Learning the femme way of walking

[susandrea]

Somewhere a while back, I came across a way of teaching a CD how to walk in a more feminine way using a long wooden staff.

As the CD walked, the staff was used to redistribute weight, slow down, shorten steps, and follow the swing of the staff.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? I'm trying to find it again.

[Fab Karen]

Nope. But on the subject, there's a recent tv ad for clothes I think( at least in this part of the country), where girls are walking down the street, obviously feeling good about how they look. It's a good example of a very feminine walk, how women walk putting one foot in front of the other, which men tend not to do.

[michelleupnorth]

Try this tool I found http://www.biomotionlab.ca/Demos/BMLwalker.html

[susandrea]

Try this tool I found http://www.biomotionlab.ca/Demos/BMLwalker.html

I've seen that. Very interesting, isn't it?

[Eva Diva]

Not an answer to your question, but I recommend Salsa dance lessons. The hip movements can be transferred from dancing in place to walking pretty easily. Keeping it going for a long time is harder, but you definitely get the idea.

I have seen the video advertised - I expect it was on a CD/TS site I found by Googling.

[AmberTG]

If I could just figure out how to use that biomotion lab animation for my own walk.....

[Lanore]

Watch other women. You'll notice that some women walk like men. I believe the more one tries to act like a woman, the more they stand out. Just be who you are inside and let the world deal with it. You'll be a whole lot happier.

Lanore

[Rikkicn]

I've been working on this for a while and here's what I'm figuring out that helps me.

Keep your elbows tucked into your sides. Women take up less space then men so keeping those arms and elbows close to the body is key. This goes for everything. try it taking a shower and drying off. It feels strange for awhile but eventually easier and it feels and looks feminine.
Keep you back and shoulder back and straight. women seem to have better posture then men do.
When you walk lead with your pelvis and not your shoulders like men men do.
A womens hips widen from the waist which is right under the rib cage and the breasts. Much of the mass of a woman's body lies between her waist and hips and bottom. Men's tends to be in the chest and shoulders. Shift your awareness to your hips and pelvis as you walk.
When you walk put one foot straightly in front of the other. Take smaller steps.
Some skirt are made with an inner skirt or slip to prevent transparency. I have tightened a skirt so that it didn't allow for big man steps. It was a constant reminder.
Practice, practice and more practice. It comes slowly but it does come and eventually your slipping in and out of a car and keeping your knees together and are very much the lady.
I've been doing yoga for awhile and that has helped me limber me up and make my body more fluid.
Salsa and dance lessons of any kind would help too
Have fun

[Tasha Meredith]

That is very helpful advice, Rikki! What should we be doing with our arms while we walk? I'm so used to shoving my hands in my pockets.

[Rikkicn]

gg's swing there arms more than men. But remember to keep those elbows in. Try pointing your thumbs outward...that helps to remind you.

[Stephenie S]

Ok girls, here it is: shorter steps, quicker steps, elbows in, and swing those arms! Try to put a little bounce in each step also. You are going to feels so swishingly gay! This feeling will give you a really hard time at first, but get over it. If you feel too gay, that's probably the feeling you want to have.

Overdo it at first and you will be able to tone it down a bit as you get used to it.

To get the shorter and quicker steps down pat, follow a woman (at a discrete distance, of course), and copy her steps. Women step quicker than men and with shorter steps. Try it. Watch women. One arm up on their purse strap, the other swinging, wrist up a bit, and palm a bit forward. If you are not carrying a purse (and why don't you have your purse?), you can swing both arms.

You should probably practice this even in drab. You want it to become second nature. Try and get past your inate homophobia. If you want to look like a woman, you are going to have to swish a little.

And as many have already said, practice.

Lovies,
Steph

[Glenda58]

It depend on what I'm wearing if a dress or skirt I put more swing in my hips. With jeans or slacks less of a swing just like the women I have watched over the years.

