i gotta know

[kassi]

what can we do to make my tg SO's shoulders not so broad or at least not look so broad. is there some kind of clothing that will help with that? also i need to know as much about hormone thearpy as you all can tell me. we thought about trying it but we just don't know where to start. okay i gotta go that's it for now. more later
-kassi-
@---}-----

[Kate Simmons]

Hi Kassi and welcome, Appearance is everything, so I get tops and dresses that are perhaps a little slightly larger than I need. That kind of takes away from the shoulders being highlighted so much sometimes. Most of this is about illusion anyway and being a "magician" and using the art of "misdirection" comes in handy.:happy:

[renee k]

Hi Kassi, I agree with Salandra, As far as tops go. For hormone therapy see a doctor, don't be messing around with them without professional help. Also do a web search for Anne Lawrence, TG roadmap. Lots of good advice there!
Huggs, Renee

[Karren H]

I don't agree on the oversized tops... Unless you like the frumpy look!! :). I go for longer sleve dresses and knit tops... Darker colors tend to make you look slimmer...Black is always the best... Select clothes where the top and bottoms are the same color range..... No horizontal stripes... Verticle stripes will give you an overall slimmer look... A trick is to wear a fancier skirt and a plain top, this will draw attention away from the upper body and sholders...... A fuller skirt or dress will balance out the wider top and give you a more fem appearence... Slim skirts and dresses will do the opposite...(But if you like the female linebacker look!!) Add a wrap, sweater or jacket helps to help minimize broad shoulders too, at least hide them!! Hehe
. .
As far as hormones.... if you go that route you can probably kiss his manhood goodbye (pun intended). And for that reason alone I would not do it.. But then again that's just my opinion...

Love Karren

[Tree GG]

:yt: Karren's giving you great advice. Two things I'd like to add, and we were surprised by these:

1) A sleeveless top did minimize the shoulders, however not many guys (mine included) like to wear them as the muscular arms are exposed. We got around that by adding opague to sheer sleeves (a nice georgette or chiffon fabric). Great results, but you need a good tailor or sewing skills to pull it off.

2) Raglan or dolman sleeves also minimize the shoulders. I would've expected the opposite but it does work.

Cut out all the shoulder pads and pad the hips if possible will help add balance.

Face it, some of these guys with the yummy inverted V shape are hard to convert to the figure 8 shape. You just keep trying combinations until you find one that works.

Hormones are a very serious matter; nothing to casually experiment with.

[Stephenie S]

Karen has great advice. And she has the looks to prove it. Raglan sleeves tend to minimize the shoulder width. Don't leave any shoulder pads in. Take 'em out. I always go with snug fitting tops. I just think they look better. I also agree about the full skirt look. And a full skirt feels so nice as it swirls around. Padding the hips and butt definately helps the look, but it's too much for me. I don't want the "stuffed" feeling I get with a lot of underwear. And loose the weight! The thinner you can apear the better.

So much of this is just trial and error. Keep at it.

Steph

[Ellisia_Lynch]

Be careful wearing a corset.

I find if I tighten it at the top too much it has the effect of pushing everything upwards, making my chest, shoulders & arms look huge.

My wife likes it, but it kind of destroys the illusion I'm seeking!!

Oh, and get a cute cardigan if you wearing something with spaghetti straps - only the Williams sisters can get away with muscular shoulders in delicate tops!!

Ellisia

[Sierra Evon]

I recommend buying knit tops & long sleeves solid colors no stripes , and just getting it the next size up , check the label , for whats it made outta , & go with a dark colors knee lenghth skirt , hope this helps , good luck to ya :thumbsup:

[JeanneF]

Stay away from halter tops. They'll expose broad shoulders worse than anything. I've found that cap sleeve or flutter sleeve tops do a good job at concealing broad shoulders.

Depending on how broad we're talking, I know that for me tube tops work surprisingly well. I have broad shoulders, but am very thin up there...little arm muscle, defined collarbone, etc, so the tube top actually makes me look smaller.

I agree with Karren...stay away from anything oversized. All they'll do is make you look disheveled or frumpy. Tailored and fitted looks will actually make you look smaller, as long as they fit (i.e. tight is also bad).

[Joy Carter]

V-neck tops make you look taller and thiner . And some kind of pendant on a chain around the neck, will draw the observer away from the large shoulders. But hey I ware what I want. Too heck with the public. As long as I'm well dressed I'm happy with it. :D God are we not just a wealth of information here.:happy:

[Julogden]

Hi Kassi,

It can help your SO to wear a top that's darker than her skirt or pants, the darker color will make her top look a bit less large, as light colors look bigger, dark colors tend to minimize size significantly, and don't wear tight clothes, particularly on the bottom.

Regarding hormones, there's lots of information available on-line, so do a Google search, you'll come up with tons of info, but keep in mind that hormones aren't to be taken lightly, they are very powerful drugs and can be quite dangerous if not handled correctly, so working with an endocrinologist is strongly suggested.

Carol:hugs:

[Dawn D.]

Karen, have you been watching Stacy and Clinton? lol Great advise!!

[marie354]

I agree about the shoulder pads... Get rid of them. I have a dress that has... err... had them, and made me look like a romulan! Took them out and I had soft shoulders again.
:hugs:

[StevieCD]

I can't help with clothes since I need a lot of help myself. But for hormones, a few sites to consider are:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TsDoItYourselfHormones/

http://www.transgendercare.com/

http://www.annelawrence.com/

[marie354]

One other thing that my SO pointed out, she has wode shoulders too, is a necklace, say a heart on a chain, that hangs near your cleavage will draw the eyes there instead. It's called misdirection, and it has worked for magicians for years.
They'll be looking at your cleavage instead of your shoulders.
:hugs:

[Alayna]

all great advice! Throwing my $.02 in:

Avoid boatnecks and slightly off-the-shoulder styles

Necklaces are a great way to hide wide shoulders, but watch out for chunky styles that are worn slightly lower than chokers (chokers though can still be great). Thin chains with pendants are perfect for this - the idea is to form a v-line that points to the bust.

Dresses should usually be avoided, especially in single colors - the eye tends to see your figure's outline, shoulders included. Don't shun them completely though, as many styles can still work really well. You can make some dresses work with large brooches/pins, and wide, flashy belts. There needs to be something to break up the line and draw the eyes away from the shoulders.

Dark colors up top usually work well, but in some cases and for some people they just make the shoulders seem wider by hiding the bust.

SKirts, especially really "flowy" ones are perfect for drawing the eye down. Padding helps, but the right skirt can do more to show off your hips than any pad can.

[CheriTV2006]

Kassi, the hormones will cause some loss of muscle mass, soften/thin-out the skin, thin out the arms, take some top off the shoulders, but will hardly lessen the shoulder width/bone structure. Cheri.

[noname]

To lessen the shoulders, the answer would be exercise. But not weight lifting. More repetative light weight. Build endurance muscle.

[Amy Hepker]

Wtg Karren!!!

[Kelsy]

Don't forget the hair! to minimise the distance from the neck to the shoulders, slightly longer than a shoulder length hair covering will help lessen the broad shoulders! hip and butt padding adds balance and shape. I also find that is you have a large upper body then a smaller bust helps upper body imbalance. Finally an accentuated waist helps the over all shape. By all means avoid wearing a skimpy bikini:heehee:

Jennifer:D

[Robin Leigh]

Hi Kassi!

You might want to read the Body Issues forum. Here's a link to a relevant thread that has some good comments & links.
Bigger breasts without full transition (http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48485)

Robin