Achieving a Feminine Body Shape

[Sally Stone]

When I began presenting a woman one of the the things I wanted emulate was a feminine body shape.  Unfortunately, I was, and still am, built like a shapeless board.  Consequently, women's fashions just didn't look as good on me as I wanted them to.  Of course, I solved the chest issue with breast forms and the midriff issue with a waist cincher but solving the hips and butt issues alluded me for years.  I tried padded panties but still couldn't achieve the hourglass figure I was looking for.  Finally, out of frustration, I decided to make my own padding.  I bought some dense upholstery foam rubber, carved it with an electric knife (a major hack when cutting foam rubber) to make hip and butt pads that I could insert into a girdle.  I started with forms that I thought were going to be oversized but my plan was trim them little by little, to proper shape.  When I put the foam pads inside a firm support girdle, what I thought was oversize turned out to be nearly perfect.  All of a sudden my hip and butt measurements matched my bust and I had a very nice hourglass shape.  

 

I have been wearing homemade padding ever since.  I firmly believe the feminine shape they provide adds significantly to feeling feminine.  Obviously, there are certain fashions where this kind of padding won't work, specifically a bathing suit or tight fitting leggings but since I rarely have a desire to wear those things, it isn't a problem for me.  I always keep two different sets of hip pads.  One is for skirts and looser fitting dresses and a smaller, more contoured set is for jeans and tight fitting dresses.  I'm just wondering if having an hourglass figure is as important to others as it is to me and if so, what is your solution?

[Heather Shay]

I'm well aware I will never have an hourglass figure but that's ok. I used to dress with forms in hiding for the longest time but now that I'm out of hiding and on HRT I am seeing some changes and I'll make do with what I get even at 68. I don't want to hide anymore but I also have never been mistaken for the gender I wish to become. I wear conservative lady pants and blouses and don't wear any men clothes but sadly I'm still misgendered. But I have hope and if not gendered right - so be it. It's not what they think, it's what I think and I feel more ladylike every day.

[rainflower]

Are you on hormone therapy? When I started that and grew some breasts, the shirts really fit a lot nicer. Otherwise you have a couple of options. You can gain weight as fat and/or gain weight as muscle. The fat is really a gamble, you just gain it and hope it goes where you want. With the muscle, if you really work your butt and hips with weight training you can get some size there. It has to be solid weight training though, bodyweight exercises alone won't do it. 

Personally, this is one area where I lucked out, I have a 34 inch bust, 31 inch waist, and something like 36 inch hips. I still don't have the figure of some women. Notice I say some women - not a lot of cis women I know or have seen even have an hourglass figure. I even knew a cis woman that had stick legs, no butt, no hips, and a large belly. Many cis women are apple or pear shaped. Again, I caution us trans women into falling into this trap of what makes the ideal woman, as we often hold ourselves to standards that a lot of cis women can't even meet. I don't think I would go thru the trouble of padding or anything in my areas. I have tiny boobs and I'm happy with them, for example. You do what you think you need to do, but at the end of the day it won't make a lick of difference if your wear padding on your thighs or not.

[ValerieRun]

Even before I began my journey, I was always fascinated by hourglass figure. I was, of course, making up some silly reasons why I would need a waist-trainer ("it helps with weight loss") or corset. With the beginning of transition, it only made sense and became just a natural hope to achieve it. Currently, I can get a fairly good resemblance with steel-boned corset laced up all the way. And I absolutely love the feeling. One additional benefit, it helps with the posture so it is another reason to use it at least around house if you spend plenty of time sitting.

 

Cannot comment much on the padding, as I was starting with very non-masculine figure waist-down, and new fat redistribution only enhanced those areas to a point where shaping clothes are new reality in my future ?

[Ivy]

13 hours ago, AwesomeClaire said:

Notice I say some women - not a lot of cis women I know or have seen even have an hourglass figure. I even knew a cis woman that had stick legs, no butt, no hips, and a large belly. Many cis women are apple or pear shaped. Again, I caution us trans women into falling into this trap of what makes the ideal woman, as we often hold ourselves to standards that a lot of cis women can't even meet.

I'll never have that hourglass figure.  But it doesn't really seem to be a big issue for women in my (older) age range.  Perhaps age has its perks after all.

[Sally Stone]

Claire, I'm not doing HRT, so I don't get those benefits.  As for an hourglass figure, it's just what appeals to me and it keeps my overall shape from looking typically male.  I think you are probably right that wearing padding won't make a lick of difference to anyone else, but at the end of the day, I wear padding on my hips because it makes me happy.

[Ivy]

1 hour ago, Sally Stone said:

I wear padding on my hips because it makes me happy.

One of those funny things…

When I was young and trying to be a guy, I thought my butt & hips were too big.   Now I think they're too small.  Perhaps that's dysmorphic, but I'm a mess anyway.

[Chiefsrule58]

      I think it comes down to what makes you comfortable and happy.  Its important to remember that all people including women come in many shapes and sizes and not get to caught up in the perfect shape because there isn't one. For me I just do the best with what I have a dress to my shape while still wearing what I want.  The most important thing to me is being who I am and not hiding.

     HRT helped me greatly. Even though it did very little for me hips. I went from 150 pounds to 175 lbs. I was very fortunate with breast development and overall body fat distribution with exception of belly fat.  I personally feel most insecure about my body when I go out for a run mainly because it very hard to hide anything.  I have found with time, that the more I go out for a run the easier it is and I just don't worry about much anymore after all most people are so caught up in what they are doing that they very seldom actually pay any attention to anyone else.  Ultimately I think you should do what makes you happy and the most comfortable.

 

Jamie

[KayC]

I am fortunate because my wider-than-normal hips and narrow shoulders that caused me great dysphoria for many years trying to conform to my AMAB gender-role now have become a source of contentment when I can wear form fitting dresses, etc.  My only issue is I am short wasted - I'm basically all legs. So, I need some type of waist-cincher to try to create that hourglass figure. 
Not on HRT yet, but I long for the day to find out what it might do to complete my figure as I have always envisioned myself since childhood.
Great topic @Sally Stone❣️

[anyanka]

I'm lucky to have a muscular butt, but I have no hips and a muscular thick waist. I've said for a long time that I'm built like a wrestler. I'm also lazy and nervous about wardrobe malfunction, so padding and cinching are out. My solution has been live with it, and mom jeans. But atm I'm doing strength training trying to balance top and bottom with a little more bulk on bottom.

 

I've found that moving your apparent waist up balances top and bottom a bit. So, high-waisted jeans with shirt tucked in, or a fitted top that is over the jeans but tight on the lower belly, and fitted at the waist. It may not be a woman's favorite place to be fat, but I'm blessed with lower belly fat. It's feminine enough.

 

[rainflower]

12 hours ago, anyanka said:

I'm lucky to have a muscular butt, but I have no hips and a muscular thick waist. I've said for a long time that I'm built like a wrestler. I'm also lazy and nervous about wardrobe malfunction, so padding and cinching are out. My solution has been live with it, and mom jeans. But atm I'm doing strength training trying to balance top and bottom with a little more bulk on bottom.

 

I've found that moving your apparent waist up balances top and bottom a bit. So, high-waisted jeans with shirt tucked in, or a fitted top that is over the jeans but tight on the lower belly, and fitted at the waist. It may not be a woman's favorite place to be fat, but I'm blessed with lower belly fat. It's feminine enough.

 

I'm doing the same thing with strength training, just trying to balance out my whole body with some extra in the butt area. I've gotten stronger and my arms look great, the bottom half will take some time but is already pretty decent.