Hi folks! I’m a late twenty-something cisgender (for now? Who knows!) queer woman interested in exploring gender expression. I’ve never been a fan of my own breasts because they are inconvenient, usually in the way, and add nothing to my overall perception of my identity. I’ve recently started looking into binders and will be getting fitted for one in the near future, and may even want to explore drag.
What are your financial tips, tricks and warnings as I begin exploring this part of my identity? What are your non-financial tips, tricks and warnings?
Financial tip: if it doesn’t make you super broke, do it. I can’t skimp on the expenses that are necessary for my gender expression. It’s not healthy for me.
Non financial tip- body modification, including the temporary kind caused by stuff like binders, corsets, stuffing or packing, can have an actual physiological impact that may cause pain or dysfunction. Ask around in your community for referrals to a physio or RMT (massage therapist) who is queer. Even if they don’t have first hand experience with the device you choose, they can do the problem solving to make sure you can ENJOY your body.
Thank you! I’m certainly privileged in these things are not essential to me, at least not that I know of at this time. I’m trying to find an inclusive community here (I recently moved) and it’s slow going, folks are definitely more subtle and less outspoken than the last area that I lived in. I really appreciate the advice!
I’m CIS gender but being femme is essential for me…and I tried not indulging that and it just doesn’t work. So if you figure out that some of these things are necessary for you…as long as you can afford beans and rice, do it!
I know someone else on the forum has been playing with binders this year. If I don’t see you get more traction on this topic I will drop a pm an suggest they reach out
My big advice on binding is that is the area to not skimp on since binding can be really hazardous if you’re doing it a lot. Binders have improved a LOT since I started binding 20 years ago, and now they are a lot safer.
Used binders are surprisingly easy to find via poshmark, but fitting can be a challenging part.
@anomalily THANK YOU! I am doing some research so that I can avoid some of the more common safety mistakes. As this is exploration at this point and not vital to my happiness and health, I’ll be going slow when it comes to selecting and investing.
Hello hello, this time from a keyboard!
Basically I think we’re on a similar journey. Yay exploration!
I recently bought (2) binders and they were 100% a good life choice, even though I bought them full price.
The companies I bought from are places that had been vetted for people with larger chests. I originally found a lot of binder places were seemingly advertised towards the cosplay crowd and towards people who were already fairly small/petite.
Places:
GC2B
Good value for money. Quick shipping. Solid experience with them. Their binder did a good job, too.
Shapeshifters
A bit more $, but they make essentially a custom fit for you, which is pretty fab. I found it the most comfortable, from a fit and from a materials stand point. I wear this one as my “daily” wear as it is something I can wear for hours and hours and hours and not even be bothered by.
They are upfront about the longer wait time, and it’s true. It took a good long while, but it’s made-to-order so that makes sense.
Thank you for the recommendations! I especially appreciate this because while my chest is probably proportional to my size, I am not a thin or petite individual which has made a lot of things more difficult, including looking for specialized clothing.
