When can shoulders beconsidered broad or wide?

[Apples Mk.II]

Hi Apple, I wasn't addressing you in particular. Just that complaining about the shape of our bodies is a very cis preoccupation indeed! Welcome to womanhood.

Thanks. What comes to my mind is that c'mon, everyday I see women with similar shoulders to mine, and most of the girls I met were athletic types, so they were in the same built. So they must make clothing for them, don't they? I am on the beggining phase of adapting my clothing, but the upper part is like a black beast. I like form fitting clothes that show my waist, but I don't know where they advertise "fits XXX size shoulders". Female "normal" clothing big enough to fit my shoulders would probably look quite baggy, so I don't know if there is an special kind of clothing that will work on a T build or just unisex clothing.

Yeah, you right girl! Dudes like us athletic women!

I can't consider myself a dude anymore (mentally at least), but you can bet I do! That aura of strenght, confidence, willpower...

[Ave]

small shoulders would be below 15" I think, around the 5'3-5'8 mark. I'm just under 5'8 with 13.5 in shoulders and my gf is 5'6 with 13" shoulders, were both pretty "small framed".

[Brooke777]

Yes, it is, especially with a big, honking head above them....easy to recognise a MTF even seen only from her back.

You are entitled to your opinion, as am I.

[niciwer]

Yes, it is, especially with a big, honking head above them....easy to recognise a MTF even seen only from her back.

I often worry about that, as my shoulders are close to 24"

[Ave]

I often worry about that, as my shoulders are close to 24"

not going to lie, 24'' shoulders might be a real passing problem :/.

[Nicolette]

I often worry about that, as my shoulders are close to 24"

Is that pre-HRT? How much of that could be deltoid muscle and fat?

[Sia]

Thanks. What comes to my mind is that c'mon, everyday I see women with similar shoulders to mine, and most of the girls I met were athletic types, so they were in the same built. So they must make clothing for them, don't they? I am on the beggining phase of adapting my clothing, but the upper part is like a black beast. I like form fitting clothes that show my waist, but I don't know where they advertise "fits XXX size shoulders". Female "normal" clothing big enough to fit my shoulders would probably look quite baggy, so I don't know if there is an special kind of clothing that will work on a T build or just unisex clothing.

I think your best bet would be clothes made of synthetic, extensible fabrics, so that they stretch around your shoulders while staying close to your waist.
Whether cis or trans, few women can successfully pull off an off-the-shelf shirt made of natural, non-stretchy fabrics : they're typically made for women who are tall-ish or have a long torso with narrow shoulders, small breasts,  not much of a defined waist... basically, the stick figures you see on the catwalk. I'm FAAB, but believe me if you saw me in a women's cotton shirt you would burst out laughing at how ridiculous I look 

If you have a sewing machine (or if you're veeery patient with a needle), you can also alter your tops if they fit around the shoulders but look baggy around the waist : lay the shirt flat, fold it in half vertically with the edges matching, and cut out a vertical band of fabric along the edge from the waist hem to the bottom of the armpits. Now you have a slimmer shirt with open sides, just have to sew them back together.

[Apples Mk.II]

I do have a sewing machine, but I have never used it (I was planning on using it for my BLythe Doll, but...). I'm going to learn a lot of thing If I want to survive RLE Pre-HRT.


I wanted to wear something like this:




Yeah, I still like suits. But I don't know what I can afford. 29-30" waist, 33" hips, 33" underbust (measured under the moobs) and 17-18" shoulders (left to righ), a pair of curvy pads to fake hips. I was planning on corsetting, but I still have the problem. If I were to buy online ( I know, still no confidence to go to a local shop), how could I know if the shoulder with will fit me? The last top I bought was an M t-shirt from threadless, and although the body fit was perfect, it was too short on the shoulders as to move the arms properly.

So, I would have to buy somethin big enought to fit my shoulders, and tailor it? I think I have a lot baggy t-shirts I can´t put anymore, so maybe they can be useful again. Thanks!

And paying attention to this one:







And the most important thing: I am beginning to understand why the girls at work when they wear new clothing, they talk about it as if they had found the Lost Ark...

[Anteros]

^ Particularly unique bodytypes will probably do best to go Made to Measure. There's services offering this via the internet, but I've never been convinced by the results. Your best bet is to find a tailor locally (maybe semi-locally if you don't live near a major city - sadly this is a dying art) who will offer the service. Usually the price is about 300 - 600 per suit depending on what fabric you select, possibly less per suit if you have him make a few at a time. You can pay more of course.

If you're worried, I can positively guarantee that there will be Trans* friendly tailors in any major city with a significant queer community.

Theoretically ready to wear clothing is actually a sound concept, because an overwhelming majority of adults will have effectively similar measurements at a given height and weight. In reality in breaks down, because most RTW companies don't put out the effort to make well fitting clothing, but once you factor in trans* bodytypes and the critical nature of tailored fitting everything sort of flies out the window.

[niciwer]

Is that pre-HRT? How much of that could be deltoid muscle and fat?

well, on and back off.  but that's just from the end of the bone.  the shoulders actually extend further.  I've always had broad shoulders, even for a guy 

[Seyranna]

My shoulders are 18 and I'm 5'4 and even though pre-transition I was sure it would be an issue it never was. I get gendered female from all angles systematically nonetheless.

[Apples Mk.II]

^ Particularly unique bodytypes will probably do best to go Made to Measure. There's services offering this via the internet, but I've never been convinced by the results. Your best bet is to find a tailor locally (maybe semi-locally if you don't live near a major city - sadly this is a dying art) who will offer the service. Usually the price is about 300 - 600 per suit depending on what fabric you select, possibly less per suit if you have him make a few at a time. You can pay more of course.

If you're worried, I can positively guarantee that there will be Trans* friendly tailors in any major city with a significant queer community.

Theoretically ready to wear clothing is actually a sound concept, because an overwhelming majority of adults will have effectively similar measurements at a given height and weight. In reality in breaks down, because most RTW companies don't put out the effort to make well fitting clothing, but once you factor in trans* bodytypes and the critical nature of tailored fitting everything sort of flies out the window.

Thanks. Just a matter of getting inside the community and asking. And learning how to use that sewing machine, It is not going to start sewing by itself...

[blueconstancy]

This thread made me curious... I've wondered for years if my shoulder are broader than most women's fashion expects. I'm FAAB and 5'5" and my shoulders, including muscle, apparently measure about 22". I guess now I know why nothing fits!

Nevertheless, it takes me a lot of effort to pass for androgynous/male (unfortunately). So I presume that other factors can outweigh simple shoulder breadth.