Hi guys,
So I've had quite a few problems over the last year with recurring costochondritis - neither myself or my doctors are surprised given that I have been binding (*always* safely and for short periods too - so always try to get surgery as soon as you can to spare yourself the same fate!) for the last 4 years. I can't wear a binder or something that compresses as much as a binder or it hurts too much to do much of anything. I'm hoping to have surgery in the next year, but obviously I can't have unbound C cups flying about everywhere. Sports bras are bearable, but my ribcage has gotten wider around (the actual bones, which is weird given the age I began T) and now I can't find bras that will fit around my ribcage - and I don't believe sports bras that don't make breasts obvious would support an extender.
Anyone have any ideas? TL;DR version:
- I need something that will hold my chest still so it doesn't jiggle
- And changes the shape of the boobs enough so they don't look...well, round and booblike.
- Puts super minimal pressure around my ribcage.
Have you ever tried neoprene abdominal trimmers? I have always found them a lot more comfortable than regular binders. They're cheap too but don't last nearly as long...but they'll make you flatter than a sport's bra.
Hm, just did a quick google now - do you know if they'd show through the shirt? They look a bit thick. But they seem good in the sense that I could control the amount of pressure fairly easily by adjusting it.
I wear two shirts constantly. Usually a polo or button down over a undershirt in the Summer or a hoodie over a undershirt in the Winter. I have to be careful about too much compression because of my kidneys and the surgeries I've had. If you have a Walmart they're $5 all day everyday but get a few at a time because like I said, they don't last long. Also, wash before you wear the first time or you'll smell like a rubber tire, lol.
This might or might not work for you but it works for me when I don't want to bind. I wear a training bra because it keeps my chest from jiggling around or feeling loose and then I'll wear an undershirt or a cami and then a shirt and a sweater, so layers basically. It might not work for you though because you're probably larger than I am, but it might be worth a shot if you think it will.
When I don't want to wear a full binder I go with a cheap Wal-Mart sports bra that doesn't compress but kind of flattens anyway. They're cheap cotton, like $5 apiece or something. They have them in larger sizes, I wear XL or XXL in most shirts and the bras fit fine. I've had my current set of them for like 5 years and they still do their job. I wear a dark-colored, slightly loose shirt over it, and nobody notices my B/C cups. It's nice.
I'm not sure how much it would do for a C cup but I've had some success wearing singlets with a built in 'shelf bra'. They basically just have an extra layer of fabric over the chest area with elastic at the bottom. They don't really compress at all but they stabilize and even out the appearance of your chest.