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transmasc 'passing' tips

Posted by Boogie

posted
updated

Forum: Helping each other

passing as a trans guy feels like it gets harder everyday.
there is absolutely nothing wrong with being comfortable with not fitting into the binary expectations, but while I also love things that make me look less masculine or wtv I still like to 'pass' as much as possible so I get misgendered less.

If you have anything to add related to clothing tips, include what body type your working with.
Things that could help a thinner body type would not apply to say a larger one and vice versa.

Advice on body acceptance is just as helpful as other advice.

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Reply by Ethan Execute

posted

i personally find layering is really helpful, i cant always bind due to my health but even on days that i cant i wear a sports bra, tanktop, longsleeve shirt, tshirt and maybe a hoodie. so many layers can help. 
my body type is like hour glass w a little chub and im 5'2 so i find its harder to pass especially in warmer months but when it gets too hot my shirt size is usually 2 or 3 times larger than what actually fits 


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Reply by Red

posted

Oversized clothing was definitely my bestfriend before I got my binder, I don't recommend slouching though. As much as it does help hide ur chest, and as often as I still told myself not to do it and still did it lol, it rlly hurts your back and posture and soon you'll have to start poppin ur neck. I do recommend for facial features to contour to define ur jawline and mess around with ur eyebrows. I pass just with the contouring so hopefully that helps. if you don't have makeup, as silly as it sounds, try to look angry? For a few of my friends, when they started out, they had a resting b face and almost no one they were bio fem. Short hair can help depending on what style. And if you what to keep long hair, which is what I do, try and keep it out of ur face. ppl will automatically assume ur just some edgy prepubescent girl or some quiet kid about to rock up the schools shit if they don't see masculine features on ur face or sum shit which sucks. This doesn't work for everyone but hopefully it can help u in sum cases


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Reply by JupiterCafe

posted

Just For Men: Mustache and Beard on your eyebrows and your face where your mustache and beard will eventually be. Gradually build color as your hair grows in more. 


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Reply by xero!

posted

I recommend wearing tight sports bras and/or tanktops/undershirts. They are very tight, and it hides a lot. Sometimes I wear baggy clothing, but it’s not the best choice, and I sometimes will get bullied for it. If you have a binder though, I’d just stick to that. Another thing that might help is getting a masc haircut. When I was a young transmasc(like 10) all I wanted was to get my hair cut but my parents wouldn’t let me. If they won’t, tuck your hair into a beanie or a hat(beanies work best) and maybe pull some hair out in the front for bangs. Lastly, I know a lot of people  think you have to just appear masc, but you should let ppl know that you are a male and valid. If they mistender you, just simply tell them!! If it gets to the point where they keep ignoring it, just don’t talk to them or talk to them about it


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Reply by Spade / Damien

posted

Before I got a binder, I would wear two sports bras and they did a
decent job at flattening my chest. I also found that having short hair
(the shorter the better) did an amazing job at people assuming I was
male despite being short and small. Wearing clothes such as button-ups,
collared shirts, etc. are also helpful.


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Reply by Helios (he)

posted

First and foremost, we need to dismantle passing, because passing is a part of the transphobic overtones ruining all of our lives.

Second of all, don't wear tight sports bras or anything like that. You'll fuck up your circulation and get all sick and shit.

If it means that much to you, get a binder or transtape.

What were dismantling the patriarchy let's also dismantle the "passing patriarchy."


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Reply by ribs

posted
updated

Try to find a shirt that gets tighter towards the hips. It can help give the illusion that the hips are smaller and the shoulders are bigger. This works the best for people who already have wider shoulders and are more sporty, for chubbier people this probably won't work very well.

