This is my first hub, and in part was initially a response to and was inspired by a hub of the wonderfully talented and expressive Hope Alexander. Hub #78 "Men in Lingerie: The Secret Power of Panties, Skirts, & Makeup."

This hub is about my experience of female empowerment thru my experience, as a man of wearing women's clothes and makeup. It started with my response to another hub in which I wrote: "It's only since I've been playing with more complete outfits, have I discovered the POWER that women can possess in enhancing their (sexual) appearance and appeal."

A woman, especially what one would consider an attractive, feminine woman, dressed nicely, well-groomed and made-up, unfairly or not, has always taken my breath away. As a photographer, I admire and appreciate every square inch of the classic (as in ancient Hellenistic Greek) feminine form and have felt this way as long as I can remember-since I was a young child. The smell, the sight, the sound and the touch...have always been rapturous to me.

I recall the sensation of wearing nylons and high heeled shoes and seeing my ordinary legs be transferred into long, elegant, shapely, and even sexy legs, just by the application of a 3 inch heel and a little nylon. And the height increase and sense of self confidence in just walking across the floor! It was like a dose of instant confidence! Or of the first time I was reasonably successful in trying on make-up. A little blush on a cheek, some eyeliner, mascara, & lip gloss and voila! An ordinary face & eyes are transformed into a thing of liquid beauty, warmth, intensity & allure!

This ability to transform oneself and almost immediately project a different persona and confidence is an uniquely feminine experience that a man cannot ever hope to experience or understand, until he himself has put on the makeup and worn the clothes & experienced that transformation... no matter how poorly & inadequate that expression may be.

And it's effect on men is perhaps more powerful than many but the most savvy of women, can understand and take advantage of that knowledge can be.

I personally hope and believe, that more women are experiencing their own sense of empowerment, in whatever form it may be, if only in their own self-acceptance. And what an incredible amount of power and self ownership it can be. And in return my hope is that men can own and embrace their own "feminine" aspects, while realizing that they don't have to give up or sacrifice any of what makes them a man.

The renown psychologist and researcher Carl Jung described this as the anima, and the animas. The inner masculine and feminine aspects which are in everyone. Only an acceptance of both aspects makes us more complete. Now THAT'S empowerment in the best sense for men, too!

You can find the link to the hub by Hope Alexander that I referred to here: http://hubpages.com/hub/Men-In-Lingerie-The-Secret-Power-Of-Panties--Skirts--and-Makeup?utm_source=fanclub&utm_campaign=evite&utm_medium=email