That 'female gait'

[Lily Catherine]

The titular gait is something that has eluded me for one; sometimes I guess even I exaggerate the hip swings too much to be believable. What do you out there consider key characteristics of said gait? I was somewhere near thinking of shoulder posture and hip movement being important aspects.

[Marcelle]

Hi there,

I think "the gait" is going to elusive to many of us due to body mechanics and weight distribution. As men we tend to carry our weight in our upper body causing a more striding gait. Women tend to carry their weight more toward their hips causing "the gait" which you talk about. Now this is not to say we can't emulate "the gait" within reason but it does take practice. I recommend observing women while they walk (not in the creepy stalker kind of way but general observation :)). The steps tend to be shorter (yes all women are different before someone pounces) with less of a stride. I found by shortening my stride and making my steps quicker, I can emulate the stride and reduce the burly guy walk which is ingrained in most of us. Hip movement needs to be subtle or else you risk walking like a runway model on a sugar high. The other aspect is arm movement which tends to be more fluid than a guy's arm movement. Again observation is your best learning tool.

As I noted, not all women walk the same, take some time and eventually you will find your comfort zone which should emulate "the gait" well enough.

Hugs

Isha

[MissusMeagan]

Hip movement needs to be subtle or else you risk walking like a runway model on a sugar high.

Totally agree with Isha. As a GG, when I've observed genetic males attempt to simulate a female gait, the times that it has looked the most unnatural have been when emphasis is on the hips, which is probably why the 'model walk' is specifically designed to do this by requiring that each foot be placed directly in front of last.

Practice does make perfect, and I would suggest practicing in high heels: unless you've already done this, practicing in high heels will leave you feeling slightly unstable as you gain experience, which will naturally shorten your stride. Also, I would advise focusing on the weight with which you set your foot down. Much more of a glide than a clomp is what you're going for. Hope this helps!

*EDITED: Apologies, Isha, for improperly referencing your quote! I'm still learning posting specifics and buttons! :)

[Brandy Mathews]

I agree with you too MissusMegan. Years ago I sent away for a set of cd's that explain, mannerism's, walking, even how to sit, how to hold your hands, all of that. Have practiced with them for years, maybe that is why I feel like Bree comes out and I don't even realize that I am doing it. Oh well, I do try to be as feminine as I can, I enjoy that so much.
Hugs,
Bree :)

[pamela7]

Welshgirl showed me. It's nothing to do with the hips, it's about balancing through the heel of the standing foot. If you do this to always keep your centre of gravity there, then as you go step by step your hips naturally sway side-to-side and a little up and down, and there it is, it works. Use your manly know-how of mechanics and your uncle is called Bob.

[Pat]

I used to study the walk of a really elegant woman at work and try to copy her when I was walking. What I gradually picked up was that you need the shorter stride, a slightly slower pace and you need to relax your lower back and let you hip move forward with your leg as it leads. If you're thinking about moving your hips, you're doing it wrong -- just unlock them, don't make a conscious effort to move them. Also let your shoulders move as you walk; let your arms swing naturally (men move their arms deliberately.) Basically let everything attached to the spine rotate when you walk. Men are taught to keep a stiff back and straight shoulders and you don't want that. And remember the head up and balanced over the shoulders, shoulders over the hips -- the classic advice is pretend you have a string running up your spine and out the top of your head and move as if suspended by that string. Then you won't have to think about your hips, they'll just move. Men tend to jut forward when they walk -- think of Groucho Marx.

On the plus side, you get more of a workout when you walk with your spine relaxed and everything rotating. And slowing down your body slows down your thoughts as well (in a good way.)

[Lorileah]

The one major thing I have noticed recently with TGs out on the town...Point you toes forward and not at a 45 degree angle away from your body. Walking like a duck makes you ...walk like a duck. Don't waddle.