DON'T wear sports bras that aren't your size, especially if you have a wider ribcage (like me). It's very unhealthy and it's going to make you feel sick. Also, you can find binders in second-hand shops but it's very very rare, it's still worth looking tho. 
If you want to work out, start training your forearms, shoulders, and back the most (this doesn't mean that you can just neglect the rest of your body)
DO NOT force your voice to sound deeper, it'll sound weird. There are a few tutorials on how to fake your voice, so try learning from those.
There's also no shame in liking more feminine things and dressing up in different styles. Do what makes you feel good, no one can tell you what makes you truly masculine or feminine, not even the negative thoughts that constantly tell you that you're not manly enough or that you don't pass. Feel free to experiment with your gender and style, don't force yourself to dress a certain way just because society wants men to dress the way they do


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Reply by jordan >_<

posted

something my older brother told me, and i use daily is wearing a tight undershirt, oversized overshirt and a loose zipup jacket :3 


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Reply by 311Fan12345

posted

working with a chubbier build here but not too big

i know that layering your clothes works loads, i have a binder but before i had that i usually just wore a big jacket or hoodie.

i slouched a lot too but i dont recommend doing that it hurtz your back A LOT and im still paying the consequences of that... 

i know wearing a hat like a beanie helps, dont know why but i get misgendered less 

you can make it look like you have a bit of a mustache with a tiny bit of mascara underneath your nose 

for me personally, longer hair makes me look more masculine 


hope these help!!!!


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Reply by lucja

posted

as someone who passes even with long hair, i think it might be all about the face.

i used to have shoulder length hair and people would refer to me as "the boy with the long hair"

so i recommend maybe contouring the face? u can also use mascara to make ur eyebrows thicker or darken your facial hair, hope this helps


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Reply by scenemo.mess666

posted

im not ftm or anything like that but from what i heard/seen 

tank tops just cut the sleeves of shirts make you seem wider more muscular

work out arms

eye shadow, dye your hair above your lip

find a hair cut that makes your face look square.

cis people are boring but if your real nervous abt passing dont get a haircut you see other trans people have get one a boring cis guy has if your super desperate (it worked for my friend but dont sacrifice yourself to pass

conture jaw

dye your eyebrows dark colors

look unkempt

voice train videos on youtube

also side not to the person against this although i also wish we could live in a world where passing didnt matter for some it is life or death wether that be suci.ude or other people.


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Reply by Archie

posted

When it comes to concealing your chest without a binder (since binding can be pretty unhealthy), try wearing black shirts (bonus points if they have some kind of contrasting pattern/design.) Those two elements hide & complicate shadows so it's harder to tell that there's any chest there. I've also heard that wearing clothes from the men's section can help, because "men's" clothing tends to have a ton of minor things (like the cut, etc) that stack up to help you pass better. (though mens sections are usually really boring in almost every store)

Saying all this as someone who's just slightly underweight, so working with a pretty thin build (though I think these tips can be applied rather broadly)


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Reply by ✮ dyowyo ✮

posted

doing the sports bra thing is a pretty healthy way to bind and it works rlly well!! desaturated color usually seem to help me pass more, same with shoes that make you seem a bit taller. cologne and that kinda thing helps a lot too. keeping your hair short or at least making it seem short helps a LOT. a lil thing i learned was that no matter how high your voice is, deepening it just a little bit and giving yourself a southern accent makes you like 10x more masc. body language is a pretty big part of it too!! having more of and confident mannerisms rlly make a difference! 


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Reply by ₳†⅃ ⍲⟆ ∀₵ꙇ₫

posted

ive got a blog post on thiz if any1 still needz it !!


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Reply by ₳†⅃ ⍲⟆ ∀₵ꙇ₫

posted

ive got a blog post on thiz if any1 still needz it !!


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Reply by karime

posted

i found this, idk if it helps 


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Reply by shrimpfredo

posted

I'm a pretty skinny guy, so buying baggy pants/loose fitting shirts helps a lot in helping me pass. I also realized at some point that leaving my hair a little more messy than usual also helps, since guys(at least in my area) have a reputation for not being as neatly dressed as the girls.

Aside from that, over time I sort of changed some of my usual mannerisms to "pass". Something I started doing is dabbing ppl up(most guys in my area do that, girls not sm), and using words/phrases that other guys I see use(I hung out with boys as a kid so this was easier said than done after a while). Getting into certain things that boys are traditionally expected to be into like video games, sports, and some kinds of shows could help too! These things aren't exclusive to boys of course, people of other genders definitely enjoy these things just as much. However, if you're trying to fit in with "the boys™" it definitely helps!

