MTF Crossdressing during Civil War?

[moderntrickster]

I've been on Google for hours now searching for everything within the realms of male crossdressing, victorian era and civil war as well as everything in between it seems and I'm still not getting a very good idea of what I'm looking for

Comments

[quidamling]

Male corseting was not as uncommon as you'd think. But it tended to be more for posture in uniforms or riding.

As for permanent changes from the corset, those would be most effective if it was before he finished growing and his bones set. Over time a constantly tightened corset could compress and shift his ribs, and change the curve of the spine. When he stopped growing and his skeleton shifted from the growth plates being active to closing as an adult those skeletal changes would be fairly lifelong modifications. It's like children needing back braces for scoliosis or cultures that do body modifications like neck stretching or other long term bindings during youth.

[moderntrickster]

I've heard conflicting things... some places say it was fairly common, others say that it was a mistake to assume that it was common. So I never am completely sure how accurate that is.

He started when he was 16, which I think is still early enough. How would you circumvent the issue of broad shoulders? Not that he has really broad shoulders, but do you know if there's anything he could do to narrow that part of his body?

[xtricks]

No.

There really isn't anything that narrows that body to this day.

[moderntrickster]

Hm. I wasn't sure, I was blessed with narrow shoulders myself, so I've never had to really mask that area.

[quidamling]

Well. More common in that it... wasn't a taboo or a secret if men did. But most things I have seen lean to one of the goals of wearing a corset being to minimize the waist to emphasize the broader shoulders.

I can't think of something that would artificially narrow his shoulders. Most body modifications compress bones. Foot binding folds the toes under and in... scoliosis braces shift the ribs (though that's medical and trying to make sure as the person grows the spinal curve doesn't compress their lungs, personal experience there...), neck stretching ends up pushing the shoulders down, skull shaping braces the head between paddles. But compressing his shoulders without risking messing up his joints and possible range of motion as an adult.

Probably his best bet would be camouflaging by going to the other extreme and tending to frills, boas and lace around the shoulders to play off any size as the clothes and not the body.

[moderntrickster]

I didn't think that there was really anything - especially not at that time - that could help with that. Thus far we've been, like you said, concentrating on making sure what wardrobe we do describe would cover/mask the shoulders. Also a lot of cloaks when out and about in public.

It was mostly a question for my own curiosity/for an interesting added detail in narration so it doesn't add any difficulties to the plot itself, but I love having the technical information now. Who knows when it'll come in useful!

[sushidog]

Not that he has really broad shoulders, but do you know if there's anything he could do to narrow that part of his body?
Actually, no; visually, good tailoring will do it to some extent. For example, if he chooses a style of blouse or dress that has leg of mutton sleeves or decoration at the shoulders (the former was not entirely fashionable during the Civil War but would probably have passed muster if he wasn't trying to mix with the fast set, the latter are more common) then wearing something which actually fits closely at the shoulders, and shifts the seams inwards would make it look as though the broadness of his shoulders is due to the clothing rather than to actually having broad shoulders.
He's probably going to want to avoid off-the-shoulder dresses, despite them being very fashionable!

Also, if he learns to hold himself with his shoulders slightly stooped, rather than squared, that will help.

[moderntrickster]

Yeah, posture was one of the things that I mentioned him having to re-learn. And I've been steering clear of anything shoulder-baring, if only because I've also been looking at things that would mask his lack of a bust.

[telophase]

You might try looking up the effects of malnutrition on the skeletal structure in adolescence and late adolescence. If part of his disguise involves eating a culturally-accepted-for-women smaller amount of food than he needs for full growth, he might delay physical maturation for a while, or permanently affect his skeleton. Although he might be at more risk for fractures or, late in life, osteoporosis.

OTOH, as a young man, his shoulders might not be as obvious - I have a male friend who was tall and skinny throughout college, and didn't really expand and gain shoulder and chest breadth until his mid-20s.

Also, part of bone growth (thickening, usually) is physical weight-bearing exercise. Avoiding a lot of that will prevent more bone growth from occurring.