The Team

Over the years I have had the pleasure of working with a whole array of talented people here at The Boudoir and all have had a part to play in making it The Best Dressing Service in England. I feel I have been very lucky to be able to assemble such wonderful teams of lovely and skilled people, whose range of talents have been appreciated by new and regular clients alike, and the latest group is no exception - I have to say that as two are my parents!! Just kidding of course!! You can learn more about me and all The Boudoir staff below.

 

Jodie Lynn

My name is Jodie Lynn and I was born in the very heart of Central London during the August of 1975. I guess you could say I am a true Londoner as I was born within the sounds of St. Mary-le-Bow Church bells. I grew up in Chigwell, Essex and the only time I left was to go to university in Cambridge, where I did a combined honours degree in Communication Studies and Graphic Arts. It was during my time at university that I happened to fall upon the local gay scene. 

It was there I began my first encounters with transvestites and transexuals and it was not long before I fell in love with the worlds of drag, drag cabaret and crossdressing. I thought it was a real shame that it was only the gay scene in Cambridge that would accept transvestites, as the majority of them were straight and never likely to meet the people that they really wanted to. However, I made friends with a number of transgendered people and I felt a strange comfort and security whilst in their presence. I felt like I somehow knew what they were going through and I identified with all the emotions they were feeling in relation to their crossdressing. Not only did the psychology of a dual gendered existence fascinate me, but I was also captivated by the creativity, glamour and artistic flamboyancy of the drag queens. I felt really at home within the gay and tranny social scene and from that moment on I guess you could say I was a 'drag hag' - hook, line and sinker!! RuPaul once said "We are born naked, everything we put on after that is drag", so I suppose we are all crossdressers in one way or another!! 

After I graduated from university I went to work in Shepherd's Bush as a Marketing Assistant, boring doesn't even begin to describe what this job was like. I am the type of person who needs to be really interested in the subject to stick at it… but sadly I wasn't - so I left!!!

My being 5ft 9ins, size 8 and blonde (I am from Essex!!) enabled me to start a career in modeling and acting, and I had actually been to drama school when I was younger earning a number of LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) Certificates. After appearing in programmes such as The Frank Skinner Show, London's Burning, Kevin and Perry Go Large, and numerous television adverts as well as photographic work for The Sun, and the Sunday People I decided to get out of the rat race and put my money into my dream. 

I realised from my time on the Cambridge scene it would be possible to adapt the concept of 'drag' and everything that it involved into something more realistic that transvestites and transsexuals could adopt and benefit from. I felt that because of my experience from the modeling and acting worlds in skills such as make up, wigs, fashion and ladylike deportment, I could provide a unique range of services to the transgendered community - The Boudoir concept was born!! 

Since opening The Boudoir I have appeared on television on numerous further occasions, but this time as myself talking about the subject of transvestitism and demonstrating male to female makeovers. I have appeared in documentary programmes such as Secret Suburbia for Sky Living, Nightlife and Ann Summers Uncovered for ITV and along with several Boudettes on Why Men Wear Frocks for Channel 4.  Also I have partaken in entertainment shows The Big Breakfast for Channel 4, Up Late with Ralf Little for BBC Choice and De Beste Belg (The Best Belgian) for Belgium's VTM channel. My work has also appeared in The Sun, The Guardian and the Sunday Times newspapers plus Forum magazine along with articles for various key transgendered publications such as Repartee, The Tranny Guide, The Transgender A to Z and He to She.

I now live in North London with my beautiful son… well he's a cat actually, Spike Sparkles - a Lilac Point Siamese. He travels to work with me everyday and helps out in the dressing service by simply being gorgeous and occasionally miaowing his approval of various hair and make up looks. Spike is a million carat miracle. 

I now work in my dressing service from Monday to Saturday with the kind of people that I enjoy being with. I am very, very happy in my work. I love enthusiastic, positive people and I hate negative moaners. I also love animals, kind people, glamour and sleeping. I hate prejudice, ignorance, bad manners and bad hygiene. I am very easy to get along with and I am very good at making the most nervous of people feel comfortable in my company. I work with trannies on average 9 hours a day, six days a week, 52 weeks of the year. I can work for 20 hours solid on a Saturday and still not be fed up with the sight of any of the gurls by the end of it!! When I am not applying make up to gurl's faces, I am tightening their corsets, combing and styling their wigs or applying polish to nails. When I am not in The Boudoir working with clients, I am at home on my laptop replying to the dozens of emails I get daily. I take my clients all over London fulfilling their dreams of dining at The Ritz or shopping in Harrods. I beamed with pride the first time I saw 12 of my gurls strolling through the Royal Paddock at Ascot and I was so excited for them when I saw the look on their faces when they took their first steps inside the Hammersmith Palais for The Boudoir's first of many trips to the Skin Two Rubber Ball. I guess you can say that I am pretty dedicated. 

