Classic Curves International is going strong and operating as usual despite the loss of its founder Espy Lopez. I spoke with family members who have been running the company while Espy was sick, and they are committed to keeping the company going. That’s great news because all Classic Curves International products are made from the highest quality materials. Better yet everything they sell is %100 made in the United States. That’s important to those of us who wish to buy American instead of China.
I have had Classic Curves International gel hip pads for like 30 years from back when Espy first developed them. I think Espy was the first one to offer her pads in gel along with her original foam pads. Hers are the 1st ones I ever heard of and actually predate the internet I believe. Spanx Girl Shorts are what I use to keep them in place instead of the garment they sell. It allows me to adjust the pads where I want them instead of relying on the garment pockets.
Two criticisms I have heard regarding gel pads is that they are too heavy, but you don’t notice it. Holding them in your hands its noticeable but not when you’re wearing them. This is because wearing the girl short pushed the pad against your hip. That along with a tiny bit of perspiration where they touch your skin which is also not noticeable hold them in place. You are not aware of how much your leg weighs unless you lift it up and the same goes for the pads.
The advantage of using Classic Curves International gel pads over foam pads is that they are very realistic and won’t break down over time. Every time I wash them the old stickiness comes right back. The pads below are mine and have been on many adventures over the years.
They also are tear resistant and mine have scratches but no tears. They have never been in a fire despite how they look. The second criticism is that they are too expensive I originally invested $250.00 for the pads so over 30 years they cost me $8.34 per year. I have no doubt they will last another 30 years. You get what you pay for as the saying goes.
Classic Curves International gel pads are worth every dollar you spend. They are an investment in your crossdresser presentation.
Enjoy,
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
Dear Micki and followers:
I had the same perception of gel pad weight–too heavy. Certain garments pulled down my gel-filled Veronica. That never happened with my foam padded Veronicas. My most significant problem is when my Gel Veronica, V-4 or 5 (I think) arrived but did not contain instructions similar to the note sheet that arrived with my V-2’s. The gel pads had a cellophane wrap on each side. In the absence of directions to the contrary I removed that coating. To this day I’m not sure if I did the right thing, but the pads got discolored over time. I want to purchase a new one but have to first resolve those questions of gel-pad care and slippage.
Thanks for all you do, Micki!
Hi Charlize,
I have never seen a Classic Curves product with anything covering the gel pad. Espy made mine in her garage when she first had the idea and I see no purpose for the plastic. Love My Bubbles uses a plastic sheet to cover their pads because they are made to stick to your body, and you save the plastic for when you take them off and store them. My pads are about 30 years old and have held up very well although they are discolored and look like they survived a fire which is my fault. I don’t use CCI’s garment but place the pads in a shaper, so the black color of the shaper bled into the pads discoloring them. Nobody sees them so it doesn’t bother me. If your pads slid down the garment is too large and not keeping them in place. Before you buy new ones, I would buy a Spanks Girl Short or if you need some butt augmentation the Leonisa short from Macy’s. I have used both and just slide the pad inside the short so the short gives constant pressure pressing the pad against my hip. It’s not easy and takes a bit of work to get them positioned properly but it’s worth it. They never move staying in place all night until I take them off and I am unaware I even have them on.
Thanks for visiting my site and I am glad you find it helpful.
Micki
Micki: Need some help. My luggage containing hip padding (Veronicas) was stolen at the airport. As you must know by now, Classic Curves is closed .😭
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks!
Hi Charlize,
Dress Tech has the best pads I have seen and hey are lighter than Classic Curves. Here is a link to their site https://procrossdresser.com/.
Best,
Micki
I can certainly confirm Micki’s choice — you can’t go wrong with DressTech. Their “tech” is at the same level of quality as Classic Curves, if not better. Their pads are oddly shaped, especially the longer ones (the ones I use most!), which cover part of the buttocks and part of the hips in a single, continuous shape. The level of realism is absolutely stunning!
