Not to sound tooooo shallow but when the MN T-Girls meet up it’s not uncommon for us to compliment each other on our outfits. Can you blame us? We always look so cute.
Talking about shoes or a dress usually leads to us talking about lucky we were to find heels that fit or the wonderful experience we had trying on a dress at a department store. Every outfit has a story.
Part of the story is where we found it. It seems like most of the clothes I wear on a regular basis are from En Femme. And this is not because I am promoting them specifically or because of the Help Me, Hannah! videos we create together. I wear En Femme for the same reason I work with them: because I love their clothes.
This adoration comes from the variety of outfits, the quality and design of their gaffs, but also from how they fit. I love that a bodysuit can solve a lot of my wardrobe dilemmas and I love how their bodysuits just fit perfectly, especially in the shoulders.
When they have a new item on their site I am excited to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised when they announced the Angelina Bustier. I heart lingerie and I was excited to see En Femme add this to their website. They do amazing things with bodysuits and dresses so expanding to more lingerie options made me a happy girl.
It arrived and I added it to the ever expanding items for my last photo shoot. Like every item I order I had tried it on to make sure it fit (no concerns there) but I usually try things on in boy mode since that’s my default presentation. When I actually wear something whether it’s for a shoot or going out, that’s when I really see how something looks on me.
I was excited to see how the bustier looked with my forms (hooray for breast form pockets) when I was all dolled up. I was not disappointed. Like En Femme’s bodysuits, the bustier is designed for a longer torso. Since the bustier has pocket bras the addition of curves did not alter how the bustier fit. Sometimes a dress fits perfectly but when I wear it with forms the added va va voom alters how it drapes over me.
I paired this with one of En Femme’s thong gaffs, stockings, and gloves. I think I looked amazing.
I feel that a quality and sexy bustier is hard to find. I also feel that they are an underrated piece of lingerie with a lot of attention pointed towards corsets. But a bustier is sexy and is perfect for someone who wants something beautiful without the discipline that a corset demands.
Love this item and I hope that En Femme continues to offer more pieces like this.
underDARE is the Twin Cities first in-person shopping experience for gender-affirming undergarments.
underDARE offers a physical location for LGBTQ+ folks to shop for gender-affirming and other community-specific undergarments they would otherwise have to find online. With multiple brands and inclusive sizing, underDARE offers a comfortable, safe, and nurturing, appointment-only setting for people to touch, try on, and purchase undergarments.
This is wonderful and I am absolutely going to schedule a visit. I hope underDARE is around for a long time.
A few months ago I was at Target. If you live in a suburb in Minnesota, thanks to an amendment in the state’s Constitution, you are legally required to visit Target once every seven days.
And I saw a dress. It was THE DRESS. I have countless dresses that are THE DRESS and this was another one.
This was around the time Target was putting out their clothes for the holidays. Bright, sparkly, shiny, and beautiful.
This particular Target did not have THE DRESS in my size. When I returned home my wife was going to run some errands and she also was going to Target for her state mandated weekly visit. She would be going to a different Target, however.
I asked if she could see if that location had THE DRESS in my size. She laughed and said that she knew exactly what dress I was referring to. She saw it previously and had a feeling it would catch my eye.
A few hours later THE DRESS was in my closet. I have an amazing wife.
Despite all the cute tops and cute skirts in my wardrobe I gravitate towards dresses. They’re so easy! Slip into it, zip it up, and bam! you’re dressed.
Of course, it’s not as simple as that.
I tend to shy away from skirts because they, obviously, require a top. I am not always confident I am choosing separates that look cute together AND of course some tops should be tucked into a skirt and some shouldn’t.
And! Sometimes a top ISN’T supposed to be tucked in BUT it just looks a little… unattractive. The outfit might look baggy or unflattering or even just a little unkept.
And! For tops that SHOULD be tucked in, they may not be long enough to be properly tucked in.
These are the reasons I love bodysuits.
