Fall is Coming

One of my favorite seasons of the year is the fall. Finally, our hot and humid temperatures start to subside and it's time to pull the sweaters, leggings and boots out of the closet.

As far as fashion goes, the changing of the seasons is always a great time to splurge a bit and update a wardrobe .As always, the fashionistas of the world are standing by to help us with color choices,

Since I receive the Fabulous After 40 fashion emails (free), I can always be assured of knowing a little about what's going on in the fashion world.

Here's an example: "Fall.s neutral colors include..."

Or, if you are like me, you are style challenged and need help putting it all together:

For more, go here and move on with new ideas for your fall wardrobe.

Winter Pastels?

Since the burst of holiday color has faded now and the drab grays of winter have set in in my part of the world, I am always looking for a brighter color or two in my wardrobe. Of course a sweater is the best way to go. It provides warmth and color at the same time.

This morning, as I was listening to the weather forecast calling for the first sizable snow of the winter, I found this sweater on "Fabulous After 40" which brightened my day. You can see several more by following the link.

I hope they brighten your day too!

A New Year and a New You?

As the reality of a new year settles in, it's time to step back and take a look at steps forward and steps back we have taken in 2018.

One of the nice things I get out of the cross dresser - transgender support group meetings I go to is seeing the members who are just starting out. It takes me back to the days when I was doing the exact same thing. Sometimes though, I marvel at how some of them want to go too fast.

For me at least, learning the ropes of being feminine was very difficult and I am sure some say, I still have a ways to go. I am fairly sure I will always carry a bit of living for 60 years primarily as a guy will linger with me. Perhaps it's a good thing, if I can still appreciate evenings such as New Years Eve as much as I did.

If I could go back to the beginning, I would tell myself to relax and enjoy the journey.

By now, you maybe asking what does that have to do with the New Year?  For me, everything. I look forward to meeting my 70th year head on with a new renewal. I plan on renewing my spirituality, becoming a better person and enjoying the smaller things in life.

To a lesser degree, I plan on taking another look at my wardrobe and refining it to the best of my ability in the coming year. Plus, like so many others, I need to watch my weight (not go up) after the holidays. If you are thinking about your wardrobe too, here is a helpful link you can go to from the Fabulous After 40 blog about age appropriate dressing.

So, the more I think about it, the more the upcoming year is shaping up to be a self improvement year!

Fall Colors

As August begins to fade, September of course ushers in a fresh fashion palette for us all. One of the prime times to have fun being a girl.

To help, I have added a "Trendy colors" chart from Deborah Boland and the "Fabulous After 40" fashion blog.

Some of these colors go better with a warm skin tone...some with a cool skin. If you struggle with which tone you have, here is more help:

Warm undertones range from peach to yellow and golden. Some people with warm undertones also have sallow skin. Cool undertones include pink and bluish hues. If you have a neutral undertone, this means that your undertones are roughly the same color as your actual skin tone.

How do you determine which undertones you have? Look on the inside of your wrists for a vein or two. If they look blue or purple, it means you have cool toned skin. If green you are warm toned. If you have a hard time telling, you are a nuetral skinned person. 

All of which leads us back to the chart above and the colors you will look best in. For example, I am a warm skinned person, so I lean towards the reds, yellows , oranges and olive greens. If you are a cool toned person , you look best in the blues, purples and emerald greens. Finally, neutral toned transgender girls can rock all the colors.

You see, when you break down all the different standards cis women go through to look effortlessly good, it's not that difficult. 

Being transgender though, means we have to do it better. 

Just a Touch

Finally! In Deborah Boland's Fabulous After 40 fashion blog, I glimpsed my first view of Fall fashion. For several reasons, fall is my favorite time of the year. First, the weather is cooling down and the leaves are turning beautiful colors. Second, I love the fashions with soft sweaters and boots returning to the fashion scene and three, fall always represented to me a certain finality of change. One of which could finally propel me into a dreamed of life of living as a woman. 

Plus, as I looked at this outfit, I remembered the boots I have which look just like these. Somehow, I had tucked them away and forgot I had them! So I have a brand new pair for this fall. And, of course I love the jeans and sweater! Can't wait for Fall!

Age Appropriate?

