Hi in this video I’m going to be talking
about chest binders.
Chest binders are an item of clothing used
to compress breasts in order to give the appearance
of a flatter chest.
I wear chest binders for cosplay when I’m
trying to portray male characters, sometimes
on an everyday basis because I like looking
androgynous, and some people transitioning
from female to male may wear them.
I’m going to talk about the binders I own
and demonstrate what they do.
Before I get into that, there are some risks
of chest binding such as skin irritation,
back or chest pain, restricted breathing,
and so on.
There is one method in particular that you’ll
want to avoid when binding and that is using
ace bandages. Ace bandages are elastic bands
made for compression but, the problem is that
they only compress and they don’t allow you enough
room to breathe. I used this method at one
point and they are extremely uncomfortable
compared to a quality binder. Breathing risk
aside, I also had issues with them slipping
down my shirt. There are also those horror
stories online of people using them incorrectly
and breaking a rib or causing some sort of
serious damage to their body.
I also want to warn against cheap binders
from places like Amazon, eBay, and similar websites. I’ve never owned one and I’m not saying they
aren’t effective but, I believe there’s
no point in buying something of lower quality
when there are some serious risks involved.
There are also some DIY methods floating around
the internet and similarly, I’m not saying
that they don’t work but, MY advice is to
go straight to a seller that sells a quality
chest binder.
When you pick out a chest binder be sure to
go to the website of your choice, follow
the instructions, and measure properly. I
am 5’6”, pretty slim, and my bra size
is 36B, the binder I own from GC2B is a size medium. The binder I own from Underworkds, I don’t
know the size because it was a gift. When
you do measure don’t go strictly off of
bra sizes, be sure to use measuring tape and
precise measurements.
If you're new to chest binders then general
discomfort is normal and feel free to remove
the binder if it’s too much.
Putting on a binder for the first time can
also be very difficult so I'm going to explain
how I put mine on. Also, try not to wear
chest binders for too long. I would advise
nothing longer than 8-10 hours and do not
sleep in a chest binder. I’ve accidentally
taken a nap in a binder and it’s very painful.
My Underworks binder is made from something
similar to a mesh material. It is stiff but,
still stretchy. This was my first binder and
I’ve owned it for about three years now.
It is loosing a little of it’s elasticity.
The front of the binder, at the neck, is stretching
out and this sometimes shows through t shirts.
There is also a problem with the length of
the binder. It lays right where my waist bends
so, it tends to roll up during the day. This
binder does compress well and it gives me
the appearance I aim to achieve.
My GC2B binder is made from a stretchy material
which is a lot softer than the binder from
Underworks. I want to compare it to a swimsuit
material. It has a lot of stretch at the back
and the front is a little more stiff. This
binder has a deeper neckline so it’s nice
to wear with v-neck t shirts. It’s also
at a better length wise and doesn’t roll
up. Of the two I do prefer this binder.
With my Underworks binder I step into it and
put my arms through the arm holes then adjust
as needed. Taking it off is the same method
where I slip my arms out then pull it down.
My GC2B binder is harder to get on. I cant
pull it up, I have to pull it over my head
and arms then roll it down. When I take it
off I tend to grab the back of the binder
and pull it over my head
If purchasing a binder online is not an option
for you, I would also suggest trying sports bras.
This was something I also used to do. The
problem I had with sports bra’s is that
a lot of them are racerback which means that,
the straps come up behind the neck and I would
have issues with them poking through t shirts.
I’m fairly certain that there are sports
bra’s where the straps go straight back.
Another option that I would like to suggest
is wearing a bralette. A bralette is a bra
does not provide as much supports or padding
like a normal bra does. Because there isn't
as much support it doesn't push your breasts
up and this might be more ideal for people
who have smaller chest sizes. Also when it
comes to washing binders I hand wash them
in cold water and I let them air dry. Before
you go to ask me a question please check the
video description where I've left a lot of
links and resources, otherwise feel free to
ask me anything and I hope you enjoyed and
thank you for watching!
