Kappa Beta Serving the transgendered community since 1988

If you’re like most of us, you didn’t learn how to measure yourself for clothes when you were growing up. But we T-girls also tend to shop online a lot (anonymity is the catch word). Here are some tips on how to get stuff that actually fits you.

To get the most accurate measurements, have someone else measure you. Use a good cloth measuring tape (they aren't expensive). Be sure to hold the tape straight and snug to your body.

Bust: Hold the tape around the fullest part of your bust. If you usually wear bra padding, put it on before measuring. This measurement will assist you in determining your size for tops and relaxed-fitting dresses. This is not your bra size - that's a different technique.

Waist: Bear in mind that your woman's waist is going to be higher than your man's waist. Stand up straight, raise your arms, and suck in your tummy. Measure around your waist at the point where you are thinnest (this is generally at, or just above, your navel). While measuring, put a finger between your body and the tape to ensure a comfortable fit.

Hips: Measure around the fullest part of your hips, usually six to eight inches below natural waistline, depending on how much rise you need. This measurement will help you determine the most appropriate size for pants, skirts, and form-fitting dresses. If you wear extra hip padding, make sure it's on when you measure.

Skirt Lengths: This measurement refers to the distance from the waist to the skirt hemline. A good starting point for most crossdressers would be to kneel down and, keeping your back erect, hang a measuring tape to the floor - this will give you your mid-knee length. You can go shorter or longer from there.

More: After measuring your waist, tie a string around your waist. This forms a reference for other measurements, such as hip and back-waist length.

With a properly fitting collared blouse, shirt, or dress on, locate the bottom of the collar (inside, not the part that folds over). This will generally be around your second vertebra. Standing erect, measure from there down the string around your waist. This is your back waist length. For GG's this is generally 16-17 inches; for most crossdressers (and tall GG'S) it will be. On auction sites, this may be listed as the bodice length or shoulder-to-waist length. You need this to help keep from buying short-waisted dresses and tops.

Remember when you measured for your bra cup size? The total measurement is often listed in auctions as the bust size, as it is easier for the seller to measure the total width of the garment.

You will most likely find that you don't fit neatly in any size in the charts (see http://nancywichmann.com). For one-piece garments, like dresses, it is usually your bust or shoulders that will determine what size you need. For separates (skirts and blouses), you can either figure out different sizes or adjust your padding.

Wearing a leotard or body suit (i.e. tucked as usual), measure from your crotch down to the lower part of your ankles. This is roughly the inseam you need for pants.

Measure from the string at your waist to the top of your knee. This is the starting point for knowing what skirt length you need. Add this to your back-waist length (above), and you have a starting length for dresses and slips (a slip should be about two inches shorter than your skirt).

Measure the outside of your leg from the waist string to the upper edge of your foot. This is your "outside leg" length. You can add that to the back-waist length for gowns.

Locate the ends of your shoulder bones. Measure between them for your shoulder width. Most manufacturers assume this to be 16-17 inches. You may be wider; if so, it may control what kinds of tops you can wear.

As long as you've located your shoulder, measure from there to your wrist for your sleeve length. This will be considerably smaller than a man's measurement, because men measure from the center of the back.

Are you on the tall side? Try out some raised (empire) or dropped (princess) waistlines. This disguises where your real waist is, and these styles are often more flattering on crossdressers.

Generally a crossdresser is going to be more "solid" than a GG of the same weight. We have found that the "average" crossdresser can deduct 10-15 pounds when looking at pantyhose charts.