Where is a woman's waist sitting properly... I am lost.

[Dita_B]

Hello all...

When I showed my latest pictures, now published in my thread about my Mall cruises, to a friend GG on the forum, she commented that my skirt was sitting too high up.

Now I had read somewhere that a woman's waist sits a little higher than a man's and thus I thought that there was nothing wrong with my pictures. But I must say that although all my skirts of size 10 have the same length, all seem to be short...way above my knees and I can hardly believe that all are meant to be mini skirts...I contributed that to the fact that I am a tall girl, but my GG friend said it is because of my waist sitting in the wrong place...

Since I wear a waist cincher, it kind of sits automatically just under my rib case and there is of course where I put the waist band of my skirts. The only exception being my low rise jeans, who as a result of their cut, just won't go any higher.

My GG friend says that it looks like my breasts, if I had any, would sit right on top of my belt and that such a thing should never happen, not until I would be very old that is...

What do you think about where the correct place for the female waist sits? Can you give me a reference point, like measured from the belly button, or from the underside of the rib cage?

I find it very confusing and I would like input on this issue...

:love:Dita.

[Chantelle CD]

53240

[sissystephanie]

Your proper waist line is at the belly button! Your skirts would be at the knee if you were wearing them at your actual waist!:2c: Lucky you, to be wearing a size 10!!:thumbsup:

Sissy

More Girl than man sometimes

[Dita_B]

Chantelle, I loved your instruction about the indication of where the waist should be... literally a text book example...LOL and a pleasure to look at...

However, I don't think I made myself clear: what I meant was where sits the female waistline when projected on a male body?

And Stephanie, if the female waist line sits at a man's bellybutton, than indeed my skirts are sitting way to high. And if I would lower them to where you say they should be than you are right and they would fall just above my knees.

Right now my male jeans are sitting just under my bellybutton, roughly about 3 fingers thick under it to the top of my jeans waist band. I was under the impression that there was more difference between male and female waist locations.

The thread with my pictures is here:
http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66027

Thank both of you so far...but the jury is still out on this one...

:love:Dita.

[BarbaraTalbot]

Chantelle, I loved your instruction about the indication of where the waist should be... literally a text book example...LOL and a pleasure to look at...

Why yes it was and I thinking not with the head on top of my shoulders, pointed it out with enthusiasm to Dee sitting here beside me. "Hey!" she says, "I'm sitting right here!!!" oops.

so yes, er, very instructive, indeed.

For the record I am fortunately not yet under rules of the silent treatment so I politely asked her opinion. Pulling her shirt up a bit she examined her ever-shrinking, post 5th child, waistline . She says "It goes an inch to an inch and 1/2 above your bellybutton for high-waisted garments (which are possibly out of fashion at the moment.)"

I am quite sure she is exactly right about this and ever so many other things. ~chagrined~

Now out of the doghouse, I implored her to critique your photos. She noticed two things, one the waistline seems to be riding up higher in the front than the back. it needs to be level. Her estimate is that the width of that belt is about the amount it needs to go down. The bottom line of the belt is were the waist should fall. She says that where you are wearing it would be for an empire waist that then flows out from just under the bust.

Edit: I'm am losing something in translation so I shall drop my scribes quill and leave it for her holiness who has in her infinite grace deigns to commune with us mortals directly.

[Tamara Croft]

That skirt is wayyyyyyyyy to high ;) you should be wearing it on your hips :p and the waist line on a woman is just below the belly button... but that's so last year :p it's all about hanging it on the hips now ;)

[Dee Talbot]

In women's clothing, it seems as if the "natural waistline" is irrelevent to dressing these days. Some of the clothing is cut so low, it's almost embarassing to wear!!! The natural waistline, mine anyway, is just above my belly button. It hasn't always been there. Depending on weight, shape change after pregancy (which I am dealing with now), etc., it can "float" around slightly.

Wearing clothing that hits or even went above the actual waistline has become synonymous with "mommy clothes". Back in the 80's, we wore our pants this way, and apparently, some of us older mom's are finding it difficult to wear the waistline anywhere else. I will admit, it took some time before I gave up "mommy jeans"

Today, we have many options. The most common are:

low-riders - cut low enough that..well, get a good shave before wearing these! (I wear them, but frankly...they scare the bejeezus out of me)

just under the natural waist - these hit the bottom of my belly button (my personal fave)

& natural waist - as explained above.

I would imagine, and I will test this with Barb, that just under the natural waist would be the most comfortable for a CD. They are still cut in the feminine style, so they would not look "drab" in any way. However, I think they would fit your forms perfectly. Just beware of the dreaded muffin top!!! LOL!!!

The higher one goes with the waistline, the more one looks as if one is hiding a basketball or something under their skirt (this happens with even the thinnest woman).

There, I have now expended my knowledge of the modern woman's guide to waistlines. Oh, except for this....some women celebrities have been photographed wearing ultra-high waistlines......I pray they don't make a comeback.

EDITED TO ADD: Well, Barb steered me to this thread, and I answered without really reading....so blame her!!!! You clearly know all of the types of waistlines in clothing. But, I leave my post as a shining example of why one should always read before posting. LOL!

Dee

[sissystephanie]

Chantelle, I loved your instruction about the indication of where the waist should be... literally a text book example...LOL and a pleasure to look at...

However, I don't think I made myself clear: what I meant was where sits the female waistline when projected on a male body?

And Stephanie, if the female waist line sits at a man's bellybutton, than indeed my skirts are sitting way to high. And if I would lower them to where you say they should be than you are right and they would fall just above my knees.

