Hi.
feminine.
1, of relating to women or girls
2, characterized by or possessing qualites generally attributed to a woman.
3, Effeminate , womanish
the feminine gender, latin, femininus from femina,woman,
fem'i;nine;ly, fem;i.nine'ness.
or characteristic of woman , & peculiar to women.
I think that should cover this quite well ,
so whos the woman & there is a big difference between men & women,
Im a woman & i dont allways feel feminine yet its a part of us.
...noeleena...
So, evidently a lot of it is based on affectations and how we utilize the props and equipment.
Second star to the right and straight on till morning
I'm not too good on philosophical questions, but I'll try to give you my take on what I think the question might be.
Kathi is correct to an extent, that having been raised in my biological gender, I don't know for certain what it would feel like to truly be feminine in all of its aspects.
What I can say with some certainty is that when I am dressed, I feel a freedom and a sense of fulfilment that come from expressing my true gender rather than the physical one.
I sometimes shorten that to "I feel like the woman I have always known myself to be". I certainly hope that makes me feminine, but I know I've never really been masculine.
Check out this link if you are wondering about joining Safe Haven.
This above all: To thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any
Galileo said "You cannot teach a man anything" and they accuse ME of being sexist
Never ascribe to malice that which can be easily explained by sheer stupidity
Denise, I would have to say, that your comment
That is just it! The feeling of being free and connecting with your deep sense of femininity.it just made me feel freer to express my deep feelings.
I do know that I feel more real when I'm dressed in my feminine finery, I feel my expressions change, my demeanor changes, my voice and walk even have a natural feminine lilt to them (so I have been told and feel).
One of the first times I really noticed that woman's clothing makes all the difference in the way I felt was at a Dress Party, a woman that sold High End fashion at parties came to the TCNE house when it was in Wayland MA. Her designs were made of finer fabrics and lined. There cuts were tailored and the quality was similar to the Couture you see on runways. When I slipped on the sheath dress a light went on inside and it was so pink and flowery you could never get the same feeling in a brooks bothers suit.
Being a man its impossible to know really what feminine feels like.I know that when i dress i like how i feel and look and can relate that to how women feel,however deep down im still a man.
Kinda sums it up for me too! Thanks, Kathi!Originally Posted by Kathi Lake
Since I have never been a female, and never will be one, it is impossible for me to know how "feeling feminine" would feel like. However, I know what feeling masculine feels like (No. Seriously. I do!
Kathi
I already feel feminine but the clothes are used as an enhancer, an extension to my femininity,a joining of two things, you can feel the femininity within yourself just like you feel happiness or pain and when you put something on that extends your feminine feeling you can certainly feel it , just like a feminine GG can feel it, as a masculine male can feel that also .
Last edited by Joanne f; 06-24-2010 at 07:18 AM.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Joanne
I have no clue on what the true feminine feeling is! However when I dress I act as if I was born a female. I tend to act just like any other woman which to the publics view is feminine.
Basically I have accepted myself when dressed as a woman as a woman and I never think of myself as a man in drag!!!
It makes me feel what I think in might feel like to feel feminine. Not being a GG, I can only imagine what a GG feels. It might be the way I feel toward my masculine side when I put on my boots, big buckle, jeans and western hat and strap on my six shooter. Sure, I feel more masculine when wearing the clothes of my western heros.
We all have what we think the perfect image of the feminine is, so when I do dress in woman's clothes, I do feel more feminine. But part of me feels womanly, if not feminine, when dressed in either mode.
Also, notice that women have a LOT - and I mean TONS - of different "accoutrements" to help them "feel" feminine. Hairdos, makeup, jewelry, skirts, dresses...everything. Feminine/masculine are two reflections on the human condition, therefore, if you are a human, you probably fall somewhere on the spectrum - fem on one end, masc on the other.
It all depends on how we feel, and how we express that feeling. To say "I'm not a woman so I don't know anything about feeling fem" is a falsehood. You may not know what it is to have the physicality of a female body, but that doesn't mean you can't feel feminine. Just my opinion, anyway.
Crysten
"Addicted to Victoria's Secret".
I have to disagree with the majority on this one.
Feelings though Physical, are very much from the heart & head rather than a given appearance. Therefore I see know reason why our individual feeling of femininity should be any different to those of a gg. There are of course big differences in the way most of us, have been taught to express feelings & emotions, but I believe these are, in the main, a product of nurture not nature. I would certainly say that when dressed, in pretty feminine clothes, that I feel more feminine, than when dressed in dull boring clothes. They don’t necessarily have to be female clothes, just feminine.
Last edited by Jane G; 06-24-2010 at 10:58 AM.
not sure what it feels like. i just like it, it makes me feel good and right?? it make me feel like...ME.
.
I agree with this, I too have accepted myself as a woman and never feel like a man even when in drab
Check out this link if you are wondering about joining Safe Haven.
This above all: To thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any
Galileo said "You cannot teach a man anything" and they accuse ME of being sexist
Never ascribe to malice that which can be easily explained by sheer stupidity
The bottom line is that my higher self is of feminine energy character. What that means is that the perspective is a bit different than masculine energy. Neither of these is related to physical sex although I have taken ownership of my energies and amalgamated them into my overall self, physical basis notwithstanding.
Second star to the right and straight on till morning
Im with you, it just makes me feel normal!
Denise, I wouldn't quite say it the way you did, but I strongly agree that the notion of a "feminine self" is much more than the props and equipment. There is a mindset, a philosophy, a way of viewing the world (ok, those were redundant). In our society, at the moment, there are certain outward characteristics that often (not always) go along with the philosophy.