[CONSUELO]

Even amongst genetic women gait differs greatly. I notice this a lot when on my exercise walks through the local park trails. Some rotate the hips as they walk and others keep their hips stable. I have a lady friend who has a wonderful walking style in which he hips/buttocks drop with each step. I have always thought it looked very sexy but I notice that it is not a style shared by many other women.

[Kate Simmons]

I just walk with one foot in front of the other. The rest naturally follows. Remember, women walk (and dance) from the hips.:battingeyelashes::)

[Jaylyn]

When in heels it is short steps and I keep my foot flatter as I move along. I walked around the house practicing for hours in the six inch heels and was sore the next day. It does take practice. Thing I can't figure out is those detective shows on tv where a female detective actually runs in her heels. Try it, it's just not possible.... Lol. I used to watch Charlie's Angels do this and actually catch the crook.

[Kate Simmons]

Believe it or not a GG from New York City showed me how to run in heels and look feminine. They do it a lot due to muggers, etc. :)

[jamielynn_ca]

I've found trying to keep you knees close together as you walk helps - almost brushing against each other with each step.

[Nikkilovesdresses]

Ladies: don't forget to shut the gait behind you.

[Marcelle]

LOL Nikki :)

[Sarasometimes]

The gait is important and often challenging since our anatomy is different. The hip wiggle also comes from the wider pelvis and gap between a GG's thighs. I keep my elbows close to my body, which cause my forearms to hang outward, I loosen my wrists and limit my arm swing, take smaller steps and move through and area don't try to possess it. Also keep your chin up and stand tall. The foot pointing forward is great advice too.

[Tina_gm]

As someone who has for whatever reason had some natural feminine mannerisms (not necessarily walking)... for me it has been more about how not to act in feminine ways than to try to learn them. But, what I have noticed, through observation and noticing of myself, is that there is a couple of basic principles I see so often among men and women-

Men generally have a wider lower body and a closed upper body, and women tend to be the opposite. Just casually watch men and women and you will see men generally stand with their feet farther apart. They sit open legged or if they do cross them, it is typically with the ankle over their knee. Their upper body however tends to be withdrawn and closed. forearms and hands tend to be in a downward (closed position) This is general of course, and neither men nor women have these exact mannerisms at all times. But just generally speaking....

Women tend to stand and sit with their legs much closer together. As someone said, toes pointed more directly rather than at an outward angle. legs are typically crossed with one knee over the other knee. The upper body tends to be the opposite. more upright, and the arms and hands in a more open position with the palms often facing upwards. Women tend to be a bit more physically expressive when speaking as well. They talk more with their hands and make more motion with their faces and heads as well. Not an absolute, but just moreso than what most men do.

I would suggest that many CDers already have mannerisms that are in some ways more feminine than they already think or know. I certainly was one of them. It was when people would make the occasional comment that I had a feminine type of motion or mannerism that I became consciously aware and would try to shut these down. Not always with success mind you. I have been told I smoke in a girly fashion, never trying to smoke in any type of fashion.

CDers most often from videos I have seen and what I have seen of others in person tend to over exaggerate feminine motion, which in a way makes them stand out more, and more noticeable.

As for the gait... I forgot the what the OP was.... (blond moment) There is only so much you can do due to bio metrics. But you can walk with a smaller step with your legs a little closer together. Feet pointed a little less outward and make sure your posture is good. Keep your elbows in A LITTLE closer together. DO NOT over exaggerate.

[cheryl reeves]

i cant wear heels due to leg and back problems and also because i never could find one in my size..y'all must have small feet..lol what i do is try to find some mens flats that work..as for a gait i glide anyway,you rarely see me bend my knees but i can clear a store real quick,as for waddling i waddle when i walk any way..should see my spine looks like a snake crawled into my body and took over my spine..lol

[Helen_Highwater]

It's time for stick person to make an appearance;

http://www.biomotionlab.ca/Demos/BMLwalker.html

Use the sliders to alter gender and speed etc. It's a good representation of how walks differ.

[Meghan4now]

Nikki, a woman's gait latches on the left?

