Check-Up #44

I haven't been up to a lot recently. Life just kind of grinds on and I still haven't been able to get away on holiday but hopefully I will within the next couple of weeks. I've bought a few things recently: a nice black sweater dress that will definitely need a splash of colour to it somewhere, a red sweater top, a houndstooth dress from Hell Bunny and a Captain America themed purse. However with each purchase now comes the worry that I'm buying too much and that I have nowhere to store it and that's without the worries over my weight. Dressing is still one of the only joys I get out of life now. The other day at work I was given an award for long service and I didn't feel anything. I just felt sort of numb. Not that it's been the greatest time at work. 

So anyway onto a few other things and recently I've been using an AI clothes changer to try on different outfits. The one I'm using is here https://bitstudio.ai/ai-clothes-changer but there are plenty of others out there. It reminds me a little of Cher's 'Dress Me' computer program in Clueless and feels like a continuation of what I started over 30 years ago by drawing myself in different outfits and later on using Photoshop. You simply upload a photograph of yourself in one section and one of the outfit you want in the other. This can be grabbed from anywhere by it a clothes website, photograph or a still from a film or TV show. The site I'm using at the moment gives you 5 free images per day or you can sign up and pay for more. 

Onto a couple of media things and recently I saw the film Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma which was an interesting one. The writer/ director is Jane Schoenbrun who previously did We're All Going To The World's Fair and I Saw the TV Glow so if you like queer horror that riffs on the Friday the 13th movies then give it a watch. One of the film's themes is repression and there's a scene in it that made me think of TF captions and stories when our heroine Kris describes wanting to be in the film and going from being the nerdy girl to the 'slut' running away from the killer through the woods in a crop top and pants. I've also been watching sitcom Silicon Valley for the first time and I love the style of Monica Hall, very much the sort of business casual I would love to wear for work. I'm also watching The Big Bang Theory spin-off Stuart Fails to Save the Universe and Denise's nerdy style is also fun. 

Check-Up #41

 So I've had an interesting month which started with some time off. I attended a Doctor Who convention for the first time in over a decade. It was an interesting experience as I had been going to these since 2004 (mainly for Buffy fandom but moving into other shows) when I was in my early 20s. I didn't do cosplay at that time, the first con I did it at was in 2011, and I certainly didn't crossdress at all. I think it must have been lurking at the back of my mind but I never did anything about it. Also at the time and being as young as I was, I saw these events as the place I might be able to find a romantic partner which I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to do so. Although I never got together with anyone I had a few kisses, crushes and near misses. I never also managed to make friends as well so to see everyone greet each other like long lost friends was a bit depressing. 

I wasn't sure if I wanted to recreate all that though so I went with some trepidation but determined to enjoy myself and try to feel like I had moved on emotionally in the last 20 years. In the end I did have a good time. There were some things that I found a bit frustrating but that was to do with the con in general and the odd autograph system they had in place. The convention was quite inclusive though which is nice and of course one of the best parts is the hotel buffet breakfast. I did a couple of cosplays which I enjoyed and when I wasn't doing that I had a couple of dresses for the dances and a red skirt I coupled with some t-shirts I mostly wore to get food and sit around between panels. I even had some nice compliments on just being myself and I managed to find some people to talk to. 

The following weekend I caught up with some friends and we attended a geeky event together. It's always nice to know that I'm (hopefully) on the right track with fashion and I'm always surprised when I get a compliment. In the early days especially I was expecting hate so much that the good caught me quite off guard. The weekend after that I ended up going to a friend's birthday party in full Star Trek cosplay which was probably one of the more nerve wracking times I've spent in cosplay as it involved going into central London. The cosplay was a short red dress from the original series and luckily I had a long black coat to cover it up to walk through the streets. 

I'm in a bit of a funk regarding captions at the moment as a couple of weeks ago I had another unfavourable social media comment. Now, I'm not against someone disliking my work as that's par for the course but someone went to the trouble of retweeting me and accusing me of not being able to speak English! I don't think they even got the kink aspect of the story I was trying to tell (in a small space as well) so I don't know how they stumbled onto my stuff. I have restricted my profile a bit but I've been a little hesitant to stap captioning in that format again. I may start writing some longer form stories instead to scratch that itch and I have started on one already. To be honest I've been thinking of doing it for a while. 

Ok and for a final bit of levity here's a few comments on the costumes for the recently started series 21 of Taskmaster. I'm not sure if I've talked about it before but this series has really been a go to happy place for me in the last few years. Five comedians are given silly things to do and are then assessed by the Taskmaster. There are a number of pre-filmed tasks and more often than not they choose to wear specific costumes to do these in. 

