Things To Work On As An Mtf

[Guest Cameron Michaels]

So like

Ive been told I need to work on my walk!? Oh my goodness

Typical things to work on like voice etc i get.

But ive never heard of people that walk non feminately.

Apparently I walk like a guy...

is that possible and has any else heard/thought theyve had to work on there maneurisms etc including walking?

[Guest Victoriaf]

I had to work on my walk and gestures. You get so use to acting the part of a man that when you transition you need to change those gestures. It is not something that is diffecult to do you just have to think about it. Now i have to remimber to act like a "Man" when i am at work. oh well

Huggs and good luck

Victoria

[Guest Flay-ke]

lol it's called mannerisms

and ya i get that sometimes, like i just walk weirdly its like im confused or drunk.

[Guest Leah1026]

So like

Ive been told I need to work on my walk!? Oh my goodness

Typical things to work on like voice etc i get.

But ive never heard of people that walk non feminately.

Apparently I walk like a guy...

is that possible and has any else heard/thought theyve had to work on there maneurisms etc including walking?

I agree with Victoria.

Remember this mantra:

Walk tall. Walk proud. You're a woman dammit. (I know how to spell, but the board didn't like my choice of words)

It may sound silly, but that's what I always told myself.

Guys tend to walk slightly hunched over. And since their upper bodies are bigger, they tend to move the upper body more when they walk. Hence another mantra to remember is: Keep the upper body quiet. Try to move you center of gravity down a bit so you're walking more with your hips than your upper body. It all becomes habit after a while.

For the record I have heard of women who walk un-lady-like. We used to have this one administrator who use to come clomping down the hall in her heels, slightly bent forward like a guy. I used to just shake my head after she went by.

[Sally]

I don't think that the walk is as important as before because so many woman now days stomp around with all of the grace and poise as the average NFL linebacker.

First don't stomp, just walk smoothly - they used to call it gliding.

The walk is different based mostly on the shape of the hips.

Men tend to walk taking each step at about shoulder width with the toes pointing straight forward or slightly out.

Women tend to walk with each step almost in a straight line with the toes pointed a bit inward - that's a natural women's walk not the exagerated runway crossing over almost beyond the opposite shoulder with each step.

Add that to Leah's posture and you are walkinf female!

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest AllisonD]

So like

Ive been told I need to work on my walk!? Oh my goodness

Typical things to work on like voice etc i get.

But ive never heard of people that walk non feminately.

Apparently I walk like a guy...

is that possible and has any else heard/thought theyve had to work on there maneurisms etc including walking?

I always think of Whoopi Goldberg when I think of a non-femine walk. Don't misunderstand, I think she is fabulous as an actress, comedian, and humanitarian, but her walk is not something I would choose to imitate.

I keep my head up, spine straight, trying to push the top of my head as high as it will go. And then simply walk. Turns out when I walk my feet naturally find their place immediately in front of each other. In snow or on the beach, or after stepping in a puddle my track is a very straight line, each footprint inline with the last. It isn't intentional, but I am told, especially in heels, it gives me the perfect wiggle when I walk.

I have observed other women walk, just to take a look and study, and I see many waddle. Feet pointed out, well spaced side to side, like a duck. Not pigeon toed, but pointed out. I would suggest you avoid that.

Speaking of walking, and thinking of the other threads about learning/unlearning sex-segregated skills, have you noticed that after a year in heels you see the ground carefully without even looking? I rarely look down, except in really broken pavement or other hazardous terrain, but I KNOW where every concrete stress relief cut is, where every frost heave in the asphalt is, where every grate, crack, or other potential hazard to leather-covered spike heels are, and I avoid them automatically. Without ever looking down. I noticed that just recently in the parking lot at work. I navigated ~ 100 yards of cracked, patched asphalt in 3" spike heels (taller than usual, but they were the right color and height for my outfit that day) without hitting, snagging, or stepping in a single obstable or hazard, and without looking. Someone called to me, so I turned around and for some reason noticed the minefield I had just successfully traveled without mishap. Now that is a learned skill that women simply must have and men would not even notice.

