FRANZISKA OUT AND ABOUT

Getting ready to go out en femme can take me three hours or more, say, if nothing is prepared, if I have no idea yet what to wear, if I want to do everything right and to the best of my abilities. And I might thoroughly enjoy and celebrate the time of this transformation process, running around in my lingerie, trying on different outfits, listening to girly music, and possibly drinking a glass of “Perlwein.” This time it was different. I had made use of the evening before to select an outfit. And as I was working out of our home that day, I made use of my breaks to prepare everything that could be prepared before: wig brushed, shoes polished, handbag packed, make-up and jewelry taken out, etc. I did mention before – some time ago, I think – that I work with a checklist, which I had developed some years ago already. This checklist delineates the tasks that can be prepared beforehand and those that need to be carried out right before going out. This list has several advantages:  It p...

This is part two of the account of “Franzi, the culinary crossdresser” on her mid-March 2025 day out-and-about. To go with the theme and setting of the cultural event of the evening, I opted for my glittery golden long dress with black pumps. Portrait of the evening True to her calling, Franzi's first stop of the evening was at a restaurant. It happened to be the same Italian restaurant on Opernplatz as in my recent posting "Johann Strauß and Black Truffle,“ and I started out with a refreshing „Aperol Spritz“. And Black Truffle it was again for dinner, because it was so extremely tasty the last time. When I asked the waiter for a wine recommendation to go with it, he said „Madam, the last time you had this dish, I recommended a Soave Classico to you. Did you enjoy that?“ I LOVE IT when people remember me and are obviously happy to see me again. „Re-recognition“ at its best! I would go there again, simply for that. The cultural event at “Alte Oper” Frankfurt that night was “Th...

First, my excuse for not having posted in almost one month. We were on vacation and had a pretty busy program. And I needed a break from blogging. Maintaining a blog is more work and requires more consistency and diligence in research than you might think. In mid-March, Franzi had another great day out-and-about on her home turf in Frankfurt. It was a full day en femme again with two outfits and hence two postings. The day started as so often with a visit to Kleinmarkthalle, Franzi’s favorite lunch location in the heart of Frankfurt. Unfortunately, my most common lunch place had no space left – not even a single stool in a corner. For that reason, I ended up at that small Italian mom-and-pop stall I had talked about before, where I enjoyed a glass of wine with some bread and cheese. While I was strolling through Kleinmarkthalle, I received an unsolicited compliment from a gentleman, who said “ If I may say, this is a great look.“ But let us start at the beginning. My outfit for the day...

This day out-and-about happened to be an evening out-and-about only. These occasions are even rarer than full days out-and-about. An evening out-and-about (at a weeknight that is) requires me to be home from work early enough to get prepared, say, at 5 p.m. and to be out the door by 6:30 p.m. This weeknight in mid-February was one of these rare occasions. I had picked my light turquoise color dress with dolman sleeves. Besides the great feel of it, it makes my shoulders look quite small. And it was a good opportunity for my long beige winter coat to make a showing, which I really love. It is warm and heavy and goes (no pun intended) well with my flat brown boots. As you can tell, I took the bus from close to home to save some time. I went to Frankfurt-Süd, the Sachenhausen central station, the second biggest and busiest station in Frankfurt and walked down Schweizer Straße toward the river Main. My first stop was a small bar for a drink, followed by dinner at an Italian restaurant. I h...

After a relaxed day out-and-about, I went home to freshen up and to change into an outfit suited for an evening at „Alte Oper“ Frankfurt. I am not a fan of waltzes and polkas, but if you have as few chances to spend an evening out en femme as I do, you cannot be picky about what you get to see and hear. That evening at “Alter Oper,” the “Original Kendlinger's K&K Philharmoniker und Ballett” performed their “Wiener Johann Strauß Konzert-Gala,” (Vienna Johann Strauß Concert-Gala), sort of a potpourri of songs composed by Johann Strauss and some of his like-minded contemporaries. Johann Strauß (II, the son, the younger) was an Austrian composer of the 19 th  century with the byname “Waltz King,” who composed some 500 pieces of music. He should not be confused with Richard Strauß, a German composer of operas of the late 19 th  century, e.g. of “Ariadne on Naxos.” Portrait of the evening Standing cute in my LBD in the lobby of “Alte Oper” Frankfurt Dinner at the same Italian re...

It was early February and pretty cold. That is why I took out my long leather skirt, my burgundy quilted jacket with matching ankle boots, and matching gloves. I love that my wardrobe provides some variability by now to just play and combine. It was late morning that I left home and despite the temperature and because of the sun, I decided to walk to the center of Frankfurt. It is a mere 25 minutes along the river “Main” and I headed straight to “Kleinmarkthalle,” that temple for food lovers in the heart of the city. If you read through my blog, you will find that “Kleinmarkthalle” is Franzi’s the most frequented location in Frankfurt – and for good reasons. Guess what, “Dry January” ended at one point, on January 31, to be precise. This time, I decided to try a different place in “Kleinmarkthalle,” a sort-of Spanish tapas place. What you see in the picture – beside me and my wine 😏  - is a small pan with shrimp, fried in oil. Delicious! After lunch, I visited my favorite wine pla...

This is the first issue of “The way Franzi does it” in a long time. Under this rare category, I address certain crossdressing topics where I think Franzi has a specific approach that may be of interest to others. You can find the previous six “The way Franzi does it” if you select the label “Franzi'sWay.” Precious topics were  Preparing for a short outing My wigs T-Shirt arms The four key elements to passing as a woman – according to Franzi How I create curves Eye lashes   "The way Franzi does it!” (#7) I love handbags. To grab my packed and prepared handbag is the last thing I do, before I step through the door into the world presenting as a woman. Handbags are cute, feminine, and practical. I often wish I had the guts to carry something similar when out in drab. I also love it, if I am able to pull the handbag into the design and style of the outfit. Ideally (but very expensive), one has a matching handbag for every single outfit. Here is a trick that might help to a certain...