Retro Rerun: La Derriere

By Roberta Angela Dee

Feminine Proportions

I remember, as a youngster, spending many hours at the local library. I sought information about the reasons for transsexualism — why it exists and why individuals who experience the phenomenon seem unable to remove it from their lives. Ironically, I was as eager to learn how one might alter their anatomical sex as I was eager to learn why an individual would want to do so.

In the beginning, like most male-to-female transsexuals and like most cross dressers, I held an especially strong fascination for the female breast. I wanted breasts. I wanted a feminine physique, a feminine figure. No passion I can recall was ever as strong as my passion to emulate the spirit of womanhood.

Once I started to live and work as a woman, I quickly came to realize that the hips and derriere did more to exemplify the female form than even the most pronounced and perfect breasts. The hips and derriere were the physical attributes that made it difficult, if not impossible, for most women to fit into a pair of man-tailored trousers that matched their waists.

Antropometry

The science is called antropometry. It does much to explain and measure the important difference between male and female anatomy.

It is very important to understand that a woman with a 36-inch chest size is likely to measure 36 – 24 – 36 inches or 91 – 61 – 91 centimeters. However, a man with a 36-inch chest is likely to measure 36 – 29 – 33 inches or 91 – 74 – 84 centimeters. It amounts to a visually distinguishable difference between the proportions of an average male and those of an average female.

A male’s waist is thicker, and his hips are usually considerably less than his chest size. Whereas a woman’s hips might extend as far outward as her shoulder width. This is the reason so many crossdressers, male-to-female transsexuals, and transgendered women can look more comical than feminine, if they are not attentive to their overall proportions

In fact, it is when a young girl attains the proportions of 1 – .666 – 1, that she “signals” she is sexually mature. It is also the reason so many tenaciously diet and exercise. It is to attain or maintain these ideal feminine proportions.

Real Life Transitioning

It is very sad, but I am aware of a rather well known post-operative transsexual whose chest had measured 42 inches before beginning the transition. Following years of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and eventually breast implants, the post operative measurements are now 42C. The breasts are impressive, but the waist and hip measurements are 32 and 36 inches, respectively. A genetic female with a 42C would likely measure 42 – 28 – 42 inches.

Most often, a woman’s hip measurement is between 10 and 14 inches greater than her waist size. Expressed differently, a woman’s waist measurement is most often between 10 and 14 inches less than her chest size. A man’s hips are rarely more than 3 -6 inches greater than his waist size.

As a result, the post-operative transsexual. to whom I refer, is not perceived as a woman, in spite of having rather impressive breasts. She is, of course, “legally” female. Yet, in spite of all her surgeries, she continues to be perceived as a male.

Can anyone honestly make the assertion that social acceptance is unimportant? Is such an assertion honest, or is it only suggested by those in denial of the real role they hope to assume in society?

For those who recognize the importance of being proportionally correct, there are a variety of sources through which one might obtain an undergarment that features padded hips and a padded derriere. This type of undergarment is every bit as important as a well-fitted bra. I provide a listing at the end of this article.

The Misinformation Highway

There is a lot of information available to the transgendered community. Unfortunately, many retailers, physicians, list-servers and newsgroups find no wrong in making exaggerated claims to increase the sale of their product, services, or their popularity.

The information provided through most list-servers and newsgroups, for example, is unfounded, undocumented, and unsubstantiated at best. Through these on-line channels, we discover individuals — with absolutely no medical training — offering medical and psychological advice to people they have never even met. Even a medical doctor is reluctant to suggest medical options to people they have never examined. Yet, these on-line “experts” offer advice as if they can do so with some authority. The idea of it is both unethical and immoral.

To make matters worse, such individuals often cite “personal experience” as the basis of their authority, and even claim to be more knowledgeable than the medical professionals.

I don’t dismiss the significance of personal experience. It is true that it can lead to more accurate conclusions than is available through scholars and professionals. However, one must be very careful when using personal experience as the only basis for dispensing information applicable to a general population.

No ethical physician will develop a website without including a disclaimer that effectively says, “Let the reader beware of possible errors, omissions, or exceptions.” Yet, those who manage newsgroups and list-servers offer no disclaimers at all.

Use Common Sense

When I hear or read of a transsexual who has taken an unspecified female hormone, at an unspecified dosage, for an unspecified amount of time, and claims to have acquired the proportions of a genetic female, I possess enough common sense to seriously question such unsubstantiated information.

There is a sure, safe way to get the kind of proportions that are truly feminine without using hormones or surgery: quality hip padding.

Many options in hip and butt padding garments are available from The Breast Form Store.

Tags: butt pad, crossdressing, featured, hip pad, passing, Transgender

Category: Impersonation, Transgender Body & Soul, Transgender How To