The Capping Years: 2013

The caption I've chosen for 2013 is something a little different which is perhaps why I've selected it. Vancouverite over at Rachel's Haven asked for a twisted wishes type scenario.  There would be a gender change...but with a caveat. In this case you either have large, but fake looking, breasts, a large bum or the dress sense of a hooker once you are outside of the office. As you might be able to tell I loved writing the fashion part of this as I love messing with styles. Never done anything before it before and luckily this was well received so I was proud of it. 

What would you choose? Let me know in the comments...

You Make the Call: Working Girl (1) (2013)

You Make the Call: Working Girl (2) (2013)

Check-Up #22

After a bit of a bumpy start to the month I'm feeling a lot better about myself now after a couple of experiences this week. 

Cosplay has been a worry for me over the last couple of years particularly whether I still enjoy it. I have no doubt that there are plenty of costumes that I would still like to do but do I have places to wear them and if I do will I be doing it alone? I've attended conventions alone for most of the time I've been doing them and after giving them up for a bit I came back when I started cosplay but that was for the most part doing it with friends. I thought I might just feel a bit lonely. This week however I did attend a convention and took the opportunity to wear my 13th Doctor cosplay and, despite once more having to do a quick change in the toilets, I really enjoyed myself. I even met a former cast member who asked me why I wasn't wearing the wig. Also, if you wish to take any fashion advice from me then I must advise that the current geek threads du jour are a Hellfire Club t-shirt from the fourth series of Stranger Things. 

I didn't really get a lot of other comments on my costume but I did get some nods from other Doctor cosplayers which was nice and it was a lot of fun walking around with a big swishy coat. Ok, perhaps not the smartest choice given the hot weather but I didn't feel that bad plus I was wearing a skirt so I was cool in other areas and that's something I've learned through crossdressing. It doesn't matter if parts of you are more exposed than usual, covering up elsewhere helps it. Wearing a short skirt or dress? Try a cardigan or knee socks if it gets too cold.  Anyway, back to the costume and it is a decent one for all weathers as you can choose to do without the coat and just go with the t-shirt for the heat but in the cold you can also wear a jumper for a top or a the t-shirt with a long sleeved white top underneath. So anyway it was a largely positive experience so it might be something I continue in the future.

I also forgot how many great artists you get at these things and there are a couple in particular I would like to mention:

Passing one stall I also saw something on display that made me think of this blog and it was a replica Hooters uniform except the top read 'Femboy Hooters'. So far I have resisted buying it but there was a lot of great stuff on there: https://occulttrash.com

Another one I adored was the work of the Retro Draughtsman over at Cult Locations Ink who draws buildings from cult TV and films and I even left with a couple of them. 

Speaking of movies, I watched Enola Holmes recently starring Millie Bobby Brown from the aforementioned Stranger Things as Sherlock's younger sister. A very fun movie but also one including crossdressing as Enola chooses to wear male clothes as a disguise from time to time and one running gag saw her offering money to a couple of men to switch clothes with her. The TG caption writes itself there. To one, a gardener, she even stipulates that he doesn't have to wear the dress and even offers to tie him up to further cover up why his clothes are missing. Tied up and wearing a dress - this must be the best day of his life! Sadly we never saw any shots of the chaps wearing the dresses but you can always hope. 

Finally, I had an event to go to one evening this week and decided to wear a dress to it as it was a hot night. A good choice, as it turns out, as it was nice and cool. Toilets once again played a role as I got changed in one at work and luckily was able to avoid anyone I worked with despite nearly meeting someone at the traffic lights. The event was in a pub so of course I needed to go to the toilet part way through the night and while I was awaiting the single cubicle in the Gents I spoke briefly with a man in there who seemed genuinely confused as to why I was in there rather than in the Ladies. Whether or not he was being nice or really thought I was a woman (reader - I do not pass) I don't know but it was interesting considering the horrible nature of the Trans discourse recently much of which seems to be centred around lavatories. In fact the same discourse has been worrying me of late (too much Twitter I expect) and I nearly didn't dress that night for those same reasons. Life works in funny ways sometimes. 

Check-Up #21

So anyway a few things that have happened recently. 

Last week I bought a lovely new summer dress. A little short maybe but otherwise fine. I also got a bracelet which looks a little like barbed wire so it's bit punky which is cool. Otherwise I've been a bit preoccupied with my thoughts on dressing for a works party. I thought a lot about it, trying to weight it up, picked out a dress and also sought advice from my friends on social media. The day came and so I stuffed the dress and some jewellery in the suitcase (I was staying in a hotel overnight) and ultimately the time came and I opted not to wear it. Perhaps I need to start a little smaller than the gathering planned. 

