Jump to content
Transgender Message Forum
  • entries
    261
  • comments
    690
  • views
    42,892

Body shape and clothing thoughts


KarenPayne

1,325 views

My best female friend pointed out to me recently that even when I was male that she perceived me as female because to her, my body structure/shape was that of a female which she kept to herself for a long time. She went on to say that I did not need makeup because of this fact. Note, one does not have to be gorgeous to come off as female, heck I see myself as average no matter what I am told.

Over the past year we would go out clothes shopping, the first thing that stuck in my head was how she could look at a piece of clothing and comment how well it would look on me or how badly it would look on me.

With that said combining born body structure/shape (which encompasses the face too) I think many overlook the fact that not everyone can pull off say a strip top because if we are overweight it will draw attention to us. Another example, the majority of male to female have no hips so one might look for tops that accent the hips with a flared top but again use caution as your body structure may exasperate the waist and take away what was done with the flaring of the top. We all have seen cisgender females out of shape wearing Spanx leggings and know they look great on an average figure but not so much for slightly overweight or excessively overweight. I bet if you asked them they would deny this and in their mind wear them because they are easy and are comfortable.

Back in the day I purchased female clothing void of the above and pulled it off, and still do. The catalytic for this entry comes in two parts, first from talking with my friends and just today the following.

I work in a company of 1000 plus employees where some I know from an elevator ride or waiting in line for lunch and chatting while my team mates are close friends and acquaintances. Coming down from the fifth floor to the first floor one of the employees (known only from the elevator and cafeteria), a female turned to me and asked how I was doing? Then say that, you nailed it last week. I said what do you mean? She said that outfit you wore last Monday, well you nailed it. Heck I can’t remember what I wore so I asked her. She said a grey skirt in particular as it complimented my long legs. I don’t have long legs but I know for a fact because so many people told me so that I have great legs. What I see happened was I wore a skirt that complimented me for the age I am at. Interesting enough the skirt was kind of see through so I wore a while skirt beneath the grey skirt and let the white skirt be a tad lower than the grey skirt. In short it works for me because of my body structure. Now if I were to wear tight jeans and tight top it would work against me because of my age and also would show that I don’t have great hips so back to the flared top.

So in closing focused to two things, body shape and appropriate clothing to compliment or enhance said body structure but also keeping in mind how old you are.

3 Comments


Recommended Comments

Karen,

This is such a helpful entry - especially since I'm in a bit of shopping frenzy recently :)

It's the "keeping in mind how old you are" part that is especially problematic for me.  I think mainly for the reason that I am "coming out" a little older and regretting that I missed the chance to dress younger - but I'm working past that, and the further along my transition that I go the easier I find it to accept who I am, age and all.  Spending too much time regretting the past now is just likely to lead to more regret later (regretting that I regretted so much - a vicious cycle).

 

xoxo

Christie

  • Like 2
Link to comment

Karen we have (or used to have) a TV show in the UK called Trinney and Susannah who used to give women a make over and clothes advice. They have written a book called what not to wear, this is a book showing what sort of clothes to avoid and what to wear for various different body shapes.

"what not to wear" by Trinney Woodall& Susannah Constantine ISBN 0 297 84331 1 published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson

It may e out of print now but should be available from a second hand book seller.

Cheers,

 

Eve x

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Guest
Add a comment...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...