to and from the video camera and review it. Practice, but it should not be strenuous. I would agree, do not do the cat walk strut, you can get injured quite easily. It takes a while getting used to waking in heels, and once it feels common place, getting the right sway is not that far off. (I don't quite walk like a lady either, not do I act like one (well not most of the time, but I have my fem moments, especially with new clothes or shoes).

[Jilmac]

Most GGs walk by placing one foot in front of the other (in line instead of side to side) and keeping their shoulders straight rather than slouching. Also they move their hips from side to side which giver them that feminine wiggle.

[Lillyasia]

Go to some place busy like a mall and observe how women walk.

[JenniferR771]

Avoid certain guy habits. Do not swing your arms (much). Do not rotate your shoulders--shoulders back, knockers up. Eyes straight ahead, head up. Small steps.

[Eryn]

Lots of little nuances to learn, but once you're out and dressed the motivation is there.

For help with walking I've found that wearing modest (2 to 2-1/2 inch) chunky heels or wedges can be helpful. That's enough heel to remind you that you're a girl and to walk accordingly, but not so challenging as to make you teeter.

A lot of it is simply confidence and confidence comes from experience. Get out and stroll. Malls are great as they are nicely flat and give you things to browse and other people to observe. Watch the GGs. They display a range of mannerisms and somewhere in that range is what you want. There is no one way you should act.

[annaaustintx]

I wholeheartedly second the "hold your elbows in" suggestion. Also: video tape yourself walking, from the front and from the back, and see where you can improve and what you can change.

The first time I saw a vid of myself walking away from the camera it was like "Oh sh!t! Is that how I walk?!" My weak points are remembering to tuck in my elbows (I imagine my elbows are strapped to my belt) and not have my shoulders forward as if I'm about to tackle someone! Fortunately, I have my hip motion down pretty good, and am quite the dab hand at walking in 5" heels, so my gait is not all "linebacker" :) .

[marshalynn]

always keep your elbows close to your sides and smaller steps, do not put your feet in front of each other as you walk but keep them closer than you would as a man..... walk as normal as you can this way and you will look fine.

[sonialexis]

most's been said, stomach in, back straight, legs in line, elbows towards your waist, my wrists turn slightly forwards, i let my hips lead me, smaller steps. acting like a woman is kinda tricky, because you might end up doing a caricature. I've always liked, playful, flirty, ultra feminine women, coquettish. So that's there a lot when I'm dressed and want to perform. So take it easy, relax, keep your posture relaxed but don't slouch, that is the deal breaker. Slouching on a woman looks really bad, an arched back really adds to being more graceful and feminine. sit with your knees together ankles crossed, pick up a woman's magazine, just let your girl come out. respond to it and just slowly let go. Paint your nails, curl up on the sofa, watch a chick flick and see how the woman slowly emerges. you have to be true to yourself, observe women around you but don't incorporate everything you see. all the best. hugs

[Ellie52]

Get a cigarette and stick it out to one side - so you can burn everyrone who walks past :D....E

[Vanessa Rose]

I'm sure you will need someone to take the role of what not to do!

I got that covered, I got it all covered girl ..

And then some..especially the teetering and TIMMMMBEEEERRR aspects!

I'm about as gracious as a raccoon eating rabbit jerky whilst walking backward across a highwire. And sister, you know I have a mouthful of jellybeans and vodka while I'm doing it!
I actually do ok until the tail of my raccoon cap moves in front of my eyes during hopscotch with the girls. As sure as I am Vannycroket, the bitches trip you just when you think you got it right.
Then the cat fights commence. Scoundrels

Vanny

[Kate Simmons]

For starters observe how women walk and act. They basically walk from the hips and use a lot of emphatic gestures when they talk. Of course most of us can do that if we are aware of it but they more or less have it down to a science.:)

[Kristy 56]

Most GGs walk by placing one foot in front of the other (in line instead of side to side) and keeping their shoulders straight rather than slouching. Also they move their hips from side to side which giver them that feminine wiggle.

I agree with Jill on this because a GG once told me the same thing.Also,don't lower your head,but have it up high and look straight ahead. Have fun practicing,and work those heels .:)

[MsVal]

The, ahem, mature women that would be a suitable model for someone of my age don't do a all the things that I've just read. Their elbows are closer than a man's, but not a lot, they don't sway, they don't put one foot in front of the other, in short, they don't walk all that different than men. It would seem that would make it easier to emulate, but it also makes it easier to go overboard and look like a drag queen.

As others have said, go to a mall and watch women of the age and type that you wish to emulate. Wear light sunglasses to reduce the appearance that you are staring.

