Month: June 2021

Moot Lingerie Review

by Hannah

Although I don’t shop at Victoria’s Secret anymore, I still have a lot of panties from them that I wear.  The quality is, well, fine, I suppose.  Although they are cute I don’t expect tooooo much out of panties that are sometimes 10 pairs for $30 or whatever.  When I compare them to panties and lingerie I get from say, Allure, then the difference in quality becomes more noticeable.  There’s also a quality difference between a $50 corset and my Glamorous Corset.  Before I owned my current corset I thought they were, well, overrated.  I didn’t see the (practical) benefit from wearing one.  And yes, as sexy as they are, there is a practical side to a corset.  But my corset from Glamorous Corset?  Oh my goodness.  Quality and sexiness.

My point is that, for the most part, you get what you pay for when it comes to lingerie (and makeup).  Although my purse would prefer I purchase a $5 pair of panties from Target, my body appreciates the panties that I spent $30 on.  Again, crossdressing takes patience, time, and money.  I feel that there is a benefit in investing in this side of me.  

When I first heard about Moot, I fell in love with their designs.  Moot is a newish lingerie designer for crossdressers and girls like us.  Their designs not only fit someone like us, but their designs are, in my opinion, what I want in my lingerie and panty drawer… what I mean is their lingerie is super cute and super feminine.  I loved their designs but I was taken aback by the price.  Moot isn’t Victoria’s Secret when it comes to price. 

To their credit, Moot acknowledges that.  They pride themselves on quality and after being sent some items to review, I have to say that they’re right.  Moot lingerie is super cute, and the quality is on another level.

Each item is handmade in England using materials that are ethically sourced.  I know this doesn’t matter to everyone but, well, it matters to me.  As I get older I make more of an effort to shop local, buy from independent businesses, and eat at non-chain restaurants.  Moot aligns with my values perfectly.  

But the lingerie… how is it?  The quality is the first thing I noticed.  The panties I was sent to review didn’t feel or look cheap. They felt luxurious.  A perfect combination of lace and mesh and small details.  One pair (The Quentin) is sexy and comfortable (which is what I want from lingerie). 

The front holds my feminine flaw perfectly and the cut open detail in the back is alluring and flirty. 

My favorite pair is the Floral Brief.  This is transparent lace and the back is, well, tiny, but it fits like a dream.  Both panties are welcome additions to my lingerie drawer(s).  I suppose at this point I need a lingerie closet.

Moot isn’t cheap, and they pride themselves on not being cheap. Their pride is well deserved and the quality is truly second to none.  Moot is what I want to find when it comes to my lingerie… ethically sourced, handmade, feminine, comfortable, and sexy.


Thank you to Moot for providing these panties.  I heart them.

Love, Hannah

Ask Hannah!

by Hannah

What do you wear when underdressed? Thigh highs, stockings and garters?
Worried about bra lines and such?
How do you get out of your house dressed in daytime?
Do you go out in only panties and dress — no bra, hose etc?
Have you ever felt threatened while dressed?

I always wear panties, sometimes a bra or matching cami.  I almost always choose stockings and garters when I am en femme.


Yes, which is why I usually won’t wear a bra in boy mode if I need to leave the house.


I dress to the nines, apply my makeup, step into my heels and strut out the door.


I always wear a bra and stockings or tights.


Not really?  Sometimes I get mean looks but thankfully I have never felt endangered when I am out.

Love, Hannah

Have a question for me?  Oh yes you do.  Ask me here!

Barbecue Cuties

by Hannah

This weekend was the monthly MN T-Girls event and we celebrated(?) the incredibly hot weather with a backyard barbecue at our friend Marcia’s house. Everyone brought something to share and we spent the evening chatting and snacking and glowing (boys sweat, girls glow).

It was a fun although hot evening and it was a lovely way to spend a summer night.

Love, Hannah

Enchanting

by Hannah

There are words that I love to use when it comes to this side of me. I love to wear a leather dress and look smoldering. I love wearing a cute dress and looking flirty. I love a little black dress and looking like a bombshell.

But this dress? I would love to be described as enchanting. There’s something so… amazing about a dress like this and imagining being the center of attention at a (very) formal event. A dress that makes people wonder who she is.

