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.
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