I think one of the biggest giveaways for someone not passing as cis-female are the shoulders.  I think my shoulders are too big for a female,  They are massive and are 17 or so inches across. 

How big were your shoulders before HRT and how big are they now?

Does HRT reduce the size of the shoulders much?

I could be wrong, but in my case my bones in my shoulders won't and haven't shrunk, but my posture shifted giving the appearance of a softer less prominent shoulder.  Depending on the musculature you had before HRT, the pectoral muscles, biceps, triceps, trapezius and latissimus dorsi anchor the shoulder forward the more they are developed.  Without as much upper body muscle mass, it's easier to keep your shoulders back in a relaxed feminine posture.
Learning to do this doesn't necessarily require HRT. Girls learn to do this, chest forward and shoulders back, as part of portraying confidence, as well as a means of prominently displaying their chest somewhat subtly.  It's also seen as less aggressive/defensive compared to hunching them up or forward.  It really is a matter of how you hold yourself, as irritating as it sounds.  And it will appear to lengthen your neck if you aren't pulling it forward into a hunched position.

     Hugs,
- Katie
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Hi Joanne,

Your shoulders probably seem larger than they are. I'm FtM and mine are larger than that even before HRT. Some muscle loss over time can drastically change the way your shoulders appear.

Hi Obfuskatie hope your having a nice day! 

I hope I will be able to hold my shoulders back better.  I have trouble doing that at the moment.  I guess I have slouched int he past(maybe trying to make myself small and unnoticeable as possible - i lack confidence in some ways).

It would be great if HRT makes it easier to have a better posture.  Maybe I should start yoga lessons to improve my posture and lengthen my neck etc...

Hi LordKat,  thanks for your comment and I hope your right!  When I see my shoulders I think I must look massive compared to girls but your right there are girls with wide shoulders too.

I'd love 17 inch shoulders! Mine were about 19 inches across when I started HRT. Six months on and with some exercise the width hasn't really changed but the bulkiness has reduced as all my clothes hang much looser now. I still have a fair bit of upper body muscle which I hope goes away soon!

I had 20 inches... (L size for everything, mostly because of shoulders and upper body muscles). Now, they are around 16 1/2 and I dont see them as wide (unless I stand next to my cis-female friends, who are, in general, small in all other aspects).
1. One thing about wider shoulders is that it is precondition for hourglass figure
2. Also, there are less chances for taller and wide-shouldered girls to be picked out as victims of assault (cause she can be strong enough to punch and kick back).

It is all about becoming aware of You assets and weaknesses - I am playing around that  image of athletic girl and so far it seems working .

To add a little more, noting my own changes... My waist has shrunk, but my hips have increased and look much wider now, with the comments from Emily and Katie's the shoulders tend to become less noticeable... Just avoid body building as excercise 

I have to admit I never measured before HRT and weight control and now, so I have no Idea... Oh another comment too, look for dresses and other clothing that make your hips and butt a little more womanly, will deflect eyes from shoulder line... Generally

L Katy 

What Obfuskatie said. I was really worried about my shoulders too, but working on posture and the gradual loss of upper body mass has helped.

I still think I look wide in the mirror or if I am wearing a mens jacket, but in my progress photos it seems fine. Its all about ratios.

My shoulders were, I think, about 18 inches across and are now more like 14. But my wife is 5'5" and has 22" shoulders and nobody questions her, so it's definitely at least partly about ratio. (Her hips are still wider than her shoulders, so.)

Also looking for nice tops that will deflect the eyes away from the shoulder also helps such as Dolman and Raglan sleeves, v-necks etch.
Stay away from bright colored tops and use light colored pants/bottoms.

Avoid anything with big collar or anything that will bring bulk to your shoulders i.e. thick scarves

Hope this helps.

After a while, from what I've seen on youtube, shoulders don't get particularly more narrow but the muscles change around the arms to become smaller which gives the shoulders a more slender look and definitely look more feminine.  It takes a while though because you need to wait for the muscles to get smaller.

Altering your posture a bit can help too. I don't recommend a full-on slouch, but I add to the effect by relaxing my shoulders a bit, letting them hang lower than I do in guy mode. It's a nice little illusion that makes them look a bit narrower.

pull back the shoulders in a relaxed stance certainly helps.

And as has been mentioned, fat dispersion and muscle bulk loss under HRT also help reduce the impact.

L Katy

I am pre-hrt and mine are 17 inches, but 1.5 inches or so of it is muscle mass off the side I gain bodybuilding. Before I started bodybuilding to fight my feeling they were 15-15.5 inches.

I think shoulders is less of an issue, but the hips are the big giveaway. Many women have 16- 17 inch shoulders.

Quote from: carmenkate on February 09, 2015, 01:46:03 PM
Also looking for nice tops that will deflect the eyes away from the shoulder also helps such as Dolman and Raglan sleeves, v-necks etch.
Stay away from bright colored tops and use light colored pants/bottoms.

Avoid anything with big collar or anything that will bring bulk to your shoulders i.e. thick scarves

Hope this helps.

This!

Women's fashion is all about artificially creating an hourglass shape, e.g.: big busted gals often wear tops to deemphasize how top heavy they are and wear flared or A-line skirts to emphasize their hips.  Pear shaped women emphasize their shoulders more to draw attention away from how wide their hips are.  There are so many resources for people with different body shapes and how to alter styles to suit the best.

Having a neckline the plunges, like v-necks, disrupts the line of your shoulders.  Capris and 3/4 sleeved shirts shorten your arms and legs to the eye.  You can also pencil skirts and skinny jeans, since they narrow your bottom half.


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Thanks girls such great comments from you all. 

I guess I have to learn from scratch what tops to wear in order to soften my shoulders. 

scarfs and big collars I will defo avoid then

Quote from: Joanne Feliz on February 10, 2015, 02:41:29 AM
Thanks girls such great comments from you all. 

I guess I have to learn from scratch what tops to wear in order to soften my shoulders. 

scarfs and big collars I will defo avoid then

And dont do any weightlifting, if You are doing any .

FWIW Ladies, I always go for plunging necklines and Flared Dresses/skirts, when I wear jeans again wear plunge neckline tops and sweaters that tend to flare around from the waist onward and have various hemline shapes.

Whilst Flat shoes are very comfortable, heels can also help leg length and therefore butt and hiplines... Also makes the feet much daintier, but requires practice  .

Never lift weights or competitively swim unless you have narrow shoulders and small upper arms...  Else enjoy playtime 

L Katy 

I'm still at 18 inches across My shoulders are so big for my body size that I think it will be hard to pass with them...

My shoulders are bulky but shrinking slowly. I used to do a lot of weight lifting to bulk them up. My waist is also shrinking (30" down from 34" pre HRT). Hips are also changing. Not sure exactly how but they seem a bit wider.