Are you pretty?

[Wendrme]

Maybe we hate to admit it, but a lot of us "gurls", myself included, just are not conventionally femininely pretty. No matter how hard we try.
How important is it to you that you, as a woman, be considered "pretty"?
Make up and clothes can give us the regalia of femininity, but are we striving to attain the basic "pretty" appellation that puts the stamp of approval on our hobby?
If you are able to attain real prettiness as a woman, do you think you feel differently than the CD'er who even MAC can't help?
Lot of questions but let's do one more.
If you can't attain real feminine prettiness, do you think any less of yourself as a woman and do you think others dismiss you more easily as the woman you want to be?

[Candice June Lee]

At times usually after a day or two from the pictures I don't see the prettiness that u though I saw when I took the pick. But we all hold ourselves in a different light than what others see. I feel I need lots of work. But some others may see that differently.

[Kate Simmons]

I put my best foot forward to look decent en femme. As to whether I look pretty, I leave for others to decide.

[Brandy Mathews]

I think that there are some very pretty ladies in here.I look at some of your pictures and hope that I look as good as them. I have been told by other girls that I am passable, I really disagree. That is so hard to do. And passale to me is being able to go anywhere, do anything without anyone knowing at all that I am a male. If I could do that, I would do it every chance that I could. I am a whole different person when I am in female mode, I have a lot softer side, look at things so much differently, like a female and I really do enjoy that. If society was not so mean, I would wake up every morning, take y bubble bath, shave, apply my makeup, go into my closet and pick out the dress and shoes for the day. I will probably never transition, but I have to admit that it enters my mind a lot. Guess time will tell.
Hugs,
Bree

[Meghan4now]

Wendy,

I can do ok, and once in a while I am truly happy with the results. I am not drop dead gorgeous, but I don't think I'm repugnant either. I've never had aan overly positive self image, so it's hard for me to say. When I had my makeover, I felt that I really was pretty. Part of it was good art, including technical skill and good sense of color and balance. Part of it was attitude and openness to perception. There's an old saying "pretty is as pretty does"

Also it is good to keep a couple of other things in mind. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My wife has a worse self image than I do. And sure there are some less optimal features, but I can still look at her and see beauty. Our image of beauty is hugely affected by mass marketing and post production. How many supermodels say that when they look in the mirror, they don't see the image that they see in the magazine?

While I want to present as best as I can, I'm happy just to do an acceptable job, and get out. And when I go out, I want to feel free enough to laugh and talk and have a good time. What's the use in getting dressed, just to huddle silently in a corner, hunched over and afraid.

[Samantha2015]

Hi Wendy, I've always had low self esteem in my male life.
Others say I make a pretty gal and for me that's amazing and I hope it's true.
As a male I'm just average looking (maybe less) and it seems women always
ignore me at least where romance is concerned.
Maybe that's why it's so important for me to make a good looking gal, or try
my hardest anyway. It makes me feel good to look good.
I don't think CDing ever leaves you completely so as I get older
I'm sure I'll continue to dress I just hope the self esteem doesn't fail in
the female mode.

[Julie Denier]

I can do ok, and once in a while I am truly happy with the results. I am not drop dead gorgeous, but I don't think I'm repugnant either.

While I want to present as best as I can, I'm happy just to do an acceptable job ...

I guess that pretty much says it for me. Considering what I have to start with, I think I do OK. Makes me feel good, anyway

[Jenniferathome]

In the cold light of day? Well, in any light actually, no, I am decidedly not pretty. My wife thinks I am a handsome man and as a result, she says that when in Jennifer mode, I am good looking, "but... still off in a way." Makes sense, I am a man after all. Perhaps I am a handsome woman? I wonder what that means.

[Tracii G]

I showed my ex wife a pic of me and several ladies from my trans group and she honestly thought I was dating one of the women and asked why I wasn't in the pic.
I told her I was in the pic and she said "no way". It took her a minute and she figured out which one I was and told me "you make a very attractive woman".
Do I think I'm pretty? No not really.

[kimdl93]

I'm certainly not pretty. Would I like to be...sure. But not every woman is pretty, petite or young. Yet they are women who can carry themselves with dignity and are worthy of respect. I hope to do the same.

[Krisi]

At my age I'm a bit old to be "pretty". The best I can hope for is "classy" or "attractive". From a distance, I can be those. Up close, I doubt it but I would have to get an outside opinion. An honest one.