I also from time to time train my voice to be a little more masculine sounding, either just listening to myself talk in a quiet room, or following a tutorial/app. Playing social games like VrChat/Rec Room help a lot in this regard(there's even a Trans Academy in Vrchat, def check it out).

And most importantly, having a good support group! You're never required to "pass" to be who you are! In my experience, having people around who support you is better than any kind of change I could make for myself.


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Reply by Samuel

posted

I pass on some tips that can make a huge change, the makeup pencils on the eyebrow. This way it looks fuller, then mark the jaw, cheekbones and the outline of the nose with makeup. They can make you look masculine, some short haircut, if not you can wear a cap that covers most of the hair. Wide shorts too, bermuda style !!


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Reply by RatGoblin

posted

I'm gonna go the route of body acceptance tips since I'm not a fan of the concept of passing.

Whether or not you're on HRT or ever will be, it's super helpful to make your body feel more like yours in whatever small ways you can, whether it's decorating it with meaningful tattoos or just getting that haircut you always wanted. When something about your body inevitably makes you feel bad, you can always shift focus to what you've changed. I find the novelty of fun hair dyes to be really good for this, because looking in the mirror, your eye gets drawn to what's new and different, like "oh cool my hair's green now, that's right, I did that!"

It also helped me a lot to expose myself to a diverse range of portrayals of trans bodies in art. It's nice to see the beauty in our community through other people's eyes, and eventually you'll hit a point where you go "Oh that is gorgeous-- wait, that looks like me! I'm gorgeous?" Plus looking at cool trans art is a slippery slope into making cool trans art, and there is always need for more cool trans art in the world!

I find that the more I infuse my style and presentation with my personality and whimsy, and the more I see all of the awesome different ways there are to be trans, the less I care about passing.


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Reply by kabekaes

posted

Working out certain muscles helps. The main groups I'd say would give the best effect are:

-Obliques, as they contribute to a blockier waist when trained hard.

-Shoulders, as wide shoulders are mostly attributed to men.

-Arms, again as with shoulders they are seen as a 'masculine' muscle.

This will help in passing without having to wear stuff like layers. It is a long process, but if you are interested I can link you some excercises and such.


And remember; you're awesome.


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Reply by 𝐍𝐎𝐑,...

posted

For me, and this is kind of out of the ordinary from what I'm seeing from these replies, but I tend to look more "passing" when i wear more fitting tops with shorter, semi-thin to thin jackets. For pants, I'd always either wear jeans that flares out at the bottom or just super baggy pants :3


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Reply by John Horne

posted

Now, I may not be trans, but as a guy I may be able to help. here's a few tips:

  • Testosterone or other steroids, only for a bit, of course, but use them to help you gain muscle while working out. 
  • Make sure to train your voice, make yourself sound agressive and strong.
  • Dressing in more masculine clothing can help, but not always
  • It is the year of the femboy now. Just give yourself a fake bulge if you want to wear the more feminine clothing. Oh, and make sure to bing your chest if you aren't flat. Makes it easier to tell.
  • If you don't want to do that, you can always pack your male clothing to give yourself more mass in the areas that don't have it, at least until step 1 works.
  • Work out your arms and legs in paticular. These are often bigger on guys, and can make you look more masculine.


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Reply by LuckyPuddles

posted

Hi i just wanna say I see a lot of people saying double sports bras or really tight ones, absolutely dont do that. That is so bad for you ahh. It cuts off circulation, causes bruising of bones and skin, and hinders breathing


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Reply by ◇Skeet◇

posted

im cis but for some reason darker shirts make me look more masc and its great


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Reply by space_junk

posted

baggy clothes, sports bras if you can't buy a binder, neutral colors, wifebeaters. practice some voice training so yrs can get deeper (there's many videos on youtube, i just haven't tried many myself though). here's an old website i found with a lot of links 

https://www.ftmguide.org/ 


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Reply by fish :B

posted

I haven't seen this talked abt b4, but cutting your side burns shorter seems to make your face more masculine... this might just be for my face type, but experiment on what suits u best!


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Reply by remy120

posted

i've found that working out the arms/upper body has helped massively. obviously working out if you don't already is a time-consuming thing that can be hard to get into, but it's worked for me! good luck to everyone on their ftm journeys <3


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