Changing Clothes

[K8]

I know that one's shape changes with MtF HRT.  We usually talk of growing breasts and maybe getting larger hips, butt, and lower belly.  So I guess this is a stupid question:

Did you have to keep changing your wardrobe as you went through the changes from HRT?

I've noticed that some of the clothes that I bought right after starting HRT that looked good on me then just don't look right any more.  They fit but instead of looking great they look just so-so.  I take pictures of myself nude once a month and the pictures don't show much change, but when I put on a top that used to look great it now looks off somehow.

Or is this just in my head?

- Kate

[Imadique]

My experiences may be ruled invalid from losing weight as well but I could swear by back is not as broad as it used to be...a lot of the clothes I bought on my first shopping sprees are no good to me anymore but it probably also has to do with knowing better how to dress for your shape?

[maidenprincess]

When I first started transition I wore medium sized shirts because I was a little clueless about my sizes, but now I know I look better with more form fitting tops so I buy extra small.  It emphasizes the dip from my waist to my hips that have developed and doesn't make me look so boxy like with larger sizes.  (Oh, I'm pretty petite, so it's not like I'm stretching out these extra smalls with my gut hanging out, lol.  It's just a more appropriate size now.)

Great, now you made me want to go shopping and spend more money on myself. 

[placeholdername]

My experiences may be ruled invalid from losing weight as well but I could swear by back is not as broad as it used to be...a lot of the clothes I bought on my first shopping sprees are no good to me anymore but it probably also has to do with knowing better how to dress for your shape?

I've heard this also about shoulders, could be similar to the hip thing where Estrogen changes the muscle tissue which then changes your posture making your shoulders look less broad.  I'm really lucky with not having broad shoulders (or much muscle ) but if they get narrower too it would be icing on that particular cake.

When I first started transition I wore medium sized shirts because I was a little clueless about my sizes, but now I know I look better with more form fitting tops so I buy extra small.  It emphasizes the dip from my waist to my hips that have developed and doesn't make me look so boxy like with larger sizes.  (Oh, I'm pretty petite, so it's not like I'm stretching out these extra smalls with my gut hanging out, lol.  It's just a more appropriate size now.)

Great, now you made me want to go shopping and spend more money on myself. 

Wow, you are tiny aren't you? .  I usually get mediums but I don't look bad in large.  These are junior fit shirts though since they're more my style, not sure what the size difference is between juniors and regular.

[Luc]

Hopefully you ladies won't mind my jumping into the topic here. For me it's different hormones, same results. All my clothes were men's prior to starting T, all of them fit very well, and I didn't anticipate having to buy a new wardrobe any time soon. However, I gained 30 lbs within a month or two of starting T, without changing my eating/exercising habits, so I had to buy all new pants. Then, a few months later, my shirts became really tight in the shoulders. A couple month after that, I noticed none of my baseball caps fit; my head had grown so much that even the adjustable ones didn't fit.

In the past several months, though, I've been seeing a good bit of fat redistribution coupled with gradual weight loss, and have lost a total of 6 inches off my waist. I've been through 3 rounds of new pants & shorts, and now I'm finding all my shirts are far too large and therefore make me larger. Oh, not to mention that not a single pair of my old, nice gloves fit, due to my hands having grown quite a lot.

SD

[Myself]

Sebastein,

What do you mean your head grew? your skull fuses at around age 15-17.. how old are you?

Anything else you could think of?

[maidenprincess]

Wow, you are tiny aren't you? .  I usually get mediums but I don't look bad in large.  These are junior fit shirts though since they're more my style, not sure what the size difference is between juniors and regular.

Yeah... I've went from a size 5 to a size 3 to a size 0.    I even eat all the time!  My endo is testing my thyroid because no matter what I do I can't gain weight.

[placeholdername]

Sebastein,

What do you mean your head grew? your skull fuses at around age 15-17.. how old are you?

Anything else you could think of?

There's a lot of muscles outside the skull, and T causes muscle growth.  It's the same thing with neck width and shoe size, either way you cross the bridge.