Right now my male jeans are sitting just under my bellybutton, roughly about 3 fingers thick under it to the top of my jeans waist band. I was under the impression that there was more difference between male and female waist locations.

The thread with my pictures is here:
http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66027

Thank both of you so far...but the jury is still out on this one...

:love:Dita.


A person's actual waist is always at the belly button, whether a man or woman. Some clothes, for both men and women, are made to be worn either above (not many these days!) or slightly below. Your jeans are an example of that. That is generally known as a low-waisted pant. Some womens pants are made to be worn just above the hips, some below the waist, and some others at the waist. The same idea sometimes holds true for skirts, but not as often. Most skirts are cut to be worn very close to, or right at, the actual waist. Unless you are wearing an empire waist dress, the waist line should never be under your ribcage.

Your jeans are fine where they are, but your skirts should be worn at your natural waist.

Stephanie

More Girl than man sometimes

[Chantelle CD]

I think the only reason the female waist line is below the belle button now is because all the fashion is low rise styles, high waist jeans and the jean skirt i have now all sit above the belle button. i really don't like low rise jeans on woman myself, especially if there tight, and cause a dent in there hips below there waiste line. The top of the hips is just above the belle button, then comes the waist line, waist line isnt below the hips LoL

[sobe1ove GG]

My waist is at the belly button.

I saw your pictures. Your jeans were too low and you skirt too high. Try at the belly button. It'll probably look right.

Sobe

[Jolene]

I read a post from a female a while back who had written that she bought clothes to fit her hips instead of her waist so I go by that. I guess what works for anyone's shape would be fine.
Jolene

[Lora Olivia]

Hi Dita

I have to say IMHO that the pic of you in the jeans and white top looks the most natural, the hip huggers and short tops just don't do it for us older ladies i am afraid. The skirt definately needs to come down, i think knee length would be about right...of course this is just my :2c: and what do I know anyway lol

[Wickanne GG]

My birth mother is a seamstress. Since we all come in different shape/proportions, and sizes she taught me a little trick for finding the natural waistline when I was about 12 years old. Stand straight, lean left or right as if you were sliding your hand down the side of your legs to the side of your knee. The wrinkled gathering of skin or the bulge, depending on you weight, on your side is your waistline.

Hip hugging clothing looks good on most people of any age as long as they are the correct fit. Your lowriders look a size or two too small.

:love:
Wickanne

[AmberTG]

I don't wear hiphuggers, I have small hips and they just don't look right on me. I prefer the Riders "just below the waist" jeans, they give me some shape. For skirts, I have to get them sized to above my hips, that way they hang on the top of my hips and won't slide off my butt. I actually still have a cute and so out of fashion short dress from the 70s that has an empire waistline, believe it or not, it still fits too.

[ronna]

I know what the problem is, Dita.
Women have hips that can hold up their skirts or pants, so as long as the waistband rides up over their hips it's good.
Without hips, you can hike your skirt up as high as you want and it can still slide all the way down! If you have a large waist it's even a bigger problem because your hips are smaller than your waist. I think that's why I wear a skirt that's about 4 sizes smaller than the size charts show (no hips)

[KewTnCurvy GG]

Okay, you're asking for honesty.

Yes, the jeans are way too low and do not look good. The first skirt is a little too high but I perceive it to be more of an issue with male physique and the female skirt not meshing. The second set of pics with a skirt show the skirt is sitting higher.

Consider we genetic women have difficulty with women's clothes cooperating. Different sizes, manufacturers, then you toss in trying to put women's clothes on a genetic male frame--doesn't always work well.

However, i would like to point out, there are high waisted skirts mean to sit higher on the waist. Sorta a throw back the the 40's and not everyone can pull it off.

Kew

[sissystephanie]

Okay, you're asking for honesty.

Yes, the jeans are way too low and do not look good. The first skirt is a little too high but I perceive it to be more of an issue with male physique and the female skirt not meshing. The second set of pics with a skirt show the skirt is sitting higher.

Consider we genetic women have difficulty with women's clothes cooperating. Different sizes, manufacturers, then you toss in trying to put women's clothes on a genetic male frame--doesn't always work well.

However, i would like to point out, there are high waisted skirts mean to sit higher on the waist. Sorta a throw back the the 40's and not everyone can pull it off.

Kew

KewTnCurvy,

That skirt is a perfect example of an empire waist skirt! I guess since I am considerably older than most of you, you don't know what I am talking about! But after over 60 years of crossdressing, I do know quite a bit about female clothing. As I have said before, your waist is always at your belly button!! Not above or below! Where you choose to wear your clothes is your decision. At the natural waist (belly button), above(which does not usually look good, unless it is an empire), or below(which is more the standard these days).

Using hip size to buy a skirt can be asking for a bad fit! Most men have hips very close to their waist measurement, unless they are body builders. Women, on the other hand, usually have hips several inches larger than their waist. The best way to buy a properly fitting skirt, and I think the GG's will back me on this, is to buy your dress size. That is a complex measurement that covers much of your body, including your actual waist. For example, my waist (belly button location) is 40" and my hips are 41". If I bought a skirt to fit my hips, it would be too loose at the waist. Of course, I take a lot of my clothes to an alteration lady who alters them to look more feminine on me!:heehee:

Sissy

More Girl than man sometimes

[Albtraum]

I read where one lady said the belly button, but I think an inch or two above the belly button. You can see on the model that the smallest part of the waist is slightly above.

Or you can put your hand on your hip bone at the front. Have the pinky finger tough the jutting bony part and your thumb should be right at the waistline.

I can't say 100% sure, but I think your torso and hand width should be right for YOU, whatever your build is. Ask your friend or post a pic and we'll try to figure what looks most natural on you.

IMO