The most frequently asked question that I hear daily in my dressing service is "Why did you choose to work with transvestites and crossdressers?" My answer every time is the same… "I don't completely know." I can no more explain why I have to do this than you as a tgirl can explain why you crossdress. I just do and I love it!! I often tell my customers not to look for too many answers within themselves, so I basically do the same. 

After taking the long route around I am finally working and socialising in a community where love sees no colour and indifference is embraced. I firmly believe that there has never been a better era in history for transgendered people, and I am passionate about the positive trend continuing and playing my part in that process in the scene I love.

Michael Pattison

My name is Michael Pattison and I am the resident photographer at The Boudoir. I was born in London and grew up in Hackney, East London. After I left school I took a job in Holborn with a photographic company called Larkin Brothers. I began as a cameraman's assistant, meaning I carried the kit. Larkins had a very good name in the trade, and was a good place to learn. When I left there I joined a company in Soho called McMaster Christie. I started with them as a photographic printer, and it was from here I was offered my first shooting job covering the FA cup final at Wembley. This got me away from the processing side of the trade and from then on I became a photographer. Eventually I left to join another business in High Holborn as a manager/photographer, ultimately becoming a director of the company. 

Finally I decided to leave and get into Fleet Street and after meeting many nice picture editors at all the nationals I was given my first job on the Sunday Telegraph. I later joined the Daily Telegraph and I stayed jointly with both titles for 18 years as a news photographer. In those days we covered all photo assignments from hard news to fashion and sport. After moving from Fleet Street to the Isle of Dogs and then into the Canary Wharf I eventually left the papers to do the commercial work that I still do.  

I opened a photo studio in Gants Hill, where I did my first tranny photoshoot in conjunction with The Boudoir, which is of course owned by my daughter, Miss Jodie Lynn. The best time for us is after all the make up and clothes are taken off, and we see the satisfaction on the faces of our clients when they see the stunning gurls they have been transformed into to create these wonderful images. Now of course there is the added convenience of having the studio facilities 'in house' at The Boudoir's current home. 

I also help The Boudoir on events such as Royal Ascot, the Rubber Ball and the Transfandango Ball. Whether it is simply taking a few shots for Jodie's website, or putting up a whole marquee in the blistering heat at Ascot, I try to do my bit as I enjoy working alongside Jodie and the many fabulous clients that she has worked with over the past few years. I also accompanied Jodie to Bangkok in Thailand a few years ago, when one of her clients traveled there for gender re-assignment surgery. I actually filmed the whole operation, what an experience!! I love working with The Boudoir as Jodie truly is the best in the business, and we have a lot of fun working on these joint shoots. Some might even say that Jodie and I enjoy the shoots more then the clients do!!

Maureen Pattison

My name is Maureen Pattison and I am known to some of the gurls that come to The Boudoir as Mummy Boudoir - I guess I literally am, as not only am I Jodie Lynn’s Mum but I have become a surrogate Mum to several of her clients too.I was born in 1939, in the heart of the East End during the Second World War so I was well and truly a war baby. It has done me no harm at all as I am a pretty tough cookie and am rarely fazed by any situation that comes my way. I married my husband Mike 46 years ago, and we have lived in our home in Chigwell for the last 35 years. Apart from Jodie, I have a son who is a police officer in East London. I am very proud of both of them for all their achievements. My main love in life is my dogs, Bertie and Charlie who are beautiful Wire Haired Fox Terriers, they are a handful but worth every minute of my time. I am also a registered Spiritual Healer and I work on a weekly basis at a Healing Centre in Essex, I get a lot of satisfaction from this work and will continue to do it for as long as I can.

 I have been working with Jodie at The Boudoir for a number of years now and I enjoy it immensely. I love the glamour aspect when all the gurls are made over and dressed ready for a night on the tiles - I really adore helping them to get ready. My main job is nails, helping with the base make up and generally looking after Jodie when she is flat out on one of her manic makeover stints. I do everything from making cups of tea, pouring wine and champagne, tightening corsets, popping bits of food in Jodie’s mouth whilst she is working (because she is too busy to stop and eat) to clearing up after everyone has gone from The Boudoir. I am her assistant, her cook, her cleaner and most importantly, babysitter to her famous cat Spike. I am also the person that she turns to for a cuddle when it all gets too much. We work amazingly well together and we have an awful lot of fun in the process.  

I go away with The Boudoir on almost all the trips to various places. I especially enjoy the weekends away to places such as Scotland, Scarborough, Brighton and Manchester. I also go on most of Jodie’s organised trips abroad to places like New York, Miami and Gran Canaria. I love all of Jodie’s gurls and I will always back my daughter in everything that she wants to do. The Boudoir is a great sanctuary for many people and I hope that we can continue our work for many years to come.