Publicity shot of the American diner themed
Taskmaster series 21

Going from left to right, starting off we have Joel Dommett. I'm not the greatest fan of Joel but here the costume is wonderful: a leather look 90s skateboarder outfit complete with skateboard! Always love a prop and it reminds me of Andy Zaltzman from series 18 with his full cricket whites including helmet and bat. Amy Gledhill is next and she's wearing a kind of jungle woman/cave woman outfit. In particular I notice the fishnets as often those that choose to do tasks in a skirt or dress, like Liza Tarbuck or Victoria Coren-Mitchell, often have leggings on perhaps to do with the more physical nature of the task and the danger of them tearing which I expect is a continuity nightmare. Amy is my tip for the winner of the whole series too. Next we have Kumal (OMG he's so famous!!) Nanjiani who is in a basic but functional jacket, top, jeans and trainers. Sensible but unremarkable. Then we have hosts Greg Davies, the eponymous Taskmaster, and his assistant Little Alex Horne (the series creator and person behind the fiendish tasks). Joanna Page is next wearing dungarees which is a Taskmaster staple much like the jumpsuit and recalls Charlotte Ritchie and Sophie Willan. She's also coupled it with a yellow top which makes her look like a minion however there are questions over whether this is intentional. Joanna is another strong contender for the top spot. Finally Armando Iannucci looking spiffy in a suit and tie. Always respect a man doing the show in suit and tie much like Frank Skinner or John Kearns (who always lobbed a jacket out of shot whenever he started a task). Two episodes have aired so far and I'm looking forward to the rest. 

TV Style

 I just wanted to mention some things from a couple of programmes I've been watching recently. 

Firstly, the latest Star Trek series: Starfleet Academy. The first season has just aired with a second (and now final, sadly, according to this week's news) to follow and personally I quite liked it. Obviously I'm going to talk about uniforms. I cosplay quite a few Star Trek uniforms and one of my favourites and indeed the first one I tried was the red dress from the original series. In fact I went to friend's birthday party in one on Saturday night and getting on a train and the London Underground in it is probably one of the bolder of my crossdressing adventures. 

Anyway, the uniforms from SA are mainly grey with a few flashes of colour to denote which area the cadets are studying. Within this framework they have a coloured t-shirt with a jacket and trousers, jacket and skirt and a dress. As soon as I saw the skirt suits I knew I wanted one and hopefully I will sort that out at some point. Now one other thing I should mention is that one of the boys is seen wearing the skirt suit! Jay-Den the Klingon wears it in a few episodes and this was so good to see. Back in the days of Star Trek; The Next Generation they did introduce a Starfleet dress (the skant) which some male extras were seen wearing in the background however this didn't last very long and was phased out by the second season. 

There's a nice article on it at Everybody Skirts here: Star Trek's Short Lived Skant. 

Now, things have moved on since the 1980s and people are a bit more relaxed about gender fluidity today (or at least they were for a while, things seem to be going backwards), or at least the youth are, this would be the perfect time to try a unisex uniform again. The trouble is however, unless I've missed some more extras, that Jay-Den appears to be the only one wearing it and the production team seems think it's ok for only him to dress like that because he's gay. Perhaps if a few others did it then it might appear more universal. It seems we still may not have come that far since the 1980s which is disappointing. 

The Starfleet Academy Cast (Photo by John Medland/Paramount +)

~

I've also been catching up with the rest of the world and watching Ted Lasso. For the uninitiated, this was one of Apple TV's first big hits and centres around a good natured American football coach enlisted by UK football team AFC Richmond to turn around their fortunes. It ran for three series from 2020-2023 with a fourth coming soon and one of the characters I've fallen for is Keeley Jones played by Juno Temple. She's such a wonderful character who, in lesser hands, could have ended up as a typical WAG. Needless to say one big part of that is the outfits she wears which steer just close to OTT at times but have a certain feminine flair. 

Juno Temple as Keeley Jones in Ted Lasso

~

Finally, speaking of wonderful outfits, a shout out to Morgan Gillory over at High Potential. This is the latest entry in the police consultant genre and sees Kaitlin Olson star as Morgan, a cleaner with a genius level IQ who starts assisting the LA Police with murder cases. She's a great character and has a wonderfully eclectic sense of style. Certainly one of those characters I watch to see what she's wearing that week. 

Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson) in High Potential

Check-Up #39

 It's been a busy month. I went on a work's trip to Italy which in some ways felt like a 3 day long panic attack as I don't really travel well but it was a more pleasant experience than some trips I've had. Italy is of course a beautiful country and ultimately I'm glad I had the opportunity to go there and experience it. I don't think I took full advantage of it though as I never felt I could relax properly. Perhaps if I had been there for a few more days. I did paint my nails the colours of the Italian flag though which went down quite well but that only made me feel worse for not being able to dress on a couple of other occasions and I definitely had dress envy. Perhaps that was part of it, I just felt a bit down most of the time for not being to live more authentically, which is a phrase I rarely, if ever, use but I guess it applies here. 

I've bought a couple of new things recently. I was able to get some new boots for a Star Trek cosplay which are really nice and fit really well so much so that I may wear them on other occasions. I also bought a nice purple maxi skirt a few weeks ago and just yesterday I bought yet another variation on the black dress with white flowers look I seem keen to cultivate. I do have quite a few dresses like that now. The weather is getting a bit cooler now so the summer dresses may have to fall by the wayside however I have lost a bit of weight recently which is nice so there is some stuff I may now be able to fit into. 

