helloooo... so, im sure this a problem for many of us, but i still have yet to find a solution for myself.
is there any way to make your upper body less... masculine? or shoulders less broad or anything of that sort?
Is there any exercise that I could do? I highly doubt that even with exercise thatd make a big difference...
So yea... how have you girls compensated for this inconvenience?
I can think of wearing a black top with plunging neck line, as it pulls the eyes away from the shoulders, (I have the same issue) also wearing longer wigs to hide the shoulders can't be a bad idea either. Hips pads can give a more balanced look, its one of the reasons I made the investment in a good hip pads.
Probably more girls with have some great tips on this subject, but I hope that's a start.
Emma
Last edited by Emma Chase; 01-14-2010 at 03:56 PM.
Actually, a friend of mine who had huge shoulders claimed that she actively stopped using them and they shrank significantly. No heavy lifting, no exercises. Hard to dispute her. she looks great.
Certain tank tops can minimize shoulders but I haven't figured out why just yet. I gave up and mostly wear 3/4 sleeves.
Also, if you pad your hips right, it creates the illusion that your shoulders are not manly. I think that's because it makes you look properly proportioned for a female.
Mostly though, there's not a lot to be done.
CAT
Hi Veronica-
You are so right that many, probably nearly all, of us are cursed with that problem. As far as I know there's not much you can really do about it physically, it's like trying to make your feet or hands smaller or something. However you can kind of deemphasize them at least a little. Most men walk or stand with their shoulders kind of hunched forward if you let your shoulders slump a little and sort of roll them back it makes a little narrower silhouette and also pushes out your chest which gives whoever's looking at you something else to focus on if you know what I mean.
Your clothing choice can make a difference, too. Don't wear things with shoulder pads, it's dated and out of fashion anyway, and if you find something you like that has pads, snip them out and toss them away or stick them in your bra. (See above.) Colors can make a difference as well. Light colors tend to "approach" and darks colors "recede", so if you wear a light colored skirt or slacks and a darker colored top it will emphasize your hips, which is good, and make your shoulders less noticeable.
I don't know if this helps or not, I'm sure lots of the other girls will have tips and ideas, too.
Hugs...Joni Mari
Last edited by Joni Marie Cruz; 01-14-2010 at 03:54 PM. Reason: make change
"Because equality is not a concept. It's not something we should be striving for. It's a necessity. Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand on this earth as men and women. And the misogyny that is in every culture is not a true part of the human condition. It is life out of balance, and that imbalance is sucking something out of the soul of every man and woman who's confronted with it."
--Joss Whedon, to a reporter who asked, "So why do you create these strong women characters?"
I believe that a GGs hips are as wide or marginally wider than their shoulders and therefore look "in proportion". Regardless of shoulder width, if you wear the hip pads that make your hips as wide or marginally wider than your shoulders then you would also look "in proportion".
Wide shoulders only stand out because the male body tends to be an inverted triangle. If you change to the hour glass then problem solved.
That's the theory anyway.
for me i cant do the spigetti straps they dont look like they should cause i have wide shoulders but a longsleeve or 3/4 sleeve looks fine
Absolutely is this an issue!!!
Those of us with broad shoulders are the "inverted triangle". There are GGs like this, of course, and when I see one I always note what she is wearing and how it works.
I also have made fashion mistakes to get a feel for how to minimize my shoulders (and my strong arms...this being a boy thing creates Tina some massive problems as a fashion statement!). I bought what I thought was a great top in New Orleans because the sleeves were not tight to my arms and so didn't look like "muscle beach". But, the top was a boat opening running from shoulder to shoulder and did it ever make my shoulders look even broader...yuck (love the top otherwise!). Then I bought a top and a skirt where the top had little gathers on the sleeves just below the shoulders with a smaller boat opening and that was also just terrible. I felt a mile wide (all in black, by the way, so black can't solve everything).
So, what works! I have a black dress with a deep V neck that allows me to wear a gold necklace (also not tight sleeves). This works very well! I have a tunic-length sweater I wear with leggings and the cowl-like neck can be brought forward in front to handle a shiny necklace. Both of these minimize the shoulders very well. I'm right now 41-35-38 and either a corset of a waist cincher to nip me dow to a 32 waist makes a world of difference, as does the side and butt padding. The more you can turn your shape into an hourglass the less the wide shoulders are an issue. What I'd like to do is to get that waist measurement down to 32 so that the cincher can get me to 28 or 29, making me a true size 8 on the bottom, or a size 10 with butt padding (don't forget the padding on the sides!). Then a 41-29-38 would work a lot better!
Good luck with it. There isn't much we can do with our bones. If you have extra arm padding you could lose weight, but the bones simply have to be dealt with in terms of fashion and illusion!
Wishing us all the best of fashion!
tina
Also beware of tightening your corset too much.
It's tempting I know - who doesn't want a tiny waist? But I find it really seems to bulk up my top half & makes me walk like I'm looking for a fight!