Yeah... I've went from a size 5 to a size 3 to a size 0.    I even eat all the time!  My endo is testing my thyroid because no matter what I do I can't gain weight.

I don't particularly care whether I go down a size or two as long as the proportions look right.  I also can't gain weight for the life of me, though that might change on HRT.  But I'm not the kind of girl to stress over gained or lost pounds, seems like a waste of time .

[Sandy]

I've noticed that some of the clothes that I bought right after starting HRT that looked good on me then just don't look right any more.  They fit but instead of looking great they look just so-so.  I take pictures of myself nude once a month and the pictures don't show much change, but when I put on a top that used to look great it now looks off somehow.

Or is this just in my head?

- Kate

Girl, you are developing a fashion sense, that's all!  The hormones are doing a fine job! 

Actually that is not a completely facetious remark.  It is too soon to have a significant change to your body shape, but it is affecting your thought process.  I too look at some of the things I bought early on and say "What on earth ever possessed me to buy THAT!"

Maybe it is more of the butterfly coming out of her cocoon.

-Sandy

[K8]

Thanks for the replies.  It's nice to know others go through this.

You might be right, Sandy.  I have developed very small breasts and can see some other changes, but I'm pretty much the same size and shape as when I started HRT 5 months ago.  But I've always had a fair fashion sense.  Sometimes I would even get compliments when dressed as *him*.

Perhaps it is an evolution of how I see myself.  I never wear my crossdresser clothes.  And most of my early trying-to-be-Katherine clothes aren't suitable.  Now, even a lot of the Katherine and trying-to-be-Kate clothes don't seem to work.  Perhaps as I settle more into seeing myself as a woman and understanding what sort of woman I am, I am slowly figuring out what clothing to wear.

When I first surprised a girlfriend with my announcement that I was going to become a woman, she said: "Oh, now you're going to have to discover your style!"  At the time, I didn't realize how profound that statement was.

Geez, this business of discovering who you really are is dang complicated. 

- Kate

[Sandy]

Geez, this business of discovering who you really are is dang complicated. 

- Kate

Hon, if it was easy, there'd only be one color of lipstick!

Mine is #903 Drumbeat Red.

-Sandy(this week)

BTW: I love your new avatar pic!  You are really a beautiful woman!

[Robin_p]

Welcome to being a teenager again. 

I spend a lot of time in my closet and at the stores. I'm better now i usually just spend $40 a week on clothes, cause i have nothing to wear. The greatest thing is when i find something in the back of my closet. I forgot about the shoes. one year i bought like a few dozen.

[Luc]

Sebastein,

What do you mean your head grew? your skull fuses at around age 15-17.. how old are you?

Anything else you could think of?

I'm 27. I honestly don't know how it happened... but the skull does change on testosterone; the fact that the brow begins to jut out and jaw becomes more prominent prove that. My forehead in particular has changed from being just rounded to being more angular; I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it myself.

SD

[Silver]

I'm 27. I honestly don't know how it happened... but the skull does change on testosterone; the fact that the brow begins to jut out and jaw becomes more prominent prove that. My forehead in particular has changed from being just rounded to being more angular; I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it myself.

SD

Testosterone doesn't cause any lengthening or anyting like that but it does cause bones to thicken. So his skull thickened, simple as that.

SilverFang

[Maddie Secutura]

I've noticed that my jeans are a little loose on me but they still look okay.  I've lost 15 pounds since I started HRT and have lost 3 inches off my waist and 2 inches off my chest.
However I don't have the money to go out and buy new clothes at the drop of a hat so I have to make do with the clothes I have.  I'm pretty much the poster child for target and free college t-shirts.

[FairyGirl]

I've noticed my chest size shrinking as well- I have had to drop a full bra band size as well as tighten the straps up more on new bras than I did on the ones I first started with. I haven't lost any weight, and the cups are actually full now. To go with that, my size small panties are definitely getting a bit tight in the butt  lol

congrats Kate! Ain't bein' 13 again grand?