Best wishes
MsVal

[I Am Paula]

Spend hours observing women. Then spend many more. Then practice.
On walking-
A little hip sway goes a LONG way. Don't walk like Jessica Rabbit. Just glide along the ground like you have no bones.
Carry a purse while practicing. Women have one all the time, and it effects how you walk. Try both shoulder bags, and one on your forearm.
A great thing to keep in mind about everything women do- Men try to take up as much space around them as possible. It goes back to Neanderthals trying to look bigger than they are to avoid confrontation. Men spread out on the sofa, spread their legs when sitting, and take up an area as wide as a bowling lane while walking.
Women make themselves small. To avoid being prey to a sabre tooth tiger, women learned to make a small target. This evolved into women sitting with their legs together, and their arms pulled in against their bodies. Don't ever lean back, and put your arms out along the back of the sofa! Women walk with smaller steps, touch down heel first, and keep their arms in control. Other than the sound of heels, women make no sound when they walk. Look around, and make eye contact while you walk. Only men stare at the ground.
If you want to REALLY emulate a woman, never stop texting. Text while walking, eating, and using the washroom. LOL

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Kev, Do like I do , I'm a girl watcher I watch and learn.

[Lorileah]

I agree watch women walk...they all do it differently. This gets covered here 5-6 times a year (good thing we have a search option so you don't repost the same questions over and over again huh?) The truth is what people are asking isn't how women walk, as I said watch them you will see many different ways and yes some "lumber" like you all think a man does. What everyone seems to want is "How do I walk like a model." or "How do I walk like a woman with confidence." What ends up happening is that the TGs over emphasize the nuances. the hip swing, the mincing steps. Wanna get tagged in public...over do it. Walk like you walk, head up, confident. If you wear heels you will get a sway. Mostly smaller steps, women don't stride, hardly ever. They walk.

[Karren H]

Not overtly walking or acting like a male gets you withing one standard deviation of walking and acting like a woman... imho

[Debra Russell]

Just don't go about being be a bloke......................Debra

[Helen_Highwater]

Ok it's time for stick person to get an airing;
http://www.biomotionlab.ca/Demos/BMLwalker.html

[kev.wong140]

Thanks everyone for their help! I'll definitely practice walking at the park tonight =)

[natcrys]

Lot of good tips!

Here's what worked for me:


Wear heels! Even low heels will force you take smaller steps and that's the easiest thing you can already do.
Keep you arms closer to your body. Do swing them a bit, but not like your marching for 40 kilometres or something.
I find that keeping one hand on your bag or purse helps a lot with the feminine look.
Try to put one foot in front of the other, but don't overdo it.. you're not supposed to treat the mall like a catwalk.. unless you want to be noticed while working it. In that case, have at it! ;)
Take a video of yourself at home or in the garden. Take a really honest look at yourself. It might be a bit confronting, but that was the most effective thing that helped me. In every video of mine, there's something I don't like and I learn from that.
Look at all the other women: while shopping, on TV, on YouTube, look at supermodels and soccer moms.. because they both have something feminine!


Oh, and have fun.. and try to not take it too seriously.. girls/women have had their whole lives to learn all these things.

And to be honest.. a lot of them could also use more practice and lessons from supermodel coaches (who are usually gay guys :D)

[Tina_gm]

I see these types of threads, the how to's... usually way too much over thinking IMO. Yes, there are differences, but more subtle than people on here seem to think, again IMO. For whatever reason, for many of us who are in the middle somewhere gender wise- many tend to look or notice the extremes. Neanderthal acting men, runway model women. 95% reside in the middle, well, nearer the middle anyway. Not all guys walk or lumber with such a gait. Not all women walk the catwalk walk. Most don't come anywhere near close. And the mannerisms are not miles apart all the time either. Many I see on here are wanting or attempting to emulate the extreme feminine mannerisms. They need not be, IMO. As a CDer, it is already likely that you do not have the most masculine mannerisms. Some I am sure, as do I. Honestly, at least for me, when I not focus or attempt anything at all, just do whatever comes naturally to me, my mannerisms are a mix of feminine and masculine, but neither being overt. I can block one or the other with effort, especially the feminine ones most of the time as I am used to doing so most of my life.

I will give a few examples of what I do see and what I see of myself. My advice though, is not to try too hard, or put so much emphasis into it. It will not come off looking natural at all.

