One of the things I was most worried about was to get 'read' in public. For the purpose
of reducing my 'manliness' the most effectively (after appearance of course) I focused
mainly on the manner in which I walked.
Much of the necessary fluidity and proper posture can be obtained with simply putting on a
pair of reasonably sized (2 1/2" to 3") heels and starting to learn to walk
around in them. A number of the balance tricks you need to simply walk upright in a pair
of heels lend themselves fantastically to getting the proper look out of walking.
The biggest trick to walking in heels was something I was already quite adept at anyway.
In my many nature adventures, it became quite apparent to me that the 'quietest' way to
walk was on the balls of your feet, treading lightly as they say. The normal manner
of walking for most males I once heard described by a physiology expert as controlled
falling. Slam down on the heel, roll over to the toe, repeat with other foot.
In heels, placing the weight on the balls of the feet enhance balance, control, and
posture. It is still possible (and in some cases necessary) to set the heel down first, in
a manner 'rolling the shoe', however, the weight should still not be transferred
completely to that foot until the ball is planted.
Another important matter to keep in mind is that men often walk in the cromagnon wanderer fashion. Big hefty steps, large movements of the arms swinging hither and fro. Perhaps a lot of up and down bobbing in the process too. Try to walk - even your masculine walk - with your head remaining at the same level. Reduce arm swinging. This can be done in your day to day life without really effecting your appearance adversely.
Lastly, is the manner in which the feet are placed on the ground. After doing a considerable amount of girl watching, (at least those with the elegance and feminity I wanted to emulate) I discovered that women almost cross their feet when they walk - making a straight line with their steps much like the fox does in the wild. Men oft times widely stagger their steps, lending to their cromagnon bob and weave (drag those knuckles boys!).
A few other things to consider is that you don't want to lift your head to high or risk
protruding the Adam's apple, but on the same count you don't want to hang your head to low
to draw shadows to any masculine shaping of your face.
Women tend to hold their shoulders more back, men more forward. I found that placing hands
in the pockets while wearing a shoulder bag is a real good method of developing this as a
good habit. (when your hands are in the pockets, if your shoulders AREN'T back, the bag
will keep trying to slide off as you walk!)
If you can practice these various pointers with the heels, many of the resulting
walking traits you pick up will assist greatly in increasing the outward appearance of
femininity when you move about. Whether walking in flats or sneakers, climbing stairs or
even running. Keep the steps short, in-line and with the weight falling the balls of the
feet and it will assist in that effort greatly!
return: Tips & Tricks
previous: Experimenting with Forms
back: To Kathy Lynn's Roost
This page hosted by 
Get your own Free Home Page