One of the more frustrating facets of growing "more mature" is trying to fight off the ravages of a lifetime of testosterone poisoning.

No one ever said life ever had to be fair but finally arriving at the point in your life when you can express your true gender comes at a frustrating time when you can't experiment with many of the new fashion trends you see.

Although, if you are at the top of your transgender game, you would know there are still sties to visit where you can  do your best to compete in the world with fashionable cis women. Fabulous After 40 is one of those sites.  "Fabulous After 40" can show you how to walk the fine line between "classy" and "trashy" or at the least being age appropriate.

Speaking of age appropriate (and another reference to Popeye), lets check in with Connie:

FABULOUSCONNIEDEEMay 6, 2018 at 2:45 PM

"I would guess, from my observation, that many women in their 60's have given up learning or crafting their presentations. For those of us who got a late start, though, it seems appropriate that we try a bit harder. I'm familiar with a number of trans women who, having missed their chance when younger, attempt to model their presentations after much younger women - which is a mistake, trans or not. I often, figuratively, roll my eyes at older cis women who are obviously wearing the same style of clothing and doing their hair and makeup the same way as they did some time back in their youth, when they thought they looked great (and they probably did.....then).

Maybe it's not a checklist that we need, but a reality check!

As Olive Oyl once asked Popeye over the table during a romantic dinner, "Do I have spinach in my teeth?" :-)"

Agreed, reality checks are always good but it's tough sometimes to get a "real" reality check!  I know I don't wear "age appropriate" hair but since it's all mine and I enjoy it so much, I am telling the world to go to hell. Having said that though, it is time to get my hair "shaped" and trimmed. Which I plan on doing before this summer really gets underway!

These days, I also find larger selections of plus size clothing to choose from, which makes staying "clothing current" easier.

Spring on the Mind

Even with a winter weather advisory for our area here in Ohio for tomorrow, today's bright sunshine and mild temperatures have me thinking ahead towards Spring.

Now I have the "Transgender Day of Visibility" and "Trans Ohio Symposium" to plan ahead for. Even though "TDoV" is only a week away, I am still planning on attempting to put together new outfits for both.

This morning, as I sometimes do, I received another spring fashion update from one of my fave sites, "Fabulous After 40'"

I loved this ensemble and thought I would pass it along:

Here is your link for more!

Phantom Waists

One of the many fashion problems we transgender girls face (and cross dressers too) is creating a waist line.

From Fabulous After 40 comes a spring and summer chic idea to help us all out!

I am soooo happy to see this fashion trend return. I used to love it!

Follow the link above for three ways to wear this fashionable figure flattering top!

Back Home

I am back on my lap top today. Never in my life did I ever think I would ever be so addicted to a technology device (except my cell phone.)

Now it's easier for me to import pictures and links, etc. Plus, as I have written before here in Cyrsti's Condo, I rely also on my spell check too!

Plus, it is much easier for me to transfer many of my posts to Facebook or Twitter.

All of this reminds me of my fave jeans, straight legged, which are starting to become fashionably threadbare from wearing and washing.

I know Connie wrote in after the Fabulous After 40 post on straight legged jeans, saying she has a pair of work jeans which are almost to the point of being "distressed denim" too.

Most certainly it's easier on a transgender woman for her jeans to absorb all the stress!

Straight Leg Jeans

If for one reason or another, you have never been able to wear skinny jeans, good news is coming for the Spring. New, straight leg jeans are in, according to Debra Borland and the Fabulous After 40 fashion blog.

If you are like me, you may have asked what's the difference?  According to the blog:

"The main difference is basically the width of the leg opening. Skinny leg jeans have a closely tapered fit that hugs the thighs and calves and continues all the way to the ankle.  Straight leg jeans fall straight down from the hip to  ankle. Although snug through the thighs, there’s more breathing room through the knees, calves, and ankles."

And, more importantly:

"Straight leg jeans are considered a classic and look good on everyone because they’re more forgiving than skinny jeans. They’re particularly flattering on pear-shaped gals and inverted triangle bodies because the wider leg opening helps balance out these body types. Hourglass figures can also rock a pair of ladies straight leg jeans and gals with wide calves appreciate the extra width through the lower leg area."

Follow the link above for more information on making your transgender or cross dresser presentation even better!

