How to hide or reduce wide shoulders

[Lisa X]

Any of you have ideas on hiding wide shoulders or somehow reducing the size of your arms and shoulders? I swam for a few years which built up my shoulder and back muscles. Even not swimming now for a couple of years, I can't seem to thin out shoulders and arms. I have a tough time finding tops that look right. I can't wear sweaters, tank tops or dresses that expose the shoulders at all. I have tried wearing hip pads to balance the shoulder/hip porportion, but I hate wearing the pads and they don't seem to look that great.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Take care

[DonnaT]

I was a swimmer too. My pic is in the TGEA party thread.

Looking for same answers.

[DanaJ]

Add me to the list - I have worked construction pretty much my whole life, and holding up steel and swinging sledgehammers have made me too big up top too.

I noticed on my last pix that wearing black up top seems to hide it a little? They say black is slimming after all :) Plus, I always wear some butt and hip pads too to even out the shape....

DanaJ

EDIT: I am doing some photo cleanup, if you want to see these pix, please contact me at curiousguy128@yahoo.com or by Yahoo Messenger (user name curiousguy128)

[Jen_TGCD]

Yup! Me, too!

My salvation came from reading a book called "The Fine Art of Dressing" by Margaux Tartarotti. It's on Amazon and have seen it at Ebay, as well. On the back cover it says, "You will learn to create a wardrobe with flair and confidence that perfectly fits individual needs, tastes and body type."

They have a "body type" for women with large shoulders and small hips. From there I learned that having darker colors on top and patterned or fuller skirts really give the illusion of being more balanced. I've found that three-quarter sleeve lengths look better than short or sleeveless tops. Long sleeves look too bulky with our bigger shoulders. Tops with an open collar and V-necks are better than rounded neck lines. The idea is to have a vertical line to draw the eye down instead of across. Stand up collars work well, also. Wearing a long scarf or necklace with a pendant are good. And, no bulky materials... loose, drapey fabrics that are slightly fitted are better. Tip: Always take out the shoulder pads... we don't need them! Look again at Dana's photo... dark top, v-neck and a pendant! It works!

Fuller skirts or bulky materials will help add dimension to your hips and butt but I still recommend spending the money for a Veronica enhancer... it's smooth and comfortable and looks incredible. www.clcrv.com (http://www.clcrv.com/) Tops that end at your hip level will give a horizontal line. Pleated slacks and skirts are good. Also, skirts are better than dresses as most of us are tall already. The skirt helps to break the vertical line that we want at the top.

This book should be an essential for all crossdressers that care about how they look. It even goes into long necks, thick waists, long legs, foot wear, accessories... just about every problem we would encounter. Check it out!!! http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif

[Amelie]

I agree with Dana and Jen, wearing black will ruduce the effect of large shoulders. Also hip pads will help the illusion, the only drawback, you will have a big but, heck, this might not be a drawback.

I have never tryed this but, naybe if you wore a big sombrero hat. People won't notice your shoulders, they will be to busy looking at your hat. Lol
Amelie

[DanaJ]

GREAT post Jenny! Very good info, and believe me, everything I did was completely by accident - no wonder it was one of my favorite makeovers....

Again - thanks very much for the useful tips.

DanaJ

[Sharon]

It might sound counter-intuitive, but wearing slight shoulder pads, or clothing with a distinctive shoulder to them, will also create the illusion of being smaller than you are. It will also have the advantage of making your waist appear smaller.

[Jen_TGCD]

It might sound counter-intuitive, but wearing slight shoulder pads, or clothing with a distinctive shoulder to them, will also create the illusion of being smaller than you are. It will also have the advantage of making your waist appear smaller.Hi, Sharon ~
This is true with some styles... but they shouldn't extend past your own shoulders or it might look like a Ziggy Stardust outfit! ;)

Most women would die for smaller hips and butt... but a great percentage of them usually can't manage that. The shoulder pads work well with women to make them look bigger on top but CDs should basically opt for the the natural look. Your mirror will tell you if it looks good or not! :)

[Sharon]

Hi, Sharon ~
This is true with some styles... but they shouldn't extend past your own shoulders or it might look like a Ziggy Stardust outfit! ;)

I should have gone into a bit more detail I suppose. The pads should only just protrude beyond your shoulders -- a half-inch or less. And as Jen says, this only works with some fashions.
And by the way -- my mirror lies to me all the time!

[Jen_TGCD]

Then I'd better get a new mirror. Mine is a big fat liar! The only way I know how I really look is to take a picture and put it up on the computer. Every time I have trusted only the mirror, well like I said, my mirror is a big fat liar. :rolleyes:


As for illusions, I have found all what you said to be true. V-necks, slim fitting tops, my jackets I even buy a bit small, skirts fuller. I don't wear my Victoria II as it's just not that comfortable to me. I don't use any hip or butt padding so I need the skirt to do that. When shopping for skirts I always look for belted or banded waists that fill out in the hips. Pleats work well.

One thing I discovered early is many dresses, even the ones that fit all the guidelines above, will accentuate the braod shoulders. You have to wear below the waist padding to offset this. That's why I wear only skirts and tops when going out. <Laughing...> Talk about a reality check... yes, the photos tell all... more than you probably want to know. Video taping is even more unsettling! Reality can be so cruel sometimes! But... they are good tools if you really care how you present yourself in public.

Last month, I got so angry with myself... I was twisting my neck around and at a weird angle trying to see what my dress looked like from behind in a full length mirror. I felt something pop and then I couldn't turn my neck for almost a week. Sort of like CD whiplash!!! CAUTION: Mirrors may be hazardous to your health!!!

I've noticed that you often wear a skirt with print or pattern and the skort is a good idea, too.

However... please don't give up the swimming... it is one of the healthiest forms of exercise you can do. Try swimming without an overhand stroke... it will work your stomach, butt and leg muscles more and still keep your heart rate up. You don't want to go through all this transition stuff and then have a heart attack! :p

Love ya!!!

[Lisa X]

Has anyone tried dieting or loosing weight to help reduce the shoulder or arm size? When I loose weight, I can get my waist size down but it does not seem to do much for my arms and shoulders.
From a clothing standpoint. Black jackets or jean jackets works pretty good for me to help make the shoulders look narrower. However, what do you do in the summer when it is too hot to wear a jacket? :confused:

[Natasha Anne]

I bought the book, titled the same as the TV series, called "What Not To Wear". The first book has some good tips about this and also how to deal with a straight waisted figure like many of us have :)