Feminine Differential - Bateau (Boat) Neck

 A (very) Brief History of the Boat Neck

From the personal blog of Lori Smith aka - Rarely Wears Lipstick 

Definition Bateau Neck: A wide neckline that follows the line of the collarbone and is high in front and back. (Merriam-Webster)

My love affair with the neckline known as ‘boat neck’ or ‘bateau neckline’ is a long one but, following the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Saturday, I imagine it’s going to be a lot easier to find that style in high street stores than it has been in recent years!

Inspired by Ms Markle’s stunning wedding gown – designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy – I have looked into the history of this dramatic yet modest neckline. The name hints at a naval origin, so I headed straight to Amber Butchart’s book Nautical Chic to see what I could find. She says that:

The association between stripes and the sea was strengthened with the adoption of the striped undershirt into the French naval uniform in 1858 […] The striped undershirt, featuring a wide ‘boat’ neckline for ease of removal, was later incorporated into the Tsarist Russian Navy as the telnyashka, where it spread to other branches of the military during the Soviet era.”

When describing how the Breton sweater influenced fashion, Butchart says “If the 1920s were the decade when the striped top crossed from workwear to stylish casual dress, the 1930s saw it cemented as a fashion classic.”

1961 McCall’s sewing pattern
 with boat neck styles

Many attribute the arrival of the boat neck as a fashion staple to Coco Chanel and, in their book on the iconic French designer, Isabella Alston and Kathryn Dixon state that before the start of the Second World War in 1939, “the vacationers in Biarritz, just as in Deauville, snatched up Chanel’s jersey jackets, skirts and striped boat-neck shirts, reminiscent of those sailors wore.”

According to Butchart, due to an association with counter culture – as artists like Picasso and Pollock were photographed wearing it – the striped boat neck top became a ‘beatnik’ fashion in the late 50s and 1960s. The neckline then began finding its way into mainstream women’s fashions without the stripes.

 

Audrey Hepburn wearing a classic boat neck top

A Work of Art

 

Such a delicate work of art - Gender indeterminate.

Found on Flicker

Rhonda's Political Week In Review 11-28-2021

 

Let People See The Real You....

 

How do you want to be remembered?

Don't Over Think ...

Or you miss out. 

Several evenings ago I got a text from one of my girlfriend-neighbors: ”Are you going to the happy hour?”  I had not gotten wind of the gathering and immediately shot back, where? when? Someone in my beach house community had sent out a blast for "as many as would like" to meet at a close-by restaurant's  tiki-hut bar (outside).  

I had about 15 minutes to think about it and did text back “see you there.”  I texted two other girlfriends and told them I would see them also.  

Normally this would be a planning, coordinating, and time-consuming process of “what to wear?”  Let’s back up and think to the time when nothing like this could happen spontaneously. Then it was "The Art of the Outfit". 

This evening I would be meeting new neighbors who were “snowbirds” so I did want to look nice. 

Makeup was a non-issue because I had had a job interview earlier and was still made up. Just a little more eyeliner would suffice. I grabbed a pair of skinny leg, distressed, denim jeans,  a white loose t-shirt, and my favorite Coach pumps. Maybe a little bit of a young look, but after a quick look in the mirror, it worked. I turned my head upside down, gave my hair a quick brush, shook my head and a gave a good spray.  I was out the door in 15 minutes.  

The evening was wonderful with about 30 from our community. My friends introduced me to the new arrivals (snowbirds) and promises were made to “let’s do this again." Hors d'oeuvres were a plenty and I stayed for near two hours.  

There is a wonderful serenity that comes with fitting in and being accepted. Had I overthought the outfit or the let the trepidation of meeting new people control me, I would have passed on the evening. Had that happened, I would have missed a fun, unplanned escape. 

Lesson - Don’t overthink your escape.  Just do it.  

Happy Turkey Day '21

 Happy US Thanksgiving Day 

Amazon Greeting Card

Surviving the Holidays...

