Finishing School Teaches Transgender Women How to Live as Ladies

By Amanda Stringfellow @amanda_l_s

For many transgender women, learning to live as a lady is a challenge usually tackled in secret

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Videographer / Director: Ruaridh Connellan
Producer: Amanda Stringfellow
Editor: Ian Phillips, Sonia Estal

Living as a lady: A group of 'Le Femme' students strut their stuff

But now, thanks to a revolutionary ‘Trans finishing school’, transitional women are being trained how to move, dress and even speak like ladies.

‘Le Femme’ finishing school in New Jersey, U.S, was created by Ellen Weirich, who dedicates her life to helping ‘trans' women feel confident and comfortable in their feminine skin.

The curriculum, led by ‘Lady Ellen’ includes lessons on how to walk gracefully in heels, how to speak like a lady, how to dress according to body shape and how to create a convincing cleavage.

Other services include a complete male-to-female makeover - and the ladies often go out and about as a group to put their new look and skills to the test.

Mum-of-three Ellen, who charges from £30 to £270 per session, helped her first transgender woman in high school after a male friend confided that he was having gender identity issues.

Transitional women are being trained how to move, dress and even speak like ladies: Allison and Antoinette pose with their tutor

Ellen went on to get married and have three children, then in 2005 she received another cry for help from a transgender family friend.

She said: “I noticed there was very little help available for transgender women who wanted to be more feminine.

“I had a good knowledge of transgender issues and felt like I could make a difference.

“To help women who have suffered in silence for so long feels amazing and I’m blessed to be part of their journey.

“I’ve dedicated my life to helping transgender people and I can’t imagine anything quite as rewarding.”

Allison Hannan, Ally Maguire, Ellen Weirich, Antoniette Dickinson and Denise Smith at the Le Femme Finishing School

The school – which is run from Lady Ellen’s home – houses a huge wardrobe made up of a variety of outfits. To accommodate some of her larger clients, the dresses go up to a size 28 and a stack of heels range in sizes nine to 15.

In the make-up studio, ladies-in-training are taught how to apply, including tips on how to disguise stubble. A photography studio helps captures the results of the transformation and gives clients a memento.

Ellen said: “One of the biggest challenges for transgender and cross-dressing women is learning to walk in a feminine way - so many classes focus on graceful footwork.

”It’s difficult because they learn to walk a certain way for the whole of their lives and suddenly they’re trying to change it – its takes a lot of practice and determination.”

One lady who has benefitted from Ellen’s tutelage is 48-year-old Allison Hannigan, who has been visiting the finishing school for over a year.

The appreciative client lives her day-to-day life as a man with a wife and two children - but loves visits to Lady Ellen as Allison to learn techniques for putting on makeup and moving like a woman.

Allison said: “I have been married for 21 years and have been with my wife for 25. She has known about Allison ever since we were dating and she is very supportive. She is everything to me, so are my children.

“The idea of attending Lady Ellen’s charm school was very exciting to me. She has done a lot to help me develop over the year I have been associated with her.

And After: Antoinette emerges as a beautiful lady

“I'm having the eye make up application lessons and the female feminine movement lessons, which are great because eye makeup is the most difficult area for me to conquer - I think it is for most girls.

"I am a rather tall, large person so the feminine movements would be very helpful for me to try to perfect my look.”

Another of Ellen’s regular customers for the finishing-school makeover is cross-dresser Antoinette Dickinson who has been visiting Ellen for four-and-a-half years.

‘Lady Ellen’ helps Antoinette choose her clothes, create realistic fake breasts using ‘breast forms’ and put on feminine makeup.

Walk the walk: Allison Hannigan learns to walk like a woman

Antoinette said: “The first time I dressed in women’s clothing I think was way back when I was a teenager I just loved the idea of hosiery on women and I thought to myself 'hey what would I be able to look like in that’?

“One day I said I just want to get a fully fledged makeover and see what I look like as a woman and that’s basically how it happened.

Girls night: The fully made-over students meet some friends to show off their new feminine ways

“When I am in women’s clothes it feels great, its just such a release. It’s like I’m escaping reality and just like you can turn into a whole different person.