What do you think really makes a woman feminine?

[Kate Simmons]

Different folks have different ideas on this but what do you think makes a woman truly feminine and do you try to emulate that? The physical appearance can be somewhat synthesized with the proper props and equipment as most of us have proven but in my own opinion, the inherent caring and sharing and compassion that a woman projects from her core being is the most feminine thing. If we get closely in touch with all of our feelings we can come close but will never truly match it in sheer depth. BTW, this is open for everyone to comment on.

[Karren H]

Wearing feminine clothes.... Not wearing jeans! Lol.

[Aylineira]

So then.... I guess... boobies and the lack of Jake the snake from down under isn't correct then? (joking)

[Cheryl T]

I think it's a combination of carriage, attitude, and emotions.
I've known lesbians who were more male than me and conversely gay males who were more feminine than most women.

[Marleena]

Kate I agree, it's their mind. Everything starts from there.

[Krististeph]

It's the subtle infrastructure of mannerisms, IMO.

Best simple advice i ever saw: As much as reasonably possible: keep your elbows in close to your body, and your knees together: Don't flop out or let your limbs stray. It is great advice for still photos, but doing it as you move about not only looks more feminine, but also makes you feel more feminine. And since you have to work at it at first, you will constantly be reminded of your actions, posture, etc.

Have fun!

[NicoleScott]

I hope this doesn't turn into another disagreement over definitions (woman, femininity).
I have discovered that what attracts me to women is their overt femininity, their girly-girlyness. Such was the case of a college friend (not a girlfriend - but in hindsight I wish she would have been). She was always dressed very stylishly, everything perfect, clothes, hair, makeup, always perfectly polished nails (never chipped), and very feminine mannerisms. But she really knocked me out when we met one Saturday morning for tennis: again, perfect makeup, hair and nails, and her little short white tennis dress....oh my!
That doesn't make her more of a woman, just more feminine (in my mind).

[Stephenie S]

The ability to be gracious and forgiving is right up there as a gift from Goddess. But women are people and people are different. Trying to make such broad distinctions is always going to be problematic.

Stephenie

[Barbara Ella]

Thread like this always has the problem of the definition of what is being discussed. What it is to one person may not be the same for another as all have internalized weighting scale that give more credit to one attribute than another in coming up with the total feeling that someone is feminine. That aside.......

The mind is what lets the person control their behavior/appearance. The lengths to which a person will go to enhance/modify their behavior/appearance is what impacts the evaluation of femininity, not being a woman. So, it is the visual markers that pile up femininity points. nails, hair, eyes, smile, walk, posture, etc. I think the internals, the caring, empathy, compassion, are core womanly attributes that are much more treasured than the physical, and these are the womanly factors. I believe that a highly feminine looking woman can actually be less womanly than a less feminine looking woman, and in this regard the less feminine looking woman can actually be more attractive. Just depends on how the mind is doing its evaluation at any moment in time.

Just remember that it is all in your mind.....and what a wonderful place to have these thoughts.

Babes

[Stephanie47]

Since Kate asks what my personal feelings are concerning femininity, my answer is "my answer." A truly feminine woman knows how to carry herself. She may not be overly attractive, but, she knows how to present herself to the accentuate her assets. She knows how to interact with others without appearing snooty. She is attentive to the person she is with. She is not boring.

Back in college I saw many really attractive girls, who destroyed themselves by opening their mouths. Gum chewing bores. Asking whether you had a car or money before accepting a date. They may have been headed to being a 'trophy wife," but very shallow and totally boring.

I've seen many women transformed from a young soccer mom or mature women to a very feminine sexy looking woman on the Today Show's Ambush Makeover segment. If you don't have the personality you may appear attractive or sexy, but, you may be a big dud.

[BRANDYJ]

A woman is feminine to me, when the way she carries herself matches her inner beauty and strength. I can look at a woman and think she is feminine, graceful, beautiful, sexy or cute. But that alone does not make her feminine. I could make a list a mile long, but I'll simply sum it up this way. When a woman is feminine, after subtle interaction and observation, I just know she is feminine.
Just can't put it into words.

