Female gestures

[Andrea_girl]

I have read a lot on this board over the last year about how womens gestures or the lack of is a reason we standout.

Can I ask that we make a list here of GG gestures we have noticed so we all know what we have to learn to do to pass more convincingly

GG comments would be good also

Andrea
XX

[jsoto81]

I haven't met to many MTFs but the ones that I have the thing that I personally notice the most is the walk. Theres just something there, maybe it's because they haven't had to much practice. But that's what I've personally noticed.

[Billie Jean]

Sitting with legs crossed at the ankles and off to the side. Billie Jean

[Sally24]

Sometimes it's not the gesture itself so much as how they do it. I always try to move a little slower and not to make any fast movements. That tends to make things smoother and more graceful.

The walk is definitely important. It should not be a strut (too abrupt and jagged) but more of a sway. I'm still working on mine but got a good start last year when I was by myself in a hotel for almost 2 weeks. It takes lots and lots of practice!

The bent wrist is another good one. We spend alot of our youth trying to avoid the "limp wrist" look, now it's time to relearn it!

Sally

[Marla S]

There are no typical all women's gestures. You will find the hip swing, but by far not all GGs do it. Not all GGs always cross their legs, etc.
It's more important to avoid male gestures IMO, that prevents you from over-feminine gestures, which is as unmasking as masculine gestures.

[Rachel Morley]

I'm afraid IMHO it's not as easy as that. The only thing I can say to you is go to the mall on a Saturday afternoon, sit on one of those sofas or some sort of bench, and people watch.

I'm not an expert, but purely generalizing here, I think women take up less space than men and I don't only mean their physical stature. Men sit and stand often with their legs open, women tend not to. Men sit sprawled out on the sofa taking up as much space as possible often placing their hands on their head, legs apart, reclining back, women tend not to. Guys swing their shoulders and arms when they walk, women tend not to. The sitting with the legs crossed example you give is about taking up less space IMO. Watch your wife, if she's like mine she often has her hands relaxed and loose at the wrist, like the pic below...although this is a pic of me in boy mode. You have to learn these sorts of gestures (if they don't come naturally). However, in my experience, don't be surprised if it gets to be second nature, that you look a little camp in boy mode. :D

[Lori SC]

Yeah, What Angel said... :iagree:

Denai Doyle actually has a couple of tapes/DVDs about feminine poise and movement. I caught one of her presentations at a conference. All I can say is wow - there are a lot of little things that add up to saying male or female in movement.

Two I remember pointedly are the women take smaller steps, and they tend to keep their elbows in close to the body, even tend to keep the inner part of the elbow rotated a little forward as well as the inner part of the wrist forward. Males have the elbows away from the body, swing them and the knuckles are forward (maybe from primeaval behavior making a fist)? Males strut, females glide.

At this same conference I listened to Ms Doyle, I saw a CD who looked like a man in a dress - why - because "he" was walking with the male behavior described above. It was discordant with the rest of the image.

Another thing Doyle mentioned was curves. Not necessarily the curves that come naturally with a body, but the ones you create when sitting or standing. If you are not sitting or standing perfectly at attention, by shifting your body, you can creat curves in the torso that look more feminine.

And YES, please keep those legs together, ESPECIALLY when in a skirt! :confused2:

Hugs Lori

[susie evans]

i think the best thing to do is what karren sugested go some were and watch the people and see how they act what they wear and you can learn a lot i know i have some times i go to the mall and just set and watch
<enfem of couse>:heehee: :heehee:
susie

[Karren H]

Tons..... the way the arms swing when they walk....faster and wider and out more... usually only one hand since they are holding ont their purse or a bag or a child in the other...

Walking with sholders not swinging very much... and hips...well you don't really need to swing your hips... check out most women don't very much so you can practice this but i've found out that if you walk erect, head up and smiling, with confidence.... hips don't really matter... When we do swing our hips it's usually over kill and gives us away more than anything, in my opinion... Also walk slow but not necessarily with short steps.... great way to get around a store is pushing a shopping cart slowely.... works great!!!

