I'm officially buying my first binder (instead of using painful ace bandages x.x) yay! I've already done some shopping around and couldn't find anything that bound me sufficiently. I went to a sporting goods store, and they had some Under Armour compression shirts. I tried them on, and they were very stretchy (not sure what they were made out of), and they barely compressed me flat. And so now I'm resorting to buying online. Now I've heard lots of good things about Underworks, so I'm thinking of buying from them. I just have a few questions.

These are my sizes:

Chest size (measured under arms, above bust): 36"
Cup size: A
Waist: about 34"
Hips: 42"

So I'm fairly small chested already, and I've been having my eye on either the 997 or the tri top.

Now for my personal taste, I think I would prefer the 997, because it is designed to look like any normal tank top, and so I'm thinking about going down that route. I'm not sure if I'd get the tri top, I kind of want to steer away from the 'bra-style' compression. But I wanted to hear your opinion about which design is better, depending on your own experience, and what would be best for a small chested guy like me.

Also, when I do decide on which model to get, what size should I go with? Should I go with the measurements according to the website? (My chest is 34-36, so would small/medium be a good size? Or should I go a size smaller? I don't want to get a size too small that won't fit on me.)

One plus side of the 997 with your body type is that it will compress your hips, too. I'd say go with the 997 and underwork's sizing is accurate...and they have a pretty darn good return policy.

Since you want to stay away from a "bra" styled binder id say go for the double front like said.

I personally don't like having my stomach compressed   &prefer the bra styled binder. But that's just my personal preference, &I can fold the double front in half for that which equals more compression.

The 997 always rolls up on me and pinches horrible causing all sorts of discomfort.  I'm always looking for a place to adjust it which takes the fun out of going out.  I absolutely hate it and would burn it if I could.

A lot of the guys on here have ideas on how to get around the roll up situation, such as putting it on upside down and folding it up.  However I choose to just order the tri-top instead of messing with that beast any more.  It should be here in a few days and I am praying it is a better bang for its buck

http://ftm.underworks.com/

Hmmm... I'm leaning towards the 997 model. If it does give me rolling up problems, I suppose I can just fold it up, and it would sort of act like a tri top.

Also, the model 988 with relaxed midsection. I just learned about this model, has anyone tried this model? I've heard alot of complaints about the 977 compressing the belly and making people sick, so wondering if I should give the 988 a try. But then again, I don't think the 988 has hip compression, and I would really like hip compression (large hips makes passing difficult heh).

So many choices, it's making me dizzy, lol. ^^;

EDIT: I've seen alot of youtube videos, and it seems that people who wear the tri top are much flatter than those who wear the 997. And some claim that you can workout in the tri top without dieing. XD The more reviews I see for the 997 and tri top, the more I am liking the tri top route. I suppose I can always wear a tank top over the tri top. Hmmm I wonder if I should buy some kind of seperate binder for my hips lol! My hips are huge, and I think getting compression shorts might help make my hips more masculine (I'm already working out, trying to lose weight in my hip area, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try and buy compression shorts.)

Quote from: Squirrel698 on May 29, 2010, 05:20:21 PM
The 997 always rolls up on me and pinches horrible causing all sorts of discomfort.  I'm always looking for a place to adjust it which takes the fun out of going out.  I absolutely hate it and would burn it if I could.

See, that was exactly my experience with the Tri-top.  I actually gave it away to someone here at Susan's because I found it so painful and irritating to wear.  The double-front, on the other hand, is perfectly comfy, and I can wear it for 12 hours with no trouble, even at my very active job.  I think it all depends on personal body shape and comfort (or un-comfort?) zones.  Alas, I think the only way to find out is to try one and see if it works for you. 