Last thing I want to mention is that Gen V came back recently. This is the second season of the spin-off from superhero series The Boys set at a university for young heroes. I did have a look back as I'm sure I shared this opinion before but one of the students is Jordan Li who is bigender and has the ability to switch between genders at will (played by Derek Luh and the wonderfully named London Thor as the masc and femme personas respectively). They do explore this quite well in the series but I am wishing that they would lean a little into more femme clothing sometimes. However this does fit with the character as someone who is still learning about existing as different genders. There is no sudden change in personality as you may get with a Jekyll and Hyde type transformation but Jordan is just themselves however they decide to present at that moment. It will be interesting to see how the series develops this further. 

Publicity photos of Derek Luh and London Thor
as Jordan Li in Gen V

Media Blitz

Here are a few pieces of media I've been enjoying recently with some notable scenes I thought might be suitable for this blog so I thought I would ramble on for a bit about that. This was originally a short list which has gotten longer as I've put off writing it: 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

This is a very enjoyable sequel from the dying embers of the DCU (more on that a bit later) but I'm just going to focus on the moment when the wizard (magical dude who gave Billy Batson his powers - played by Djimon Hounsou) appears to Billy in his dream just as he's going on a date with Wonder Woman to give him a warning. This of course means he appears with his face on Wonder Woman's body which is a lot of fun. A shame that Zachery Levi is a Trumper these days when nearly 20 years ago he was king of the nerds Chuck Bartowski in the action TV series Chuck which I fondly remember. Following watching the first film, I did contemplate cosplaying Mary Marvel.

Doctor Who: Wish World/The Reality War (2025)

Well this year's season finale was a bit of a mixed bag which sadly ended with the regeneration of the Fifteenth Doctor played by Ncuti Gatwa. It felt like we spent very little time with this incarnation and I was sorry to see him go however it looks like the next Doctor may be a woman in the shape of former companion Billie Piper. I have some scepticism around this casting and whether it may just be a bit of fan baiting but I'm not going to go into that. 

The main part I wanted to mention though is that the Fifteenth Doctor wore a few skirts over him time, albeit leaning towards the masculine rather than anything more femme, with the final episode seeing him in a pinstripe number. In Wish World the Doctor had woken up with no memory of his true self and believed himself to be wage slave John Smith who worked for an insurance company every day and wearing a very British blue pinstripe suit and bowler hat. When the spell is broken in The Reality War it's a delight to see the Doctor's more subversive take on the pinstripe suit with a vest and skirt. Very suitable for perhaps the most LGBTQ+ friendly Doctor. 

Rick and Morty: The Rick, The Mort & The Ugly (2025)

Multiple versions of the title characters have long been a staple of this sci-fi series with a whole citadel of AU Ricks and Mortys co-existing in previous episodes. This story sees the fallout from the citadel's destruction as some of the characters try to rebuild their lives. Here I just wanted to note that in a scene reminiscent of a western bar there are some flapper Ricks in the background in full showgirl garb. Maybe they are clones designed just to dance in the background (if Rick gets some kind of weird amusement out of it) or it's possible that alternate versions of the universe's smartest man just want to look pretty and dance. 

Cheerleader Camp (1988)

Cheaply made 80s horror that I only mention due to a crossdressing scene in which one pervy kid dons drag to spy on cheerleaders. Yup, best leave that one there and indeed in the past where it belongs. 

M3GAN 2.0 (2025)

I never watched the original but the trailers for this made me want to go back and see it. If you're in two minds I would say don't go in expecting a horror film akin to the original but something with a more action sci-fi flavour with a hint of MCU. I would totally watch a series with a snarky killer doll and her friends/team fight crime though and I had a lot of fun with this. I mention this mainly because of M3GAN's cute new outfit with miniskirt. I saw someone dressed like this at a recent convention and fair play to her, she really committed to it. 

M3GAN's new outfit in a scene from M3GAN 2.0 (2025)

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

In my post Buffy rewatch efforts to watch the cinematic oeuvre of Sarah Michelle Gellar I watched this since it dropped on Amazon Prime. SMG was the perfect choice for Daphne blending many of the elements that made Buffy Summers such a great character namely her kick-ass skills matched with a little ditziness. This is my favourite of the two films and the scene I wanted to mention sees Scooby wearing Velma's jumper and Daphne's purple boots. Daphne herself simply comments that they don't go together but hey, nothing wrong with the Scoob trying a new look. 

Transaction (2025)

Sitcom written by and starring comedian Jordan Gray as Liv, a chaotic trans woman who starts working at a supermarket on the night shift and realises that she can't get fired. It's a lot of fun and a great premise for a sitcom. I think that we Brits seem to specialise in the kind of sitcom that makes you realise everyone's a bit shit really. No matter the struggles some have whether it's race, colour, creed or ability we all have the capacity to be a dick to everyone. It's certainly interesting to see Liv so certain in her identity but yet unsure about having surgery. 

Pretty Red Dress (2022)

Very touching drama about a family unit in south London rocked when the father is discovered crossdressing in the title garb which is used by his partner in an ongoing audition to play Tina Turner in a musical. It also ties in with the story of their teenage daughter who is dealing with her own issues around gender and sexuality. It's still on BBC iPlayer here in the UK but is worth tracking down if you have the same interest in this sort of media as I do.  

Ironheart (2025)

The latest TV offering from the MCU wasn't the best they've done but still a lot of fun as always. I mention this here only due to the appearance by Drag Race royalty Shea Couleé as nonbinary hacker Slug. 