How to Dress for Your Sign

This time I am not talking about a stop sign!

I am referring back to Fabulous After 40 and their series about dressing for your astrological sign.

Deborah from Fabulous is doing a fun feature based on when we were born. Here is my sign, Libra, plus a few famous Libra women. Also, I'm sure you will enjoy all the other fashion tips and more you will discover by following the link above.

HOW TO DRESS FOR YOUR ZODIAC SIGN: LIBRA

   I hope you’ve been enjoying   my How To Dress For Your  Zodiac Sign series. 

   Today I’m featuring the Libra woman, born between September 23rd and           October 22nd.

Susan Sarandon, Marie Osmond, Gwyneth Paltrow, Catherine Zeta-Jones

  Libra women are known for being balanced. They are an interesting mix of logic and   emotion, seriousness and playfulness.

  People are naturally drawn to the Libra woman and it’s no   wonder. She is charming,   tactful and diplomatic. The Libra woman is also efficient and known for getting things   done.

Romantic, intelligent, peaceful and fun all describe the Libra woman.

LIBRA STYLE

• Easily takes their style from day-to-night
• Likes classics, with a twist
• Easily balances high and low fashion, bold and soft colors, and sexy and modest silhouettes
• Goes for lush fabrics like silk and suede
• Wears a variety of looks

It's fashion sites such as Fabulous After 40, which help transgender women and cross dressers help compete in a very competitive feminine world! 

Don't Believe all That you See!

Over the past week or so here in Cyrsti's Condo,  we have covered an amazing amount of ground. From Chelsea Manning's senate run, to dressing for success as a 40 plus aged woman with Deborah Boland. 

And, speaking of looks and your feminine presentation, I have always preached to the choir here about the need for preparation, before you can even begin to think about about putting your best transgender  foot forward in public.

I know from reading her blog, it turns out the "gold standard" in the transgender community, Stana from Femulate feels the same way and passed along an interesting comment about my Raquel Welch crush:

StanaJanuary 15, 2018 at 10:12 AM

Jacqueline Bisset, in 2017

"Actresses Jacqueline Bisset and Jaclyn Smith were my idols. Years later, I mentioned this to a Hollywood makeup artist who was giving me a makeover at a trans convention and he said that I had a better complexion than one of my idols, who he had worked with! So, you never know!"

Thanks Stana!

I always have loved Jacqueline Bisset's voice, as well as her looks.

Stana also mentioned she has had problems posting comments to the blog. If it happens to you, you can email me at cyrstih@yahoo,com. Please just tell me if you dont want the comment posted!

Thanks :)

Astrology Fashion Sense

A site I haven't featured in awhile here in Cyrsti's Condo is Deborah Boland's Fabulous AFTER 40.

Of course I was initially attracted to it because I may just be a tad over 40!

This week, several features attracted my attention, including:

Zodiac Styles for Aquarius and Capricorn signs, Chic on the Cheap with tips on building a "Wow" wardrobe on a budget and ways to "Dump the Frump"and jump start your style.

As Stana from Femulate always points out, fashion sense for most doesn't come naturally and whatever you can do to discover and establish a personal style, will help you so much in the world of women.

Plus it's common knowledge we transgender women have to work harder to look presentable. Preferably while not looking like we are trying that hard!

Fabulous AFTER 40, offers a news letter plus more than a few "help books" you can purchase. Which can help you turn that "Oh No!" moment in the mirror into an "Oh Yeah!"

It's Mine-I Bought It!

I have been bringing back old archived posts from 2013 when my Mtf transition was really taking shape. This one has to do with hair:

As recently as my last post here in Cyrsti's Condo, I am never shy about mentioning my hair.  I am a believer in nature giving and taking away. In my case, nature was in a giving mood with my big bones and torso but just happened to slip in potentially wild big hair. The take away though is the idea of older women not looking stylish in longer hair. Among other things it's called the 16/60 and is used to describe a woman who looks 16 from behind and 60 from in front.  Yikes!!!! I don't look a day over 59!