 As a Transgender or Non-binary Person

Bibi Andersen - "Girls Will Be Boys, Boys Will Be Girls"

 

Bibiana Fernández is also known as Bibi Andersen — or by her full name, Bibiana Manuela Fernández Chica. She is a Spanish actress, TV presenter, and model born on February 13, 1954. Among her most well-known performances include Rowing with the Wind, Law of Desire, and Matador. Her film debut would have to be in Vicente Aranda’s Cambio De Sexo after spending years performing various shows around Barcelona.

Fernández started receiving hormone therapy when she reached adulthood. She went under the knife and completed her transformation in 1991. Three years later, she completely changed her name to Bibiana. Did you know that she was previously married to Asdrúbal Ametller?

Unfortunately, the marriage only lasted three years. With a lot of pushing from activists and help from lawyers, marriage for these kinds of couples became possible. After he became a regular figure on television, magazines and other media in Spain, the public was stunned by that beautiful and stunning woman.

Bibi Andersen - Girls Will Be Boys, Boys Will Be Girls

(Transgender Song from 1980)

Glossy gleam on his lips

he’s shaking his hips

he winks his eyes

thinks in sensitive ways

he’s out of the race

he’s in the sky

 

That’s now where he is in

like it always begins

like it starts

 

Girls, girls will be boys (girls!)

boys will be girls (boys!)

oh! what a world

they change identity

not only visually

 

Boys, boys will be girls (boys!)

girls will be boys (girls!)

’cause they enjoy

to show the way they feel

take them for real

 

She was normally not

but not she is hot

and girls is cries

i'ts much better for hope

but watching perfect

she is real a lies

 

That’s now where she is in

like it always begins

like it starts

 

Girls, girls will be boys (girls!)

boys will be girls (boys!)

oh! what a world

they change identity

not only visually

 

Boys, boys will be girls (boys!)

girls will be boys (girls!)

’cause they enjoy

to show the way they feel

take them for real

 

Glossy gleam on his lips

he’s shaking his hips

he winks his eyes

thinks in sensitive ways

he’s out of the race

he’s in the sky

 

That’s now where he is in

like it always begins

like it starts

 

Girls, girls will be boys (girls!)

boys will be girls (boys!)

oh! what a world

they change identity

not only visually

 

Boys, boys will be girls (boys!)

girls will be boys (girls!)

’cause they enjoy

to show the way they feel

take them for real (x3)

Portland Drag Club Recognized...

In the National Register of Historic Places

Today, on his 91st birthday, Walter Cole, who performs in drag as Darcelle, saw the unveiling of a new plaque outside of Darcelle XV Showplace commemorating the Portland club's placement on the National Register of Historic Places as the oldest drag cabaret in the U.S.

My Note: Be sure to read done to the bold part, where a wife asked a question.

 SCOTT SIMON, HOST

Heard on Weekend Edition
Saturday November 20, 20218:50 AM ET

Transcript:

The city of Portland, Ore., this week celebrated a new location on the National Register of Historic Places - a drag club. Reporter Katia Riddle was there and has this report.

KATIA RIDDLE, BYLINE: It was a small but joyous crowd that gathered in downtown Portland on a cold and sunny afternoon to witness history - the unveiling of a permanent plaque in the sidewalk.

Walter Cole - Portland drag queen,
 91 crowned world's oldest drag performer

EARL BLUMENAUER: This recognition is something that each of us can be proud of.

RIDDLE: Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer spoke standing in front of Darcelle's, an aging but festive drag club that is now officially part of U.S. history.

(APPLAUSE)

RIDDLE: The story of this club begins more than 50 years ago with a man named Walter Cole. It was a painful time for him. He'd just told his wife he was gay.

WALTER COLE: I was happy with my marriage, but I had to be who I really am.

RIDDLE: Leaving his wife and their two kids was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He bought this club shortly after that, hoping to make a little money, but he didn't have a plan. The first day he unlocked the door, he says, he discovered it was neglected and rundown.

COLE: And I looked around. I started to cry. I said, what the hell have I done?

RIDDLE: But soon he met the man who would become his life partner. The two of them started performing drag together at his bar. On stage, Walter Cole became the queen Darcelle. In those early days, they used a home stereo and a banquet table for a stage.

FRANKIE FARROW: It was like something that only gay people knew about at that time.

