This month’s Eye Candy is a total knockout with a rock-and-roll edge and a heart of gold. From killer heels to classic guitars, Lauren’s journey into crossdressing began with a Halloween costume and blossomed into a beautiful expression of self. Dive into her story, her style secrets, and the passion behind her picture-perfect shots—you won’t want to miss a word.
Let’s start by telling everyone where you are from?
I am from Mount Vernon Washington. I’m a Washington native, I was born and raised here.
When did you first start dressing and how did it come about?
I started crossdressing in 2010. I was in a band and we dressed up for a halloween gig at a local venue. I was a guitarist who goes by the name Buckethead. I had to purchase a wig for the costume. The wig is what got me into crossdressing shortly after. One day I tried on the wig, and some lipstick, and I was having fun with that, even though the wig was not my style at all. So my next step was to find a nicer wig. I found one that I liked online and ordered it. It was a Kelly wig by Sepia, with kind of a reddish auburn tint. I’ve always loved redheads, so that was the look I wanted from the beginning. When I tried that wig on I was actually shocked at how I looked. The lipstick was next, I found that absolutely amazing. I was hooked from that point.
How did you come up with your Femme name?
My femme name started as Laura, but over time I preferred Lauren so I chose that name, which is close to my male name. I love the name Lauren, I think that is a very feminine name, and I think it fits me better than Laura. My friends agree.
How often do you dress?
Dressing is a huge production for me, so I really have to set at least a half a day aside, or entire day, to make it worthwhile. I find dressing exhilarating, and also exhausting. I try to dress 2-3 times per month. Sometimes I have to settle with once a month, especially in the summer when I’m in the mountains more often.
Are you married/in a relationship? If yes, are you able to share your female self with your partner?
I have a wonderful and caring girlfriend, she not only knows I dress, she also supports it and we even share the same size clothes for everything other than shoes. I often do photo shoots at her apartment. She loves to help me with my outfits, and she also borrows my outfits all the time. I would say that 1/4 of the clothes in her closet are mine.
Tell us what goes into getting the perfect photo?
Near perfect photos do not come easy. Knowing my cameras, and knowing the room really helps. First I put an outfit together and see if everything goes well, if my outfit isn’t working I’m already changing before I take a photo. Once I am happy with how I look it’s time to shoot. I use an Olympus OMD-E Mk5 iii camera on a tripod for my photos, and an aftermarket flash. I also use one soft light if needed, I’ve found that two lights are usually too much. I start with some poses that are reliable, and comfortable. If I approve of how those photos are looking I start going for some different poses, I use props, change up the flash, play with the aperture. Maybe dim the lights, or add more lights, take away the flash altogether. I find it fascinating to experiment. Mirror shots are frustrating, so when I am nailing them I’ll take a lot of photos. I am not as accomplished at shooting photos outdoors, but I have shot some nice photos outside. I also take a lot of videos, which I use three, and sometimes four cameras, then I go through and take stills out. The quality is not as good, but I do get more variety, and the Sony A6400 tends to shine over the Olympus for video, I prefer the color on the Sony camera. All of my cameras are flip screens so I can see what I’m doing. Flip screens were a game changer for me. Before 2019, all of my cameras were not flip screens, so it was so much more trial and error trying to get good photos. The flip screen is great, you can look right into it. I also think it is important to not stay in the same shoot for too long. A half hour is usually tops, then I’ll take a break and change my outfit, change my hair, recharge my camera batteries, and grab a bite to eat. I use Lightroom for photo editing. I honestly do not know how to use Photoshop, I tried, but I need lessons.
What are some of your favorite outfits/fashions?
My favorite outfits for indoor photo shoots are jumpers and a skirt. I love sweaters and sweater dresses, especially turtlenecks. My favorite sweater is a Ralph Lauren I got from Stitch Fix, the black one with white on the sleeves. I enjoy body stockings, and tight t-shirts too. Cut off denim shorts and leather skirts. If I am going out in public I normally dress down quite a bit. Jeans, and a longer turtleneck sweater are ideal, with black boots, or Converse shoes depending on where I’m going. I have a down jacket, and down vest that I enjoy wearing in the winter. My girlfriend gave me both of them as Christmas gifts.
Stockings or pantyhose?