Superman (2025)

One the big summer movies and one which I really enjoyed yet was not without it's faults. So does Superman get into the wrong phone box and end up in a dress? No but I mention it here due to Supergirl's cameo at the end. Supergirl is a character I have wanted to cosplay and seeing her saunter in with a dirty coat over her outfit made me want to do it more. 

Publicity teaser shot for the upcoming
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow film

Check-Up #35

Ok so I wanted to do a brief section on some television I've been watching recently so this may be a bit reality show heavy. 

RuPaul's Drag Race

This year's Drag Race is reaching its finale and this year I've been quite taken with transwoman Lexi Love. I'm not sure that she'll go ahead and win the actual title as there are a few strong contenders this year (although one has just been given the boot which was quite the surprise). I've loved her Werk Room outfits as well and she managed to beat Snatch Game! Notice I didn't say 'win' but she managed to lose in such a funny way that Ru saved her anyway which, after all these years, is surely a game changer. You can be bad but as long as you somehow manage to be funny with it then you'll scrape through. I didn't think her impression of Gilbert Gottfried was all that bad though but as ever it's just that she didn't do much with it. I'm not sure I could either, truth be told, never one much for improv. She has been very funny in other challenges though and had a lovely tender moment when her mum came on during the Drag Families challenge and used her pronouns correctly for the first time. Good luck Lexi!

Lexi Love in a promo shot for RuPaul's Drag Race season 17

The Apprentice

The Apprentice is also entering its finale week and I've already expressed my sadness that Aoibheann Walsh didn't continue (I mean even the coat she left in was fab) and since then there has been some notable fashion from contestants Mia, Anisa (who made it to the finale) and Amber-Rose. In fact I did see Anisa wearing one of Aoibheann's dresses a couple of time throughout? Did she leave it behind? Did they both have the same dress? I've thought about this more than I should have done. One challenge that she would have slayed though is the fashion challenge and in this one I was pleased to see Mia making a passionate argument for skirts and dresses for men as forward fashion. Unfortunately this didn't quite work out for her and, despite being a very strong candidate, she was fired. Despite the crop top, jacket and skirt she designed looking quite high fashion perhaps it was the fact it was made out of parachutes didn't work. The other team had very basic outfits but sailed through on their commercial viability and introduced the concept of a scrunch bum (nope, I didn't either) to a grateful public. It's hard to know if skirts would have been a winner anyway with most of the male populous understandably turning their noses up at the very concept anyway.  Then again whenever the idea of male skirts comes up they usually turn out to be a bit grey and utilitarian.  Perhaps if they had been designed differently, which brings me on to my last section...

Screenshot from The Apprentice Series 19 ep 10: Fashion
(left to right: candidates Mia, Anisa and Jordan alongside a 
model wearing their parachute skirt) 

Doctor Who

Yes, it's back! Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor is no stranger to fashion and indeed in his first full story (The Giggle aside) The Church on Ruby Road he was wearing a kilt which also represented Gatwa's Scottish roots. In the first episode of the new series (and in the promos) The Robot Revolution he wears a long blue pinstripe skirt which looks quite nice. It's this kind of garment that does look more like a male skirt (at least as a concept) should be, made of a hard wearing material, with pockets and worn with trousers but at least with a pattern. It will be interesting to see if the Doctor wears anything similar during the upcoming series. 

Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu in
a publicity shot for Doctor Who

Also, I previously mentioned sitcom Smoggie Queens on here which I really enjoyed and am now pleased that it's been renewed for a second series.  

Check-Up #34

 It's been a bit of a rough month especially getting back to work after a short break for Christmas and the New Year. I've often come back to the idea to dressing at work and sometimes I think it's a good idea and sometimes bad. For my birthday a friend even bought me a nice blouse I could wear and I may still do at some point but at this point it feels like it would be a hollow victory. Dressing how I would like is not going to change certain aspects of the job that I hate and colleagues I have issues with. What would be the point of it all? 

I've managed to get some new clothes over the past few weeks too; a nice purple dress with a black floral  pattern, a blue and grey top with a lilac collar trim and little bow on the side which looks quite cute, a beige maxi-skirt and a red plaid dress that looks a bit 1960s. I've had a look at the dress in the shop a few times and never really thought it was for me but I decided to try it on at the same time as the skirt and grew to like it plus it was a nice fit. Also bought a make-up kit as well so hopefully I can start experimenting with that. 

I was thinking of doing a new 'Outfits of the Week' section on here featuring some of the great stuff I've seen on TV series or films although it may take a bit of work by sourcing various screencaps plus even without the time aspect I sometimes get a bit overly focused on things and what does and does not count so it may not materialise. That aside, I still thought I would give a quick shout out to hair and beauty salon owner Aoibheann Walsh who was recently on the new series of The Apprentice. 

Aoibheann Walsh in a BBC
publicity shot for The Apprentice 

From the shot above you may able to see why. I've always found something alluring about a woman in a suit and tie since seeing Amy Acker in an episode of Dollhouse. Unfortunately Aoibheann didn't last beyond episode two which is a shame because she seemed like a nice person and had some great outfits including some fab dresses and it would have been great to see more. 