As luck would have it though, as in everything there are exceptions to every rule. In my case I read the exception in the Fabulous after 40 site:


"If you have thick hair with a natural looking color, and you are not too thin in the face, then you can wear your hair pretty long. How long? The best hairstyles for long hair over 40 are ones that fall no further than mid-back, or your hair will look unkempt. (but I think this is true no matter what your age.) The reason I think you need a little fullness to your face to pull off this look successfully is because long hair will draw the eye down, making your face look longer and thinner.

Although you might think that looking thinner is more desirable, as we age it really isn’t. A long and thin aging face will just look tired and haggard, and length will also draw attention to fine lines and wrinkles. My advice to women over 40 with long hair and a thin face is to a) switch to short hair or b) try a shoulder length style with layers and softness around your face. These two styles will be much more flattering. And remember, showing a little bit of your ear will draw the eye up, lifting everything up and showing off great cheekbones. It’s kind of like having a face lift."

It turns out, I can say yes to all three plus it would break my heart to say "no" after all these years. I guess karma cut me a break for sentencing me to the wait for my own hair. (Have to blame someone)

Plus certainly this information is also good for flattering wig styles we all can wear."

If we all do this right, we can look as good as Courtney Cox in this picture?

The "Mechanic's of Style?"

I'm always fascinated by the detail involved with a person's style and or fashion sense. How the smallest addition of an accessory such as a scarf, belt or jewelry can send the rest of your outfit into the dumpster-or over the top.


Earlier in the week we did have a conversation here in Cyrsti's Condo about the power of a mirror-good and bad.  Face it, if you want to do the girl thing, you have to have some sort of intimate relationship with your mirror.  Of course, if you let it-it will lie to you.  On the other hand the mirror is a necessary and even fun part of being a cross dresser and/or transgender woman.


For what it's worth-here are my basics, before I get to the mirror.

1. First, who are you dressing for? I dress for women and to "blend". What will the majority of generics be wearing where I am going.
2. Secondly, I consider if I can afford the fashions I'm looking at.  Normally no, but I have developed a very good system of "value/discount" shopping.
3. Then, I have to consider if the fashion would look good on my body type at all, or if I would ever wear it.  For example, I may love a pair of business professional slacks or blazer but would never wear it.
4. Plus, can I find items in my size.  I can't diet enough to wear many of the trends I see on pencil thin young models but I can adapt a variation.  A good source for me has been the "Fabulous after 40" fashion site.
5. Finally, I try to maintain a basic wardrobe of seasonal "classics" which aren't likely to change before I can wear them out from use.

My biggest "guilty" pleasures though are accessories such as earrings, necklaces, scarves and purses. If there is any way to get your ears pierced-I would recommend it!  Somehow, I discovered I had a hidden knack for adding items to my outfits which give them a little pizzazz. 

Let's take this outfit to the left as an example.  I have a black leather jacket I bought in the spring at a deep discount price.  Scarves similar to this cost 1.29 at Goodwill (discount).  The top could be a "treasure" from the same store at 3.29.  The leggings I bought for 8.99 at a well known "Dollar" store and my boots are from last year. 

The positives for me are this look, "lengthens" me and deflects my thick upper torso as much as possible. Plus of course it keeps me warm and accentuates my legs and thighs (a positive.)

What I would not do would be to wrap the scarf like this and let it fall down the front of me.  I don't want to add more upper bulk and again lengthen my look.  The problem I have is finding tops which fall this far to my hips.

Finally, this is where my much maligned "too long hair" for a woman my age BS comes into play.  Again, I'm tall and can wear my hair longer and when it drapes over my shoulders it helps to cover my thick and short neck.

So, there you go kids.  I know I don't write much about my fashion and what I wear much.  That does not mean I don't take intense pride in trying to do it right.  It's just one of the "girl things" which are fun when it all comes together.  You can always blame your mirror when it doesn't.  I see plenty of generics who should too!

"Skirting" the Issue

From the earliest days of heading out into the world and exploring my femininity at transvestite "mixers", for whatever reason or another, I was never totally enamored with wearing dresses or skirts.  In return, I was "taken to task" for not doing so.  Very succinctly, I was told why would I wear pants to the mixer if I wear them all the time anyhow.  Of course you all know what a dim view I take of anyone telling me what I should do and women's slacks were always a staple of my very small wardrobe.  (At least my wife approved, so I was "encouraged" to have more.