Smiling.... self explanitory, but guys DON"T know how to smile like girls do!! so practice smiling and smile large and often..... A real good smile will cover for any other defects in your fem presentation!! :D

Standing, slightly shifted on one hip or the other... one foot placed in front of the other.

Sitting - like a lady should sit!! lol

Also, women love to touch the one they are talking to... on the arms...or hand

And women laugh at the drop of a hat!!! kind of like smiling only even biger...

and on and on... Just go to the mall!!! and do some homework!!

Love Karren

[linnea]

Right--observation, imitation, practice--I'm working on all of mine, making SLOW progress I think

[GACountrygal]

Ahh!! One thing I did notice last time we took my SO out dressed, was his walk. It was MANLY and he stuck out like a sore thumb! Then again, after a few beers, sometimes one tends to forget all the lil things, lol.

The upper body has a lot to do with the *womanly gestures* especially when walking. Keeping the shoulders back a lil bit more, and having the arms, elbows and wrists a bit more relaxed but not floppy is something that will help.

When you first look at someone, you are more then likely to see them from the waist up, since your head would be lookin where you're goin. And thats where the first impression hits!

Also, if you have the fluid, relaxed upper body movement, it will help the lower body to become more fluid as well!!

Hope this helps a bit!

-Nicole

[Kate Simmons]

I found out that dancing helped me. Once I got the feminine moves going on the dance floor, all my other regular movements are second nature and I don't think about them really. It's funny, it seems that when I become Ericka, a "switch" is thrown somewhere and the female "program" is activated. Same thing with being Rich cause when I'm a guy, that's what I act like, not conscious about it at all really. Don't think it came easy though. When I first started dancing, I didn't know what the hell I was doing and was pretty stiff out there. A couple of GG's gave me pointers on how to move and now it all just comes naturally. A lesbian friend of mine once made the comment that I "out gay" the gay guys on the dance floor. I took that as a compliment(I think?!).:happy:

[Tracy_Victoria]

I'm afraid IMHO it's not as easy as that. The only thing I can say to you is go to the mall on a Saturday afternoon, sit on one of those sofas or some sort of bench, and people watch.
:D

Could not agree more!

and the first thing you will notice is men swing there arms from there shoulder, whilst woman tend to swing their arms at the elbows

as Angel say just sit and watch, when your next out shopping!

[raksha GG]

When I was growing up, my Mum tried to teach me to walk placing one foot infront of the other as it was more 'ladylike' ........ A woman will place a hand on anothers arm rather than hold it.

[janedoe311]

Watch people you will find that most women do not have noticeable or that noticeable female gestures. It is mostly a trained habit, and who you hang around with. You tend to “mimic” people you spend time with so women that spend time with ladies that use female gestures will pick up those gestures. Women that hang around with men will not. Models learn to walk with an exaggerated swing in their hips and practice female gestures.

Women’s hip sockets are at a different angle to make room for the wider pelvises’ and birth canal. This is the reason woman “swing” their hips. But that is also trained. Most women do not swing their hips. The runway walk with one foot in front of the other exaggerates the hip swing. So does bending one leg at the knee keeping the other straight, take a Latin dancing class you want to see swing hips in men and women.

In the end a person is not going to look at you and think “You are a man because you do not have female gestures or a swinging hip!”

Also beware it is a habit. If you focus on female gestures and walk when CD’ing then they will spill over when you do not CD and that will be noticed!

As suggested sit in the mall and watch people.

[SBryder]

My gf told me the only thing that makes me stand out is how I tend to ball my fist (I have a condition I can't spell that has me in pain a lot, so I ball my fist whenever it comes up) and that my sway is broken if I try and run XD I've worked on the fist thing with success (just a mental note to not do it XD) and for the running thing I just... don't run XD

[Jodi]

My gf told me the only thing that makes me stand out is how I tend to ball my fist (I have a condition I can't spell that has me in pain a lot, so I ball my fist whenever it comes up) and that my sway is broken if I try and run XD I've worked on the fist thing with success (just a mental note to not do it XD) and for the running thing I just... don't run XD

I believe your condition in the hand is called Dupatren's Contracture.

Jodi