[laurenp245]

Pretty is such a subjective term. When I put forth the effort to get ready, get my outfit right and do a kick butt job on my makeup... I feel pretty for sure! It's more of an internal feeling of prettiness, I feel pretty because I've brought Lauren out into the world once again to say hello and that is a beautiful thing. As far as the outward appearance of pretty, I'd have to leave that to others to worry about. I'd only hope that some of those wonderfully powerful pretty feelings from inside make their way to the surface for all to see. I think that because we are all doing something that makes us happy, and expressing ourselves in a most genuine way that it makes us all supermodels!

<3 Lauren

[Katey888]

Bingo 1:

I don't think I look pretty - but I feel pretty. And sexy. And happy.

I look in the mirror and like what I see, maybe not beautiful or pretty, but me, dressed and made up the way I want to be

I want to feel those things.

Bingo 2:

That's dangerously subjective.

In fact it's totally subjective too... One can really only answer from one's own frame of reference...

Soooo... How important? Pretty important...

Is it a stamp of approval? Is it for a GG? Same for us...

Can we be dismissed because of others subjectivity and prejudices? Yeah - but who gives a shit what prejudiced, subjective, opinionated others think... :

[Exits right humming "... it's alarming how charming I feel, and so pretty, that I hardly can believe I'm real.... La-la-la la, la la la-la.." ]

Katey x

[sometimes_miss]

not every woman is pretty, petite or young.

Well, being pretty is something that lots of us may aspire to. There are a lot of teenage girls who worry about whether they're attractive or not. And yet, looking back, I don't remember more than a very few in my high school that were not. Sure, there are always a couple that have something about them that is a turn off to some guys, but on the whole, as the saying goes, we wouldn't kick them out of bed. A little 'make over' and virtually any young woman can be attractive. However. That doesn't seem to apply to us. We're men, and once we're adults, that manliness shows through even through our best efforts to stop it in it's tracks. A few of us can beat it; in fact, as we look through our avatar pics, when carefully picking the right one out of hundreds, even more than a few can rightly claim that we're pretty (though I'm not one of them). The conventional belief is that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. And in my mind's eye, I will behold that I am someone else entirely; someone female, someone pretty, someone wearing beautiful clothes, someone with long, shiny, silky hair combed just right, someone with perfectly applied, just the right amount of make up. And with all that in mind, I will believe that I just might be, had it been possible for all that to be true, in another life, I might have been pretty. That's the best that I can ask for.

[CarlaWestin]

Pretty? Well, uh, no. At least not at the moment.

[MisterEgurl]

I'm pretty certain I'm not in the least bit attractive.

[abby054]

A little 'make over' and virtually any young woman can be attractive... The conventional belief is that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'...

The makeover works pretty good for quite a few of the older ones as well. Being older myself helps a lot, too.

[Jennifer B]

It depends on how much I've had to drink. The more I drink the prettier I look in the mirror.

[TrishaTX]

It depends on how much I've had to drink. The more I drink the prettier I look in the mirror.

This is very true and I agree

[pamela7]

I don't think so, because I never fancied big women, but some women have been complimentary.

[Shinya]

I used to pull off pretty and sexy and hot and what not . Today no way .

Just a hot mess on high heels .

Kind of like a car that looks good at 50 feet until you get up to it .

Kind of like driving out west and happen upon the Rockies , just keeps getting bigger and bigger .

[Angela Marie]

People tell me that I am. Are they telling me the truth or just being polite and not wanting to hurt my feelings? If I am fine, if not fine also. Being a nice person is more important than being a pretty person.

[Nikki A.]

Like Kristi, I don't think I'm "pretty" but if I can achieve classy or at least passable I'm happy. What makes me happiest is when other women complement or say that they are jealous of my makeup. But then I realize it takes me an hour + and they maybe take 10 minutes and they still look so much better,

[ronny0]

Smart aws answer, but Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Also Beauty comes with a price http://blog.ted.com/6-talks-on-beauty/
My answer for myself would be something approaching "Only my Mother would think I was 'pretty' ".
Though my GF complements me, and after a few drinks I can look in the mirror and not see much of the 'guy' looking back.
Youth has a lot to do with the ability to be what society considers Attractive / Pretty.

[Kaze_]

Na,

My face shape is wrong, my skin is bad, and my back is wide.

With a few photo tricks and many hours of trail and error....