body concealing 101, with pictures
(or, how to gain 20lbs without really trying)
after the insanely long wait, i’ve finally gotten around to this thing. before we start, please keep in mind this is a one-size-(hopefully)-fits-all guide, as i am thin and short and have tits and have never been any other way lmao. if anyone of other body types wants to make their own post/add onto this please do so!
in this guide i will frequently use the words conceal and (re)pack. to conceal in the context of this guide means to be inside a store actively lifting, where taking too much time will get you caught regardless of if you’re on floor or in a changeroom. i use the word pack to refer to a location outside of a store (such as a mall bathroom or even your own car) where nobody is really paying attention to you and you are free to spend a significant amount of time changing/repacking all your items.
something you can move in
clothes (especially pants) a size up, but not noticeably too big on you
a jacket (a puffy winter jacket whenever reasonable)
plain, mostly dark colours
something that hides the shape of your body
ultra-tight OR ultra-loose clothing
thick, heavy clothing on a hot day
something you’re not willing to stretch/rip by accident
1. SMALL ITEMS (makeup, toiletries, jewellery, etc)
lets start on easy mode. watch this video first. notice how much stuff i’ve managed to fit on my body in places that are (relatively) easy to reach? now consider that you can also body pack in harder to reach places such as down a pantleg, in your shoes, around your arms, between breasts … you have more space than you think, and body packing is just a matter of trying to fit things together.
small items can be concealed easily in the front waistband of your pants, up your sleeves, or in pockets, and packed later in more difficult-to-reach places such as against your back in your waistband, inside your bra, or pushed lower into your pants. small mouldable items like a facemask or makeup brush can also be stretched out along your leg inside your pants, so long as you can bend your knees and walk normally.
bra packing is a very handy tool i use frequently. soft things (such as panties) can be concealed in the cups against your breasts and it is possible to fit something cylindrical between them or on either side of you bra, parallel to where your arms fall. if your bra has fabric that covers around your rib area, items can be packed in there as well (provided it is tight enough; see above video).
waistbands are a godsend when it comes to concealing. i like to conceal high up in the waistband where i don’t have to move my shirt too much to reach, and later adjust things to pack lower down in my pants. if you layer it’s easy to fit an absolute shitload of stuff in here without any bulging (more on this in the next section). the small of your back can also be used to pack items, just check a mirror to make sure it doesn’t look funny.
finally, shoes can hold a lot of stuff. high-top boots are good for dropping long items into, and mukluks are amazing for storage (just beware if you put stuff in your boots you may eventually end up walking on it … don’t stick earrings down there. please learn from my mistakes.)
2. CLOTHES (shirts, pants, bras, panties, etc sans shoes)
two strategies here. i’d start by layering, and then wrapping when you can no longer layer without looking weird. when layering, i recommend wearing a slightly loose (not baggy) shirt and jeans that are either worn enough to move very easily with you or are a half size/one full size too big, just so you have a little wiggle room to put things underneath
layering is not only an excellent way to pack clothes, it also creates extra space and smooths the look of small items. the idea here is to just wear multiple types of one piece of clothing at once. notice how in the video i linked at the beginning of this post that i’m wearing 3 bras and 3 pairs of pants (one of which is high-waisted tights) which not only gives me more space to pack in, but also keeps things tighter to my body and therefore less likely to shift/fall out.
depending on your size, you may be able to layer more than i can without looking odd. i can fit about 3 pairs of pants (2 jeans/1 lulu tights) before it gets too tight to move easily, and anywhere between 3-7 shirts depending on style and thickness. always put your lifted clothing underneath your original clothes unless you are heading to a completely new location. do not change outfits in a mall, you can change between different standalone stores or malls.
wrapping involves literally wrapping an item of clothing around your torso or waist. you gotta make sure not to crumple what you’re wrapping, or it’ll look funny through your shirt/pants. i like to tuck things slanted through my bra, around my body, and then down into my waistband like so, because it’s more secure. if you wrap around your waist and only tuck into the waistband, make sure almost the whole garment fits into your waistband because gravity might make it flop around at the top, which looks sus as hell
3. BULKY OBJECTS (larger/weirdly shaped packaging, shoes)
gonna be honest, this shit sucks to body conceal and i don’t do it frequently. body packing isn’t always comfortable, but weirdly shaped stuff just hurts. these sorts of objects are best concealed when wearing a big jacket/scarf, as its really hard to completely hide. i prefer to gtfo of the store asap with these things, ditch the packaging and then repack it well. i will occasionally break my “body conceal only” rule on these things and put them in a shopping bag/my purse just because they suck so much to conceal. i recommend lifting these sorts of items at the end of your trip so that you’re not super uncomfortable for a long period of time. dump them in your car or purse as soon as its safe.
the only good way i’ve found to do this is a long scarf, baggy shirt, and puffy jacket. i skipped the jacket in these in these pics.
the obvious question. here we go. starting with the bottom layer, here’s 10 pairs of panties and 6 bras/bralettes. because of tumblr’s img limit, you’ll have to trust me when i say this shit’s invisible under my jeans. i look bustier than usual, but to anyone who doesn’t know my tits the way i do, i look normal.
next, 3 pairs of pants and 25 small items, including facemasks, makeup, and fake nails. for illustrative purposes, i’ve left a lot of it sticking out the top of my waistband, but in reality you want that shit jammed down there tight against your body.
finally, 8 shirts and a sweatshirt to cover it up. notice the tiny bulge by my waist; the shirts were starting to curl at the bottom and i didn’t bother to smooth them out because i was sweating so fucking much and just wanted to get all this shit off me.
here’s a video proving i’m wearing what i say i am.
and here’s all the shit i had on my body. 10 panties, 6 bras/bralettes, 3 pants, 9 shirts, and 25 small items.
always always always do a 360 in a mirror or at least try to look down at yourself to see if anything’s bulging or looking weird. sometimes things that look sus looking down at your body look fine from an outside perspective, and sometimes something that looks flat to you will look obviously bulky in a mirror. remember to raise your arms, reach out, lean, crouch, and twist to make sure your packing stays where it’s meant to and that you are actually capable of moving like a human being. please wear deodorant when packing because you’re gonna sweat like a motherfucker.
packing well takes practice. wearing something high-waisted or shapewear under your jeans can help to smooth out bumps and give you more space for packing. you can pack literally like. almost anywhere on your body you can reach–i packed a shirt along my spine once, i’ve twisted a scarf along the length of my arm under my shirt, and stuffed my boots with little earring packs. if it works, it works. be safe and happy lifting ! :)