BUT! the challenge of bodysuits for someone with a body shape like mine is that they are often not the right size. I have a long torso so they need to be long enough to cover my shoulders, have enough room in the bust, and to be able to snap between my legs. Most bodysuits I have that are designed for cisgender girls tend to unsnap as soon as I sit down OR a seam splits somewhere.
I always feel a little awkward when I recommend anything from En Femme. I imagine some readers might be thinking “oh what a surprise, the girl who partners with En Femme to make videos is recommending a product from En Femme”.
Fair enough.
But I choose to partner with En Femme BECAUSE I like their products. I like their clothes. I like working with them. I wouldn’t work with anyone if I didn’t think they had a quality product.
And honestly of all their products, their bodysuits are just perfect. The sleeved designs have long enough sleeves. The capped sleeves fall exactly where they should. The material is perfectly stretchy and are designed for someone with my body shape.
Bodysuits also avoid the “should I tuck this top or not?” dilemma.
But like any top, I am often paralyzed with what I should pair it with.
En Femme sent me their new Sleeveless Mini Fishnet and Mesh Cutout Bodysuit to review and I was excited to do so. I love doing reviews because I will include items into a photo shoot and often times they are for an item that I normally wouldn’t think of adding to my wardrobe but this girl loves her bodysuits and I am always happy to add another to my closet.
I went through my closet looking for a skirt to match it with. I have a hard time with the color white and I wasn’t quite sure what to pair it with.
So, I skipped a skirt altogether.
I love how certain articles of clothing can be worn as real clothes or as lingerie. Like a bustier as a top with a jacket, for example. Although a more fashion savvy girl could easily pick out the perfect skirt to go with this cute bodysuit, I decided to treat it as lingerie.
I chose to match it with white stockings (a very under utilized stocking color) and silver glittery ankle strapped platform stilettos.
The cut of the bodysuit is very flattering and the mesh and fishnets are perfectly placed to be modest and have a hint of sexiness at the same time.
The material is stretchy enough to be comfortable and the shoulders are the right dimensions to be flattering and to not cut into my skin when I move.
As you can tell from what I hope is a tasteful picture above, it is a thong cut which I feel is the ideal style for a bodysuit when it comes to the snaps.
The only drawback for a bodysuit in my opinion is that they are not really practical when it comes to dressing and undressing. Since they tend to be form-fitting, it can be tricky putting it on and taking it off without it smudging your makeup or without removing a wig. If I am out shopping and I intend on trying on new outfits I don’t wear a bodysuit. However this one has a zipper in the back which isn’t very common in a bodysuit which makes it easier for outfit changes.
I love this bodysuit. The fabric and pattern are fun and unique, sexy and modest at the same time. I will have to try pairing it with, well, real clothes, but for the time being, I love this cute new addition to my lingerie wardrobe.
Thank you for your great review of the Jolie Thigh Pads. I’m definitely considering them. Have you also worn the Nikki Butt Pads in combination with Jolie as recommended by The Breast Form Store? Or did you wear them alone? Thoughts? Necessary or overkill? Any difficulty during lady’s room trips, etc.? Overall worth getting?
As much as I hate to think about practicality when it comes to presenting femme, I begrudgingly admit that although a pair of five inch stilettos look AMAZING, I also have to consider whether or not I can go an entire day wearing them.
It’s a similar consideration to wearing thigh pads AND butt/hip pads.
Yes, combining the two look amazing. However, pads change your body shape (which is the goal, lol) so sometimes a dress fits perfectly BUT when I have my thigh pads and/or hip pads, then it’s a different story.
This is especially true when it comes to hosiery. I used to wear tights/pantyhose but when I started to wear thigh pads, pantyhose didn’t always work. I’m tall, so I need a lot of stretch with my tights but the extra give that thigh pads need didn’t always work with tights or pantyhose.
