There's a law for that

[Helen_Highwater]

I was exchanging PM's with another from here and we got around to Blending and how this was most easily achieved in a large crowd. It then struck me that perhaps there's a formula, a calculation, that can be made to work out your chances of blending (tongue firmly in cheek here).

So what are the elements that would make up the formula?

1 Crowd density. N= number of people, A =area so 10 people in a phone box will give a better reading than 100 on a football field.
2 Height ratio. Your height H divided by the average female height F. We all know tall GG's tend to stand out in a crowd. I think it would have to be height in heels.
3 Hemline L as measured from the knee. This would be the inverse, i.e. 1 divided L, the shorter the hemline the more attention drawn.
4 Cleavage and breast size. Tricky one this. Larger breasts tend to draw the male gaze but away from the face. Lets go with B starting at being =1 for C cup size and under, add 1 for every size upwards, D cup =2 etc. No cleavage C=0, cleavage c=1
5 Makeup skills. Purely subjective self assessment. S (for slap) range 1-10, 10 being excellent.
6 Youth, Y how many young kids there are about. The more there are the greater your chance of being spotted

So far the equation looks like;
N H 1 BCS
A F L Y

So what other factor(s) would you add to the equation?

[DIANEF]

How about W= walk. No use looking good if you're walking like a rugby player.

[Kate Simmons]

I think it's all just "seat of the pants" myself.

[ReineD]

It’s not just the hemline, Helen. It’s anything that causes people to stare, thus improving the chances of being read. A hemline that is too short for the age and body type, too much makeup for the age and venue, a hair style or color that isn’t coherent with the age, being overdressed for the venue, if someone wears breast forms and hip pads a bust:waist:hip ratio that is exaggerated, and other potential mismatches that don’t immediately come to mind.

And then there are cues that cannot be masked, like facial bone structure, the thickness of facial profile, arm length, neck size, shoulder size, other subtle ratios like eyelid to eyebrow, etc … there are a few analyses online about common facial differences between men and women. One might argue they are subtle, but our brains have an uncanny ability to take all these subtle cues and put them together in order to have an ability to differentiate between males and females.

Here’s one analysis by a person who helps TSs determine the best possible course of FFS. Also have a look at all the individual features in the menu on the left:
http://www.virtualffs.co.uk/My_Facia...oportions.html

[Lana Mae]

I have been noticing that some genetic women have shoulders wider than hips and some more rectangular in shape. I think we can find exception to all rules. Not all formulas are etched in stone. I guess I am just saying we shouldn't over analyze all this. Do your best and take it from there and don't forget to enjoy. Hugs Lana Mae

[ReineD]

Lana Mae it's not just one feature like wide shoulders, it's the hundreds of little and big things put together. Our brains have an amazing ability to compute things without our even realizing it. Why do you think that people can tell a GG with wide shoulders, short hair, and wearing jeans, sneakers, and a plain top is a GG, even if she is flat chested.

Quite a few members in this forum believe that it is almost impossible for a birth-male presenting as a woman to not be read, and I agree. Else, TSs would not bother with the discomfort and expense of FFS, even after having been on HRT for awhile.

[sara66]

Don't forget about girth. My size 24 butt could draw attention when factor in with my 6'+ in heels,
Also the heel height on your shoes.
Sara

[Melissa Rose]

While I find the idea of a formula amusing, the margin of error would be too large. Also, it would have to be quite complex and require numerous, detailed and invasive measurements to approach any form of accuracy. It would be kind of fun though.

I agree with Reine that if is often secondary gender characteristics subconsciously observed and calculated in a fraction of a second that are often used in final gender/sex determinations or used to resolve ambiguous or conflicting information. We are usually unaware of it occurring and what criteria is being used. I am basing this off my and others experiences. I have been on HRT for about 4 years. When I am wearing unisex clothing (e.g., jeans, baggy t-shirt or sweatshirt, sneakers), no make-up or other more "feminine" things are absent (purse, earrings), gender confusion is not unusual. I do not see it nor does my wife but others get confused sometimes. Recently, our niece asked my wife is I was sick since she noticed some kind of change in my physical appearance (I am not out to all of my extended family so sometimes I travel the androgynous path).