I have no idea how well I affect a woman's walk. I tend to allow my hip to pull the leg forward as opposed to the leg pulling the hip. Heels reinforce the technique. Guess I need to film my self some time.

-M.

[AngelaYVR]

When you're doing it right, it almost feels like you're skating.

[flatlander_48]

The one major thing I have noticed recently with TGs out on the town...Point you toes forward and not at a 45 degree angle away from your body. Walking like a duck makes you ...walk like a duck. Don't waddle.

Well, I don't think I waddle, but you never know. And yes, toes forward is part of it, I think.


I've found trying to keep you knees close together as you walk helps - almost brushing against each other with each step.

I would say it a bit differently. The runway model walk that people mention is exagerated by not only putting one foot in front of the other, but also placing the foot slight beyond center. That's what pulls the hip down on that side.

I was practicing a few weeks ago as I was curious how I looked with my new Underworks shaper/padding. My legs are pretty straight; not bow-legged or knock-kneed, as the slang goes. But, what is different about me is that my thighs are larger than most people my size. It is tough for me to get my knees together, but it may not be necessary. What I noticed was that walking with my feet roughly parallel, but with the feet spaced apart just enough so that your ankles didn't hit, was sufficient to get the hip movement and not make it wierd looking. Anyway, if you are wearing stockings, you hear that slight swooshing sound and that's about as good as it gets.

DeeAnn

[ReineD]

Do you have an eye for detail?

http://www.biomotionlab.ca/Demos/BMLwalker.html

Click on the "Lines" radio button at the bottom to better see the figure. And then slide the slider at the top to the left (male) and to the right (female). You'll notice that if you go all the way to either the left or right, the walk is like a stereotypical caricature. No one really walks like that. But, if you slide it so very slightly to the left of center and then to the right of center, you'll see a big difference between the two if you have an eye for detail.

You don't need to alter your walk drastically to walk more like a female, the importance is to not exaggerate. Instead, keep your elbows and knees just a bit closer in but try to do it with fluidity rather than stiffness. I agree with MissusMeagan ... don't try to swing your hips.

Have fun!

PS. I've no doubt this is hard to do. I tried to walk like a guy once and the result was laughable, way too exaggerated. I looked like I had just come off of a three-day ride on a horse.


Edit
I see that Helen has already provided the link.

[Dana44]

I found that taking short steps. On a longer walk like across a parking lot, put one foot in front of the other. Feet straight forward. It's a balancing walk, yet your hips move with that. I found that looking at other women, they do not walk as sexy as we want to. So, walking that way we will draw attention. Also stepping up or down off a curb is something to practice also. I found that you place your lead foot to the edge and step down carefully to keep that gate going.

[Krisi]

Not all women "walk like a woman". Go sit in a mall or park and watch them. That said, the link that was posted is a pretty good example of the differences, especially if you check the "lines" button. Notice that as you go from male to female, the shoulders get narrower and the hips get wider. There's not much we can do about that.

[Jackie7]

I think I learned on this site to rotate the forearms so your palms face a little more forward not flat to your sides. don't know why it helps but it does.m

[michelleddg]

Was recently advised by a makeup artist seeing me completely dolled up that my weak point was my walk. Good input, not an area I'm totally sensitive to. Her thoughts were toe-to-heel in heels, one foot in front of the other, and a touch of hip sway.

Hugs, Michelle

[lesli]

smooth almost floating hips and a little jiggle to the upper body and good posture. i've looked at this a lot and i tend to walk rather jerkily in my male stride and it gives off the image: out of the way, i own the street. part of this is that my father always told me to own the street when i walk and i'd not be considered as a victim--it actually works. so when i needed to fem up my gait, i had to smooth things out and really build from there.

[Katey888]

Believe it or not a GG from New York City showed me how to run in heels and look feminine. They do it a lot due to muggers, etc. :)

:lol: ONLY in NYC would women be worried about how they look when escaping from muggers... :)

I'll add my :2c: of observations and practice...

