I'm dfab trans and I need some help with binding since it will be summer soon and i cant hide my chest in coats anymore. I have a pretty small chest if that makes any difference. Currently I wear a sports bra and baggy clothes but that doesnt work perfectly. I also have a piece of elastic I can wear which works well but its badly made and I would have to repair it a lot probably. I cant get an actual binder because I live with my parents and have no credit card. I really dont know how i can get through summer without some form of binding please help :help:
Some people with smaller chests will be able to bind better sans the sports bra as it does still provide some support. Instead, try wearing an under shirt (beater or tank) a size smaller than you normally wear. I've also heard of some people doubling up on the beaters. Ex: A size M over a size S with your regular shirt on top. But I've found that to be restricting and a little hot. Basically all a binder is, is a tighter elastic form of a beater so you could even hit the sporting store and try to find an underarmor tank or something like it. Never use any kind of type, it is dangerous as it can cut off circulation and cause fluid on the lungs.
Currently, I don't "bind" because of various reasons, including the potential for damaging skin elasticity. I compromise with myself and wear a near-binder sports bra. Now, I have a small-medium sized chest (38 A if that helps for reference) and under a lot of size S shirts, I look flat. The one I wear is made by Champion and is called the "sweetheart" (I know, gag). I bought 1 from Dick's Sporting Goods and ordered the others directly from Champion (size S). I don't own one but have also tried the Under Armor "Armor Bra" or something, and it worked even better. The down sides of that one, though, are that they're all black, about $50 each and I had a hard time with them fitting over my shoulders and around my rib cage but most female-bodied people don't have this issue. Now, the awesome thing about these is that even if they're not locally available, you could probably get your parents to order them for you since they are technically "women's clothing." If these aren't enough on their own, you could add a boy's compression shirt (Nike and Under Armor make nice ones for about $20). Short of an actual binder, that's likely as good as you'll get safely. Best of luck!
