Main Differences Between MtF and FtM Cross-dressers

The world of cross-dressing is extensive and involves a lot of different people.

And even though most of my articles are about men dressing as women, sometimes the opposite happens.

We must acknowledge not only our sisters but our brothers as well.

And even though the core idea is the same, the techniques are pretty different.

And we should point out these differences.

Here, I’ll discuss what makes each kind of crossdresser unique. Be they trying to emulate masculinity or femininity.

There are differences in each aspect of cross-dressing between them.

And understanding it makes our community grow stronger.

If you are curious about how the other gender feels, this might be your article.

Keep reading so that you can discover the particularities involved.

1. The definitions

So, what do these abbreviations even mean? They are helpful, but I don’t want to confuse you, so I’ll explain.

MtF means ‘Male-to-Female” and refers to male crossdressers who dress as women.

They are the ones I talk about the most in my articles and seem to be the majority in our community.

I may also refer to them as “sisters.” FtM, on the other hand, means the opposite.

These are biological women who try to pass as men. I’m writing this article to give them some more visibility.

That’s because they seem to be the minority of those who read our blog, but they are also valid as crossdressers.

2. Compression vs. padding

The differences start with the silhouette.

MtF crossdressers try to achieve an hourglass silhouette with a thinner waist and larger hips, while FtMs aim at a square silhouette.

This last one may be with or without muscles, depending on the build they want to replicate.

But what does it mean in terms of techniques? Well, both of them make use of paddings and compression, but differently.

MtFs use corsets to compress their waist and paddings to increase the size of their hips and buttocks.

In the case of FtM’s, they use a mix of both to hide their curves and make their collum look more straight.

They also use a special type of padding, called “packer,” to create some volume in their crotch region.

This whole part tends to be more difficult for MtFs since the compression on the waist tends to be painful sometimes.

3. Binding vs. stuffing

The chest area is also a significant difference between the two.

And yes, I’m talking about breasts. This significance is also pretty obvious, per see.

While MtFs struggle to get realistic-looking breasts, FtMs try to hide theirs. And these are both complex tasks to accomplish.

MtFs’ approach is generally to create volume somehow and shape it as feminine breasts.

Rudimentary techniques involve stuffed bras or air balloons filled with water, but they aren’t good enough to create a cleavage.

For this purpose, we make use of elaborate techniques. The cheap way is to combine push-up bras with makeup in the region.

But the most effective is to wear silicone breastplates or bodysuits with breast forms.

They look and feel real, creating a seamless transformation in masculine chests.

For FtMs, things may be more complicated. They need to compress their chest first with the so-called binders.

This pressure may hurt or at least bother them for the duration of the session.

They come in many different shapes and sizes, suited for the many different cup sizes out there.

As for showing their chests without the binder appearing, the only choice is to use silicone chest plates.

Some of them come with muscles carved, while others look more neutral.

The goal is to conceal the binder and make the area look natural.

Due to all of that, the changes in the chest are more difficult for FtM crossdressers.

4. Hairstyle differences

Hairstyle is a peculiar aspect of cross-dressing.

I say so because there are a lot of women with shorter hairstyles, while long hair is more common each day among men.

Nonetheless, it’s easier for crossdressers to pass if they stick to the classics due to some ancient stereotypes.

Because of that, MtFs will often seek realistic wigs or hair extensions.

Their goal is to achieve a more feminine look this way, as long hair may help to feminize the rest of their facial features.

It may be expensive, and wigs are difficult to take care of, but this is a convincing method.

In the case of FtMs, things are once again more complicated.

Unless they get a short haircut, it’s difficult to conceal the volume in their head.

Besides that, the range of masculine wigs out there is far inferior.

The good news is that they can easily get away with short hair nowadays and still look pretty while not cross-dressing.

5. Makeup differences

Last but not least, we must talk about makeup.

MtFs will try to use it to smoothen and contour their faces, giving them a more feminine appearance.

They also try to hide their 5 o’clock shadow and any hints of facial hair.

They will use lipstick and blush to highlight their lips and cheeks, with eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow to feminize their eyes.

It’s a matter of smoothing everything up so it looks delicate and feminine.

FtMs may also find makeup useful to masculinize their appearance.

They can use it in key areas, such as their eyebrows and jawline, to make them look big, sharp, and less delicate.

They might even use some to create an illusory 5 o’clock shadow.

But over-usage should be avoided, as they don’t want their skin to look too smooth.

Cross-dressing is not limited to men dressing up as women.

The opposite is also a valid activity, and we should learn how to respect our brothers all together.

We can start by learning the differences between our way of cross-dressing and their way.

We can learn from each other and make our community grow as a whole!

What do you think of these differences? In the comments, let us know how you perceive them in the cross-dressing community!

Quiz:

Which aspect do you think is the most different between MtFs and FtMs?

A. Makeup


B. Shapewear


C. Hair

Get Results