Allison

[Guest meridian]

As a ciswoman (and what does that stand for, really?) I was constantly told to stand straighter, walk more gracefully, etc. It did not make for happiness then or later. Now, in middle age, I'm one of those women who has a heavy step and probably lurches forward while walking. Let the rest of the world deal with it! My MTF daughter, however, seems to me to walk with the grace of a model; maybe she always did. What I'd like to add to this thread is that we women have worked hard to be accepted for who we are, and that goes for women who spent years thinking they had to walk like a man. I'd say the only thing MTF and cis women need to remember is to sit with our legs together when we're wearing a skirt that doesn't cover our knees. That's it. Otherwise, just walk like yourself, the proud woman you are.

With love,

Meridian

[Petra Jane]

I'd say the only thing MTF and cis women need to remember is to sit with our legs together when we're wearing a skirt that doesn't cover our knees.

Meridian

Okay Meridan,

Got to ask, how DO you do that so it becomes natural? I love shorter skirts and the natural inclination of my legs is to drift apart, a tighter skirt or one that is long and floaty enough to tuck under my legs when sitting helps keep the ol'knees together, but not so easy in a shorter skirt.

[Guest meridian]

Oh my goodness, Petra Jane, you've got me there! I don't know that it's ever entirely natural, but all those years of being trained to be modest (I grew up in the '50s) would make me very uncomfortable sitting with my knees apart in a short skirt. Maybe that is one thing you'd have to practice. Or has the world changed enough that no one would stare???

Meridian

[Guest Jean Davis]

I have been watching for a while and it seems that people wiggle what doesn't jiggle. In other words men have their jiggle around their hips so they wiggle their shoulders. Women have their jiggle accoss their chest so they wiggle their hips. Here's what I do , I stop the jiggle around my hips, go to the store, grab a shopping cart(to help stop the wiggling across the shoulders) stand up striaght and work on wiggling my hips. I know it sound funny but it works.

Jean Davis

[Petra Jane]

Oh my goodness, Petra Jane, you've got me there! I don't know that it's ever entirely natural, but all those years of being trained to be modest (I grew up in the '50s) would make me very uncomfortable sitting with my knees apart in a short skirt. Maybe that is one thing you'd have to practice. Or has the world changed enough that no one would stare???

Meridian

Oh trust me, they still stare!

[Sally]

Petra Jane,

It will become more of a habit but in reality the reason that your knees go aprt when you sit is the hip structure itself.

The skeleton is different there not just in widthe but the angle of the upper thighs to the knees.

That makes it easier to keep your knees together so you will always have to fight against nature just like learning your female voice.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

For those who know the show Riverdance, there is a line in there which, while talking about clogging, step or tap dancing (yes I know they are all different), illustrates what is meant "Tall and straight my father taught me... that is how we dance" Think of the body positioning of the Celtic dancers, sping straivht and eyes front.

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

Think of the body positioning of the Celtic dancers, sping straivht and eyes front. should have read Think of the body positioning of the Celtic dancers, spine straight and eyes front.

[Guest nonamesleft]

The best thing is to just go to a mall or other busy place with a lot of pedestrians and just watch people for a while. Also find a nice large mirror or window with a good reflection and actually watch yourself, or even videotape yourself if you can. Look at the shoulders, the posture,and leg movement, arm movement, etc of men and women, compared to yourself. Obviously there is no real wrong way to walk, but if you are concerned about passing or want to minimize the amount of attention you get, it is best to act 'normal' for your gender. A big problem for me, and many other people (men and women, but more obvious in women) is posture relating to the position of the back and shoulders. Ideally you would want to have your shoulders back, your chest out, and your back arched. My BF is constantly hammering me on my posture, but he is critical of everyone in that regard. You could also watch a show like 'Top Model' and watch the girls walk. Obviously, you don't want to do a catwalk strut in the grocery store, but look at the posture and just try to tone down their walk.

Or just keep walking the way you always have, if you please, its your life. And as far as sitting, women don't sit with their legs open unless they are at a strip club. Its one thing that I have seen some of the girls at meetings do that just gives them away instantly. Guys and girls sit differently, and if passing is a concern, take note of that. A girl with her legs spread just sends across the message she's skanky or has absolutely terrible manners. But to each her own.

[Guest amie]

So like

Ive been told I need to work on my walk!? Oh my goodness

Typical things to work on like voice etc i get.

But ive never heard of people that walk non feminately.

Apparently I walk like a guy...

is that possible and has any else heard/thought theyve had to work on there maneurisms etc including walking?

Without a conscious effort of any kind to walk differently in the presence of certain company, I tend to walk rather feminine-like with palms out and a light arm swing.

