Where to measure the waist?

[FrillyKnickers]

Dear all,

This may sound like a silly question, but where do I measure my waist?

I plan on ordering a made to measure Basque from www.touchable.co.uk and I am required to take the following measurements: http://www.touchable.co.uk/Measuring_main.htm

The waist where I wear my trousers is just about an inch below my belly button, sits just above my hip bone. So where do I measure for feminine items? I believe the female waist shown on the website above is much higher. If I measure my male waist it will be much slimmer and may not give an accurate measurement.

Please help!

[AnnaMaria]

Manson,

Due to the fact that I grew up with a seamstress I have a little experience in these matters. The normal place to measure a womans waist is even with the belly button which is probably where the picture you refered to is indicating but does not show because of the fact that the model is wearing a basque and her's is hidden. I know that it looks like the measurement is kind of high but if you really look at the picture you will see that the hip measurement is taken right at or just above the hair line so the waist measurement is actually not that high.

I hope this helps

Anna

[FrillyKnickers]

Thank you AnnaMaria.

I shall measure my waist at my belly button. With regard to measuring hips, am I right in assuming that for a male this measurement can be quite a lot less than the waist size? Which is the complete reverse for a Womans hips? and where abouts should a male measure his hips with reference to the garment I wish to purchase?

[FrillyKnickers]

Please help!

The advice I keep getting from online stores is measure your waist where it is the slimmest. Now I consider my waist where I wear my trousers. This is I believe at the top of the hips, this is the slimmest area, but it most definetly is not where a female waist is. They also say that hips are broader than the waist - yes, for a genetic lady!

If I measure myself as I think a genetic lady would, I get - Waist 40.5" and Hips 38".

If I measure myself as a male my waist would be 38" and my hips would be 38".

I have asked this question many times before, but where exactly should one measure themselves when measuring for female items, particularly all in one items? Skirts, etc are not a problem for me I just measure 38"!

Are there any measuring illustrations or photos for Crossdressers available online?

[Jennaie]

Since your providing them with the measurment from the bust to the waist, your negating the problem. I would give them the measurement of the most slender part of your waist, regardless of whether or not it lies at or below your belly button.

[Daphnie-Duck]

When I recently took my own measurements to both help with a couple auctions I have going, as well as for tailoring for the Sailor Mars dress I just bought, I took the waist measurement at the navel, and the hips at the widest area (and bust/chest at approximately the armpit area), so my measurements came up 38/17/39). I also had to go ahead and to a measurement of torso length. After trying out one of the dresses I'm selling, I discovered that even though it fit, the waistline was too high and didn't look right. So if getting a one-piece item, you might want to take that into consideration as well. I measured the length from the tops of my shoulders down to the waist (18 inches, then a skirt length of 11 inches, using my favorite denim miniskirt as my example).

[FrillyKnickers]

Thank you all for your help, but I still am confused.

I have recently started to further my crossdressing into outerwear, but my favourite items are still Lingerie. I am a plus size for lady sizes (20-22 UK size), so it is difficult purchasing items, and in particular buying sexy Lingerie, but I do manage it. I like all in one items, I think, unless you have a good figure, Bra and Panties aren't as flattering. Sometimes it is necessary to pay for more expensive made to measure items to get the larger sizes, however, I really struggle understanding how to measure. No one seems to have a definite answer.

Any help is very much appreciated, please continue giving advice.

[Jennaie]

Thank you all for your help, but I still am confused.

I have recently started to further my crossdressing into outerwear, but my favourite items are still Lingerie. I am a plus size for lady sizes (20-22 UK size), so it is difficult purchasing items, and in particular buying sexy Lingerie, but I do manage it. I like all in one items, I think, unless you have a good figure, Bra and Panties aren't as flattering. Sometimes it is necessary to pay for more expensive made to measure items to get the larger sizes, however, I really struggle understanding how to measure. No one seems to have a definite answer.

Any help is very much appreciated, please continue giving advice.

Try to understand this: The measurment (F) is the distance from measurment (B) to measurment (D), (refer to their measurment page). This measurment, (F), assumes that the distance from the bottom of the bustline to the slimmest part of the waist differs among women. Therefore, it does not matter that your (actual) waistline is lower than the average woman's waistline. You want to measure the slimmest part of your waist.

If you don't measure this way, you will end up with a product that puts pressure on the rib that you did not give to Eve, but I'm sure, wish you had.:happy:

[FrillyKnickers]

Thanks Jennaie. So it doesn't matter that I would be missing the other measurements out completely? Only, if I measure my trouser waist we are talking a 2 and a half inch difference? I don't want it too tight!

I have heard you can identify your waist if you lean to the side - where the crease is, is your waist. I have tried this and can identify another waistline - could I measure this? Then the larger area below this could be my female hips?

This whole Crossdressing thing can be difficult at times - But well worth it!

[EricaCD]

If you are looking for a snug fit then Jennaie is right. However, this will result in a garment that will have a long torso relative to fem clothes, and it will not do anything to create the impression of a female set of curves. Your body is shaped like a V, rather than an 8, and setting the waist low will only enhance that perception. Great for feeling femme, not so good for looking in the mirror.

AnnaMarie is correct about the place to measure a GG waist (at or slightly above the navel). Many CDs place their waist above the navel - this has the effect of shortening our relatively long torsos and enhancing our legs. In my case I measure my waist about 1-1/2 inches above the waistline - very close to the bottom of my ribcage. In my case, fortunately, that's pretty close to the narrowest part of my body. Still, because many CDs wear waist cinchers, hip pads or otherwise alter their dimensions, the whole notion of a natural waist is a bit nonsensical.

So the upshot is that you may want to measure low for this garment, depending on what you are aiming for - but I would not necessarily take that advice for other clothes.

Good luck!
Erica

[Karren H]

Well I measure mine with my corset on where ever its the smallest,,,but then again I've only done it once and really have no use for that measurement since I try on most of the slothes I buy locally.

Love Karren

[FrillyKnickers]

Thank you all that is great! I feel I would like the more genuine female look, so I will measure at or above the navel. I am not sure where to measure the hips, but I would say around the top of the pubic hair line, I still feel this will be narrower than my waist measurement, so I don't know if the store will query it? They do however know that this is for a Crossdresser! But there measuring help was geared to the female figure, although they apparently do have male wearing customers.