Shaping My Body -– A Product Review
The Underworks padded Body Shaper.
“Is my butt getting bigger?” That is a phrase men used to dread hearing from their wives or girlfriends. It led to a no-win answer. If the poor guy answered ‘no’ he was inevitably accused of thinking she always had had a big rear end. If he answered ‘yes’ she would accuse him of not finding her attractive any more.
I say “used to” because it seems fashion norms are changing. Pop culture is making it attractive for young women to show off their larger rear ends. A large ‘booty’ is becoming a thing of beauty.
What has that got to do with transsexuals and crossdressers? The women’s fashion market is jumping on the bandwagon to help supply slim-hipped girls with undergarments that will enhance the shape and volume of their backsides. We stand to gain from this market explosion. The more demand for a product the more companies there will be creating products, improving products and seeking to supply that market. See for yourself. Enter ‘butt pads’ in your favorite search engine then sit back to sift through sales pitches from many products promising girls fuller figures, bigger booties, some products promise to lift sagging behinds while filling out their shorts. One I saw suggested you could go from the Taylor Swift to the Jennifer Lopez look. (I don’t know. I always thought both of them were pretty hot.)
However I’m sure you understand what I’m getting at. The more choice and availability for the mainstream market means more choice for the TG market.
Not wearing the Shaper. (Click for larger view.)
Why does this all matter? It doesn’t matter much if your personal choice in acquiring a female image does not involve any attempt to ‘pass’ as a female. However if your choice involves trying to visually pass as a female then I think this involves more than just a pretty face. Our body must assume more of the classic female hourglass shape and less of the male inverted pyramid (or perhaps pentagon) shape.
That is where butt and hip padding comes in. So often I have seen t-girls with beautiful faces and hair, wearing a lovely blouse tightly tucked in with a belted pencil skirt. Typically the blouse might be a size 16 and their skirt a size 10 and it is hanging loose over the butt. Well no amount of commercially available hip padding is going to help improve that look. When the belly overhangs the hips and butt so much it is time to select different, looser fitting styles. No worries lots of born women have the same look; usually they just don’t wear tight skirts and blouses.
Wearing the Shaper. (Click for larger view.)
However what about the t-girl with just a slight belly bulge or no bulge at all but hips smaller than the average woman’s? That is where a product I have been wearing just about around the clock for about two weeks now comes in. Some weeks ago our editor, Angela, asked me to test a padded garment that would be provided by The Breast Form Store. (You know that when Angela asks you to do something you do it. Otherwise she might very well cut my pay in half!) So after some consultation with Eden of The Breast Form Store I received what turned out to be a padded high waist panty girdle from a company called Underworks. It is called a ‘Body Shaper’ and shape the body it does.
I have been wearing padded panties for about five years now so I wasn’t expecting anything special. I was pleasantly surprised. Eden convinced me to try the XL size and I’m glad she did. The girdle aspect around the waist is as important as the hip/butt padding. The tape tells it all. The garment took three inches off my waist, measured at the belly button. It added those three inches to my butt, measured across the level of the hip joint. I’m no Sofia Vergara but the cinching and padding certainly help. Visually it is a subtle difference but it is a difference and unlike some products the padding does not stick out like a huge tumor.
What else do I like about my new garment?
- It is comfortable to wear. The fabric stretches when I sit.
- The waist cinching part comes up to right under my rib cage. Unlike all corsets and most waist cinchers there is no line visible under the dresses, blouses or sweaters I have worn with it.
- The butt and hip padding are two separate pieces in the same pocket. They move and react to movement much the same way my hip and gluteal muscles do.
- The padding is not overly large. It is nicely proportioned.
- The padding is removable for machine washing but I prefer to hand wash this garment.
- The garment is tight enough in the crotch to also act as a gaff.
- But wait, there’s more. There is a secret opening in the crotch that allows easy access to your private parts if you need to visit a toilet (or, ahem, any other reason) and you don’t want to struggle with pulling down and pulling your undergarment back up.
Is there anything negative?
- Well if I am slow dancing with a man and he slips his hand down below my waist he is going to know that I am not just wearing a thong panty. Control top pantyhose helps to create a feel more like I’m wearing a girdle. However who am I kidding? The chances of me slow dancing with a man are pretty slim.
Of all the butt pads I have tried this comes closest to being a natural feel and look. So the next time you want to ‘shake your booty’ consider up-sizing it with a padded undergarment of your choice. My choice is from The Breast Form Store and the brand name is Underworks.
Category: Product Review
About the Author (Author Profile)
Canadian writer Linda Jensen is a long time contributor to TGForum. Before the days of the Internet Linda started her writing with the Transvestian newspaper. Her writing ranges from factual accounts of her adventures to fiction although frankly sometimes her real life adventures are stranger than the fiction. Linda is married to a loving partner who upon learning about Linda said, "she was part of you before I met you. Although I didn't know it she was part of the package I fell in love with. I don't want to mess up that package." "Does it get any better than that?" asks Linda.Subscribe
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I have been hunting for a garment like this for some time. As you say there are lots for sale, E Bay is a font for these items. But the lack of sufficient padding leaves a lot to be desired. As a larger girl I feel more comfortable with larger hips and derriere to balance the shoulder width and breast size, DD, the pear shape is an ideal for me. Thank you for the information.
Clarie, the shaper is available from The Breast Form Store but their site was down today. Check there in a day or so and hopefully they will be back up and running. When that happens I’ll add a direct link to the garment.