I'm a believer though, that as a rule of thumb, male legs transition to a feminine look more than any other part of the body.  In fact, in my book "Stiletto's On Thin Ice" I devote several pages of why a dynamite set of legs may be the down fall for novice cross dressers.  If you happen to be like me, the very first compliments I received at Halloween parties I was cross dressing at were, "Wow! You have a great legs!"  I did - but- they were attached to a narrow butt and large feet.  Very simply, I was reacting to the compliments (and the mirror) as any guy would.  I concentrated on my legs and not the entire image.  I think it is one of the reasons you see so many terrible pictures of cross dressers on line who only want to concentrate on their legs when they could transform into pleasant looking women. (Other than the fetish freaks.)

As I said, I didn't stay in the "leg phase" long and began to concentrate on a more complete style.  More importantly I built my style on some sort of an inner voice and bits and pieces of help I could obtain.  Plus, the more I ventured out, the more I had to "blend" with the rest of the women around me-wearing pants for the most part. So here I am today.

Now it seems, I'm coming full circle.  My partner Liz wants to see me in a dress or skirt or two on occasion and even my trans woman friend has commented on why she never sees me in a skirt.  Truthfully, now I don't think my legs justify a skirt.  I did however, run across this fashion update from Fabulous after 40:

Hi Cyrsti,

Does your summer wardrobe consist of the same old pair of shorts, jeans or capris because you just don’t know what else to wear?

Casual dressing is where I see so many women get stuck in a rut - don’t let that happen to you!

A cute skirt is a great alternative - just add a comfy fitted t-shirt, cute sandals and a statement necklace and you’ve got a great casual outfit recipe.

At the right you see Deborah Boland modeling an outfit she was talking about.

Even though there isn't a whole lot of summer yet to come...just maybe I may start "skirting" the issue-next spring?

I know what you are thinking, does Cyrsti even have legs? Yes, I do have legs and to prove it ...to the left is an ancient selfie of me when I had legs.

Deborah did make another really good point which can be strongly applied to cross dressers or transgender women new to the world.  We really don't have much of an idea of dressing causal without looking like "Honey Boo-Boo's" Mom. 

                                                                                                

Be Cool in your "Boyfriend Jacket!

If you would have told me I would have been looking for a light jacket to keep me warm on a July evening last Spring-well, I may have thought you were crazier than I am!

But thanks again to the summer "polar vortex" our evenings here in Ohio are again dipping into the 50's.

Every now and then here in Cyrsti's Condo, I refer to a fashion site called Fabulous after 40, which as the title indicates, focuses on women past the age of 40.  Recently they ran a post called "The Casual Boyfriend Jacket-for Grown Up Girls."  To be honest with you, I didn't quite know the definition of a "boy friend jacket" but liked the transgender irony of it.

Here's the scoop and a picture from "Fab after 40" :

"Have you noticed that as you’ve gotten older your body has gotten softer and rounder and sometimes you don’t look as polished and chic in your clothes as you’d like to?

A simple solution for that is to add a jacket to whatever you happen to be wearing.  You see, a jacket is like hanger. It gives you body structure and shape. Throw one on and you instantly look more polished, slimmer and trimmer.

One of my favorite styles is the boyfriend jacket, which has been pretty popular the last couple of years.

Remember the days when your chivalrous date would lend you his jacket on a chilly evening? That’s the idea behind the boyfriend jacket. It’s a softer, slightly oversized, but not baggy jacket, with a relaxed look and feel. It’s a casual alternative to the fitted blazer, but still looks polished."

I feel better (and a little warmer) because I happen to have what could be referred to as a "boyfriend jacket" in my closet which I used to have to wear back in the day to cover the hair on my arms.  It was difficult to find because of my size of course and it is slightly tailored in at the waist.  It's just a wardrobe basic I have kept over the years and now I'm glad I have.  My "boyfriend" doesn't need it anymore!

For more idea's on the jackets, go here.

It's In Here Somewhere

Pat had a great comment for me not long ago, which for the life of me, I can't find. (No real surprise!)

In a post, I was mentioning my need to carry a "feminine hygiene product" in my purse in case I was asked by another woman for one in the restroom. She said something to the point of who would even ask me at my age?  Of coursed I loved it! 

