An observation?

[Loretta Ann]

Hi all,

I was down town this morning and decided to sit on a bench near a bus stop and watch the woman that passed by. (Nice sunny day here today.)

Out of about 15 women who walked by "One" woman put one foot in front of the other, and she was pushing a baby buggy, the rest placed their feet very similar to to how a man walks with the exception that their steps were smaller.

So tell me...where do you all get this woman's walk thing from?

[Elizabeth]

Hey Loretta,

So funny you should mention this. Today, while I was waiting for my prescription to be filled, I took the time to specifically notice how women walk and I noticed the same thing as you. Not one of them walked with one foot in front of the other. I also did not see any particular hip sway nor did I see women walking with thier thumps pointed out and the back of their forearms forward.

I did however notice that women walk with thier shoulders back, but not like each shoulder back, more like thier whole upper torso moved back. It is very noticable when looking at a profile view of them. The back gently curves back from the midsection so the shoulders are farther back then thier stomachs. I also noticed that most women do not walk with thier arms are thier sides. They tend to hold them up, many times touching thier own arms while holding something like keys, sunglasses, purse or just crossed.

All in all, I found the differences to be subtile. I will keep watching and keep learning, but I think others would be well advised not to just listen to much of this stereotypical body movements promoted on many crossdresser and TG sites. I have found it to be exagerated and not pronounced, if it exists at all.

Love always,
Elzabeth

[Absaroka]

I will have to start watching this. To me however ( and I do watch sometimes for this) a lot of women seem to have a swing in their hips when they walk. Something I pay attention to since I seem to do it also and have gotten quite a bit of teasing at times over it. The chiropractor says it has to do with my bone structure and not to bother trying to change it.

Andrea

[Kathy]

... a lot of women seem to have a swing in their hips when they walk. Something I pay attention to since I seem to do it also and have gotten quite a bit of teasing at times over it. The chiropractor says it has to do with my bone structure and not to pay bother trying to change it.

My mother had a hip replacement a couple of years ago. A week before the surgery, the hospital had a sort of class for all the people scheduled, men and women. I attended with my mother. They showed pictures and diagrams of both male and female hip structures and women are just plain built differently than men in that area. That contributes to that "swing".

Now some women cultivate that while others don't think about it. I also think it depends a bit on the setting. As Loretta and Elizabeth noticed, in just every day, girl-on-the-street setting, little if any swing. Take that same woman and put her in a formal dinner party and I'll bet the feet are more likely to move in front of each other. Again, some will and some won't.

Just my own observations here.

Love,
Kathy

[Loretta Ann]

Take that same woman and put her in a formal dinner party and I'll bet the feet are more likely to move in front of each other.

Well I have been to a few $150.00 (per plate) dinner parties (where there were lots of women) and did not find that to be the situation. As observed putting ones foot in front of each other, is not something that comes naturally for women or they would do it when out and about.

[Stephanie W]

An interesting topic! In my own observations, I too have often noticed that not all women have that 'textbook' walk and demeanor. I have also wondered why that is because we hear so much about their different bone structure and having a different centre of gravity. IMHO, I think that has more to do with the shoes she is wearing. I've noticed those women used to wearing high heels do seem to be more apt towards that textbook walk than those I've seen in flat shoes. I personally find it easier to achieve the 'walk' in heels.

Notwithstanding, if the majority of women really aren't doing the "one foot in from of the other, hip swinging thang", then that's actually a good thing for us because we might not stick out as much. Aiming for the middle ground is probably a good way to go as a typical man's macho 'strut' is a world away from even the most unfeminine woman's walk.

Stephanie

[Virginia]

We are all correct! First the shoulders back and slight sway to the back is definitely a feminine characteristic, the foot placement does vary with individual women and yes, the heels do have an affect on the walk. I have seen women in 3" -4" heels that may have well be pushing a plow behind a mule, while others - well it the motion on the ocean, fluid, smooth and very feminine and done quite naturally! I think that they instinctly know when to walk and when not to! Just like there ability to discern the facts on anyone they see in a split second, that is why "we" never see them looking at a guy or appraising another woman! We know they do it we just don't ever see them do it, "cause they are gooooood at it!!"
AS for me I will continue to practice my "walk" cause in a tight skirt it is necessary!!!!
Love,
Virginia

[Loretta Ann]

Hi all,

Virginia...

AS for me I will continue to practice my "walk" cause in a tight skirt it is necessary!!!!

Do as you please Sis...As for me I intend to use this knowledge to assist in reading a lot more cross dressers than I was previously able to read. It appears we don't need an emblem etc. (to identify ourselves) after all (just some proper education) that lets us know what to look for.

Cheers.

[Absaroka]

Now that is an interesting thought. Watching women and trying to figure out if any are men.

Andrea

[Beauty]

Hi,

If I wear any kind of heel I tend to walk heel in front of heel. When I was leaving a support meeting this GG says to me, "I haven't seen anyone walk like that since my girl friend who is a model and walks down a catwalk." Ooops!