I'm certain it's one of my mannerisms that would require some of the least work, if any.

[Guest amie]

The best thing is to just go to a mall or other busy place with a lot of pedestrians and just watch people for a while. Also find a nice large mirror or window with a good reflection and actually watch yourself, or even videotape yourself if you can. Look at the shoulders, the posture,and leg movement, arm movement, etc of men and women, compared to yourself. Obviously there is no real wrong way to walk, but if you are concerned about passing or want to minimize the amount of attention you get, it is best to act 'normal' for your gender. A big problem for me, and many other people (men and women, but more obvious in women) is posture relating to the position of the back and shoulders. Ideally you would want to have your shoulders back, your chest out, and your back arched. My BF is constantly hammering me on my posture, but he is critical of everyone in that regard. You could also watch a show like 'Top Model' and watch the girls walk. Obviously, you don't want to do a catwalk strut in the grocery store, but look at the posture and just try to tone down their walk.

Or just keep walking the way you always have, if you please, its your life. And as far as sitting, women don't sit with their legs open unless they are at a strip club. Its one thing that I have seen some of the girls at meetings do that just gives them away instantly. Guys and girls sit differently, and if passing is a concern, take note of that. A girl with her legs spread just sends across the message she's skanky or has absolutely terrible manners. But to each her own.

That's one of the coolest usernames I've ever seen. Quality.

[Guest Joanna Phipps]

The best thing is to just go to a mall or other busy place with a lot of pedestrians and just watch people for a while. Also find a nice large mirror or window with a good reflection and actually watch yourself, or even videotape yourself if you can. Look at the shoulders, the posture,and leg movement, arm movement, etc of men and women, compared to yourself. Obviously there is no real wrong way to walk, but if you are concerned about passing or want to minimize the amount of attention you get, it is best to act 'normal' for your gender. A big problem for me, and many other people (men and women, but more obvious in women) is posture relating to the position of the back and shoulders. Ideally you would want to have your shoulders back, your chest out, and your back arched. My BF is constantly hammering me on my posture, but he is critical of everyone in that regard. You could also watch a show like 'Top Model' and watch the girls walk. Obviously, you don't want to do a catwalk strut in the grocery store, but look at the posture and just try to tone down their walk.

Or just keep walking the way you always have, if you please, its your life. And as far as sitting, women don't sit with their legs open unless they are at a strip club. Its one thing that I have seen some of the girls at meetings do that just gives them away instantly. Guys and girls sit differently, and if passing is a concern, take note of that. A girl with her legs spread just sends across the message she's skanky or has absolutely terrible manners. But to each her own.

Working front desk at a hotel another thing I have noticed is even when it comes to crossing your legs the younger ones tend to cross at the knee with the inside of the top leg against the outside of the bottom leg. However the more matronly, read mature, types (the 50+ set) tend to only cross at the ankles. Also there is less wiggle in the walk of the older women.

[Sakura]

i seen a show on the discovery channel about how men and women precive both the opposite sex and them selves in relation to what the opposite sex finds atractive about them. outta 50 men and women the natural male and female stride is almost the same in both male and female the hips and shoulders are horizontal with each other with most movement concentrated in the arms and the legs

in a diffrent test those same 50 men and women were told that now they are being evaluated on how attractive they are to the opposite sex thats when the real big diffrences came out

the men began walking with more exaggerated shoulder back and arm movement slightly flairing the rib cage to make them selves look bigger in size and they get more of a strut in their step

women tilt thier shoulders back push their chest out and greatly exaggerate their hip movement in a side to side motion

most mannerisims are an evolutionary trait hard wired into us at birth

Sakura

[Guest angie]

I believe it.I had a feminine walk even at my most masculine.

So real life made it come gracefully when not having to be selfconcious.

My hips and bottom have a natural gentle womanly sway now.

Angie

[Guest N. Jane]

Things To Work On: VOICE!

No matter how good you look or how natural you carry yourself, if you don't have the voice to go with the image, it all falls apart the moment you speak.

[Guest Cameron Michaels]

could always be a mute lol jk

[Guest NatalieRene]

Well a temporary solution is to make your voice sound very raspy and say you where at a loud party or something and you strained your voice.

[Guest Sarah]

I've been told I move feminin by friends, before they knew i was transgendered. and not in a gay way ^^ that really made me happy

some friends told me they tought the same things but were scared to tell me back then, because they thought i might see it as an insult :p