While I was at Sephora perched on the makeover seat at the front of the store, I did attract the attention of a lot of passerbys, but none of them gave any indication that they recognized me as a male. Last Friday, I even wore dress slacks instead of a skirt in order to be more presentable and I believe that helped. So, I try to present myself as a real woman would present herself in a similar situation. Dressed so, more people will check me out and thus increase the chances that people will figure me out. On the other hand, if I go to the mall wearing my highest heels, shortest skirt, largest breasts, biggest hair, and thickest makeup, I am going to attract a lot of attention. If I present as the best woman I can be, then I will be less likely to attract attention and will blend in with the real women out there. I have gone out en femme enough to resign myself to the fact that sometimes I pass and sometimes I do not pass. There is not much I can do about my ability to pass because I believe I have pushed the envelope about as far as I can to emulate a woman without undergoing surgery.Īdmittedly, my ultimate goal is to be passable, but since that is not always possible, I always try to make myself look presentable. When you are up close in another person's face, as when you are dealing with a salesperson, it is more difficult to pass because they are concentrating on you and therefore, are more likely to pick up telltale signs that you are male. Go out en femme for awhile and you will begin to recognize the difference between smirks and genuine smiles.Īt the mall last Friday, there were times when I did not pass.įor example, the saleswoman at Sephora referred to me as "he," then quickly corrected herself and referred to me as "she." I was not offended. Their smiles (or smirks) indicate that they are mildly amused by my attempt to pass. On the other hand, I have also passed women in the mall, whose smiles indicate that they have read me as a male. When a woman smiles at another woman, it is a sign of camaraderie, so when a woman smiles at you when you are out en femme, it is a good sign that they have accepted you into the club. While I was walking through the mall, I passed a few women walking in the opposite direction, who looked me in the eye and smiled.
Last Friday at the mall, I passed some of the time. My response to that is even without heels, my height is still my biggest giveaway and adding three or four inches will not make much difference. I can hear some of you saying to yourself, "Well, Girl, don't wear heels, then you will be shorter."
So, when I am out en femme, my height is my biggest giveaway. There are not too many women out there who are six-feet-two. I am six feet, two inches tall (or a more dainty five feet, 14 inches tall) and I always wear heels of some height when I am out en femme. Just today, I received an e-mail from a dear friend who wrote, "You pass so well."