RIDDLE: Frankie Farrow has been coming here for decades. He sits at a booth. On the walls hang hundreds of framed pictures of bejeweled and feathered queens past. Farrow remembers when Darcelle's felt like a secret society.

FARROW: Straight away, it started a community.

RIDDLE: Today, audiences are far more diverse. Bachelorette parties are a regular occurrence here. But the club still provides safe harbor for queer men of all generations. Thirty-four-year-old Ty Bennett is bartending.

TY BENNETT: I struggled.

RIDDLE: He says, as a gay kid in a small town in Indiana, he experienced bullying and hate.

BENNETT: Barely, barely making it through and really trying my best to hold on.

RIDDLE: Tears come to Bennett's eyes when he talks about what this place means to him.

BENNETT: I truly value the impact that Darcelle has had on queer history.

RIDDLE: While the club helped Walter Cole to foster community and find himself, he was still estranged from his kids for years.

MARIDEE WOODSON: I just remember missing him horribly.

RIDDLE: Maridee Woodson struggled when her father came out, but over time, she stopped caring that he was gay and just wanted her dad back. She sees him almost every day now. Her own kids brag about having a grandpa who's a drag queen.

WOODSON: They had no problem telling their friends.

RIDDLE: They were proud of him.

WOODSON: Yes, yes.

RIDDLE: As a local celebrity, Cole has embraced the role of ambassador, normalizing queer and drag culture, like the time he encouraged a woman to be open minded with her husband, a straight man who loved dressing in women's clothes. Years later, the woman reported back.

COLE: She said, we have three children. I'm happily married to this man, and we have matching nightgowns.

RIDDLE: You saved your marriage.

COLE: Yes, yes.

RIDDLE: Cole spends so much time at the club, it's like a second home. Guinness Book lists Darcelle as the oldest still-performing drag queen.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) The soul...

RIDDLE: This recording is from a performance two days before Darcelle's 91st birthday.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) That never learns to live.

RIDDLE: When she's on stage, Darcelle sometimes needs to lean on her walker now, but she's decorated it with rhinestones, so it fits right in. For NPR News, I'm Katia Riddle in Portland.

Feminine Differential - Cargo Pants?

 

VENUS 

Cargo pants or cargo trousers, also sometimes called combat pants or combat trousers after their original purpose as military work wear, are loosely cut pants originally designed for rough work environments and outdoor activities, distinguished by numerous large utility pockets for carrying tools [weapons]. (Wikipedia)

I think this looks is cute, especially with the tie ankles and heels. Here are great suggestion from Outfittreands on how to give cargo pants a feminine differential - Women Cargo Pant Outfits-21 Ways to Wear & Style Cargo Pants.

Cargo pants have made a great impact on women’s fashion as well. They are our favorite choice for the current season after sweatpants (you can also check out Girls Sweatpants Outfits for some fantastic ideas). Women are always looking for fun and simple ways to style their dresses and other outfits. Similar is the case with cargo pants; women tend to think that it is for casual wear only, but wait! We got some fun and exciting ways to use your pair of cargo pants to give yourself different styles

The fashion layout above: 

Lightweight Cargo Pants  A too-cool-to-care look with delicate comfort. While the flattering high rise fit and adjustable tapered legs give this pair a polished vibe, the rough-and-tumble edge of your traditional cargo pant is present as ever.

Off-The-Shoulder Top - It's time to refresh your basics! This off-the-shoulder top is ready to join your fall fashion rotation. The long sleeves are there to keep you warm, while your exposed shoulders keep you looking hot. Pairs easily with nearly any bottom, so let your imagination run wild!

Rhonda's Political Week In Review 11-21-2021

 

And finally a contribution from Velma:

Transgender Day of Remembrance '21

The Transgender Day of Remembrance, also known as the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, has been observed annually on November 20 as a day to memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia. It is a day to draw attention to the continued violence endured by transgender people. 

