highs and lows

What's the difference between high-femme and femme and every other type of feminine lady lovin' gender expression?

I was thinking about it in the car tonight. I drove across to check my mail at the post office after work. 30 minutes away. I think it has a little to do with "the dress-up test" as Sinclair calls it. What do you wear when you dress super nice? Here in the south, we call it, "getting gussied-up". Hell if I know where that expression came from. Anyway.

Whether I'm going to be wearing a skirt/dress or a fancy pants get-up, my routine involves moussing my hair, putting on makeup and wearing heels. For me, though. pantyhose and lipstick are absolutely out of the question, period. Lip gloss maybe. Burt's Bees lip balm? Surely. But lipstick is gross altogether and bad for your skin. Eww.

I think for differentiating between the various femme categories, it also depends on how much trouble goes into daily maintenance. I'd say I'm pretty low in daily maintenance. Makeup only goes on when I have the spare time to invest in my face. granted, it doesn't take that long, but it's a bother. And I have a sweet face anyway, so who cares whether or not it's painted? I also don't do anything exciting to my hair. Sometimes I mousse it when the weather is terrible and won't support the curls. But that is also sticky, gross and takes time when I could be relaxing. curling my hair also requires extra showering because my hair has to be wet. straightening takes far too long, requires standing in a weird position, and is also a bother.

Underwear seems to be a good marker. How shiny -are- the panties? How bust-enhancing or fashionable is the bra? How well do the two match?

But then there's things like. My newfound love of heeled shoes. The way I stand proudly upright, to show off my figure. The way I'm wearing my mother's soft, silky old nightgown with the torn lace along the edges. It reminds me that I cannot escape the parts of me that are strong. That are from her.