I skimmed around and I found some helpful topics, but, I was wondering how to be more guyish on a very, very low budget. Other than binders. Lol, do you use a sock or, is there something else I can use? *has a hard time keeping hold of socks* And is there something I can do for my voice that doesn't need to be prescribed? I doubt there is, but, never hurts to ask, right?
Voice well.. try and talk from your stomach as I always used to find it helps, concentrate on how high or low your voice may be and try to perfect it..
Some guys do use a sock.. you can get packers for about $15 I heard.
Jay
Well being able to walk the walk and talk the talk is a definite boost. As in how you carry yourself, how you interact with other people, guys mostly, since it's generally acceptable to be both guyish and girly when talking to girls.
Nope nothing can be done for your voice except T. Hopefully you were blessed with a naturally low voice, or the ability to drop it manually without sounding like you're trying.
Packing, yeah I just use socks cause I can't really have a plastic penis shipped to my house without serious questions being asked. I assume by you not wanting a prescription you probably can't have plastic penises showing up at your place either. So yeah. Socks.
Clothing obviously. Guy clothing, or androgynous clothing worn like a guy. As in, jackets either unzipped or completely zipped, none of that halfway zipped stuff that chicks do to show off their boobage. None of those ridiculously tight skinny jeans unless you were blessed with skinny legs and absolutely no hips/butt. etcetc.
A lot of it is attitude honestly. Guys come in all shapes and sizes, with all ranges of voice. But if you have the right attitude no one is really going to question you. It's just a way of carrying yourself. A lot of guys don't really talk that much, so you can probably get away with chopping your conversation in half.
Fashion wise, it depends kind of on how you look in terms of what you can get away with, but most guys just go with a t-shirt, jeans, and maybe a hoodie. Then some sneakers. Loose fitting clothes are usually a safe bet. The only guys who wear tight clothes are guys with the physique for it, or guys who are intentionally trying to be androgenous in their presentation. But most guys wear the same basic outfit everyday. They just change the t-shirt(sometimes :P).
Asher and Jay's profile pics are basically how most guys look. It's not something you really want to make complicated. Unless you're trying to pick up gay gays, you really don't want to be getting attention for how you dress. Even if I personally wish guys dressed better.
I don't know that packing is really that important, unless you are wearing tight pants. And do you really want to draw attention to that area anyways?
Try from the stomach. Got it. I'll work on that. Feels like a lot of work LOL. My voice is kind of low, but not low enough. Unfortunately.
As for packing, I looked around (just wasn't sure what to call it before, lol) and found two site so far. Mango and the transitional male. TTM is having a sale, but I'm not sure which of they're products are best for me, or what I'd do with four packers.. lol. But Mango has some kewl products.
I already dress like a guy. ^.^ And I'm always in a sweater that's zipped up. I can't fit into tight jeans, lol. tried. dun see out the emos do it.. lol. Not to mention, I'm on the bigger side, so, it's just not right for me to dress in tight clothes. XD lol
I probably have to work on some things when it comes to walk. It's mainly insecure shuffling right now. Lol.
As to your question, Sarah, lol. I have some pants that are on the tighter side in the crotch area. And it's only human to let your gaze wander so someone is bound to see theres no lump there. lol.
(Removed URL to Shop)
I wouldn't really say packing is a necessity. Most pants [well at least all the ones I own/wear] sorta naturally form a bulge in the zipper as it is. I mean certainly in the future I probably will [well at least an STP for urinals and peein in the woods] but it seems to me that just regular pants stuffers could cause many more embarrassing issues than not packing at all. No one is going to ask you why they can't see your package through your pants.
All guys walk differently too. Hell, I'd have so say a good number of the guys I pass in the halls at school walk with more sway in their step than the girls [then again I'm a theatre major and societies gender/sexuality definitions don't hold much power around our end of campus]
Normally, I wouldn't bother about it. but right now the pants I'm wearing are chick pants my dad bought me, so I'm just noticing the lack of lump more. Lol. Aside from what other people see, I think it's also just the fact I can't feel what's not there. Lol.
that's true. all guys walk different. and, I'm a 'gay guy' anyways so a little bit girly isn't too much of a bad thing I guess. Lol.
Unless you generally wear short shirts/hoodies or tight pants, I wouldn't say that packing is really important either.
As for me, I just wear jeans (on the baggy side) with a long sleeved shirt underneath a t-shirt.. and a jacket/hoodie, since it's winter. I don't pack or bind, and I'm not "out" to more than 3 people, and yet strangers use male pronouns and such with me 80% of the time. Then again, I'm pretty scrawny, so I don't have much to give me away as a girl.