It is true that there have been times when my masculine self, in drab, has been put aside because it was very useful to have Tina's mindset for a few moments. The outward props are not necessary, but they are useful in pulling together the whole geshtalt. Also, the props are useful in presenting a feminine vision to others so that they are not confused by that presentation (similar to using a feminine voice when presenting in drag).
Hmmm, maybe I've gotten a bit too much into this!!!
tina
I have never really asked a Woman, "Hey, what's it feel like, when you feel feminine?" I have no proof, but I doubt she could enunciate an answer that would help me to understand. After all, could you really describe how it feels to score a Hole In One? Or what it really feels like to hit A Walk-Off Home Run? Or to see your Son go off to serve in The Military?
But, I know there are times when I feel so "different" from my Male Self, that all I can do is describe those feelings as "feminine." Sometimes when my body is freshly shaved, and every inch can feel the cool, caressing touch of my clothing. Sometimes when my walk is particularly graceful, and care-free. Sometimes when I notice a Young Mother with her child, I "feel" a particular empathy.
And, I guess it's different for each person....but, I know what it ain't! It's NOT feeling like a Male. So for me, it's a bundle of situations, touches, textures, perceptions, and about a million other things that have Nothing to do with my male feelings. I guess that's what you might call "feeling feminine."
Peace and Love, Joanie
+1. But what being completely devoid of any male attire does to me is give me the feeling that I'm finally who I'm supposed to be; the rest of the time it feels like I'm wearing a costume (that is, when I'm wearing boy clothes). I don't swish and sway, change my voice to a feminine pattern, or use any feminine mannerisms; I still move very much like a male (because, that's what I am, this body simply doesn't naturally wiggle like a woman's would). But I sorta-kinda feel like I'm female just the same. Developmental conditioning can be a bitch.
Some causes of crossdressing you've probably never even considered: My TG biography at:http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/...=1#post1490560
There's an addendum at post # 82 on that thread, too. It's about a ten minute read.
Why don't we understand our desire to dress, behave and feel like a girl? Because from childhood, boys are told that the worst possible thing we can be, is a sissy. This feeling is so ingrained into our psyche, that we will suppress any thoughts that connect us to being or wanting to be feminine, even to the point of creating separate personalities to assign those female feelings into.
When I right that in a post I mean that I felt feminine. I recently started wearing dresses more often than skirts and slacks and I feel more feminine in them. This is the opposite feeling I get when I do something manly, like fix something mechanical or build a deck. When I am doing those things I would say I felt more masculine than feminine while doing it.
Women feel feminine and masculine as well I would think. For them it isn't as big a deal since society embraces both of those for women. Just because you aren't female doesn't mean you don't know what feminine feelings are for you.
Granted, we don't know how it is to BE a female we just know what our perception of those feeling are. I do agree that along with feeling more feminine at those times, I also feel more at peace when i am able to let Sara have her time.
Great post!!
I dress in female clothing because I feel feminine - Ellen
Crossdressing cannot possibly be a feminine experience if you find yourself being aroused in a masculine way.
There's a fine-to-thick line, IMO, between what i mentioned, and dressing for personal expression.
When it becomes your personal style,and you feel closely aligned with it, then I think it becomes another story.
Last edited by NathalieX66; 06-25-2010 at 02:43 PM.
We've been here before! Many of the contributions deal with both the purely physical sensations of wearing women's clothes and the psychological sensations of experiencing the emotions of a woman. For me, it is solely the former: I like to know what it feels like to wear the skirts, dresses, slips, shoes, underwear, etc that women can (but do not always) wear. by and large I can satisfy that desire, limited only by the less than woman-shaped body on which the clothes must be worn!
In my case, I do not have desires to experience femininity in its more abstract guises - and don't believe I could, though others might try to do this and the clothing might help. It's true that sometimes I wish I could experience the physical feel of women's clothes in a more varied environment and in more "normal" every-day situations...but that isn't open to me.
Personally, I don't dress to feel feminine, I dress because part of me is indeed feminine. Crossdressing is basically a physical manifestation of my girl side. When I first started dressing when I was eleven years old It wasn't for the purpose of developing a feminine side, but rather as an expression of the femininity that already existed inside me.
It's difficult for people understand the concept of being bigendered mainly because most people identify with being one or the other. But for me being both is natural.
I can not speak for others here, but I can say that I feel like I was born male, and
I should have been born a girl. That said, do I feel feminine in girls clothing? Yes
would be the answer.
Barbie Girl in a Barbie World
"loves tights"
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Your point about being yourself is well taken, but I would add that the feminine feeling that many people describe probably has some validity regardless of whether or not those who express it really know what it means to be feminine.
Consider this: when I played the role of Daddy Warbucks in "Annie," I didn't really know what it would be like to have untold riches and power. However, when I got into those Warbucks costumes (created in the imagination of our costume designers), I had a different feeling. I assumed a role and that role was enhanced by the trappings (an elaborate stage mansion, the streets of NYC, and the props and furniture). The enhanced quality that feeds our minds and sensitivities is what I take many to mean when they write about feeling "s-o-o-o" feminine in this or that outfit.
My therapist and I have often talked about the fact that being female is more than breasts and hormones. Yet those qualities associated with female secondary characteristics certainly enhance many CDs' experience and the satisfactions that come from it. Even many GGs aspire to emphasize those characteristics, so it seems natural--at least not surprising--that CD/TGs might mirror similar thoughts and behavior--and effusions about feeling s-o-o-o feminine.
warmly, Linnea
Posting Permissions