Check-Up #33

 Yes it's the end of the month so it must be me posting again trying to keep this blog somewhat productive. As ever there's a lot of things I mean to do and write about but time and energy seem to pass me by. It doesn't help that work is even worse than ever now. 

As ever I've been out dressed a few times as I've been going to some events recently. I even get the odd compliment which is always nice although sometimes the brain does tend to overthink things and I wonder if people are just being kind but then they don't have to say anything at all and at least it's better than the alternative which is all too common these days. I went to a party a few months ago and afterwards in a pub, while standing at the bar in a glittery jumper, trainers and blue maxi-skirt I was asked if I had been to see Taylor Swift. I'm not sure why, maybe it's all the glitter. Recently I went to another party in a pub (purple dress, purple tights and black cardi. The host really likes purple and it was her birthday) and while standing outside chatting to friends I had a lady come up to me to say I looked great. Also I finally plucked up the courage to wear my pink fluffy jacket which is lovely and warm. 

I'm a little more careful about buying new clothes these days but I think it's a natural progression as when you first start crossdressing there is a tendency to want all the things but that's tempered over time. I still feel a little happier when I buy new clothes though and look forward to the opportunities I have to wear them (even in this weather). Today I bought a nice dark red skirt (just below the knee) and some blue trousers. Yes, trousers. However these are the same colour as the 13th Doctor's trousers (petrol blue, in case you were wondering) so I am thinking of wearing them with my cosplay. I have got a skirt to go with that cosplay but there is a perfectionist in me who wants to get it as close to screen accurate as I could get. Might need new braces though but we'll see. Can't hurt to have a variation. 

There are lots of stories that I would love to recommend over the various sites I read and I do mean to do more blogs about them to share some of this great work. This month there is a wonderful story I have been reading this month over at The Changing Mirror and that is Blonde Ambition by tithug. This a F2F, hypnosis based slow bimbofication tale of a smart student turning into an airhead so if you like your bimbo tales then this is one I would certainly recommend. 

Finally, I've just started watching a new sitcom Smoggie Queens which is set around a LGBTQ+ friend group in Middlesborough. I'm tempted to write a bit about it now but may do later after I've seen the lot. I enjoyed the first episode and while the main character Dickie is a typical sitcom monster (especially to poor newbie Stewart) he is so himself that I have to admire him; tottering around in high heels and skimpy outfits while sporting a fine moustache. Hopefully the rest of the series won't disappoint. If you're in the UK and this very brief review has interested you, the whole series of 6 episodes is on the BBC iplayer. 

Publicity still from Smoggie Queens (BBC)

Casa Susanna

I know I haven't posted recently but there is a good reason for that (this time anyway) in that I have been moving house which is something I do mean to post about shortly but before I do I wanted to get in a quick mention, before I forget, to a documentary I watched last week. 

Casa Susanna is a 2022 American-French documentary directed by Sébastien Lifshitz which takes a look at a refuge in the Catskills near New York which was a haven for crossdressing men in the 1950s and 1960s. The documentary tells the story with contributions from some of the participants, now in their 80s and some of which have since transitioned, alongside those from relatives as a group returns to the now dilapidated resort to talk about what it meant to them. 

It's a fascinating look at what life was like for crossdressers back then especially when it was against the law. Throughout the documentary we see a variety of old photographs which apparently brought the refuge to light after their discovery at a flea market and it's a shame we don't find out more about this aspect as it peaked my interest but to be fair that's not the story here. The vintage look of the photos also has an appeal of its own to me as you rarely see images of crossdressers from this time. 

How Casa Susanna brought people together is a wonderful story too in this day and age of the internet and so much connectivity. There was a specialist magazine that people put ads in and then gradually word of mouth got around the community about the place and it ended up drawing in people not only from the USA but other parts of the world. It shows how intoxicating it can be to find a safe space within which to be yourself and the lengths people will go to in order to feel like they belong if only for a few hours on the weekend. Sometimes the best feeling we can receive in any walk of life is that we are not alone and that someone else thinks like we do and accepts that side of us which, as I've said before, is something I wanted to do with writing this blog. 

Anyway, this wasn't meant to be a full review but I just thought I would mention it as it was a fascinating look at a forgotten piece of trans history. Here in the UK, the film is still on the BBC iPlayer under its Storyville strand and if this short piece has peaked your interest then please try and track down the documentary. 