Alright, I've decided to order 2 Tri Tops in size medium (one black, one white) and one pair of 901 compression shorts in size medium (had a hard time deciding which size shorts to get, medium or large. My waist is about 34-36, but my hips are 42 and I hope I can get my huge hips into a medium. o_O). Of course I'm not going to be ordering my items until later because right now I have a terrible sunburn on my back that is peeling and blistering pretty bad, and I want to wait to order the binders (incase I get the wrong size and I need to return them, b/c the website says they have to be returned within 15 days). Hopefully I'll be good to go to order in a few days or a week. I'll let you guys know how it turns out. 8D

Quote from: Jamie-o on May 30, 2010, 05:35:35 AM
See, that was exactly my experience with the Tri-top.  I actually gave it away to someone here at Susan's because I found it so painful and irritating to wear.  The double-front, on the other hand, is perfectly comfy, and I can wear it for 12 hours with no trouble, even at my very active job.  I think it all depends on personal body shape and comfort (or un-comfort?) zones.  Alas, I think the only way to find out is to try one and see if it works for you.

I agree. I said the 997 mostly because of hips. Yes it does roll up to the thinnist part of my hip, but where it rolls up has a bit more fat/cushions my back. It also helps straighten out my back. Because of my hips (I think that's the culprit) the tri-top rolls up at about the middle of my back/waist. It hurts a lot more.

I just have to put in a recommendation for the 998 (not 988), which is far and away my favourite. It's not perfectly flat for me since I'm a C cup, but it's good enough, doesn't roll up, doesn't create armpit bulges, stretches and moves with me and feels just like a tight T-shirt.

My problems with the 997 were enormous armpit bulges and the tendency to slide up my hips and bunch up around my waist. All binders seem to do the latter on my body (they seem to slide up instead of rolling), but the 997 is particularly bad about it.

Hmmm... now I'm starting to think I should get one of each: 997, Tri Top, and 901 Compression Shorts. o_O At least that way, I can try them all, see which one fits better for me, and if I like the 997 or Tri Top more than the other, I can return the model I don't like and just get a second model of the one that fits me. (Or if I like both, I can use one for working out and one for regular use. I've heard that the 997 is good for working out.) I was thinking I'd get them all in white (easier to conceal under light clothing), but then again white would get dirty fast (maybe if I take extra care of cleaning them, this wouldn't be a problem?). I only have so much to spend on my underclothing, preferably under $100.

I think that sounds like a good route. I have a tri-top and often wonder how it compares to the double front. I wish I would have gotten both when I had the money and compared them. I'm interested in how you like the compression shorts too, because I have giant hips/thighs. I'm actually about the same size as you, except my chest is more like a small B. My binder is white, and yeah it gets a little dingy, but I rarely wash it and it doesn't stink or anything. I think white goes better under clothes but really, no one will probably be seeing your binder so it doesn't really matter. Let us know what you end up ordering and what you think when you get them!

I have em in black, but cause I mostly wear dark colored shirts... if I wore more ligt colored or white/see through shirts, id prolly get white.

I had to measure myself again, just to make sure I had the right measurements and I followed the directions on the website about sizing:

33" under bust + 37" bust averaged together gave me 35" ...

On the double compression shirt, the small is 32-34, and medium is 35-39... I was originally going to get medium, but I think it might be too large, since I'm on the lower end scale on the medium. =/ God I just hope I get the right measurements, don't want to have to resend stuff back (don't want parents asking why I'm sending stuff in the mail XD).

So my order is as follows:

Double Front Compression white size small
Tri Top white size medium
Compression shorts white size medium

Wish me luck! 8D I'll be sure to post reviews about each item once I get them! *sits outside waiting for FedEx guy with huge grin on face*

The 997 works great for me. I can get some slight rolling but wearing a belt prevents that. I always hear people rave about the Tri Top so I have a question. For those of you who like the 997 but also use the Tri Top what are the perks of the Tri Top over the 997?

Also about the staining... all my binders are white. I keep them clean but get staining on the straps and chest. It's no big deal unless you walk around just in your binder.

I'm trying to source my first binder. I'm based in the UK and there's not really anything available here that I've been able to find, so I'll probably be orderering from abroad. The Underworks people seem to be highly rated (at over $30 shipping, I hope so!), but there's a company in Taiwan (T-Kingdom) that also seems to have a good reputation. Has anyone tried anything from T-Kingdom? My main concern is that their model is impossibly skinny (and hot!  ) and I fear that my D-cups might be too much for them.

From what I've heard T-Kingdom works best for smaller, thinner guys- sort of like the standard Asian body type. I don't know how a D cup would handle a T-Kingdom.