Know Your Goals
What are you trying to achieve?
Tummy control? Look for high-waisted control briefs or a waist cincher.
Curvier hips or butt? Try padded panties or hip enhancers.
Bust shaping? Consider padded bras or even a falsie-compatible shaping cami.
Smooth silhouette under dresses? Go with bodysuits or slips with built-in control.
Measure Like a Lady (With a Twist)
Since most shapewear sizing is based on women’s measurements, grab a soft measuring tape:
Waist: Narrowest point above your belly button.
Hips: Widest part around your butt.
Chest: Around fullest part, especially if you plan to wear breast forms.
Tip: Use women’s size charts but remember: you may need to size up 1 or 2 sizes depending on your build (especially in the shoulders or torso).
Choose the Style for Your Outfit
Under a pencil skirt or tight dress? Go for mid-thigh shorts or a bodysuit.
Something vintage or romantic? Try a longline girdle or corset—glam and functional.
All-day wear? Stick to light-to-medium compression for comfort.
Shop Like a Lady or a Fox
In store?
Walk in with confidence—many lingerie store staff are supportive and used to serving crossdressing clients. Don’t hesitate to say, “I’m shopping for myself” with a smile.
Online? Try:
HerRoom
Glamour Boutique
En Femme
Amazon (for fast try-ons)
Spanx or Maidenform (if you want basics with punch)
Don’t Forget the Extras
Body stocking or pantyhose can smooth lines underneath.
Breast forms may shift—choose a cami or bra that keeps them snug.
Tucking? Consider gaffs or shaping panties made for a smoother front.
Try On, Twirl, Repeat
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Walk, sit and pose in front of the mirror. The right shapewear should:
Make you feel supported, not suffocated.
Help clothes drape elegantly.
Give you a little sparkle of “Ooh, I look good.”
Vintage Etiquette Tip: Always check that your girdle lies flat, your seams are straight and your confidence shines brightest.
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| Wearing Lilly Pulitzer |
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| Femulating in the 1976 French film Body of My Enemy. |
There was two women's shops in my neighborhood when I was growing up in the times before mega-malls. The shops at vast window displays. One shop was where the transit bus would stop. There I would wait for the bus, never to get on it, but a place to be memorized by the window displays of mannequins adorned in foundation garments, slips, nighties and dresses. I was always attracted to the foundation garments. Not having the guts and money to buy my own garments, I struggled into the pull-on open-bottom girdles of my mother. I carried that into adulthood when I had the money and privacy to buy, store and wear foundation garments. Funny thing, I found I was experiencing the same complaints I heard women complain about: The confinement and discomfort. Also, throw in the fact most all-in-one girdles/body briefs are not made for six foot women and men. Even the combination of a long-line bra and a high-waist girdle left gaps at the midsection. For comfort, I've been liberated. It's a bra and at best a panty girdle to eliminate a bulge. I also found that empire waist dresses work best for comfort, yet obscure the fact I do not have a Barbie-doll figure.
ReplyDeleteThe worst is getting all the various pieces in place and everything tucked away...just so, creating a fabulous curvy feminine figure...and then needing to go to the bathroom. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteNot a problem with an open bottom girdle if you wear panties OVER the girdle.
ReplyDeleteThe days of fully stocked lingerie departments with attentive sales ladies are long gone. If you are lucky enough, like me, to live in a city that has thriving thrift stores, you can find everything your heart desires.
ReplyDelete