Plenty of resources on body movement already exist. Image consultants sometimes help with this, too. Here are the basics, in my opinion.
For “feminine” movement
- Watch other women who are your age, size, ethnicity, and socioeconomic peers. Take cues from them.
- Smile and laugh when appropriate.
- Have good posture, but don’t be rigid.
- Keep your knees together and elbows in.
- Hold your head up– don’t crouch down or hunch your back.
- Broad shoulders look worse when hunched forward than pulled back.
- Listen carefully to what people are saying.
- Look people in the eyes when listening and talking.
- People pick up on your insecurity. Just try to be friendly and confident, and you’ll do fine.
- Taking dancing classes, yoga, gymnastics, and working on flexibility can be a nice way to improve your confidence when moving.
For “masculine” movement
- Watch other men who are your age, size, ethnicity, and socioeconomic peers. Take cues from them.
- Don’t look at the ground when walking.
- Shoulders back, chest out, chin up.
- Have your elbows out.
- Let your arms swing.
- Walk with your palms facing back.
- Take longer strides.
- Try not to have your hips sway side to side.
- Let your shoulders sway side to side.
- Taking a martial arts course can help with confidence.
- Be a little more loose-limbed.
Resources
For those wanting more practical information, please check out these resources:
Movement Sphere (movementsphere.com)
- The Walking Code by Todd Martin, MD
Lucille Sorella (lucillesorella.com)
- Image stylist and femininity advisor
- Femme Secrets (feminizationsecrets.com)
- Stepping Out Secrets (steppingoutsecrets.com)
Girlskill (girlskill.com)
- Anna Rova’s femininity coaching service
The Man Effect (themaneffect.com)
- Men’s image consulting by Patrick
PIVOT (pivotimage.com)
- Patrick Kenger’s men’s image consultancy
This motion capture animation shows a spectrum of gaits from 100% “feminine” to 100% “masculine.”