This was the last dress I wore for my most recent photo shoot. I wanted to create the feel of a very fancy event and a hotel in downtown Minneapolis was the perfect place to play in. I hope you like these photos!

Love, Hannah

To Be Beautiful

by Hannah

Hi!

I’ve been getting a lot of emails lately from girls worrying about something “giving them away”.  Basically the concern is something about them, a fashion choice, the size of their hands, giving away their transness.  A typical concern could be a t-girl not wanting to wear heels because she’s worried about her height giving it away that she’s trans.  Or a girl worrying about her the thin straps on her dress reveling too much of what her shoulders which she thinks are too masculine to be femme.  I can only relate and sympathize, I used to avoid showing my shoulders, too.


But these concerns got me thinking about two things in particular.  First of all, there are no standards or expectations one must meet to be feminine.  There are tall cis-girls, and I mean like really tall.  Taller than me.  Are they too tall to be femme?  Of course not.  Are you too tall to be femme?  Of course not.  


But I get it.  I promise.  There are parts of us that we don’t look like when it comes to being in girl mode.  Sometimes this can be hypocritical and unnecessarily hard on ourselves.  For example, you may find a cis-girl with nicely toned, muscular arms attractive, but we cringe at our own nicely toned, muscular arms when we’re en femme.  A tall cis-girl might be a goddess, but we might think that we ourselves are too tall to be femme.  No girl, cis or trans, is too tall, too… ANYTHING to be femme.  I doubt any of us looks at a cis-girl and thinks that she is too tall to be pretty, or too tall to wear stilettos.    


Secondly, I am not trying to pass.  I don’t think passing is a standard we should hold ourselves too, primarily for the reasons above.  I am not trying to conceal my transness.  I highly, HIGHLY doubt anyone thinks I am cis when I am en femme.  There are too many parts of me that “give me away”.  My adam’s apple, my voice, my “man hands”… the list goes on.  Of course, cis-women can have deep voices, large hands and all of the same characteristics that I have, but I know all of this, ah, adds up when Hannah is out in the real world.  And that’s fine.  Really!  I don’t care at all if someone knows I am trans.  I AM trans!  And I am proud of who I am.  I am amazing and beautiful and you are amazing and beautiful too.  So what if someone knows you’re trans?  Does it matter?  


Well…. yes, to SOME people it matters.  Let’s face it, some people HATE transpeople and aren’t shy in showing it.  If you spend time online reading the comments section of any news story about the transcommunity it’s easy to think that everyone in the world hates us and would prefer we simply not exist.  But it’s a lot easier to type a mean comment than it is to say something to someone’s face.  I have been out for years, YEARS, and have been to lingerie shops, cafes, restaurants, bookstores, malls, museums, gas stations, department stores, thrift shops, hotels, salons, and even churches.  The negative experiences are shockingly low considering how many different places I have been and the number of people I have interacted with.  Most encounters are uneventful, some are incredibly affirming, and yes, some people have been rude, but for the most part most people simply do not care that I am trans (at least to my face).  What someone THINKS is irrelevant.  I don’t know what they THINK of me, or what they might say to their co-worker after I leave, but that is none of my business.  Besides I’ll never know.  


It’s so easy to overthink this side of ourselves.  We scrutinize and overanalyze everything about our gender identity and gender presentation.  We think about what others will think about us.  And it’s normal to do that, but really, how often do you think about the dozens of encounters you have with people everyday?  The cashier at the gas station, the Starbucks barista, someone you pass by at Target?  Sure, you might notice them, but after a couple of seconds they no longer exist.  And yes, a t-girl like myself will usually stand out and turn a head or two more than a cis-girl, but we will also fade from someone’s memory and thoughts too.  We overthink the outfit we wear and if we can pull it off.  I used to think my shoulders were too broad to wear thin straps or halter tops but guess what!  I was wrong.  I look amazing in halter tops and so do you. 

Wear what you want. Be who are you. Go where you please. No one is too anything to be a girl.

Related reading

Why Passing Isn’t Important

Impossible Things

The Power of Pink

Love, Hannah

Strutting Down Memory Lane

by Hannah

I purged the other day but it’s not what you think.