I prefer stockings, I tend to destroy pantyhose pretty fast. Although I do love the feel of pantyhose, I have one pair that has held up very well, I love wearing them.
Heels or flats?
Heels all the way for me. Especially my Anne Klein heels. I love them, I could wear them all day, they are very comfortable. I honestly do not own a pair of flats. I guess I should try some! I also have a pair of sexy snakeskin heels for my more risque shoots.
Favorite places to go when dressed?
The Bellingham Boardwalk in Northwest Washington. Out for coffee and pizza. Walks at Lake Whatcom, and Lake Padden. There is a park near my house that I go to, the forest is nice for shooting photos, just the right amount of sun. Also, I enjoy going for bike rides en femme, I have a nice biking outfit and I get a lot of looks from men, and they talk to me a lot.
Go to accessories for a night out?
My purse, lipstick, foundation, blush, hairbrush, perfume. Earrings are a must, and some type of necklace. I usually wear the same two wigs when I go out, either my Hollywood by Mane Attraction, or my Curve Appeal by Raquel Welsh.
Who is/are your female role model(s) and why?
I have a lot of role models. Hannah Murphy, a beautiful and talented classical guitarist with the most gorgeous hair I’ve ever seen. Chloe Morgane, a very pretty redhead model, who also plays guitar, and loves the outdoors. Chloe takes the most amazing photos. Both are on Instagram. Jen Psaki, I love her hair, and her intelligence, and she is witty. Nancy Wilsom from Heart. KT Tunstall, I love her look, her songwriting style, and her voice is so sexy. Elizabeth Kucinich is another awesome woman, very smart, well spoken, and incredibly beautiful. My girlfriend is also a role model, she has shared so much with me, I appreciate her healthy habits, and she is always pushing me to keep going.
Tell us some fun facts about yourself. What are your hobbies (either when dressed or not), likes, things you do in your spare time, or anything else you would like to share?
I am totally guilty of having too many hobbies. I guess I would consider crossdressing as a hobby. Guitar is more of a passion than a hobby. I played in rock bands, and other projects, for over 25 years, and I am currently taking a break from that so that I can enjoy being Lauren even more. I also play keyboards. I love classic rock, Blue Oyster Cult, Santana, Rush, Styx, and Kansas are five of my favorite bands. I also love to hike, camp, backpack, bike, fish, and explore the Pacific Northwest. I have also loved cats since I was old enough to remember. I currently foster kittens, and take care of four stray cats in my neighborhood, which is very time consuming and a lot of work. I also have four cats of my own, so go ahead and call me the crazy cat lady. I have rescued over 100 cats and kittens, finding most of them homes. I am a recovered gearhead as well, and what does that mean? I have been trying to kick a 30 plus year addiction to cars. I have owned over 60 cars in my life, and some really nice cars too. Vintage Ford Broncos, Oldsmobile Cutlass’s and 442’s were my favorite. I have also owned several Jeeps, the list goes on and on…..these days cars are a very expensive hobby that I can no longer afford, the time and energy cars take are no longer a priority. And finally I have always had an interest in the paranormal, specifically Sasquatch, or….Bigfoot. I am somewhat of a podcast addict as well, and I love to read in what little spare time I have.
If you have social media, what is the best way for others to follow you?
I am on Facebook as Lauren Andersen: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008432351430
And Instagram as laurenredcd: https://www.instagram.com/laurenredcd/
Before we go, would you like to send a message to your fellow girls out there or a closing statement.
Be happy and proud of who you are. Don’t ever purge your dressing wardrobe. You will go through times when crossdressing may not feel right to you, but those times will pass and you will almost certainly want to enjoy dressing again. It’s okay to put it away for a while when life gets too busy. On the other hand, I would not suggest allowing crossdressing to take over your life. I personally know girls who have gone off the deep end in their crossdressing journey, and the end result was not good. Crossdressing can be a very addicting hobby. Use moderation, and enjoy the world of crossdressing without allowing it to ruin your life.
Crossdressing is also a great reason to stay fit, healthy, and vibrant. I usually do the same workouts at the gym as all the fit women, which I enjoy far more than lifting a bunch of heavy weights. Staying in shape is a huge benefit of being a crossdresser.
Would you like to share your story and become an Eye Candy Girl?
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