Remembering Our Dead

Girlfriends Meetup On the Beach

Meetup - "Girlfriends of Hobe Sound"
With our amazing waiter

 

This was a fun meetup event that I attended two Saturday's ago.  We had one table and were just off to the right of a dance floor with a true "islander" playing a reggae steel drum. He sang. We sang. Everyone sang. My favorite for the afternoon was "Red Red Wine".  I fell asleep that night singing that song over-and-over in my head. 

There was a dance floor and yes, we were all up dancing. All in the large outside seating area was in awe of such a fun group of "girlfriends".  Everyone was watching and finally joined us in the "Conga line" and on the dance floor.   

You can see from the group photo we had a beautiful view of the ocean.  

What I learned is that girlfriends of all ages can be crazy. We all had fun and came together to dance, laugh and enjoy an afternoon. We all acted like we were young. When having fun, years are irrelevant. 

This was one of my best ever Meetup events.  This event lasted almost 4 hours. I don't think any of us really wanted to leave, however, our reggae guy had to stop. At the end he gave us a big shout out and played one final song, just for us.

There was a wedding starting on the beach that several in our group crashed. 

 What a fun Escape.  

Sunday Group Event - The Country Seminole Inn

 

My Mercedes Club last Sunday did a fun trip to the Country Seminole Inn located in Indiantown FL.  It is about a 45-minute drive from Jupiter.  Part of the fun day involved a drive west on a designated scenic highway with beautiful 100 year old native trees forming an almost tunnel look.  There are parts of Florida that are amazing beautiful that does not involve the wearing of mouse ears.  

The Seminole Country Inn with its pleasant surroundings, brings back a sense from old Florida. It was built in 1926 and was to be the focal point for a newly created community / rail center that never happened. The owner/builder’s niece was Wallis Warfield Simpson, later the Duchess of Windsor, who was a frequent and its most famous guest. 

Today Indiantown is a small country village with a much history. As a group my Mercedes club enjoyed the feel and look of the past, including a country lunch buffet, ghost stories, and amazing wall murals depicting the native Seminole tribe's history. The Inn is on the National Register of Historic Places.

About 20 years ago I spent the night there with a friend that was conducting a seminar at a nearby FLP Power Plant.  No Ghost, but a lot of rustic country charm that remains to this day.  

My Sunday Outfit

My day did not end with this "Escape" - One more followed that evening.  Stay tuned.  

I love a Success Story - Home Coming Queen #2

Meet Zachary Willmore, The First-Ever Boy Who Became The Homecoming Queen

Zachary Willmore

By: Hidrėlėy

Homecoming and prom are probably two of the most major events for high schoolers in the USA. To become a prom queen or king might seem like a dream for most teenagers. However, winning the crown is not that easy, especially for people that are not considered typical candidates. Even so, some bold students in America make a difference by influencing their schools to change their traditions. One of them is Zachary Willmore. He is the first-ever male homecoming queen at Rock Bridge High School, USA.

Zachary is a cheerleader in the school’s varsity team and has over a million followers on TikTok. On the app, he has posted videos in which he advocates for changes in the school’s dress code. The influencer put a poll on social media asking if he should aim for the title of homecoming king or queen. “They thought queen could look prettier on the sash,” Willmore explained. “So I chose queen.”

“I want to help people feel comfortable in their own skin with whatever they wear. I really hope that by wearing a dress I helped someone else wear what they wanted too”

Zachary Willmore is a senior at Rock Bridge High School in Rock Bridge, just outside Columbia, USA. He is an active member and a cheerleader in the school’s team. Zachary is also a part of LGBTQ community and identifies himself as gay (by the way, this fact was not known to his grandparents until the homecoming ceremony this year).

Zachary has always demonstrated his unique style (no surprise he wants to pursue a career as a fashion designer). That made him popular in a way. The boy shares videos of him advocating for people’s right to dress however they want or feel like on TikTok. On the app, he has more than one million followers and his popularity reached new heights after the video of him becoming the homecoming queen went viral.

Read More...

Zachary Willmore, together with some students, are now advocating for a more up-to-date school dress code. The newly crowned queen wants to inspire other students and people in general to not be afraid to dress however they want. 

Boy Wanted To Learn Makeup...

