Hi everyone,
Just thought this might be useful for any guys out there who can't afford or aren't in a position to get a proper binder. I make my own binders, partly because I'm broke and partly because the ones I've tried don't work that well for me. So we've all heard how you shouldn't bind with anything other than proper materials but I have been wearing my design almost every day for a couple of years now and never had any breathing/movement problems or skin irritation, which is more than can be said for some mainstream binders I think. It's also a lot cooler than spandex etc.
I make mine out of cotton, slightly starched is best (like the fabric in formal shirts). I use tank top patterns adjusted to my measurements, usually with two or three layers of fabric to give it a bit more shape. The important thing is to measure round your ribcage rather than at nipple height and make it with that as a chest measurement. I use a sewing machine but you could do this by hand too, just make sure the stitching is fairly strong. You can put a zipper up the back to make it easier to get on, but I have several without fasteners that I just pull over my head and that works too.
What I end up with is a top that is tight and gives good compression over the tit area without putting any pressure on my ribs or shoulders. I'm an A cup and the binder reduces the size of my chest to the same as my ribcage (34"), so it looks completely flat which is awesome. I'm not sure how well this design would work for someone with a larger chest, but I definitely recommend it for smaller guys.
Hope this was interesting/useful for someone