On walking.. try not to walk so that your whole leg is brushing up against the other one is all that I can think of.
Just act natural and moderately self-confident, I suppose.
Mmkay. I normally wear baggier clothes, since I'm rather big. the only reason why I'm wearing these pants now, which are the tightest I own, ish cause everything else was dirty. Lol.
I can only pass as a guy maybe 20% of the time. that's when I've got my arms crossed and haven't talked. In fact, someone mistook me for my friend's baby's dad. XP
the only time I can walk with any kind of confidence is if it's dark out and/or theres very few people around. Soon as someone gets behind me it's like the world is staring at meh. lol.
I don't really know on this one... but I thought I'd add a few things.
To the packing, I agree with GnomeKid in two areas: one, most guy's pants naturally form a 'bulge' there, so as long as you have a shirt that covers that area, people aren't going to notice. And two: that no one is going to come right out and ask why they can't see your package. Most people (maybe a few exceptions) would not want to admit they were looking.
To walking, I would just try to walk straight and take long steps (if you have your gay guy thing, you can add that). Don't scrunch up too much, otherwise you'll look completely unsure and not confident, but don't be so open that it looks like you think the world belongs to you.
I hope that helped somebody. :)
lol, that is true. Very true. Lol. I guess I was just being... paranoid? idk. lol.
Hmmm... how do you mimic confidence?
As far as the discreet shipping problem is concerned, you can order things from online drug stores/ nutrition stores. drugstore.com has... items, as well as other places like DAB nutrition (which you can find through amazon.com). Of course you need a credit card for that type of thing... If anyone asks you can just say you ordered vitamins (which are likely more expensive!).
edit: oh, and as far as walking is concerned, here's something I've observed from the opposite end. Guys tend to push forward with their upper body more... when a guy is trying to get somewhere their torso kind of slants forward a bit and their whole body is being it. Girls have sort of a floating kind of walk... you won't see much difference in posture between standing and walking, it's mostly the legs and feet carrying the rest of the body forward.
True. Well, I figure if I started packing while still living here, I would have to explain if they happened to notice. Lol. So I dun really care about being discreet around my family. now that I think of it, just to see them squirm, I'd probably announce it and show the packers to them all. LOL. just because they dun support me, and it'd bother them. XP
Well, it's not exactly OTC, but it is non-prescription. :)
Boom Your Voice (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCwI2GAwH3c#)
Only heard of, never tried it, but see how it works for you.
Ohh. I'll go there after my appointment today. Lol. Thank you ^.^
Get a unlubricated condom and fill it with gel, than get water balloons for the balls and tie them all together.
Quote from: alexkms on March 26, 2009, 05:56:15 PM
Get a unlubricated condom and fill it with gel, than get water balloons for the balls and tie them all together.
Inventive.... :P
I think the whole point of packing is it feels psychologically better for a ftm to have something there. If you feel better then I think you will end up acting more confidently.
I saw this show once where they got some straight women to rate a group of men for attractivenes. Later they gave some of the men an added 'boost' to their package and got some women to rate them again. Interestingly they were rated more attractive the bigger the bulge was. Not particulalry scientific the way it was run but interesting all the same.
I think if people notice it it is an unconcious thing. Maybe it provides an unconcious cue? Saying that though I have had gay guys check me out. Some of the more forward gay guys used that as part of their pick up - "I noticed you had a big...." kind of thing.
Quote from: alexkms on March 26, 2009, 05:56:15 PM
Get a unlubricated condom and fill it with gel, than get water balloons for the balls and tie them all together.
LOL! Interesting.
Alex:
Ja. Exactly. I know my eyes wander even when I really don't want to look. Haven't figured out why yet, but, lol. So, I figured someone would end up looking and such... lol. And thus was interested in the packers. lol.
For voice you can try talking slowly and taking deep breaths. The key its like someone says from the stomach. Avoid sounding nasal and careful when you get excited. That normally gets your voice high pitched.
For shirts, the ones with a heavy fabric works better to cover hips and waist and kinda helps with chest a bit.
Quote from: Jake Grimm on March 26, 2009, 09:11:37 PM
LOL! Interesting.
Alex:
Ja. Exactly. I know my eyes wander even when I really don't want to look. Haven't figured out why yet, but, lol. So, I figured someone would end up looking and such... lol. And thus was interested in the packers. lol.
Yeah and it just makes you feel more confident.
I love your avatar by the way.
Yeah. ^.^
Ty! I found it here http://www.cafepress.com/ftmgear (http://www.cafepress.com/ftmgear) and just had to save it. lol.