 And His Mom Bought Him A Lesson

By: Julija Televičiūtė

Ethan Wilwert

8-year-old boy named Ethan Wilwert wants to become a professional makeup artist. His mom, Season, supports him fully, so she gave him a makeup lesson with Emmy-nominated hair stylist and make-up artist Joey Killmeyer.

Killmeyer did one side of Ethan’s face and the boy did the other. “I don’t remember the last time I saw Ethan so happy or so confident in himself,” said Season. “Other shoppers in the store even requested that Ethan do their makeup.

The mom added:

This does not define his gender identity nor his sexual preference. “He’s just exploring and being a kid! We as parents should be our child’s biggest cheerleader.”

Feminine Differential - Compound Contradictions

 

Venus Cold-Shoulder Mock-Neck Top

I am always looking to enhance my jeans "everyday look" to blend-in and still have a feminine differential. As with many items that have a feminine differential, there is not a male equivalent.  

A cold shoulder sweater is such a delicious contradiction. You are wearing a sweater to add additional coverage for warmth, then you add cutout shoulders or back as shown above.  I love the trendy relax look of this fashion sweater. 

Photo from My Mercedes Club Event 

Lets compound the contradictions by combining shorts with this sweater - The above sweater with white shorts and espadrille wedge heels for a late lunch or early dinner.  Yes, I will get wear out of this look for the cool Florida evenings.  Female fashion is so much fun!    

  

This is a Venus sweater.  Cold-Shoulder Mock-Neck Top. 

A mock (turtleneck) neckline and open shoulders make a chic combination in this relaxed fit sweater. Finished with a generous open back cutout, this adorably flirty knit makes the perfect transition piece for windy, carefree days.

In the description Venus list its color as pink.  In actuality it is more of a rusty pink (dark) with a faded-in knit texture. A total feminine differential - Love it.

Rhonda's Political Week In Review 11-14-2021

 

Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) was a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany. He emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps. He is perhaps best remembered for his postwar words, “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out…”

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Be Different Tee

Amazon LOOKFACE Women Cute T Shirt Girls Graphic Tees

This work for me on several levels!

Drag Queen Barbie

This Artist's RuPaul's Drag Race Queen Barbie Dolls Are Flawless

by LILIAN MIN

 AUG 1, 2017

The queens of RuPaul's Drag Race are famous for turning over instantly iconic looks (and verbal side-eyes), so it's not a surprise that the RPDR fandom loves to pay homage in ways as creative and artistic as the contestants themselves are. One artist, Mark Jonathan, pays tribute to these fabulous performers in a particularly appropriate way: by painting Barbie dolls as RuPaul contestants, in a series he calls "Drag RuPaints."

First shared on his Instagram @mark_jonathan_repaints, Mark posted "before and after" shots of the transformed dolls. Season 9 contestant Valentina's the subject of two Barbie RuPaints, and both of them are modelesque creations.

But the original RuPaint belongs to Season 7 contestant Trixie Mattel — whose name is obviously the most perfect fit for the entire art series:

Trixie

Check out more of Mark Jonathan's incredible doll painting work on his Instagram here.

My Goldilocks Bra Fitting

Yesterday was an Escape challenge day. 

I have never known exactly what bra size was best for me.  Since the commandeering of my girlfriend's bra in 11 grade, I have worn a bra at every opportunity. First, home-made padding, then foam padding - Next, breast forms and then my own. The mystery of proper sizing, at best, has been a shot in the dark. The ban/cup sizing of a bra is likely the ultimate feminine differential. There is nothing in the male wardrobe that is even close.  

I wore a scoop neck t-shirt with no bra to the mall with the intent goal of going to Soma (lingerie shop) to be fitted for a bra. Upon arriving there the old specter of trepidation reared its ugly head; I noticed the store was crowded. I went to Starbucks and had an ice tea to just let the store calm a little. I went back and only one other person shopping.  Let's go for it.  

I walked up to the counter and announced that I need a proper fitting. I announced the obvious, "I am not wearing a bra today" and told the clerk, "I needed to know what size was best for me?" I was taken back to a very nice fitting room and measure over the top of the t-shirt that I was wearing. She announced maybe a 38 or 40 or "C-D"?  I was asked what style I liked best and I stated my preference was underwire. She disappeared and returned with a 38 "B", 40 "C" and 40 "D".  I was left in private to try on all three. Pinch. Pinch. Had I just died and gone to transgender heaven?