Small steps definitely help - as does keeping head and chin up, up, up! The old 50s deportment exercises of balancing a hardback book on one's head (paperbacks are too floppy and shiny) really do make a difference. If you can think 'elegant' and 'delicate' when walking, I think that helps me too.

Get all that aligned and then arms loosely by side but turn the inside of wrists slightly forward - this forces your elbows in and avoids the much-beloved orangutan swing of caveman jocks.

DeeAnn's right about feet position and a slight crossover - toes pointed forward - if you also consciously move the opposite shoulder forward slightly to the leading foot and let the arms swing naturally, I think you portray a little more hip movement (males normally tend to have shoulders quite 'square-on').

And then after all that, SMILE! (and keep a sharp eye out for kerbs, potholes and cobblestones... :eek:)

Katey x

[Lorileah]

alright we have the answer:

Stand up straight, shoulders back, small steps toes first (because you can't balance on a stiletto), one foot crosses the other and a hip bump and a sway...1,2,3, shoulders steady use only your hips, knees in, sashay, glide, sway, throw your hip forward but not at your waist, 4,5,6 (I'm sorry...number 3 you are out...thanks for auditioning), quick steps...

If you all do all that, you ain't never gonna go anywhere. Just walk.

[justmetoo]

LOL, Reine! :)
I agree, this is another case where "less is more". Better to keep it to a minimum. I think if we try not to walk like a guy that works well enough for anything but the catwalk or a drag show. Don't take big strides, don't take up space, try to keep things smooth and don't worry about swaying or wiggling or anything like that. I don't think my walk en femme is much different than my walk en homme, especially if I'm wearing flats (heels are a different story just because you have to walk a bit different in them). I guess my walk is not too far off center in that animation, so it doesn't look out of place either way?

[Helen_Highwater]

One thing I do find helps is wearing a just below the knee pencil skirt worn with even modest heels. The restricted movement the skirt allows "guides" you into a more feminine style of walking.

[alwayshave]

My fiancee spent some time with my attempting to get me to walk in a more feminine manner. She says I am better in that I no longer walk like a farmer in heels.

[MonctonGirl]

You can try my tutorial here:
http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?185444-HOW-TO-Walk-Like-a-Woman-In-Heels&highlight=

[Melissa in SE Tn]

" they love to watch her strut". Thank you Mr. Seger.

[Beverley Sims]

I do a bit of the catwalk....
One foot in front of the other.

[Pat]

(and keep a sharp eye out for kerbs, potholes and cobblestones... :eek:)


And sewer gratings. They can take you down hard. (Yes, personal experience.)

[FrancineS]

Practicing in heels going up and down steps is what did it for me.

[Claire Cook]

PS. I've no doubt this is hard to do. I tried to walk like a guy once and the result was laughable, way too exaggerated. I looked like I had just come off of a three-day ride on a horse.


Reine, we can just picture your John Wayne impersonation! :heehee:

[Stephanie47]

I too was going to recommend watching the tutorials on YouTube. There are tutorials for just about anything to enhance the womanly experience. I would recommend finding someway to restrict the tendency of men to walk by "throwing" their feet out in front of themselves. When really do walk slower and tend to walk placing their feet in front of the other as they walk, especially in high heels.

Maybe wearing a very long pencil skirt which goes below the knees would shorten a man's stride. I've seen women wear restrictive dresses and even they have to be conscious of shortening their gait.

[Ceera]

Jaylin, of course it is possible to run in high heels. I've been wearing them less than a year and I can run in them just fine. The trick is to lead with your toes and run on the balls of your feet, like a sprinter, and not to try running with the heel of your foot landing first. When I had been wearing heels for less than six months, a girl at a club (who herself was in sneakers) was excitedly and quite rapidly hauling me around to meet all her friends, oblivious to me being in 4 inch heels. I kept up with her at a brisk run, with short steps that always landed on the balls of my feet. My heels hardly touched the floor at all until we stopped.