Hosiery is incredibly helpful when it comes to keeping pads in place AND allowing the pads to look more natural. The shade of my pads are surprisingly close to my skin tone but it’s not a perfect match. You can tell that the pads are, well, pads. Hosiery covers them which allows the shape of them to shine through.
Because of this, I switched to thigh-highs and I feel I made the right decision.
Plus! Stockings are easier when it comes to using the ladies room, with or without pads.
I believe that many of us have deep emotional connections to clothes.
We love how panties keep us in touch with our femme side, we can recall the moment from our childhood when a pair of stockings became more than just hosiery, we can vividly remember how the first time we wore a dress and how it just felt right.
For a long time I could tell you a story about every dress that hung in my wardrobe. These days I am blessed with more dresses beyond my daydreams and sometimes I see something in my closet and I wonder where on earth it came from.
Of course, my memory might be slipping, too.
One way a dress can inspire an emotion is when we are complimented on it. This dress, which I first wrote about almost a year ago, is an example of that. I was looking at the sale items at White House Black Market (because I could never afford anything from there that is not on sale lol) and my eyes were immediately drawn to it.
From my original post:
“God, I hope she does”.
I try not to react to conversations I am not part of but I think going out en femme has conditioned me to be aware of my surroundings. I am not eavesdropping but I need to be listening to people near me in case they are saying something threatening.
I turned and looked in the direction of the voice. A woman smiled and said “yes, I’m talking about you. I hope you buy that dress because you would look amazing in it.”
I flustered a little bit as I doubt I will ever become accustomed to pure kindness and sincerity when I am en femme. Most people are polite of course but someone initiating small talk with me, from girl to girl… it’s absolutely affirming.
Much, much, much better than “passing” could ever feel. The woman had to know I was transgender AND chatted with me, chatted ABOUT me….
Anyway, I am probably overthinking this.
My flustering was also fueled by being complimented. Something I know I will never get used to.
She said that she was telling the salesgirl that she hoped I would buy the dress. I stammered and likely replied that I was thinking about it or something.
So of course I had no choice but to try it on. Annnnd as soon as I zipped it up I knew it would be mine. I loved it. And I wore it out of the dressing room, out of the store, and out of the mall.
Well, after I paid for it, obviously.
When it was time for the annual photo shoot for the MN T-Girls, I felt a little unprepared. It was a busy summer between work, work-related travel, more work, and filming videos for Help Me, Hannah! and I didn’t know what to wear. I eventually chose three outfits and this dress was one of them.
Annnnd it almost wasn’t. I wasn’t sure if it was “photo shoot worthy” (whatever that means). I mean, don’t get me wrong, I heart this dress so much but I tend to select outfits that are a little sexy, a little glam, a little… well, dresses I might not wear at the mall.
But as soon as I zipped it up the morning of the shoot I wondered why I ever considered not including it. It’s such a pretty dress.
I am happy to show the photos from the shoot. I love how they turned out and I hope you do too!
So, En Femme announced a new collaboration with Garo Sparo last year and not too long ago they revealed a few pieces from this new partnership.
And of course they are stunning.
I heart leather and En Femme has quite a few vegan leather items that I love and wear as often as I can. I was very drawn to these new items not only because the corset vest and the skirt were vegan leather, but also because, well, they are simply beautiful.
I was thrilled when En Femme asked if I wanted to review them.
Girl, yes.
I should really do unboxing videos so I could capture my initial reaction when I, well, unbox something but with these items I really, really should have.
“Oh my goodness.”
On God those were my first words I said when I opened the package. These items are beautiful and, well, heavy. I mean, not heavy heavy but vegan leather can usually be pretty light but the material used here feels incredibly similar to actual leather.
I feel that clothes and confidence go hand in hand. Some outfits need a confident girl, some outfits give you confidence. But I also feel that sometimes an outfit can be… ah, intimidating.