The 38 "B" was a no-go. To tight, and my cup runneth over. Now I knew that 40 was the magic number (I assumed that, as most of my bras were of that size).  Now, what was the right letter?  I felt like I was solving a high school math quiz. 

The "C" was good, but the "D" was better and one of the bras she had chosen was an underwire sheer cup. I was in love. The underwire provided good support and the sheer nude material shaped beautifully. Not only did it fit, but looked great, showcasing the girls.  

The good part was that with non-padded / non-push-up sheer cups, I was sure of my cup size. Mystery solved!  I took the UNBELIEVABLE LIFT Unlined Perfect Coverage Bra STYLE: 570306720 in nude to the front and happily paid for it; today 25% off. 

Had I found the "just perfect" Goldilocks Bra?  I think so.  

Epilogue: Upon exiting the store I noticed a "help needed" sign. Shall I?  I went back and ask Tracy were they still hiring?  Happily, she gave me a card with the web address for applying. "Good luck" was her closing remark.  Stay tuned - all dressed up with maybe a seasonal mall job in my future?  

________________

A Soma Store Review: 

Corporate Transition

When presenting as a man, this “tech bro” entrepreneur was the toast of Silicon Valley—until she stepped into boardrooms as a woman.

By: STEPHANIE CLIFFORD  - OCT 14, 2021

Natalie Egan
photographed  July 2021

Back when entrepreneur Natalie J. Egan was a self-described “bro,” when sports metaphors rolled off her tongue and she tossed Frisbees over employees’ desks, she walked into a board meeting of the tech company she founded, and brought along a scorecard—not for her, but for the board members. “‘I’m gonna create a scorecard for all the people on the board, tallying all of the things you do quarter by quarter to help me in the company, [like] who you’re introducing me to,’” Nate Lentz, managing partner at Osage Venture Partners—one of those board members and an investor in the company—recalls Egan saying. “Which…we hadn’t really seen before.” “Am I remembering this correctly? Was there a promise of a trophy to the winner?” adds David Drahms of Osage, a board observer. Lentz bursts into laughter. “I think there was.”

That was circa 2009, when she was “an asshole and a jerk,” Egan says. But that wasn’t the only thing that was different about Egan back then: She had been assigned male at birth and raised as a boy. Married with three children, Egan took pride in her college-frat bona fides and harsh management style. She was a tech bro—a successful one, raising $7 million in investments for the tech-sales company she founded. Sure, it was the product of hard work, but it was nothing more than she—presenting as a straight white man—thought she deserved. Or so she thought. When Egan began transitioning at 38, and started a second business as a woman, she was in for a rude awakening. Despite her years of experience, once she transitioned, Egan says investors didn’t take her seriously; men talked over her, and she struggled, sometimes literally, to find space at the table. “I remember being in shock, and thinking, ‘Oh, this is what women have been talking about the whole time,’” she says.

Natalie Egan being interviewed
for LBTQ Women In Tech Conference
May 2019

Decades of research has established the reality that men and women are treated differently at work, and most women can cite examples of how they’ve been underestimated, passed over, or underpaid. Egan is likely one of the few people who’ve run companies presenting as both a man and a woman. (Trans identities, of course, include a wide range of gender identities and expressions, including people who identify as gender-nonconforming or nonbinary, people who go through medical and social transitions, and much more.)

There aren’t solid numbers on how many transgender entrepreneurs there are in the U.S.; according to a 2016 study by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, over 900 small businesses qualified as being majority LGBTQ-owned, of some 28 million small businesses overall. Of those, about 2 percent were trans-owned. While that likely far underestimates the number of trans business owners, Egan’s experience is rare. Presenting as a man, “I had so much privilege that I didn’t realize. When I thought I was getting knocked down, I wasn’t really getting knocked down, relatively speaking,” says Egan, 44. “It’s nothing like what other folks in the world experience who don’t have the amount of privilege that I had as a white, very masculine-presenting person.”