I can't say it made me feel more miserable than I think I would have been at a large gathering and as such I didn't feel so self-conscious. I still paint my nails most weeks though so it's not like I don't show that side of myself (this night though they were silver with a coat of glitter on). There is a twist though. I did feel the need to talk to someone about it and the amount of alcohol I had didn't do me any favours but I did end up confiding in a colleague in the end and he seemed ok with it. So I don't know what will happen from here on out so I guess we will see. I was worrying a lot about but I perhaps built it up a little too much in my mind. As a friend of mine said, I had to weigh up how safe and scared I would feel coming out but also the effects on my mental health if I didn't and it's something like that which I had never considered before. 

Strange New Worlds

One of the cosplays I've done most over the years has been my Star Trek red dress from the original series which ran from 1966-1969. I was never a huge fan of Star Trek growing up but in recent years and especially since its recent revival (and availability on Netflix) I have taken the opportunity to start watching the various series. In fact while the dress is more commonly associated with Lt. Uhura it was seeing Yeoman Rand wearing it that made me think about it as a possible cosplay for an upcoming convention. 

Whoever wore it though, it's now an iconic piece of costume design today and one very closely associated with the past. Despite the introduction of the skant in Star Trek: The Next Generation that even men would be seen walking about it, mainly extras would be seen wearing them and it seems to have been phased out especially when the new breed of Star Trek shows began with Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. In fact amongst the jumpsuits only Lt Nhan seemed to be wearing something like them but that involved a red top and skirt and a skant version of the Discovery jumpsuit. Anyway, this brings me on to the very latest show Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. This prequel takes place before the original series and is set on the Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike and I was heartened to read that Rebecca Romijn, who plays second in command Lt Commander Una Chin-Riley, fought to wear the mini dress and bring that touch of femininity back to the show. 

The full interview can be read here: https://www.slashfilm.com/850009/rebecca-romijn-insisted-on-wearing-a-starfleet-dress-on-star-trek-strange-new-worlds/

Here is a further look at the fashions of Strange New Worlds: https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-costume-designer-interview

Rebecca Romijn as Lt Commander Una Chin-Riley in a
promotional poster for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 

Unisex does seem to be the order of the day with a more masculine look seeming favourable. What's so wrong with looking feminine? It's a lot more fun. Unisex to me always conjures the idea of grey clothes and everyone looking the same. I'm all for breaking down gender boundaries but again it does seem to be skewed towards the masculine like that's all what people are striving for. Is it really that much better or bringing the equality that we need? Skirts for men have been tried over the years and make-up too but it's never really taken off however I think these days more than other men have been making bolder choices with more colourful suits and shirts. 

It was interesting to note how things seem to have come full circle albeit for different reasons. The short dresses of the original series have become much derided over the years and are often held up as an example of the sexism that existed in the series and in particular that of creator Gene Roddenberry. However in the original pilot The Cage they are nowhere to be seen with the uniform consisting of a top and trousers. It was the aforementioned Yeoman Rand herself, actress Grace Lee Whitney who asked the production staff to implement the dresses. In fact dresses like that were everywhere in the late 1960s and were seen as a part of female sexual freedom rather than something enforced. Ironically enough these days it's the fact that they are so short that makes them stand out as a relic of the 1960s. Although I have worn one it wasn't until I watched some of those original episodes that I realised exactly how short they were on the show. Even Nichelle Nichols, Lt Uhura herself, has defended them when asked about what it was like being asked to wear one. 

Nichelle Nicols as Lt Uhura in
Star Trek: The Original Series

There's a nice short piece here about it: https://blog.ha.com/minis-are-maximum-fashion-in-star-trek-the-original-series/

With the classic dresses being derided it's no surprise that they weren't considered for a comeback when the series returned to TV although they did return in the three 'Kelvinverse' films: Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016) showing that they could be done with a more modern eye. 

Zoe Saldana as Lt Uhura in
Star Trek (2009)

So anyway I'm glad that like Grace Lee Whitney and Nichelle Nichols, Rebecca Romijn has stuck up for a more feminine look on the bridge of the Enterprise and I notice that even her hair and make-up is inspired by the looks of the original series (plus she has some marvellous gold nails). It's been fascinating looking into this and as someone who has an eye towards more feminine clothing I'm surprised that women are still fighting to wear it and to look feminine although I suppose that may be expected on a show dealing with the military and less on the usual type of dramas (certainly to have the wardrobe of a heroine on a DC series would be quite something).