Usually in a good way. Like, do I have the… everything it will take to pull this outfit off? I mean, I wear leather on the regular and I don’t feel as intimidated by an item very often anymore, but that old, familiar voice echoed in the far reaches of my soul.
You can’t pull this off. Pack it up.
Of course, being the stubborn bitch that I am, I was even more motivated to wear it.
So I did.
Like most items I review, I scheduled a photoshoot. And like most items I am intimidated by that are in my little photoshoot suitcase, I had my second thoughts the morning of the shoot.
Photo shoots take a little time easing into. Before Shannonlee starts working her camera magic, I will have spent the morning running around getting my makeup done or remembering to hydrate myself or pick up a few items for the shoot. We arrive at the studio, get a feel for the space, chat about stuff, and discuss the clothes and the vibe of what we’re trying to do.
It’s like… one of those meetings that your boss wants to have BEFORE a meeting. But photoshoot planning is waaaaaaaay more fun.
It takes a few camera clicks and it takes a few minutes for me to mentally transition from running around to posing and smiling and, well, not smiling. If I am feeling flustered or stressed this mental transition takes more time and more effort.
This is even more challenging if I have the added mental hurdle that a certain outfit takes. Lingerie is like that. When it’s time for me to undress I have to take a deep breath and just… disconnect from my brain for a bit. Which is never easy or successful.
It’s been a while since I’ve done a photoshoot for an outfit that intimidated me the way this corset vest and skirt did. And I’m not even sure why. I wear leather/faux leather on a regular basis but I think this particular outfit was a little daunting because this was the highest quality of vegan leather I have ever seen. It was like trying on a $900 evening gown, lol.
We did a few outfits to ease into the mindset that a good photoshoot requires until It Was Time.
I had tried on the outfit when I received it but that was in male mode. That was a simple test to make sure it fit. But this was The Moment when I was in heels and makeup and I would find out if I could truly rock the outfit.
I mentioned earlier about the paradox of HAVING the confidence to wear a certain outfit and how a certain outfit GIVES you the confidence. It’s not enough for the outfit to fit, the outfit has to feel comfortable. It has to feel like YOU. I’ve worn things that fit, that were cute, that just weren’t ME. But this outfit, especially the WAY it fit, felt wonderful.
These two pieces can absolutely be worn with other items. The vest can be worn with jeans, the skirt with a different top… but I wasn’t sure how the pieces would look when worn together.
Very striking, as I found out.
But see for yourself!
Pencil skirts and leather/faux leather skirts don’t usually lend themselves to ease of movement. It’s not uncommon to more or less hobble around in a skirt (depending on the material) that has this length. However I was delighted to experience that it moved with me easily and I had no issue strutting (this outfit BEGS to be strut in, lol) around or going up and down stairs.
The vest is, in a way, without compromise when it comes to putting it on. The vest feels and looks like genuine leather, meaning that there’s little give when it comes to dressing. It felt comfortable wearing it, however. Depending on your perspective of what makes a corset a corset, it’s up to you to decide if this vest can truly be called a corset vest. There is no back lacing so cinching is not possible. It either fits or it doesn’t. If you are going to add this vest to your wardrobe, please please please get your exact measurements. Not the measurements you want, but the measurements you are. If you plan on wearing shapewear, such as a cincher or breast forms, take your measurements with them on. Even if you know your measurements, review the chart on En Femme’s website and order accordingly. If I have a criticism it’s that this vest runs small and you might want to opt for a larger size. I followed my own suggestions here and it still felt small. However, once I zzzzziped it up there was no discomfort at all. It didn’t feel tight or restrictive.
This is a pricey outfit. It might not be something that every girl is going to add to her wardrobe but if you are feeling yourself, and I mean really feeling yourself and you are ready to project confidence, this outfit might be exactly what you need.
I was overdue for a new corset. I havetwo from Glamorous Corset that I wear every time I dress and I cannot imagine going without one. When I am doing a photo shoot and modeling lingerie that doesn’t work with a corset I feel underdressed.
lol, and it takes a LOT for me to feel undressed.