My closet has been just… overflowing with clothes and heels.  Normally it’s a wonderful thing, but it had become out of control.  I was essentially out of room.  


And yes, I know this is not a bad problem to have.  I know I am lucky to have so much clothes.  I really, really do understand that.


Picking out something to wear or looking for a specific outfit was becoming unbearable.  I couldn’t find anything and being able to look through my wardrobe was next to impossible.  Same with my shoes.  I have heels that I bought ten years ago that I’ve never worn.  


So, it was time to go through everything.  I started with dresses and found outfits I’ve never worn before and dresses I forgot I had.  Some dresses were met with an “ew, why did I buy that?” and some were “OMG, this is so cute, why don’t I wear this more often?”  Although it’s fun to buy new clothes, it’s equally fun to find something you forgot you already had.  I sorted everything into two piles, one to keep, the other to put in storage in a hope chest (and now my hope chest is overflowing but that’s a problem for another day).  As I went through these dresses I remembered learning the importance of knowing your measurements and that a dress might look cute online but it might be cringe when you get it. 


I then moved onto tops and skirts, but I kept all of these.  I don’t own a lot of blouses and skirts compared to dresses and there’s a lot of potential to put together a lot of different outfits with a good blouse and a cute skirt, so for practical purposes I held onto all of these.  


The heels were next and goodness was I reminded of how much I’ve learned over the last decade or so.  I used to buy almost any heel that was my size.  It didn’t take long for me to learn that a size 12 doesn’t mean anything, you have to try on shoes (if you can) before you purchase them.  I tossed the heels that didn’t fit and the heels that were too scuffed and scratched to wear again.  By the time I was done, the shelf in my closet was no longer sagging from the weight. 


As I get older I am noticing I want to simplify more.  I feel that I have accumulated too much and I own too many things.  I am learning to let go of things that I will never use, read, or wear again.  Of course, this is easier said than done.  Unfortunately what is working directly against this desire to pare down is getting more nostalgic as time passes.  While going through my closet I founded dresses that I wore for my first photo shoot, or dresses I was sent to review.  There’s a lot of memories associated with outfits like that and I found it hard to decide whether to keep them in my closet or into storage.  And yes, putting something into storage isn’t getting rid of it, but it also means that I don’t think I’ll be wearing it anytime soon (or ever again).


It was a lot of work going through my closet, both physical as well as emotional.  It’s kind of silly because I know that a dress is just fabric but I think a girl like us has a deeper, more complex relationship with clothes than others.  A dress might be just a dress to someone else, but for me, it’s a symbol.  It represents something.  It might be the first dress I ever bought, or it might be a dress that I had worked up the courage to try on in a store, or a dress I never thought I’d be brave enough to wear.  A dress might be a symbol for our femininity.  A dress is more than the material it’s made of, it’s so much more to a girl like us.


Today my closet is a lot more manageable and I am excited to wear outfits again that I forgot I owned… and create new memories with them.

Love, Hannah

Ask Hannah!

by Hannah

Hi Hannah. I’ve taken to dressing up and have been out a few times in low public areas. I don’t want to go down the road of shaving my legs or arms yet.On those days I did go out I wore black stockings.Now with the warmer weather here, what would be best thing to do? I could wear jeans but sometimes it’s too hot for those. I have got a few dresses but would I need to wear something to cover my legs. Would I have to stick to stockings or tights? Also, I’m struggling to get my eyes right, probably due to still having a shaky hand. Any tips?

When it comes to makeup, the only thing you can do to overcome a shaky hand is practice, practice, practice.  When I was learning eyeliner my lines were usually shaky and smudgy but the more I did it the more progress I made.  Don’t practice right before you go out, practice when you have time to do your makeup, wash it off, and try again.  A trick I learned when I was first doing eyeliner was drawing small dots on my eyelid and then connecting the dots to make the line.  Makeup tutorials can help, but it all comes down to practice and learning through repetition.