Read the whole article as it appears in the October 2021 issue of ELLE...

Talking one-on-one, I ask Egan how she felt after that first glimpse at what starting a company as Natalie looked like, when those VCs rejected her. She sighs, and suddenly looks very tired. “I really believed, probably because of my naïveté about my previous success, that I would be able to bulldoze my way through that. Like, I’d be the exception; I would win.” Now, having experienced the business world as a trans woman, she thinks differently of people who have struggled: “It’s like, ‘Can I walk in those people’s shoes, and understand what it’s like not to have the advantages I always had?’” And through her own struggle, she says:

I’ve become who I always really wanted to be.

Personal Note: Thanks to Sylvia for sending along the link to this article.  

Dawn

As dawn creeps across London, two lost outcasts meet in the darkness, more afraid of themselves than each other. As the sun begins to rise, and the veil of night is lifted, the pair are forced to look at themselves and face the harsh reality that life is sometimes what you make it, and that in the cold light of day, it takes more than the eyes to see inside a soul.

The award winning short film premiered at BFI Flare in London, and was nominated at the Iris Prize Film Festival in both Best British and Best International categories.

Winner of 19 awards including 
Best Director at Toronto Queer West Festival (Toronto)
Best Short at SENE Film festival (New England)
Grand Prix du Jury at Image+ Nation (Montreal)
Best Composer at Underwire Film Festival
Best Cinematography at FM Festival (Minnesota)

Screened at 82 festivals internationally.

Heels and Jeans - A Revisit

 

Can a person wear high heels with jeans?

My Note - This is becoming a favorite look.  Yesterday was cool for a Florida afternoon. Don't laugh, 65 degrees. I wore a crew neck sweater and jeans to the market with my favorite Enzo wedge heels. The outfit worked and I felt confident. The shoes, earnings, and bracket were the feminine differential.  Upon checking out I got my typical "have a nice day ma'am".  

 I just happend to notice the question is posed, "a person". Very interesting.  

BY: Saima Shoaib , Social Media Executive at Clothing and Apparel

I believe high heels with jeans are a perfect combination. Every woman simply loves wearing high heels since it helps them not only look taller and improve their overall posture but also provide charm and elegance to their walk. With so many high heels options to choose from, you need to figure out which one is the best pair to wear with your favorite jeans. While wearing jeans with high heels, we should be taking into account the following guideline:

Fashion Illustration by
Ali Hansen

• You should wear the right size of high heels with jeans. It’s a common mistake for some to not buy the right size of heel shoes. Heels are seldom very comfortable, and if the size is not right too, then you might experience serious foot aches.
  
  
• Don’t try it if you’re planning for rough days like outdoor activities. Wear this combo for special occasions. This combo is also not suitable for those who have back pain leg cramps issues.
  
  
• Take breaks and don't wear high heels for a longer period. Make sure to relax your feet whenever you get few minutes.

However, these are exceptions and you’re free to wear high heels with confidence with your favorite pair of jeans. Any woman can wear heels, buy it just needs a little practice to master the stylish walk along with heels. 

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In the above fashion layout the new item is the "1.STATE Riviera Striped Tie-Cuff Top"  I love the feminine differential that the sleeves  and V-neck cut provides.  I saw this first on the Macy's site, however, mostly sold out.  Google Shopping did a wonderful job of finding it and Walmart had my size, still with a good discount. Also Nordstrom. It does have a summer look but could be a combined with a cute jeans jacket for fall.  

I am starting to like the jeans and heels look.  The look is a good blend of dressy and casual and I am seeing it a lot; and, not just on the junior crowd.  Done right it can really look sophisticated - especially a great look for long legs.    

It was interesting that several of the answers provided on Quora were from men, describing how the wore heels/jeans:

The main benefits is that most jeans will lengthen your legs and the heels will push up your muscles which plumpen up your booty which the jeans normally draw attention to anyway. So in some ways, they’re actually complimentary from the basic ideas of them.

 

See also "What Shoes To Wear With Skinny Jeans In 2021" for more great suggestion. 

Quara