[Kate Simmons]

I guess my follow up question would be: Do you think you can or do emulate what you consider to be feminine? I think I do a pretty good job, hell I can even emulate what I consider masculine.

[Joanna41]

For me its the persons interpretation of presenting as female in there own mind in whatever ever that turns out to be. Some are happy dressing without make-up, while others like myself go all the way with hair, nails, make-up, and clothes. To each use their own.

Joanna

[Julia_in_Pa]

It's her way of carrying herself along with her attitude and personality.
Clothing and makeup have little to nothing to do with femininity.


Julia

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Kate, I guess that it's a combination of so many little things the
way she presents herself and personality and all the little physical things.

[Julie Martin]

Her female brain! Something us CDers will never have. (The Female Brain is a good book BTW)

[sissystephanie]

I would have to agree with Kate's OP. Most things that we all do come from the brain, and a GG's femininity certainly does! And as good a job of stirring up my femininity my late wife did on me, I could never come close to being like her!!

[Janelle_C]

I think it's all the things I wish I could do more naturally. Like the way they talk to each other the way they move the head, the hands. I think its something that they just have becouse they are women. I have been caring and compassionate most of my life maybe that's part of the fem side of me.

[NicoleScott]

It's her way of carrying herself along with her attitude and personality.
Clothing and makeup have little to nothing to do with femininity.

I agree with your first sentence. As for the second, it has much to do with how I perceive a woman's femininity, which was the original question.

[Miriam-J]

Interesting topic, Kate. This made for an interesting discussion topic with my lovely wife. Definition is everything here, and that's reflected in the responses already. There appear to be too major subtopics for femininity:

• Overt femininity: Reflected in how a person dresses, modifies facial appearance (makeup, plucking, shaping, earrings, ...), fixes hair, adjusts their fragrance, attention-grabbing movements, and so on

• Innate femininity: Reflected in a person's attitude, behavior, verbal expression, and casual mannerisms
  

While my immediate attention is captured by the overt, I admire the innate femininity the most and appreciate that it carries through in any relationship. My wife has tremendous innate femininity, and some overt femininity nearly all the time. Occasionally she will exhibit a great deal of overt femininity as well, and I certainly appreciate those times but they aren't part of our foundation.

We CDs, and perhaps the TGs and TSs as well, would do well to first release our innate femininity. This should come fairly easily as a natural expression of the feminine side that drives our behaviors. The overt femininity extends this, increasing our comfort and helping us to fit into society.

Miriam

[NathalieX66]

Having a female skeleton helps. The pelvis is wider, and the femur bones can move omnidirectionally ( specifically designed to get the little one's head out of the cervix during childbirth), while male femurs are far more limited in movement (...forwards & backwards) .
That being said, girls can cross their legs comfortably while sitting down. As feminine as it may appear to be, it's all in the pelvis/femur structure and measurments....we guys ain't got it.

[crossdressersfriend GG]

Things that make me feel feminine are having my nails done and my hair. I know some can rock short hair, but I like it at least shoulder length and mine is died jet black.

Clothes don't make you sexy IMO they can make you feel sexy and that's what you see in a confident woman. Jeans and a blouse can be sexy on some and a dress & heels on another. You put me in heels and you will not call that sexy when I try to walk, you'd call that funny!

[KellyJameson]

For me what makes a woman feminine is that she can behave like a man but still be a woman if she understands the true source of her powers.

[Ellyn]

One thing that is really feminine is a womans hair. The current fad of women wearing chopped off hair that looks like a halfblind barber cut their hair in the dark is awful. Older women look especially terrible because of large wrinkly ears sticking out, along with the natural loss of femininity a slowdown of female hormones gives them. I was having dinner at a restarant and commented to my mother-in-law how terrible I thought these two other older women looked with their new extra short hairdos, and would you believe it, she turns up a week later looking like a truck driver ith a bad haircut. . I commented to my wife that the girls in the shampoo ads are the most beautiful on TV, and she replied, "It's the hair". She know. But shestill prefers to cut her hair short, but at least it covers her aging ears. There was an episode of Two and a half Men that made reference to womens ears growing bigger as the years go by. Charliue was right!

[docrobbysherry]

I have NO IDEA what it is or how to define it! But, I KNOW IT WHEN I SEE IT!