Promo poster for Casa Susanna (2022)

 

Check-Up #24

 Ok, I've been meaning to update this for quite a while. Nothing earth shattering has happened but I would still like to add a few things. Some bullet points, I think:

• Back to the wedding I attended a couple of months ago and I forgot to add that I was asked the immortal question by a teenager, namely 'why are you wearing a dress?' I just said that it was a wedding and left it at that. I did get serious dress envy at that wedding though, there were some gorgeous dresses I saw that day. Oh and on the flip side the groom thanked me for wearing a dress because it confused an elderly relative of his wife's that he didn't like. Glad to be of service, I guess.
• Went out to an event after work and this involves my aforementioned habit of deciding to change at work and despite the fact that I work in a large building I've come close to running into members of my firm on a couple of occasions. This time (striped top and blue skirt as you ask so nicely. Bare legs too so I was feeling bold but it was still summer) I saw a colleague waiting at a bus stop and so snuck down the road to cross over and make it safely into the tube station. Thinking he must have gone I made it into the station and onto the down escalator...only to see him going up the opposite one. How that happened I don't know but he never said anything so I think I got away with it. I swear it's like a Whitehall farce at times
• Went on holiday for a week and saw a dress in a charity shop. Nearly bought it but, as I was staying with my parents, I resisted. I did think of going back and had many visions of how to get it back into the house through maybe some system of hiding it in a bush or a bin or something and going back. In the end I did go back but it had gone. Always the rule of second hand shops, never leave it more than a day as it will almost always have gone. I did buy a nice dress before I went away though plus a nice necklace. 
• In addition, I am trying to resist buying everything I see and sometimes it's hard but I must try to consider what I really, really want. Which is the true lesson of the Spice Girls. Maybe. Today however ever I did some some great stuff round the shops but if only it had been one of two sizes bigger. Shame really.
• Brad Pitt wore a skirt so...that was that. The debate was reopened in the papers for a bit but that was about it. Not sure if it will change anything but it was nice to see such a high profile male celebrity choosing to dress differently.
• Saw Ed Wood recently. This is a 1994 film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Martin Landau which is based on the life of the famous B-movie director who was also a crossdresser. Perhaps best known as director of Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) he also directed early cross dressing film Glen or Glenda (1953) which I may give a look if I can find it. There's definitely something I like about the RP way Depp says "I like to wear women's clothes. I just feel more comfortable in them." I did think about doing a full review of this but I think the time has passed but I may do in the future
• I still watch most iterations of Ru Paul's Drag Race and the UK version has just started. Dakota Schiffer is the first trans queen on the show (the UK version anyway) and I must say her confessional outfit makes my little preppy girl heart jump. I always love the vintage queens especially if they go all 1960s and already I'm loving her outfits. 
• On a similar tack, I've been watching She-Hulk recently and the character of her paralegal Nikki Ramos (Played by Ginger Gonzaga) is also giving me severe outfit envy. Business wear seems to be a thing of mine and also makes my preppy girl heart sing. 

Quantum Leap #7: Liberation

 Liberation

(16 October 1968)

Sam is...Margaret Sanders, protesting parent

The Mission...Stop women's liberation protester Diana St. Cloud being shot and keep Margaret's marriage together whilst trying to open up her husband George's eyes to the inequality faced by women. 

This is another episode I fondly remember watching while growing up and it's another example of Quantum Leap tackling a big social issue. We open on Sam leaping into a protest and I love the way of Sam seeing his new host body in this one by him suddenly being handed a photograph (and one that will come back to haunt him). After some heckling the police break up the protest and everyone is hauled off to jail. 

It's here that things get a little muddy plot wise as it's Sam standing up to the aggressive police chief Tipton (Stephen Mills) that inspires protest leader Diana (Deborah Van Valkenburgh) to pursue more violent means of getting her message across. So much so that Sam's mission becomes the prevention of her shooting but in that case what was the original history? Did Diana originally reach that conclusion herself following her assault by Tipton in the cell? With a violent father in her past surely it was only a matter of time before she decided to take a more violent approach. Could this be a self fulfilling prophecy in that Sam had to leap in to set in motion the actions that he himself had to counter? It's certainly one of the messier situations he's been in. 

The final showdown takes place at at gentlemen's club in which the women's libbers stage a sit -in...except they don't sit and it's one of the most unpassionate protests ever committed to film. Margaret's daughter Suzi (Megyn Price) heroically saves Chief Tipton from being shot by Diana despite putting his life in danger in the first place by handing Diana the gun that she had bought. Sam gives a typical QL speech about the virtues of using the law to change things. To sit and talk instead of using violence. The ending to this scene is particularly interesting as Diana is led away by police still ranting and Suzi has regrets ever following her and it's at this point a lesser production would have faded to black but Sam takes Suzi aside and convinces her that there was nothing wrong with Diana's views, just her actions. In fact, following her release from jail, we learn that she still played a big part in the movement. 

The other plotline here is with Margaret's husband George (Max Gail) who is a more sympathetic figure than you would expect. He could have been made a misogynistic, bully of a man that Margaret and the kids would be well shot of but instead he's kind and caring (in his own way) but, like Sam, a man out of time. As Al points out, he was brought up a certain way and it's going to take a lot to change his whole way of thinking but there are signs that he is starting to understand. One of the ways he does so is with a little nudge from Sam as two people vie for a promotion at his office - Tipton's son Peter (Bill Calvert) and Evy (Jordan Baker). Evy, despite having seniority, is afraid to put herself forward due to looking bossy but she impresses George with her ideas after a chat with Sam. After this latest rewatch  there was an exchange from the dinner party that I rather enjoyed as Peter bemoans that his wife Dora (Mary Elizabeth Murphy) bought a set of encyclopaedias missing three volumes. "I don't need to know everything" she quips back. It's played a little ditzily but could be a nice zinger if spat back in the manner of either comedies today or the fast moving ones of the 1940s. I could certainly imagine Joey from Friends saying it. 