After that comment I tried to walk a little more normally (whatever that is), but I tend to concentrate more when I do this in heels, so despite her comment I still "walk this way" when I wear heels.

[DonnaT]

I've always said to other CDs, watch the RGs walk, as the information they read online was usually misleading. Especially the idea of the toe striking the ground before the heel.

However, it is necessary, for some who want a little more exaggerated hip sway, to walk by placing one foot nearly in front of the other, and this is the reason we see it mentioned time and again by other CDs that women walk that way.

[SilverLady(SO)]

May I jump in here for a moment? Thanks.

Stephanie said:

I've noticed those women used to wearing high heels do seem to be more apt towards that textbook walk than those I've seen in flat shoes. I personally find it easier to achieve the 'walk' in heels.

As a gg, I've never walked - - in heels or otherwise - - by placing one foot directly in front of the other. Models walk that way, obviously, to show off the clothes. Most gg's don't walk that way - heels or not (or at least, I've never seen any). However, I do notice that when I'm wearing heels (and I used to wear them every day at the office) I tend to have more 'hip' movement; I have less 'hip' sway while in flats. So for me, I'll say that the sway has more to do with the type of shoe (i.e., heels) I'm wearing.

Posture-wise, I was taught as soon as I could walk to stand straight, head-up, shoulders back - - never to slouch, curl my shoulders inward, etc. - - as *ladies* just did not do that! Any time we were caught slouching, etc we got a 'tap' on the back of the head - only 'guys' do that (so mom said).

To this day, I always stand straight, head-up, shoulders back, sit straight in a chair (no slouching), walking with feet facing forward (not outward like a duck), no dragging of the feet (only lazy people drag their feet, per mom), etc. Crossing of the legs (knee over knee) while sitting in a chair was fine, but ladies just do not sit with the ankle on top of the knee, or with their legs wrapped around the legs of a chair, etc.

Donna said:

I've always said to other CDs, watch the RGs walk, as the information they read online was usually misleading. Especially the idea of the toe striking the ground before the heel.

Well, I just tried that - - I barely caught myself from falling on my rearend! Seriously, though, whoever came up with walking that way is weird (the original 'moon walk' maybe?)!

Virginia, I'll help you practice your 'walk' - and we can do it while we're out shopping for clothes! {And you can check out 'trawlers', too! - inside comment, folks, sorry!}

[Absaroka]

Moving from walking to posture, I found Silverlady's comments interesting. THe part about ladies don't slouch, only boys do.

As a boy I slouched and no doubt it had to do with not wanting to be noticed and low self esteem and stuff as well as that was how the tough kids walked and stood. THe classic JD pose you saw on teenage boys and tv.

As an adult I started to stand straighter. Some of this had to do with pride and new self esteem as well as a new peer group. However I found that when I stood up really straight it reflected that aspect of us that seems to permeate so much of how we present as men. Aggresion.......... Get me really mad and I will stand up so straight. I notice this in men also.

When I started to CD a lot like most of us I just had to look in the mirror. I noticed that my male standing up straight but not aggresively so pose constituted slouching by female standards and the clothes looked so much better when I stood up agressively straight. Habit took over and I notice that I do this a lot more now in male mode without being angry or challenging. I think it makes me look better as a male also. Very interesting.

Andrea

[Georgia(SO)]

Hi. That "foot in front of the other foot" walk you are talking about is the model's walk - check out the walk on the Victoria's Secret special this Christmas. It gets that swing in the hips, but many gg's don't even think about using it. I only use when I *want* the swing in the hips - and I have to conciously do it. Only in heels - it looks stupid in flats.

The toe hitting the ground first? What? I'm with SilverLady(F) - that's a good way to kill yourself. Women don't actually walk that way.

The best thing a guy could do to walk like a gg is to keep his thighs closer together than normal. Men tend to carry themselves so that it is a straight line down from the shoulder to the ankle. Women keep their legs, and thus their feet, a bit closer together. Wanna see the difference in a gg? Look at the difference in how a non-pregnant woman walks (someone who is dressed for work, say - not someone in sweats down at the Wal Mart!) and how a 8 months pregnant woman walks. That duck walk thing in a very pregnant woman is due to her pelvis opening up and her legs lining up more with her shoulders. Not that men waddle, but you get my point.

The other thing is this. Many men tend to walk with their feet pointing outwards. Maybe not a lot, but more than most women. Try turning your toes toward each other just a little bit, without going to the extreme of being pigeon-toed. That should help get rid of the gallupness of male walk.

By the way, if you want to do the model walk thing, the trick is not just to cross over one foot over in front of the other. You have to put a fair amount of force on the heel - sorta pop it down. It'll give you that strut - but again, is only effective in skinny, take-no-prisoners-heels.

-g(so), who is really surprised at the garbage people are feeding ya'll on the internet.

[Beauty]

Hi Georgia,

Thank you!!!