Her age comment does bring me to another point though- age appropriate dressing. It's a huge deal for many genetic women as they have the need to cut their hair shorter every year and seemingly go out of their way to ignore every younger fashion trend.

The length of my hair alone takes me out of the 60+ female age category I'm in.  In other words, I don't blend.  By the time a genetic woman gets to my age (or vice versa) she has beaten her hair into submission over the years and her hormone levels are decreasing. Plus of course, hair is only a small part of the problem. To help me,   I am a follower of the Fabulous after 40  fashion site and on a recent update, here was the question:

Of all the questions my readers send me, the one I seem to get the most is a variation on the theme of age-appropriate dressing: “Can I wear short skirts/low-cut tops/bikinis/etc. at my age?”;“Does this make me look like I’m trying hard to be young?”; “Does this make me look old?”

If you follow the link above, you can find many pictures plus possible answers to the question.  As a transgender woman who didn't get a chance to transition until later in life, I'm seeking some sort of a middle ground.  I don't want to regress to my days of being the cross dresser in the mall squeezed into a mini and heels but I do want to squeeze enough style and fashion into what's left of my active life.

I'm lucky. Over the years, I did take the time as a guy to give a little extra love to my skin.  Between genetics, HRT, make up and smoke and mirrors, I can take a few visual years off my life.  In fact in some situations I threaten people with my ID to show them how old I really am.

Finally, the problem I know I have (along with so many other cross dressers or transgender women) is looking like I'm trying too hard. The only difference is I have two hurdles - age and gender.

Cyrsti's Condo "Fashion Tip"

I'm sure many of us remember the old fashion days of leather pants and skirts etc.

As with everything else in fashion, they are back and the question now as then, can we, should we wear them?

Here's a look from Fabulous after 40 's fashion expert Deborah Boland  who answered my questions.

It’s been many years since I’ve worn leather pants, but a few weeks ago I was out shopping and spotted a pair of luxurious, leather leggings that got me really excited. My first thought was, ”Could I, should I, wear leather leggings now I’m over 50?” In less than 10 minutes I was in and out of the dressing room, handing over my credit card, and feeling pretty triumphant about my new purchase.

Similar to her, I wear a lot of black leggings and skinny jeans but I have reservations about buying a pair of (faux) leather leggings for fear of looking "over the top". But, "here's the 'skinny' on a few tips for how to wear black leather leggings from Deborah. Very simply, it all depends on what you wear your leggings with. The problem is, for all of us who are struggle to become comfortable with all this "girl" stuff, nothing is simple.  Read on for help:

 DO wear your leggings with:

Tops that flow and are not too tight so the silhouette is wider,
Looser on top and narrow, skinny on the bottom tops that end below your hip bones ( minimum) and even better that cover your bum,
Longer cozy loose slightly oversized sweaters narrow cut ( but not tight) blouses and shirts tunic dresses or tops
Blazers layered with a long top or sweater underneath sporty and classic pieces

DO NOT wear with:

Tops that are too short, tops that are too tight, tops that are flimsy and see through.
Very sexy tops with deep V-necks and cutouts.
Tall, high-heeled leather boots anything with biker gang looking buckles, studs and chains.

There are more DO NOTS, and as I read them, I suddenly wondered did Deborah write them for us?

NEVER wear the leggings (or anything else for that matter with:)

Too much glitz and shiny cheap fabrics.
Too much jewelry or too many accessories.
Piles of make-up.
Big hair.
Stilettos

There is more, follow the link above!

Cyrsti's Condo Fashion Nook

From one of my "fave sites" Fabulous after 40, here is more advice on how not too look "Fab-Boo!-less" while adapting the latest fashion to your style.

"How to Look Cool (not Kooky) in Camouflage."

 I know some of you are either recoiling in terror thinking of some of your old military garb or pulling your deer hunting gear from the closet but read on!

"Despite the print’s humble, utilitarian beginnings, camo has become a focal point in collections by Valentino, Proenza Schouler and other designers this season. This kick-started camo’s “of-the-moment” status as well as “love-it-or-hate-it” controversy. Regardless of how you feel about the print, no one can deny its wear-ability at any age! Camouflage can be surprisingly chic if you know how to style it right."

For more go here.