Where can I find a proper avatar shape?

I've looked at various female shapes but they all have extreme stretching and bulging issues when the legs stretch out. Is this a limitation of all models or do I need to just find a better source?
I've paid up to $1000 for shapes and skins that aren't any better than cheaper ones when it comes to this problem.

It's product of a poorly designed avatar mesh by the Lindens way back when they started SL. They took a short cut back then and we all are suffering now. It's going to be a while (if ever) before it gets fixed.

Not a thing you can do about it.

I think LL is working on it (the mesh) - or at least preparing to work on it.

A while back Brianna Dawson was posting about a really nice avatar proportion kit that gets you started on more realistic human proportions. It comes with modifiable avatars with the standard proportions used by artists for centuries. You can tweak them a little, especially in the face, to get a slightly more individual look. But a little tweaking goes a long way.

The results are very nice and very realistic. The heads are the right size and if you use one for a while you begin to notice most avatars' heads are too small. It's a common mistake. We have no idea how big our human heads really are. They do tend to run a little short by most standards, as most SL avatars are like seven and half feet tall, but the proportions look great.

The kit used to be free at the Forum Cartel Hangout. I don't know if it is still there. If not I will try to drop you a copy when I get on line again (probably not tonight though).

Just the thread, is very helpful.

The current avatar mesh definitely limits the results, especially at extremes of animated joint position or shape slider settings, but a high quality skin properly matched with a shape will mask some of those artifacts for some range of joint movement, and a mismatched shape and skin will look dreadful in any position.

If the OP posts a few pics of what looks wrong, someone may be able to suggest tweaks, or determine that it's "just the way it is."

It's still there.

Pep (Well, it was last night.)

Maybe I'm just not enough of a programmer, but I for one simply don't see where the problem is with existing content if the existing mesh were not replaced, but just, say, enhanced with doubled mesh points. So the mesh would stay the same, just have smaller faces to put textures on, and a lot of the stretching issues would go away.

As I said, no programmer and not really a 3D-artist, so I bet there's something that I missed here.