#binding techniques

[transmasc-advice-blog]

Binding

Binders

I found that Spectrum Outfitters worked best for me (prices range from $50-$39). I also have binders that are older and stretched out or that don’t work as well (like gc2b) that I use when I don’t need as flat of a chest because they are easier on my rib cage lol. If you do that, do NOT count that as a break!

Practice safe binding!

Don't bind for more than 8 hours

Don't sleep in a binder

Don't exercise in a binder

Get the right size

Try to only wear a binder for 5 or 6 days a week (this one is hard, I know)

If it hurts, take it off!

If you notice bruising, something is wrong! Your binder might be too small or you may be wearing it for too long.

TransTape

Wearing binders all the time is not too good for you so I recommend using a variety of different binding techniques. One is TransTape!

The reason Ace bandages are unsafe is because as you breathe it gets tighter and tighter and can really hurt you. But TransTape doesn't do that, it's like the tape athletes use when they sprain their ankle or something. It's safe as long as it is used properly. Plus, you can wear it for up to 5 days, exercise and sleep while wearing it, and it's water proof!

TransTape isn't the only brand of course, but they do have a lot of great resources.

Learn more at their website here. I recommend starting with this page and the FAQ.

KT tape is another option if you cant afford/arent allowed to order TransTape. You can find it at most drugstores and box stores for relatively cheap. The adhesive isnt as strong as TransTape, keep that in mind when applying.

Men's Compression Shirts *I have not used these myself (yet) but I hear they work pretty well*

Made for cis men with gynecomastia but hey we can use em. Obviously will work much better for smaller chests, but could still do something for bigger chests, maybe for under a hoodie?

They won't flatten you as well as binders but the goal is more to masculinize the shape of your chest than to completely flatten it. They are also safer than binders.

Other stuff

The color black will make you look flatter

Layers! Lots of layers! (don't overheat)

Sports bras

Compression bras

Button ups <3333

Resources

Pain-Free Binding Techniques | Youtube Video by Arthur Rockwell

Binding 101 - Point of Pride

Binding Safely - Spectrum Outfitters

How to Hide Your Chest (without a binder) | Youtube Video by Iris Olympia

Binder Care - Spectrum Outfitters

Please free feel to add!

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Turtle Takedown Teamwork.

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[good-advice-ganondorf]

How do I bind safely Mr.Dorf?

[iesnoth]

I have a new hobby! This is my first book binding attempt, and I'm really happy with it!

It's a sketchbook made of watercolor paper and chip board. Obviously I had to decorate it, so I used my favorite band, Steam Powered Giraffe, for inspiration.

[plor-bindery]

Bound: Under Giant Mountains by wolfpants

The delightful, evocative, and thoughtful Under Giant Mountains by @wolfpants is up next in my tour of wolf’s fic I bound. This landscape of this fic is soaring: mountains and dragons and wilderness. But at the same time, its subject matter is as small and carefully contained as Harry's postwar pain. This is a Harry who is struggling, and struggling to even admit he's struggling. At the risk of spoiling anything, the way wolf writes Harry's breakdown and surrender is so, so soft and sweet and real. I love a Harry who confronts any danger head-on except the danger of what's going on inside him.

(Fun fact: this fic was posted while I was in the midst of writing Polar Night/Midnight Sun and I was like OH GOOD WOLF HAS DONE THE DRACO IN NORWAY THING AND DONE IT BETTER THAN I COULD, I CAN STOP WRITING NOW but of course, I didn't stop; I let wolf's words inspire me onwards, and this is another reason why I love fandom: the overlapping of writerly worlds, the echoes and resonances we experience as creators and fans.)

For this bind, I chose a relatively simple aesthetic, but couldn't resist inserting little tiny dragons as scene breaks.

More process and materials talk under the cut.

Materials: This was my first go at making bookcloth! I had purchased a little remainder scrap of forest green cotton at the fabric store and only noticed after ironing it out and laminating it to the tissue that there were stripes of sun damage on the creases of the cloth, sigh. I had to start over. I used mulberry tissue but some of the fibres are palpable through the cloth, which I am not wild about. Still -- homemade bookcloth! Fun!

Text block is printed on 24 lb cream letter cut down to a quarto bind, and is actually the first bind I did where my grain direction was correct. (I know, I know...) Sewn on two linen tapes with waxed linen thread.

Endbands (which I neglected to photograph, apparently) are machine made.

End papers are just scrapbook paper, nothing special.

The decoration is gold HTV. Hoo boy. More on that shortly.

Process: My first quarto bind! First bookcloth making! First bind with the grain direction correct! So many firsts!

That being said, there was nothing particularly special about this bind's process. My biggest struggle (which is visible) was the gold HTV. I think I've since cracked the code more on how to apply larger bits of HTV without making marks in it (short version: higher heat, less pressure, more patience) but I was still struggling here, as you can see. That being said, I do love the sort of hobbity vibe of the rune-ish font and the dragon/mountain.

I made myself a copy of this as a test first, and the HTV is even more messed up on that. :| Also, I realized when reading it afterwards, I fucked up the page order in one signature. This is fixed (god, I hope it's fixed) in wolf's copy.