There's a lot of great advice already, so I'll just say that clothing styles (dark with an appealing neckline), reduction of exercise that would bulk-up the shoulders, and posture are the ways that I try. They seem to work pretty well.
warmly, Linnea
I sooo agree on the comment about the corset, but it's also true for the waist cincher. If there is just too much subcutaneous tissue everwhere, it will pop out in bulges that are really not what you want.
The weight loss and corsetting go hand in hand. It's wonderfully like falling down a slippery slope once you start!
tina
It's true. I have a V shaped back, and it's just accentuated with a corset. I think wider hips makes a great job.Originally Posted by suchacutie
I sooo agree on the comment about the corset, but it's also true for the waist cincher. If there is just too much subcutaneous tissue everwhere, it will pop out in bulges that are really not what you want.
The weight loss and corsetting go hand in hand. It's wonderfully like falling down a slippery slope once you start!
tina
Wear cardigan sweaters with elbow legnth sleeves....Black is perfect for any outfit. you can still show cleavage.
Fortunately these days, big sweaters, especially the ones with oversized turtlenecks, have short sleeves and are all the rage. You wear them over a turtleneck long sleeve shirt . Some are actually sweater dresses.
[SIZE="3"]It is always a problem, especially with tight skirts ans tight dresses. I have found, that morw roomy skirts, like A skirts, pleated ones, that puff out, some, at the waisy, trally help cancel out, some of the broad shoulders effect.It can look frumpy, at times, though.[/SIZE]
For me. Last year I wrote a thread. " I had a revaltion about my shoulders" in witch I discribed my revaltion that since I don't pass that why should I care about my shoulders. I fugered if there going to read me then let them read me sooner then later. I allso about a month discouvered I can wear short skirts. With the two things excepeted by me my wordrobe possabiltys jumped so high. I now can wear anything (for the most part) that I can fit into and wear it and look good in it too. It is very freeing. And if you look at my pics you can see I am very plus size but still I no longer worrie about hiding my size.
If your not where I am at then try a black shear top. That looks good and can hide wide shoulders too. Plus lace gloves can work sometimes too. I'd depends on what you going to wear aswell. Have fun and don't worrie to much what other people think , cuz there oppion don't matter just yours and your SOs.
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I thought it was just me, but the one shirt I have that is 3/4 sleeve I think makes my frame look much smaller. Maybe it is something about 3/4 sleeves?I gave up and mostly wear 3/4 sleeves.
I also think hair length has alot to do with it. When I used to have a goatee, obviously everytime someone called me a female noun, they only saw me from behind. And I have some very broad shoulders, and I have always credited it to my hair length.
CodeVeronica you can go to the exercise threads on this forum there are plenty of tips there but for me these two sites/links are the best check them out. http://www.reneereyes.com/Webdocs/tipsexerc.html and http://www.feminizationsecrets.com/b...y-workout.html
Hi Hali-
Thanks for the links.
Hugs...Joni Mari
"Because equality is not a concept. It's not something we should be striving for. It's a necessity. Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand on this earth as men and women. And the misogyny that is in every culture is not a true part of the human condition. It is life out of balance, and that imbalance is sucking something out of the soul of every man and woman who's confronted with it."
--Joss Whedon, to a reporter who asked, "So why do you create these strong women characters?"
We are all kinda stuck with the bone structure we were born with. With that said, some GGs are in the same boat, and they use tricks to draw attention AWAY from the shoulders or break them up a bit. For the latter, I favor a plunging neck line. To get more of effect combine this with a halter-like top or dress:
Last edited by JaytoJillian; 01-27-2010 at 11:36 PM.
Great tips! I envy you girls that can wear a sleeveless top.I always wear long sleeves, even in summer. I guess I will invest in some good hip pads!
"And if you want some fun, sing Ob-Bla-Di-Bla-Da!"
I have the same problem, and some serious "guns" coming down from my shoulders. I just accept the limitations and dress as I like - despite the imperfections.
I just looked at your pics and don't even think its an issue I mean it appears that you can pull off tube tops. Anyways these girls pretty much said it all. You can keep em covered with a sexy crochet shrug (something mesh/lacy) if you want as I like to do.
"Don't hate, epilate"[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
I believe my long hair - which falls just above my chest - helps break up to broad look of my shoulders. This is the main reason I may never cut is short. I do have some shorter styles that looked good while it grew to this length. Hard to let it go because of how it hides my sholders.
Gen
Some clothes actually have shoulder pads inside. Be handy with a dressmaker's ripping tool and or scissors, and get rid of them. I do!
our 6ft tall 22 year old daughter is a swimmer. She has shoulders wider than mine. Lots of black or dark colors, anything style-wise that draws the eye to the center of the body (v neck, turtle neck, etc) no halters or spaghetti strap tops! light colors are out!!!
Jenn
good point...I have several nieces that are 6' or taller and quite athletic. good place to look for ideas!
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