I always, always, always wear stockings or tights when I go out, no matter how hot it is. I wear stockings because they help even out my skin color and well, because I love the way a stocking looks.  I tend to wear brighter colors, or floral patterns in the summer so nude stockings and tights tend to look better with what I am wearing compared to black stockings.  If you aren’t ready or able to shave your legs you may want to consider wearing two pairs of stockings to help hide your leg hair.  But just because it’s summer it doesn’t mean I’ll avoid black stockings.  If the dress or occasion pairs better with black, then I’ll go with black, no matter the season.  I tend to wear black stockings with skirts for some reason.  


And one more thing, you can do what you want, but I never wear non-nude stockings or tights with open toe heels.  I think you can get (barely) get away with nude stockings (and fishnets) with open toe heels but anything else looks a little tacky.

If it’s too hot for jeans, have you considered leggings?  Leggings are super cute and super femme and can be paired with a cute top, certain dresses, or a casual t-shirt.  The versatility of leggings is a-maz-ing.

  

Love, Hannah

Have a question for me?  Oh yes you do.  Ask me here!

Secrets of MtF Crossdressing

by Hannah

Sybil Minnelli is a long time crossdresser, balancing her kink lifestyle with a vanilla family and work life. She’ll teach you her secrets of crossdressing, how she balances dual lives, and how she switches her presentation between casual, passable, and fetish themes. Ms. Sybil will share her advice on makeup, hair, clothes, shoes and how to get the look you desire. However, she does lead an interactive class and will encourage others to share their secrets as well. Attend as dressed up as you like and enjoy a very safe, friendly and comfortable environment. Be prepared for a lot of fun discussion about reaching your femme side!

This class is held at the Bondesque store at 707 West Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55408

Too Cute and Too Short

by Hannah

This dress is short. I mean, really short.

Whenever I buy a new outfit I usually try it on for the first time in boy mode. When I do this, I end up hating whatever I am wearing, but I also know I will think, and feel, and look different once I have my forms and pads on. Once my body is in femme mode (not that you need to have curves to be feminine), clothes look and feel and fit differently.

When this dress was delivered I tried it on and it fit fine. When I wore it in girl mode, well, it still fit fine, but I realized it was a little too short. I determine if something is too short if the tops of my stockings or the clasp of my garters are visible. If I stood still, then it was fine, but the tiniest breeze or movement was a little much.

I felt a little self-conscious in this outfit but I love how these photos turned out. It might be a short dress but it is still very cute. I hope you like it too!

Love, Hannah

Ask Hannah!

by Hannah

Which stores are most friendly to crossdressers? 


June is Pride month and with how many businesses changing their social media profiles to rainbows you’d think EVERYONE loved us.  And why wouldn’t they?  We’re all so cute.


I can’t speak for every single business out there, but if we look at the major chains (such as the Targets and Walmarts and Starbucks of the world), all of them want our money, and they want people to shop at their stores.  Of course no store has a written discrimination policy.  It all comes down to training their employees to treat every guest/shopper with great customer service.  I can’t imagine any company explicitly writing in their training manual to be rude/mean to members of the LGBTQ+ community.  That being said, some companies do more than others to make their shoppers feel more welcome and included than others.  A few years ago Target announced that guests at their stores are invited to use the restrooms and fitting rooms that align with their gender identity. 

However, does this mean every t-girl and crossdresser will have a trouble-free shopping experience at Target?  No.  Remember, stores are run by people.  Stores are visited by people.  Target’s corporate policy seems to be inclusive, but the company’s mission statement can only go so far.  Sure, the cashier was trained to provide friendly customer service, but if they hate transpeople there’s a chance they’ll be rude to a girl like us, no matter what Target’s policy is.  Same thing with customers.  The first time I went out en femme I went to Target and the employees were nice, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a customer or two looked at me in a less than friendly way.

When it comes to a local business, I am a lot more confident I am welcome there if they have a “All Are Welcome Here” sign in their window, or something similar.  Businesses in more liberal parts of a city are likely to have more experience with someone from the LGBTQ+ community than a more rural area.  And yes I know there is an overly generalized statement and there are exceptions to everything.  I wish I I could provide a list of all the stores in the world that are friendly to the LGBTQ+ community but that is impossible.  Really the only way you’ll know is if you go there and decide for yourself if they deserve your money.

Related reading

All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go

Love, Hannah

Have a question for me?  Oh yes you do.  Ask me here!