This was a surprise to both of us. I guess we are blind to it but others are picking up on something. It is amazing how fast the human brain collects and processes information and compares it against known information to come to a conclusion and how often it is right or very close to it.

[Dee Baker]

Perhaps you have over engineered it.

[Helen_Highwater]

Erm folks; I did say in the post "(tongue firmly in cheek here)"

Of course there's a myriad of factors many operating at the subliminal level. Over engineered? Not at all. Ask those who write the software for facial recognition algorithms. In truth to construct such a formula would be immensely difficult and well beyond my limited mathematical skills.

[dolovewell]

A lot of people in here are correct. It's not the big things, its the small things. I am still young, have a slender frame, a fairly narrow waist for my height, and some feminine facial features. But I still don't pass, because its all the small things added together to where things just don't seem right.

I am a professional mathmetician so I have done something like what you did before. I used to think that going to less crowded places was easier for going out in public, but thats actually not the case. The crowded, the easier you blend since its harder for people to zero in on you. My biggest humiliaton as a crossdresser came at an empty JC Penney(standalone, so it wasn't attached to a mall) on a Friday Night. Meanwhile I went shopping for 5 hours all dressed up on Black Friday one time and had zero problems. I completely agree with you about youth though. It's as if younger teenagers together in a group do not have a social filter and think its appropriate to say whatever is on their mind out loud so everyone within a 100 mile radius can hear.

If I could just blend I would be thrilled. I am 6 feet tall so its not easy. I try to dress age appropriate, get good at makeup and not exaggerate anything. At the very least I hope this minimizes the chances of being stared at, as being stared at leads to being read.

[Marcelo]

I really don't put a lot of effort or time into my act but a lot of people don't realize I'm a man until they hear me talk. I think it's the incredibly sexy legs (at least my left leg) that distracts them. Of course I'm also always wearing a dangerously short cheerleader skirt! ;-)

[docrobbysherry]

Helen, I believe the formula is different for each of us. Since I have gone out a lot, I figure these r the calculations that apply to my passing ability: "A snowball's chance in hell. Or, zero".

I dress to blend accordingly.
(See avatar).

[redtea]

Ironically you blend in the best when there are almost no people, as without people nobody can see you.

It would be a bell curve where it starts off at 100% blending with 0 people, then it drops depending on what people are added. It also depends on location, if you are walking downtown then people that do see you will likely turn their heads, think for a second and move on.

If you were at a starbucks you are confined to the space and people will get to see you longer or be more likely to eventually see you. Being stationary increases the risk of not blending than being on the move.

[Dana44]

I was talking with another friend and one of the big things was the aura of a person, some people can read that and its in their calculations. It is noticeable on whatever we are wearing. So, on a TS type person, their aura is more female and the people in their lives like an old friend the greeting changes and is noticeable. So we thought it might be due to how one is perceived and their aura. There probably is a different aura for male and female.

[katie_barns]

I cant argue with anything I have read in this tread. Passing is a hundred different things like most here say. The one thing I didn't see is ATTITUDE. (may have missed it) Some are more passable than others, but I believe that attitude goes a long way into blending in. Fear and nervousness will draw attention; which then zooms people in on our flaws in appearance. GG's know what they are no matter their shape or dress. I have seen woman built more like a man than me; yet no one questions. Attitude!!!

[Taylor186]

I think heel height is its own category as is the hosiery you are wearing. Sheer tan/beige lowers your blendability. Also your blendability is inversely proportional to the number of CDs you are walking/traveling with.

[Teresa]

Reine,
Facial recognition is subtle but very important and yes you're right it happens automatically and fairly quickly, we never lose the trait of a baby recognising a friendly face and the gender.

The other point about all these structural differences is you are describing the perfect example of a woman, as we all know there are masculine looking women and feminine looking men . I know there are some women my shape so I stick with looking natural without extra padding apart from enough to achieve a reasonable bust .

Sorry Helen you did say it was tongue in cheek, sometimes another point is raised out of a fun thread.