Passing is Serious Business

Waist-to-Hip Ratios

By Amy

I am a long time user of hip pads. 

I am on average small at 5'9" and 145 pounds around the holidays! What I am not is a know-it-all. So what follows is my experience based on my body type and years of passing pretty well. Since we are all different, I encourage you to learn what you can, experiment with these products and decide what works for you.

The goal is to appear unquestionably female. When I see others on YouTube making their own foam pads and covering them with layers of tights and hose, I cringe. That’s not for me. And please, no bubble butts! I can do many things myself, but passing in public in any outfit with a great shape is serious business!

Classic Curves is a maker of high quality garments that have been around a long time. These are well-made girdle-styled garments with a dense foam pad in side pockets. There are several designs and you simply have to review them all to decide which will give you the desired look. I use the simple Veronica 2 and I wear a small 30 with the corresponding pads.

I like that when you order from Classic Curves; you get a questionnaire for all your important dimensions. The questionnaire helps get you thinking about the correct proportions you need. 

I don’t really know if Espy (the owner) makes a pad custom for each garment, but mine have worked perfectly. Classic Curves’ garment with very well-formed pads loaded in pockets on both sides is a no-brainer. Do your tuck, pull on cotton panties, and slip on your Classic Curves garment. 

I am a 28-inch waist and 35-inch hip naturally and this garment takes me to 39-inch. I wear size 8 pants, skirts and dresses perfectly. The proportions of my shoulders, chest, waist and hip are not perfect, but darn close. Without the garment, a dress just hangs on me! With the Veronica 2, my shape from any angle is in good proportion and very convincing.

I augment my Veronica 2 with a simple oval foam pad slipped up each leg of the garment. I use It Stays adhesive to secure it under the Veronica leg. This gives my thigh (outboard side) the proper proportion to my hip and rear. The line created from my waist down to my mid-thigh is perfect in tight jeans or a skirt. My waist to my lower thigh appears perfectly real and feminine with any fabric including knits draped against me. The garment also brings the narrowest point of my waist up a bit visually shortening my upper torso. The effect is correct. I can wear this all day in perfect comfort, no matter the temperature. I barely know I have it on. I have received hundreds of compliments on my shape.

As I am always in search of a better mouse trap, I came across Dress Tech pads. I contacted Judi, the owner, and she took my measurements. I told her I needed to stay a size 8 and it turned out that her large pad would add 4 inches to my hip circumference resulting in a .71, which she says is a perfect female waist-to-hip ratio. 

Dress Tech pads are pure silicone, well made, too. There is no garment, so you need to look into Spanx. (I am using a very shear version with no seams and laser cut edges). I developed my own system of putting them on as you will, too. They don’t stick to you. Once the pads are correctly located and Spanx on, you will have a higher waist line and full bottom; the effect is amazing. 

There are no edges of the silicon that show through the Spanx. My pads gave me again a perfect 39-inch hip with slightly less volume overall than my Classic Curves pads. The fit of my jeans is slightly looser than with Classic Curves, but it is not a material issue. Seriously, I can and will stand in any dressing room with nothing but these pads under Spanx (and my bra) and no one looking in is going to suspect my shape isn’t all me. It’s that good!

So both products are excellent, certainly for my body type. There is much more you can learn by going to the respective websites and or speaking with the owners. It’s all about proportion and comfort. It’s all about moving freely and not giving this a second thought after you are dressed. With ether you can wear skinny jeans or a dress and know that your form will be correct. You can concentrate on wearing some great clothes and looking your best.

Wearing Cashmere and Cupcakes dress and Schutz shoes.

Actor Romain Duris in the 2014 French film The New Girlfriend.