Unlike Classic Curves’ Veronicas, the DressTech hip pads are made of high-end, platinum-cured silicone. This is a much more realistic experience than the Veronica gel pads. One wonders why gel pads are still commonly used, and the reason is simple: silicone is not that great for sitting on top of it for long periods of time — it’s too soft for that, and, well, we humans are heavy. Gel pads are much sturdier and resist the impact and stress better (that’s why they also weigh more).
But nothing beats silicone in realism — that’s why breast implants are made of silicone, after all (at least, over here in Europe, where you cannot get the saline implants that used to be so popular in the US). So, what did DressTech do? They embed the silicone in a fine, but sturdy, mesh. This keeps the silicone in place, even under the impact of our weight, and retains their shape, essentially forever (Classic Curves also used something similar). Another advantage of silicone over gel is that it’s much more flexible and malleable — this allows the pads to have a very thin edge, almost imperceptible when you use them, and that goes a long way towards increasing realism. Of course, that edge is especially fragile, thus the need for the reinforced mesh. During my most intense phase of crossdressing, when I would dress almost every day — and wore the pads for hours after hours, most of which sitting on top of them — the pads naturally wore out a tiny little bit. But it took years until I could notice (barely!) any difference in the “thinning” of the pads towards the edges. This is not noticeable, of course, since you will usually wearing them inside your tights or pantyhose; nevertheless, they remain 99% as good as on the first day I wore them, and I never go out without them.
Like everything worn tight to the skin, they are vulnerable to heavy perspiration (if you’re like me). You can use the same kind of glue used for holding silicone breastforms in place, but be advised that it won’t work as well — not only we’re talking about a much larger area (and higher weight) than common breastforms, but walking and sitting down and up and dancing and so forth will cause continuous shifting of the forms, and at some point, not even the strongest medical-grade glue will hold these in place without some sort of garment to help to distribute the weight. Like everything else in the prosthetics scene, there are some tricks to “get it right”, but, once you grasp the essentials, the results will be astonishing!
Trust me, you’ll not be disappointed. They cost about as much as the Veronicas, sure, but they’re at the same level of quality. It’s a different tech (and there is not such a sophisticated CAD design process as Espy used on her pads — DressTech has “universal” pads, in several shapes, colours and thicknesses, but that’s as far as you can “personalise” them), and feels quite different, but the visual effect is stunning — those pictures on the website of theirs are absolutely accurate, not Photoshop or AI-enhanced.
The only note of clarification I would add is that because I insert my pads into a different garment each time I use them and remove the afterward the thin edge of my pads has the webbing exposed. The thin silicone has worn off but is not a problem because it has stopped about a half inch in. This is not a problem with my 30 year old Classic Curves but they weigh twice as much and you can no longer get them. I only mention the fraying edges for those that take them in and out like myself.
Also, I wonder, did Espy’s family finally decide to close the business? It’s true that as of February 2026, the website only shows a blank page… and Google provides no results any longer.
The last snapshot retrieved from archive.org is from April 2025 — https://web.archive.org/web/20250418205112/http://www.clcrv.com/ — after which the site went blank. It wasn’t accepting online orders for several years, since Espy passed away, but the new owners continued to update the blog until mid-2023 or so, and apparently keeping the brick-and-mortar shop open for as long as they could…
Hi Sandra,
I had a long history with Espy starting before Classic Curves when she interviewed me for membership in the crossdressing club CHIC where she was a board member in the early 1990’s. We lived about 15 minutes apart by freeway (next door) in California measurements and were 6 months apart in age. She hand fitted me for my first set of dense foam hip pads with a process that reminded me of shaping surfboards before she thought up the gel idea. She made the pair of gel pads I still have and wear while I waited in her shop (converted garage) using a device she made. It looked like an aluminum construction site thermos that she rigged to melt silicone which she poured into a mold. It tell you this so you know more about her her and mention myself only for context.
There was a fellow named Adrian who contacted me after Espy’s passing and told me that they were planning to continue the business and were planning a new website along with new products. The deeper they got into the existing business condition along with the challenges ahead like pads on Amazon for $50.00. When Espy started there was no competition other than somebody with a couch seat cushion and an electric carving knife. Ultimately they decided to just shut it down and move on with their lives.
RIP
Espy