Gemma

My name is Gemma, or Gems as most people call me and I am a personal shopper/stylist as well as a mother/wife/friend to Jodie. I have worked in the fashion industry for ten years - eight of them were spent at my boutique which was situated in Queens Road, Buckhurst Hill, which is in Essex. To run a boutique successfully you have to consistently study fashion, search for new labels, travel to fashion shows, not to mention assist in the shop, see private clients (mostly transgender), and make sure all one's customers and staff are happy. This business was my life and baby, until ten months ago my baby son arrived which bought forward my decision to close my shop. It was hard choice to make, but it was the right one with a young son to think of.

I found I missed fashion so much, so I decided not to waste my extensive knowledge and become a personal shopper (either that or I would be divorced for spending all our money shopping for myself and all those cute baby clothes!!) So I am now a shopping guru, in fact I have been for years. Friends would often call me and ask advice on what to wear for occasions, where to buy according to their budget, and to get updated on the latest trends. Quite often I would be asked to accompany them shopping to find anything from the perfect fitted jean to the fairytale wedding dress.

So, my job is to help you look fabulous and feel confident for any occasion; saving you valuable time, helping you to avoid costly mistakes and maximising the potential of your wardrobe budget. Basically I’m your shopping angel – there to make you look and feel your very best!!

You can now catch up all the latest fashion finds and news by reading my Fashion Blog - written with tgirls in mind, it will hopefully become essential reading for you all over the coming months!!

Tracie Ross

My name is Miss Tracie Ross and I am one of the two shopping experts at The Boudoir. Yes gurls, I have a job where I just have to go shopping!! I have been helping Jodie at The Boudoir for a number of years now although our friendship actually goes back over a decade. 

My main job is to take gurls out on escorted shopping trips, mainly to Oxford Street, Knightsbridge, Covent Garden or anywhere else that they want to go. I have this useful knack of knowing exactly where to buy anything and everything and more to the point, I know where to get it for the best price too. I am very honest with the gurls when they try clothes on, and if I think that something really isn't for you then I will tell you straight instead of letting you waste your money. Don't worry, I am not nasty and I have never made anyone cry!!  

I am a very down to earth London gurl with a fairly fiery nature, which means that no one would dare mess with you whilst I am around. I know how to look after people who are feeling vulnerable whilst they are out dressed in the big scary outside world. I have a great flair for making people feel incredibly safe in my company and I am very vigilant and totally aware of everything going on around me. While saying that, I am also a Mother to my son whom I love more then anything so I have a very caring and sensitive side. Plus, I am a great listener too - and if you have nothing to say, believe me, I can talk for both of us!! 

I have very much enjoyed working with The Boudoir clients over the years and have had some great laughs. I have also accompanied Jodie to Royal Ascot every year as well as various other theatre trips etc. I hope that I get to do a lot more shopping with a lot more fabulous gurls for a lot longer!! 

Spike Sparkles

My name is Spike Sparkles and I am a beautiful Lilac Point Siamese Cat. My Mummy is the fabulous Miss Jodie Lynn and she owns The Boudoir - without a doubt The Best Dressing Service in England. My nicknames include Spikey Moos, Spikey Woo, Sir Woosalot, The Boy and Angel Face to name but a few. I am possibly the most loved cat in the world as there is nothing that my Mummy wouldn’t do for me. I am allergic to cat food and can only eat the very best chicken, turkey, rice and vegetables. I am also virtually deaf, so make eye contact with me and speak up if you want to get my attention. Other than that, like most cats, I think I am practically purrrfect in every way - a fact that I am sure you will discover for yourself when you visit my Mummy at The Boudoir.

I am chauffeured to and from The Boudoir most days, which kind of worries me in case I am ever expected to do some work, but thus far I have managed to get away with doing very little on a daily basis. Looking glamorous in my Gucci collar with my impeccable white coat and stunning crystal blue eyes is work enough - and may I say, I do it rather well!! My other hobbies include making as much noise as I can in the mornings, sleeping in the sunshine for the rest of the day, eating, covering all things black in white hair and checking out the new clients for my Mum.

She says that I am one in a million and that I have the nicest nature of any cat that she has ever known. I am very lovely to everyone that I meet and I have not got an aggressive bone in my body. I am scared of spiders, mice, other cats and squirrels but bizarrely I love people and dogs.

I consider myself to be an integral part of the team, as I have been associated with The Boudoir for quite some years now. I am without doubt the most famous cat within the transgender world and I have been in numerous television documentaries that have featured The Boudoir. Some would even say that it is all because of me that my Mum works so hard, hence the success of The Boudoir is all my doing!!

Some of you may be lucky enough to meet me one day, and can I just say that I am sure that it will be a great honour…for you!! Ciao and miaow for now.