I have thought about doing this cosplay myself and may just do that among with some of the others I have planned although another one from SNW that has caught my eye is the white jumpsuit of Nurse Chapel so who knows. 

Check-Up #20

So what have I been doing recently? 

Not much really. I haven't bought anything new clothes wise apart from a necklace with a large silver heart on it but I have had some opportunities to dress recently as I've had some time working from home. I've also found that shaving most of my body hair has helped with my mood as I've often looked down at my various hairy limbs and despaired somewhat. I always pledge to shave more often but I rarely do plus you do get those horrible stubby hairs that you can never entirely get rid of. Maybe I ought to try waxing or go somewhere professional to try and get it done properly. 

Speaking of work (and I know I may be sounding like a broken record here) but we have a staff event coming up that is partially going to be on a boat. So do I dress? I've thought about it and the various dresses I could wear for it but I fear the confidence may leave me unless my old friend alcohol becomes involved as it has whenever I took a big step in my dressing. I haven't decided whether I will do yet but I still have a few more weeks to think about it. If I don't I know I will be miserable for most of the night but if I do it may be one of my more nerve-wracking nights and I've had quite a few but it's different this time as I won't have any of my friends around me. I expect it's one of those times when I just have to get over the initial awkwardness and questions and it will be fine. Funnily enough also in July I have a friend's wedding coming up in which I have no qualms about dressing for but I'm torn between wearing a suit, at least for the ceremony, or buying a new dress. Well, I probably have something I could wear anyway if I didn't get something new. That should be fun anyway. 

I finished watching Sex Education and I would recommend it and it has some wonderful LGBTQ+ representation. I certainly wish I had something like this when I was younger. Everything I learned about sex I had to pick up myself as neither school nor my parents taught me anything. I doubt it would have made much difference as I still would have been a shy child but you never know. 

I've started to do more captions for the Haven again too and I'm still enjoying producing work over on Twitter so it's a surprisingly creative time for me. 

Ms Marvel

Once again where Marvel goes, I follow. As Ms Marvel has presently landed on Disney + and is doing well I thought I would put up a couple of themed captions. Unfortunately I don't have the names of either cosplayer.  

This one was created for Jeannie over at Rachel's Haven and uses one of my favourite concepts - Secret Cosplay. The premise being that a person receives an envelope with a cosplay choice on they must dress as for a local convention and if they dare ignore it then the choice will be fulfilled whether they like it or not. I seem to remember creating as a way to get some quick capbacks done with a common concept I could use without doing the same thing over and over again. I have varied it and there are quite a few captions and characters I've used it with now. This one is more the classic Carol Danvers version of the character though rather than the Kamala Khan version from the TV show. 

Secret Cosplay: Ms Marvel (2018)

This second caption was created for Jay Seaver over at Rachel's Haven and was inspired by the then recent Captain Marvel movie and riffs on a more conventional bodyswap scenario.

Marvel-ous Cosplay (2019)

Terri in the Multiverse of Madness

Well Multiverses seem to be all the rage these days and the other day by chance I found a couple of captions related to them. 

The below was created for Chelsea Baker on Rachel's Haven and uses a screencap from the makeover (actually more a make-under show as they championed natural beauty and teaching people how to live without tons of make-up) TV show Snog, Marry, Avoid which I used to watch quite a lot. The title was taken from a 2009 episode of Family Guy which itself was a nod to the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby Road To... movies 

Road to the Multiverse (2013)

This second one may be a bit tricky to understand without context since I basically took someone's preferences and flipped them. This was done for Felicia Hextus over at Rachel's Haven who loves to be age reduced, shrunk, teased and humiliated so obviously I turned her into a strong, powerful maneater. Luckily she enjoyed it and also really liked having her preferences turned against her and saw it as a form of teasing in itself. It's always nice when you hit on a kink that may not have been there before. This cap also brings back one of my favourite characters, Ember Montoya, and if I ever mention parallel universes the universe of shrimp often comes up which is a reference to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now, I'm not sure if there is a reference in the title unless I thought it just sounded good but knowing me there probably was but I can't remember it now. 

Felicia of Two Worlds (2015)