There are the usual jokes about Sam wearing women's clothes and never wanting to see a bra again after he burns his and he leaps out during an uncomfortable kiss from George which has potential for looking homophobic today but then the idea of kissing someone, male or female, you don't want to is a comedy trope. Al is also quite cringingly sexist when he first shows up in the prison cell. 

Overall I still like this story. Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell are as good as always with Sam being as harassed as ever trying to keep a number of plates spinning and makes a decent fist of trying to explain the issues of the time and societal changes from a suburban perspective. There are a couple of plot niggles as explained above plus the sit-in protest at the club is conveniently explained to George like it was common knowledge and also how did Suzi escape her locked room? 

As I write this, the long awaited reboot of Quantum Leap is set to air on the 19th September 2022 (the same day as the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II which is quite the juxtaposition for you) so there may yet be more episodes for me to comment on rather than the two I have left. although it has taken me nearly a year to sit down and do this after writing initial notes last November. We know from the trailers that the new leaper, Dr Ben Song, will definitely be leaping into a woman at some point, in particular a 1980s rock star, and it will be interesting to see how much of a Trans angle is put on things. There are elements in the original series which certainly felt like it could be further explored. 

Shulkie

Yes, it's another Marvel tie-in. 

Anyway, the new series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law dropped today and I must say I really enjoyed the first episode. A few years ago I did read the graphic novel of Dan Slott's 2004 run on the comic, Single Green Female, which I picked up in a charity shop and enjoyed it so much I bought a few more so I was really pleased to see this one pop up on Marvel's slate. Tatiana Maslany is a brilliant actress as anyone who watched the fantastic Orphan Black will know. I have also toyed with the idea of cosplaying She-Hulk as dressed in the black skirt suit of Jennifer Walters but I think it may be too much make-up for me. 

So as she's currently in the news here's a caption featuring the green goddess I did for Chelsea Baker on Rachel's Haven. I quite like it although I'm not too sure about the scream at the end. Feels a bit much now. Anyway, hope you like. 

Shulkie (2015)

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)

Sex Education

 Things have been a bit busy recently but there are a couple of things I wanted to talk about. Firstly I mentioned joining Twitter last month and I've really been enjoying it. My captions have been doing quite well (I think, anyway) and it's also taught me the value of brevity as I only have 140 characters to play with. Doing a new caption for the Haven recently I could feel myself editing it a bit more so hopefully it has sharpened up my skills a bit. 

Now, like a lot of other Doctor Who fans have been doing recently, I have started watching Sex Education on Netflix as one of the main roles is played by the new Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa. The show had been on my list for a while but other things had taken precedence so this was as good an excuse as any to begin. For the uninitiated, the show is a comedy drama which revolves around teenager Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) and his sex therapist mother Jean (Gillian Anderson). Otis attends sixth form at Moordale Secondary School (which weirdly seems to resemble an American high school) and with another pupil, Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey) starts an under-the-wire sex clinic of his own advising his fellow students for money. Gatwa plays his gay best friend Eric Effiong. From here on in the spoilers for season one start so please look away now if you are still wanting to watch this and go in cold (please come back if you do though. I'll still be here, hopefully). 

Promo poster for Season One of Sex Education
(L to R: Ncuti Gatwa as Eric, Emma Mackey as Maeve and Asa Butterfield as Otis)
Credit: IMDB

The episode I want to discuss is the fifth episode of season one (no title given) which (surprise, surprise) involves crossdressing. It's Eric's 17th birthday and he and Otis have tickets to a screening of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Both dress in drag for the event and both have very different evenings. While Otis gets side-lined by Maeve and the main plot which involves finding out who has been sending photographs of school mean girl Ruby's vagina to everyone, Eric continues on alone. If he were already being written by Russell T Davies he would doubtless be a super confident charmer and would mostly probably seduce someone at the bus stop but not so much here. We are not in some bustling metropolis but a small town and you feel for Eric as he stands alone at a wooden shack of a bus stop out in the woods. On his own and out of his element he retreats into himself and I know just how he feels. Two lads approach and he turns away and tries to hide himself in a place where he has nowhere to run which is another feeling I know all too well. I often wear a big coat if I can which is all the better for covering yourself up from other people. At least the station platform I often frequent is longer than Eric's bus stop. Noticing his birthday badge though one of the youths smiles and says that not only is it his birthday too but offers Eric a drink and compliments his outfit. 

Sadly that's the best that Eric's evening gets. Not only does Otis never show but his coat is stolen and he gets attacked on his way home. Calling Jean for a lift he returns home with her only to have a bust up with Otis over his desertion. Over the next couple of episodes he's a broken man, choosing less flamboyant clothing and trying not to be seen eventually getting into fights and being suspended from school. I have to say I have been feeling this a little at the moment too due to what happened to me at work a couple of weeks ago. While I've never been the type to scorch the Earth, I haven't painted my nails again since. This being television it does have a happy ending though as Eric rediscovers himself through a service at his local church and a stranger with fierce nails on his way to a wedding. A school dance proves his big opportunity for a comeback and of course he makes up with Otis. 

