#esp if i'm gonna be layering materials for clothes. ESP on this small of a scale.

[moe-broey]

My homunculus

Hashtag my homunculus

[babsaros]

gc2b vs underworks binder

ok gonna do a review of the binder i just got from Underworks, comparing it to the binder i got from gc2b in 2021. bear with me, as I don’t normally do this sort of posting. I did my best to get passable pictures without a proper set-up, but at least I cleaned my room, okay? Post gets long, esp with pictures, so popping it under a read more!

For the most part, I think the fit of my gc2b binder is pretty good! I get pretty good compression from it, and it’s almost the perfect length. However, for a racerback, it isn’t very narrow in the back, and covers the bottom of my shoulder blades which does feel kinda weird sometimes. My biggest issue is that the arms are too high and ride up, pinching my skin pretty bad. I have to adjust it pretty frequently, and trying to pull it down underneath other layers of clothing is difficult and awkward, esp trying to do so stealthily. I started poking around looking for alternate options after hearing GC2Bs quality had fallen in past years and were generally not recommended anymore. I plan on ordering from Shapeshifters, but I ordered this Underworks binder in the meantime because the price was much cheaper. There were no reviews for the binder I ordered at the time, but I was fine taking the risk for the price. Now, after trying it on, it seems prudent that I do review mine! Putting the specific info and links to each binder here as well: GC2B binder: Size Medium, Racerback collection Underworks binder: Size Small, “Firm Compression Racerback Chest Binder and Minimizer” First, I’ll show my chest uncompressed, just wearing a medium tomboyx cotton bra:

for the record: I have a pretty small chest! I haven’t bought a bra in years, but I was a b-cup last I checked. I also know I have a smaller body in general than a lot of people, so there’s the grain of salt when considering fit, though I do think that makes it easier to judge the compression factor.  Here’s the GC2B binder (I roll up the bottom about an inch so it sits flatter):

You can see the racerback is actually pretty wide, and how tight it is around my underarms. (pretend you don’t notice the deodorant stains though ok thx)

AND here’s the “firm compression” binder from Underworks:

Wearing it pulled down all the way, the neckline and arms are so low that I feel I get basically no compression, despite it still being a struggle to pull on. The racerback is actually narrow enough to free my shoulder blades though.

If I pull it up higher, I get slightly more compression, though still only maybe as much as just wearing a sports bra, but now with a bunch of loose fabric at the top.  The pictures shown on the Underworks page definitely make it seem like it'll compress a lot more, so all-in-all a little disappointing, but again i was fine taking the risk because the price was a lot cheaper than other options. The "Extreme MagiCotton Sports and Binding Bra" has a ton more reviews, where people call it a binder and say it's great, so maybe despite the name that one has more compression than the "Firm Compression Binder"? I'll also admit that I really prefer the racerback style and that was a big factor in which one I chose to order. Underworks obviously has a lot of other options, and I'm curious about the differences in material between them all. Looking at the labels sewn in, both binders are nylon/spandex, but my gc2b binder has an additional front panel made from cotton/polyester that feels more like canvas and doesn't stretch at all. It's hard to judge from pictures, but I'm not sure any of the binder options of Underworks have a second front panel like that? I should also say that I did email GC2B a couple months ago asking about their opinion of the fit issues I had, and was told that sizing up to a large might be an option. I'm not sure I'll try that or order from them again, though. I'm also not sure sizing down the Underworks binder to an XS is a good option either, because the size S is already tight enough to pull on, it just doesn't seem to have full compression capability. Anyway! I'm hoping to order from Shapeshifters once I feel confident enough to invest the money, so I'll still poke around in the meantime. I've heard complaints about binders falling apart, but aside from some threads fraying on the bottom hem, my GC2B binder is holding up pretty well, especially considering I'm too lazy to follow the hand-wash instructions and just throw it in the washer and dryer. I'll at least say that the Underworks binder is lightweight and has way more freedom of movement, so it's at least a good lazy day option maybe, though I'd probably just end up skipping it and wearing something baggy anyway. Well. hope this helps anyone else looking into ordering one, since i know i reblogged a post recommending Underworks a little while ago and that's what made me order one at all. thx for reading if u made it this far, and good luck to anyone else searching for the perfect binder!