Female Body Language Quiz

[Leslie Langford]

Here's something I found posted in the on-line forum of a women's magazine that I often participate in. Yes, they know that I am a crossdresser, and most are surprisingly O.K. with it - even to the point of being supportive:

"This is merely a silly observation, but here goes. :-)

Doesn't it seem like women usually take off a sweater or tee shirt by crossing arms in front, then we grasp the sides of the sweater and pull it up and off, over our head.

Men seem to be more likely to reach back behind their head, often with only one arm, grab the neck of the shirt and yank it up over their head.

And if this is the case, I wonder why there would be this different way of doing things . . .

Too much time on my hands, I know. "

I'll post the answers as seen through the eyes of some of the GG members of that site in due course, but first, I'd be curious to find out how some of my CD sisters here remove their sweaters, and if our "CD genes" naturally cause us to gravitate towards doing it the way most GG's seem to.

As for me, I still do it the "manly" way, but on the other hand, I am sure that I am the equal of any GG when it comes to hooking up my bras behind my back without any problems whatsoever.

[Maria in heels]

I guess that I am a girly girl, as I always take off a tshirt etc. by crossing my arms and aking it off, and not like the "manly way" that you wrote about....never ever do I "yank" over my head with one arm...

[Tamara Croft]

I'm a GG and I do take my tops off with my arms folded lol... and my SO does the hand behind neck thing and yanks it off lol...

[Angie G]

I tend to go the way of the GG with the sweter thing.
Angie

[jillleanne]

For me it is a tad more complicated. I wear glasses so no matter what, they have to come off first. Then it depends on the neck style and size when I remove the sweater, sometimes with arms criss-crossed, sometimes I slip my arms back in towards my body inside the sweater, but rarely pull from the back, probably because I do not want to stretch the sweater.

[AriannaVillota]

I've been dressing for about a year and before I started, I always simply yanked my shirt off by the neck.

I've found that it's a lot simpler to just cross my arms and pull up. Plus it doesn't stretch out the shirt.

[PretzelGirl]

Hmmm.... For me it is always dependant on how tight the top/sweater/sweatshirt is. Tight things get the crossed arms. Looser items have me grabbing the shoulders and pulling it over.

[Persephone]

Fun question, Leslie!

I always do it the femme way and think that I always have. It actually never seemed to me to be a particularly femme way to do it since, as a general rule, women seem to make fewer cross-body movements as breasts tend to make such moves more awkward and difficult.

As for me, I still do it the "manly" way, but on the other hand, I am sure that I am the equal of any GG when it comes to hooking up my bras behind my back without any problems whatsoever.

Well there's your problem! You need to do it with the "other hand," the one you use when hooking your bra!

[Veronica Nowakowski]

I'm going to remember that, but I love having my arms around myself like that en femme. I have to say it's just so much softer to do it that way.

[Midnight Skye]

I remember reading about a number of these funny male vs female things. Things you would think were totally irrelevant. I also pull my shirts off from the front with my arms crossed nice and easily. I've heard this behavior might partially be caused by slight difference in arm length and angles.

I do pull hoodies off from behind... I swear they're impossible to get off if you don't!!!

[Nicole Erin]

grab my shirts front center and pull them up

[Alexei]

Neither for me.

No matter what I'm wearing, I usually pull one arm back through the sleeve(almost always left arm first), then pull the garment over my head, then remove it from my right arm.

[Rachel Morley]

I cross my arms over in front and then lift up. I've always done it like this since I was a kid. I vaguely remember my mom showing me how.

[Gina_C]

My SO made the same observation a few weeks back (she doesn't know about Gina)

My theory is that the femme way is less likely to put makeup on the garment being removed hence the different style.

Works for (both of) me

[Gillian]

I have moved in childhood from a behind the,,, grab to the cross arm off method, interesting little factoid though!

[Stitch]

I tend to get stuck in my jumpers, it's quite often that I'll need someone to help pull them off my head.

I had to think about it, but I'm sure I do the crossing arms thing. I don't put much thought into it though, and I doubt it looks graceful.

[Elvira]

For as long as i can remember, i've always crossed my hands over my front when removing a top. Another way of telling the difference between being masculine and feminine is by the way you look at your fingernails! Do you look at them palms down"feminine" or palms up with fingers curled up"masculine"?

[SuzanneBender]

I cross and as soon as I started wearing make up I knew why. It keeps the shirt away from your makeup. Natal gals are smart. Most of the time when they do something its for a reason. Even if they do not know why.

[christine55]

and get less makeup on your tops if you crisscross your arms at the bottom and turn garment inside out as you pull it over your head.

Hugs,
Christine

[gabimartini]

I do it by crossing my arms only when I'm dressed. Not sure where I got that from. Feminine instinct, perhaps?

[ソSophieフィ]

Could it also be something to do with hair? I mean, if you've got long hair going down your back, you would either pull it or completely mess it up if you pulled a sweater off from the back. Having long hair myself, this is my reason for not doing it the manly way.
But I have to say, I don't cross my arms either. Doesn't the top end up inside out after doing that? I generally pull my arms in and push the thing off me, from within.

[Phyliss]

Beyond the idea of mussing up your make up, there is also another reason.
I do the arm pull and slide the garment up over my head with both hands holding the neck opening away from my face thing.

I've been attempting to make this habitual for the past 6 or so months, sometimes I'll revert and do the one handed over the head pull only to catch myself and pay closer attention the next time.

Had my ears pierced last month and recently "forgot" how to take off my turtleneck sweater. Studs caught on the material and .... yep. a very painful reminder of how to PROPERLY remove my sweater.

[SouthernBelle.GG]

Doesn't it seem like women usually take off a sweater or tee shirt by crossing arms in front, then we grasp the sides of the sweater and pull it up and off, over our head.

GG here and I don't take off my sweaters/tshirts this way. I remove my left arm from the sleeve, then the right arm. Then, I'll open the neck up a bit wider and pull over my head - careful not to make a mess of my hair or make up.

...I am sure that I am the equal of any GG when it comes to hooking up my bras behind my back without any problems whatsoever.

Never ever have I hooked up my bra behind my back. I hook in front, then twirl it around to the back.

[Stina84]

I never knew there were separate male and female ways of taking a sweater off. Who would have guessed?

But I think I'll try doing it the female way and see if it is any better.

I always put on my bra in the female way of hooking it in front - hooking it behind my back is way too difficult.

[Sarasometimes]

I do both but the arms crossed method when enfemme. I sometimes grab the bottom to turn it inside out. There are many of these so called tells.
How do you look at your fingernails? Hands out in front, palms down or by making a partial fist? I believe palms down is the GG way, correct me if i am wrong. Any others???