For Otis himself I'm pleased to see that, being straight, he has no qualms about dressing in drag and attending the show with his friend. No feeling of being made to do it or embarrassment (well no more than that of an average awkward teen). I have to wonder where they both got the outfits though and despite saying it's a yearly thing they do it seems like the first time unless of course it's normally something they do at home. I'm just nitpicking though. Even Otis gets compliments on his outfit which, again is nice to see. We don't have universal acceptance or universal hatred but something inbetween which is what real life is like. Otis may be a little sheepish about his new look but he shrugs it off as no big deal and no-one particularly makes fun of him either. Of course he also stays within the confines of their cosy town and not into the wider world like Eric. 

One final person I would like to mention in all this is Eric's dad, Abeo Effiong (DeObia Oparei), who goes on a journey of his own towards acceptance of his son. A couple of episodes earlier he catches Eric in drag and demands he remove it so you get the impression this he is your typical religious, unaccepting father. In episode five he tries to stop Eric going out in drag by almost pleading with him to rethink his outfit. I recognise this too from the time I told my own parents by turning up at their house wearing a denim miniskirt. It's that same look of trying to work it out, trying to make sense of it and also the realisation that your child has just painted a target on their back, the 'oh he's going to get the shit kicked out of him' look. I can sympathise so much with that. Later when Eric returns home he can tell that something has happened but Eric is in no mood for talking. The next morning he spares his blushes with the rest of the family by making up a cover story and when Eric rediscovers himself and gets dressed up for the dance his father offers to drive him. Outside the school they have a heart to heart and Abeo admits he admires his brave son and that maybe he should be braver himself. Revealing his background as an immigrant made me realise that he must have been hiding for a lot of his life, scared to put his head above the parapet, and that there must be people in this country who have been settled for over 50 years but still have that same sense of keeping their heads down lest somebody try to throw them out. 

I must admit I didn't expect any crossdressing in this show and I doubt it will happen again but I'm glad at the way it was handled.

Quantum Leap #6: A Song for the Soul

A Song for the Soul

(07 April 1963)

Sam is...Cheree Watkins, Supreme Singer 

The Mission...Ensure bandmate Lynelle Walters doesn't sign a contract with sleazy club owner Bobby Lee

This episode holds a special significance for me as it's one of the first Quantum Leap stories I ever saw and I was drawn in purely by my burgeoning love for crossdressing and bodyswapping back when I was a teenager. I can't remember if I saw a trailer for it or just read the description in the TV Times but it was clear that a man was going to be dressing up as a woman and I had to see it. 

The opening scene doesn't disappoint either as Sam leaps straight into a performance by aspiring girl band, The Dovettes, all clad in black strappy bin-bag-like dresses with beehive hairdos. The mission is a straightforward one for Sam as he has to stop bandmate Lynelle signing the contract with club owner Bobby Lee and also bring her father round to the idea of his daughter wanting to pursue a singing career. This is made easier by the fact that he moves in with them for a time as Cheree's parents are handily 'not at home' and that's the last we hear of them. This episode also gives Scott Bakula another chance to show off his wonderful singing voice. 

This is another example of an episode that would probably not be made in this day and age but yet would have seemed more progressive back in the early 1990s. It's admirable that while all but the regular cast (Bakula and Stockwell) are black, the optics of a white man acting the part of a black female teen would not be looked on so kindly. Saying that though, seeing said man dressed as a woman was a big thing for this teenager interested in exploring their gender identity. 

As ever, Scott Bakula puts in a wonderful performance especially portraying Sam's awkwardness in the initial 'leap in' singing scenes when he's one step behind the others. He does seem to shift into the role of a mother hen at times, trying to protect the other two girls when he should be trying to fit in and is a little patronising at times. Support is provided by Tamara Townsend as Lynelle and T'Keyah 'Crystal' Keymáh as Paula who play the rest of The Dovettes and are very believable teenagers. Townsend is the main focus as Lynelle and does a great job as well as showing off her marvellous singing voice. Harrison Page is Lynelle's preacher father and a pre-E.R Eriq La Salle appears as our villain Bobby Lee. While The Dovettes are a proto Supremes, there are shades of Ike and Tina Turner's relationship in Bobby and Lynelle's. There are some lovely 1960s fashions too in the dresses the girls wear especially the bright pink sparkly ones they don for their big performance at Bobby's club (which looks more like a café). 

There are a few issues. The overall plot feels a bit hackneyed but then Quantum Leap plots were usually quite simple missions. Sam initially seems to side with Lynelle's strict father who nearly hits her in one scene. Bobby seems to walk straight into Lynelle's house and up into her bedroom without much trouble so did he break in? You also wonder what may have happened to the girl band he had The Dovettes' pink dresses made for. The reason for Lynelle's mother's death isn't really clear and why are they so concerned about having her father hear her sing anyway when she sings in the church's gospel choir every week? 

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a real conclusion to the story, just a tearful father and daughter reunion which tells you that things are most likely going to be alright despite the fact they never have much of a discussion. Did Lynelle sign with Bobby Lee? Presumably she told him to take a running jump otherwise Sam wouldn't have left. We also learn nothing about what the future has in store for the characters which was always a nice coda to the episode for me. All in all, this is a middling episode of Quantum Leap but one which I will always remember.