Signature length is a tricky thing with case binding/sewn binding in general. I wound up needing a bunch of blank pages at the back of the typeset so I did something I have since done in other binds: added a "selected praise for" section where I copy/pasted AO3 comments into the text block like literary reviews. I love this so much: the juxtaposition of the formal literary trope with the squee and all-caps and hype of fandom commenters. I am not the first to do this, of course, but you'll see it appear again in future binds from me for sure. (And of course I put my own comment first. OF COURSE I did. Binder's privilege!)

[gojonanami]

you know who would be a good househusband? suguru.

in an alternate universe, instead of suguru dying, he's put under house arrest with seals plastered all over his body living in your house. your CT is something that can counteract his abilities—either something like CT neutralisation or bone-bending to force his bones to move in a certain way (hence not leave) or break fingers (in case he ever somehow tries out domain expansion).

and so he ends up living with you, and despite it all, it is almost weirdly domestic. and since he's living with you anyway (for safety reasons, since you can sort of control him), you end up almost exploiting his househusband like abilities—he ends up cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner, and you find yourself growing crazier and crazier because he looks so normal despite it all.

i don't think he'd want this plan to come to fruition, though. he'd rather die, i think, that live this life of 'humiliation'. but for the sake of this scenario, i am willing to entertain the idea that he would comply with this plan with the intent of figuring a way out to escape (whether by emotionally manipulating you or through his own smarts) and then bringing his plan to a climactic point (we have seen his cult, yes, him fighting jujutsu high, yes, but we haven't seen him exert mass control over the population).

and so, in this universe, he would bring non-sorcerers to their knees, forcing satoru's and your way into something big, potentially forcing yuki to utilise herself, too.

.....why are you doing this to me because i wanna write this

BUT, i want to make it so that when he's trying to emotional manipulate you, he actually falls for you, and while trying to concoct his plan, he doesn't really want to escape. and you realize that all he really wanted was peace for him and his friends --

and he abandons his ambitions and his misdeeds are pardoned when he helps deal with the troubles that face jujutsu sorcerers :)

[zaddyazula]

i won’t lie there is something suspicious going on with gojo’s right eye i’ll give the comeback theorists that

[shapeshiftersvt]

Always hang your binders to dry. Even if you're washing a zillion of them at once after a sweaty day vending at Pride. Actually, especially then.

[almoststedytimetravel]

i saw your naoto post and deep dove your persona 4 posts (like a normal person). i am now asking what are your trans naoto discourse opinions

Scariest thing I've ever seen in my ask box

ahem

Personally idc what people headcannon a character's gender identity as (Especially one as poorly handled as Naoto giving you so many avenues for interpreting their Gender), just as general rule. Have fun with it, they aren't real people, Godspeed. As for my personal reading of Naoto as a character though...

So I'm not gonna deny that the specific way Naoto (specifically their shadow) talks about themselves comes across as transphobic. Shocking that a game that first came out in, what, 2008, isn't very good at talking about Gender issues. If/when P4 gets a remake they will almost certainly over hall the script for Naoto's arc (Thank god).

That being said I think Naoto's choice to crossdress her way out of misogyny is a way to show her social isolation and naïvety. Naoto expresses that she didn't have any friends until she met the Investigation Team and that she read a stupid amount of fiction from her grandfather's library. Crossdressing to do quote-un-quote men's work is something pretty confined to fiction, which was Naoto's only real window into the outside world (Other then the police force). Anyone with any real world experience could tell you that transitioning (or crossdressing) is not going to get you respect, especially in the police force.

I think Naoto's social link does a fine job of implying that pretending to be man was making her miserable, but I think it could have been more explicate about it. The spin offs however (Dancing and Arena specifically, if you bring up Persona X Detective Naoto in my presence I will reduce you to atoms) Really put a fair bit of effort into showing that presenting as a girl does make her happy! Her idealisation of Mitsuru in Arena, even saying that she was the type of woman Naoto wanted to become, does a lot to patch up the holes in her character.

Of course since these character moments are confined to spin offs a lot of people won't see them and only get her bad dungeon and mediocre social link.

Personally I like She/They nb Naoto!

[woahjo]

i know what the plot of jjk is and what's going on... but in a very real sense no i don't

[creaturefeaster]

Would you ever plan on doing an art stream sometime? Or perhaps a game stream? :)

I used to do art streams, but I've gotten rather shy with my process in the last few years ^^;... Maybe some day I'll do another art stream.

I often think about doing game streams actually, but I don't know how many people would want to watch me play the kinds of games I play. But maybe I'll try it out anyway at some point! If it's something people are interested in.

[thecozycuttlefish]

[choixsimple]

Ever since I started re-binding books I've been amassing cool fabrics that I'd like to use for covers and I'm hoarding them like a fabric-obsessed dragon and honestly that's a very fun part of this for me I love hoarding pretty things I might post a lil fabric collection tour just for fun

[pinchan]

also that infodump with gojo's glasses was pretty cool im ngl

[bizlybebo]

gang im starting to think we may have to come out again