Determining Your Measurements:

Using a cloth measuring tape, you will need to measure your bust, waist, and hips. When measuring, keep the measuring tape snug, but not tight.

Bust: Measure under your arms and around the fullest part of your chest.  It is best to wear your breast forms when measuring. The bust size is the most important measure when buying dresses and blouses.

Waist: Measure around the smallest part of your waistline.  Again, measurements should be made wearing the appropriate foundation garments. The waist size is the most important measure when purchasing skirts.

Hips: Measure around the fullest part of your hips, usually about 7 to 8 inches below your waist.

*NOTE: it is always best to have someone else take your measurements if at all possible, this will insure a more accurate measurement. If this is not possible, you can measure yourself.

Determining Your Dress Size:

Height: Most Misses' and Women's sizes are made for ladies that are between 5'4" and 5'7" in height.  If you are taller than 5'7", look for styles in Misses' Tall and Women's Tall sizes.

Determining Your Lingerie Size:

Converting shoe size from mens to women’s:

Finding women's shoes in the proper size is only a matter of converting sizes.  When using the chart below, make sure to convert your male dress shoe size, which runs about one size smaller than your male athletic shoe size, to the appropriate women's size. When ordering women's shoes, you also need to take into account your width. The majority of mens shoes are a D width. Due to this, most men will find that a women’s wide width (W) size is the most comfortable to wear.

How to Determine Your Proper Bra Size:

There are two measurements you must find out: Band size and cup size. When measuring yourself, you should use a good quality fabric tape measure and if you wear flase breast forms, make sure you are wearing them while you measure yourself.

To find your band size (circumference of your rib cage), take the following measurement:

Measure around the chest directly below the breast and over your belly. It is very important to make sure the tape measure is straight when wrapping around your rib cage. If it’s not streight, this will give you the wrong strap size. The top portion of the tape measure should be just under the bottom of where the base of your breast “jets” out from your chest. Also, make sure the measure is above the bulge of where your belly starts to “jet” out from your chest as well. This is very important because your bra will “ride” up above your belly while wearing it, and If you measured too low, it will alter the size as well.

If the under-breast measurement is an odd number, add 5 inches. If it's an even number, add 6 inches. For measurements bigger than 33" around, also add another 3". This is your band size.

Now that you have determined your band size, let’s find out your cup size:

Measure around the chest at the height of the fullest part of the breast. The measuring tape should be held horizontal, and your arms should be down. Remember to wear your breast forms if you wear breast forms.

Calculate the difference (how many inches) between this number and your band size... this will determine your cup size. To do this, use the following chart:

Half inch difference       - AA Cup
One inch difference       - A Cup
Two inches difference    - B Cup
Three inches difference  - C Cup
Four inches difference   - D Cup
Five inches difference    - DD/E Cup
Six inches difference      - F Cup
Seven inches difference  - G Cup

For example:

Band size = 42.
Full bust measurement is 45.
45 - 42 = 3" difference.
Cup size = C.
Result: your bra size is 42C

When choosing a bra, stay away from under wire bras if you wear breast forms. The reason for this is because the metal under wire could puncture your breast forms. Also, when ordering a mail order garment where a proper fit is important, make sure that the return policy of the company is well understood before purchasing. This way you can return the item if it does not fit properly.

Top 5 Transgender Hair Removal Mistakes:

#1 - Not exfoliating:

All forms of hair removal can cause ingrown hairs, especially in the beard, chest, and pubic areas. Exfoliate your skin 2-3 times per week and you can get rid of the dead skin cells that trap the hair under your skin which causes ingrown hairs. Also remember that exfoliating too soon can irritate your skin. Wait a couple days and then scrub gently with a washcloth or loofah.

#2 - Not moisturizing:

Dry skin is another cause of ingrown hairs, so it’s important to always keep your skin moisturized. The best moisturizer to use immediately after hair removal is pure aloe vera gel. Aloe vera is a natural moisturizer and skin soother. Perfumed lotions can irritate freshly shaved, waxed, or lasered skin, so avoid them for the first 24 hours.

#3 - Not treating ingrown hairs correctly:

Exfoliating and moisturizing help prevent future ingrown hairs, but what do you do about existing bumps? Avoid the temptation to shave over ingrown hairs or dig for them with a needle... This can lead to infections and scarring. Instead, try an ingrown hair treatment such as Tend Skin, PFB Vanish, or Kalo Ingrown Hair Treatment.

#4 - Do-it-yourself hair removal (if you don’t know what you’re doing):

Professional waxing, electrolysis, and laser hair removal treatments are expensive, so it can be very tempting to try them on your own. If you know what you are doing, then this is fine... But be careful.

Be careful not to wax over the same area twice, pulling the hairs in different directions, or pulling too hard. All three of these actions can lead to rashes, bruises, and torn skin... Not a sexy look ladies! If you insist on doing-it-yourself, get a couple professional waxing treatments first so you can observe proper technique.

Home laser and electrolysis kits aren’t as effective as professional systems, though girls have been reporting success with the No!No! Hair Removal System. The risk with these products is that they’re expensive and don’t always deliver results.

#5 - Bargain basement treatments:

Don’t let price be your sole criteria when choosing a place for transgender hair removal treatments. At the very least, a cheap price tag often means a wax job with a bunch of stray hairs left behind or a patchy laser treatment. At the very worst, you could end up with burns or scars. Make sure you check the qualifications of the person treating you and read the reviews on any place you are considering.

Also, keep in mind that upscale places tend to put more emphasis on comfortable treatments. If you’re a waxing or laser, it’s worth spending a bit more for a less painful experience.