Transvestia

What are her physical characteristics, her coloring, her form? Do flowing lines suit her best or the straighter ups and downs of tailored garments?

Having decided those most important questions I out- line first in my mind and then on paper, indicating the chosen colors, a sketch of the gown. Then I must select the material personally, for that is a task that cannot be delegated with any satisfaction to myself. What I found to be the hardest part of the designing was the convincing of the costumer that I knew what I wanted better than anyone else possibly could. By this time that difficulty has been eliminated through my continual hammering at the people who make my stage clothes.

There are so many things to consider in the art - ΟΙ should I say science? - of dressing that it would be dif- ficult to enumerate them all. But take the hair, for in- stance. Some women imagine that because they have red hair they should wear gowns of some shade of red. This is a mistake. Red hair is so rare so beautiful it should be accentuated by robe of turquoise or purple or green. Then there are the eyes to consider, and the complexion. Paris- iennes have a trick of inserting a dash of black velvet somewhere to bring out and emphasize the pink and white of the cheeks, arms and neck.

I know that the greatest difficulty in my impersonation of women is in the physical make-up; to disguise myself in fine clothing is comparatively an easy matter. May I be pardoned for a touch of the personal? I am a man a- round the six-foot mark, and of what you might call "husky" build. My hands and feet are not at all petite ! But when I am a woman they must at least appear to. Also, I must have the fresh complexion of a girl or a well-preserved woman in all my roles. To change the characteristics of a man's face to those required by my parts is no small undertaking. It requires exactly one hour and a half before every performance to do it.

I begin it seems crude to say it I begin by shaving. After that there are a number of grease paints of varying shades of flesh color to put on, powders of different tex- ture and color, rouge on my lips. My eyes must be "built" out" to simulate the almond-shaped eyes of a girl. The