[Wenda]

Another tip from my observations, keep your knees together. Women who have very unfeminine strides, take long agressive strides with their knees well apart. Even very athletic women who proect a feminine image run with their knees together, sometimes brushing on each step. Try it. It is easier than placing one foot in front of the other, and accomplishes much the same effect. Practical point, it is easier to do when tucked and wearing a tight thong. w.

[AmberTG]

One thing I have noticed from watching women walk is that they have their elbows in and their lower arms out. This is usually because they have wider hips that they need to miss when swinging their arms. The arm follows the body shape. Also, no 2 women swing their arms the same, there's no 1 right way to do it, there are many right ways to do it. Just don't walk with your hands out at an angle from the lower arms, like you might think girls walk because 99% of them don't. That will definitely get you pegged as an effeminite gay man. I have an effeminite gay friend who walks that way. The hand basicly hangs from the end of the arm loosely as the arm swings, unlike a man who generally walks more stiffly, rocking back and fourth with stiff wrists.
Women wearing sneakers don't wiggle as much as when wearing any kind of heels.

[Shelly R]

Ok girls, here it is: shorter steps, quicker steps, elbows in, and swing those arms! Try to put a little bounce in each step also. You are going to feels so swishingly gay! This feeling will give you a really hard time at first, but get over it. If you feel too gay, that's probably the feeling you want to have.

Overdo it at first and you will be able to tone it down a bit as you get used to it.

To get the shorter and quicker steps down pat, follow a woman (at a discrete distance, of course), and copy her steps. Women step quicker than men and with shorter steps. Try it. Watch women. One arm up on their purse strap, the other swinging, wrist up a bit, and palm a bit forward. If you are not carrying a purse (and why don't you have your purse?), you can swing both arms.

You should probably practice this even in drab. You want it to become second nature. Try and get past your inate homophobia. If you want to look like a woman, you are going to have to swish a little.

And as many have already said, practice.

Lovies,
Steph

Good advise Steph! Wenda spot on.
Women do keep their legs together sitting and walking. Try walking in a pencil skirt, and 4" heels. Teaches you real quick, balance, legs together, and short steps! You have to walk from the hips, no place else to move.
We are not swaggering, bow-legged cowboys.

[Tasha Meredith]

You are going to feels so swishingly gay! This feeling will give you a really hard time at first, but get over it. If you feel too gay, that's probably the feeling you want to have.

LOL! Stephenie, somehow hearing that made me smile! I definitely need to bookmark this to practice this week. My roommates are going to wonder what's gotten into their neighbor all of a sudden.

Keep the advice coming girls!

[Tamera]

1. Walking with legs together.
2. Swaying of the arms.
3. Bring arms in toward body.
4. When you lift your leg to take a step, bring the hip area down and then back up when you land your foot. This will help get that BUTT motion going.

Observe other GG's walks. Even watch some RUNWAY models when they walk showing different clothes off.
LOL
Tamera

[joperinal]

Other learning moment: pay attention on ANTM, when miss Jay Alexander is teaching the runway walk

[Leah B]

Man, I love that show...

[Karren H]

Never heard of that before... I just went to the mall... Watched, learned and practiced....

Karren

[DAVIDA]

I've got the swing of a female hippo!

[JoAnnDallas]

I found that wearing 3-4" high heels also helps in developing a fem walk. They also help in the little wiggle that you see with a fem walk. First of all you have to take smaller steps with heels, second keeping your back strieght also helps in balance and grace walking in heels too.

[Billiemarie]

Nope. But on the subject, there's a recent tv ad for clothes I think( at least in this part of the country), where girls are walking down the street, obviously feeling good about how they look. It's a good example of a very feminine walk, how women walk putting one foot in front of the other, which men tend not to do.

I noticed when I tried this that It looked much nicer and I'll bet women do this to look thinner and more gracefull. Also noticed it was easier to set the flat of the foot and the heel at the same time.
Billie

[Leah B]

Karen, ANTM is short for America's Next Top Model

[Nigella]

By the time you have listened to all the advice, tried all the various methods, paid the medical bills, it would have been a lot easier to adapt the way you normally walk.

Just remember, the "female" walk is just a figment of imagination, one size never ever fits all.