Women walk differently yes, legs a little closer together, and with wider hips that will give a wiggle like appearance. Arms are held closer together, but not exaggeratedly so. Other mannerisms, which have been pointed out, that women do normally sit with their legs close together if not crossed above the knee. They also tend to stand with their legs together as well. Mannerisms and gestures, just a little more overall body language. slightly more use of the hands when talking. Maybe a little head tilt here and there. Palms of the hands tend to be up more than down, and fingers tend to be outstretched and close together. You may be surprised to find you are already doing some of these at minute amounts. I know people have made comments before that I sometimes have feminine mannerisms. I sometimes won't even recognize that I am doing them.

[Taylor Ray]

Walk like...

an Egyptian

[Jocee]

Ah, this is not a put-on..... and I hope to not offend, but this works with the whole walking from the hips. taking smaller steps and walking with one foot in front of the other.

Someone who I respect incredibly in this community, and has transitioned to be a successful transwomen, offered me a bit of advise. For those in the States, take a roll of Dimes and "hold" them between your gluts (buttocks) as you walk. Obviously this is not how you'd go about your day, however the action of holding a roll of dimes while you walk, does work :)

[Barbie Anne]

Walk like...

an Egyptian
Really? Honestly? Did you HAVE to make me remember that song? lol
Seriously all good suggestions and I have heard the roll of dimes thing before.
One thing I did was go classic emily post and taught myself to walk in heels with a book on my head. The resulting walk was just wonderful.

[Ms. Laura]

Walk more slowly, keep the shoulders more still. Walk upright not leaning. Video of yourself, +1 that!

Have a treadmill? Walk while swaying on that. You have to feel languid and capable moving your hips and that takes practice.

Also, do you have a Wii? Dancing the female dances on Just Dance is a FABULOUS way to ingrain girly motions into your muscle memory. I swear by that.

Good Luck.

[LenGray]

Actually walk with a book on your head :) Straight posture is very important and at one point in every little girl's life they perfect this science lol It'll also give a swing to your hips that doesn't look unnatural.

Also, typically the reason why women take smaller steps is so that our hips don't hit into anything(we learn this skill during puberty lol). Pile a lot of stuff in a room and focus on not touching anything while wearing heels.

Women usually speak quieter than men and cover their mouths when they laugh. This is so that if they have bad breath, no one knows ;)

Hand gestures are typically below the shoulders, more at the waist(this seems more 'lady-like) while when walking hands and arms are a bit further away from the body then usual(yet again, hips)

Keep your shoulders straight(breasts are like woman-penises. We like to make sure they don't look droopy) and favor one hip or the other when you stand. Using a purse will help you get this down.

Also, women are taught to have a lot of different facial expressions and hold their head a lot of different ways. They can convey in a look or gesture what most men would portray in words.

For example, a woman is confiding her boyfriend troubles to you. Keep your body very still(one hand on purse, the other at your side. Placing a hand on your hip will indicate that you're impatient or disapproving) and tilt your head slightly. Purse your lips a little to where your mouth is slightly open(interest) and bring your eyebrows a bit closer together(concern) while 'softening' your eyes(compassion). Respond in soft, murmuring tones(comfort) until asked a direct question.

[sometimes_miss]

Anyone have advice on how to walk or act like a girl?

To walk, be born female. We have different natural movements, based on our anatomy. See here: http://www.biomotionlab.ca/Demos/BMLwalker.html To see why. The gradually try to change how you move by practicing. To act, it will take more than just being yourself and believing that you are a girl. All too often, you'll wind up behaving like a characiture of a women, an 'overdone' version, super-swaying your hips, wildly exaggerating your voice, waving your arms around like a bird's wings, kicking up your legs almost sideways when you pace. Try picking up ONE body movement at a time, and focus on that. Do it without thinking, then do it the way you think a girl does, then watch a real woman on TV doing the same thing, and compare. You'll get it eventually. AFA voice, you can do it, but it's going to take lots of practice. See here, this guy's got it down perfectly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbaj4tIX1kw

[kev.wong140]

Thanks everyone for their advice! I took a video of myself walking, and I think I would pass. The more important part is that I need to remember I'm a girl when I'm dressed and not throw out any masculine actions by mistake.

[kev.wong140]

I went out to the park in the evening today in a skirt and pantyhose to practice walking on heels. It wasn't as difficult as I would imagine. I focused on walking inline and taking a smaller spaces, with very little arm swing (the bag helped). The heels helped on making me take smaller steps. I walked for about 45 minutes in my heels and by the end of the session, I was able walk at a rather quick pace without wobbling and losing balance. Having the heels on reminded me that I was a girl, and managed to keep any masculine actions away. I only bumped into 1 guy in the park, and I don't think he realized I was a CD.

[Adriana Moretti]

good for you for getting out there practice makes perfect right!!!...just be careful in a park alone at night ( not to be captain obvious on night time saftey)....