I do acknowledge that this is an individual decision, but I really believe that if, properly worn, wearing a quality corset can be an essential part of dressing.
Not that one NEEDS to wear anything specific to be femme, but I love the shape and the posture and the confidence I feel wearing a corset.
Please note that I stated “properly worn” and “quality”. It’s easy to harm yourself if not worn the correct way and a good corset is, in my opinion, something worth investing in.
The stars aligned when Glamorous Corset asked me to review their Longline Jolie Corset. Without hesitation I enthusiastically said yes please.
A few days later I unwrapped a beautiful corset and began seasoning it. I have been wearing corsets regularly for about four years and I am quite used to them, but getting accustomed to a new one can be a humbling experience even if you’ve worn one for years.
As the name states, this is a longline corset so it’s, well, longer than others I own. This has several benefits. One thing that is often misunderstood about corsets is that they do not magically make you smaller. They influence your shape by redistributing (for lack of a better word) your body. Many corsets, especially if not worn properly and/or they are the wrong size, will create bulging.
One benefit of the longline design is that it reduces this bulging. Another is better posture. Better posture helps us with walking, standing, and sitting. It’s better for us to not hunch and we run the risk of this thanks to the likelihood we are slumped in front of a computer all day. Good posture, especially whilst standing just SCREAMS confidence.
Tightening and cinching a corset can be tricky on your own, but I found that the longline style was easier than my other corsets AND I feel I was able to achieve a more shapely figure.
As you can see from the above photo, I seemingly have hips! For someone who has a very rectangular body shape I was tickled pink with this.
This style also has six(!) loops for detachable garters for stockings.
Corsets take an insane amount of commitment and patience. I will admit that they are not for everyone and it’s not unheard of for people to get discouraged with them. Based on my corsetry experiences prior to Glamorous Corset I didn’t see the appeal, I didn’t see the benefit. That perspective was influenced by poor quality corsets and my lack of patience with them. Seasoning takes time and can be uncomfortable. And just a reminder if a corset (or ANYTHING) is painful, then you’re doing it wrong. Take it off, adjust, and try again.
It can also be frustrating and discouraging getting the wrong size. It can be overwhelming picking out the right one. Glamorous Corset has a really helpful guide and the best help came from chatting with a stylist. All of my corsets were selected after discussing my body, my shape, my height, and weight.
Thank you to Glamorous Corset for such a beautiful and essential part of my wardrobe.
I was thinking last night as I was preparing for sleep that I talk a lot about my love for dresses, panties, lingerie, and heels.
But I don’t think nightgowns get the love they deserve.
I have about six nightgowns that range from super short (of course) and long, flowy ones. I get a little bored rotating between them and I think I need to add more to my wardrobe.
It’s a little silly feeling bored about wearing something that I am not even conscious for but no one has ever accused me of being practical.
Anyone else love nightgowns? Is there one you recommend so I can it to my rotation?
I am a 70+ CD who finally wants to venture out to my nearby mall.. I am sure an LBD is not appropriate what would you recommend my wig and accessories notwithstanding??
Why isn’t an LBD appropriate? They are timeless and beautiful.
I mean, yes, you might be overdressed compared to the others, but is that a bad thing? I think an LBD fits within the realm, if you will, of what is appropriate for shopping or most outings. I would, and I have, totally wear a little black dress to the mall.
I know I am likely overdressed for most places I go to. Most people running errands or spending the day shopping are choosing to wear comfortable clothes. I mean, I can relate. When I am in male mode and having to go places I am likely wearing a t-shirt and jeans, not a suit.
But a t-girl? Oh, we think about and dream about our heels and outfit for weeks. We are thrilled at the opportunity to dress and many of us want to wear a dress or an outfit that might be a little overdressed compared to others at the mall or coffee shop.
Rock that LBD, girl.
Love, Hannah
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Hannah McKnight 