this is the third binder ive made for myself recently and the first one i’m writing up. it’s designed to do a few things: 1) allow me to put it on by myself without dislocating my shoulders 2) allow me to breathe well enough to partake in normal activity 3) be cool enough to wear throughout a muggy 90-100F summer 4) not constrict my ribs in a way that aggravates my lack of connective tissue and causes intense pain.
this has become necessary even though i had top surgery many years ago, because when i had it i was extremely skinny and since then i’ve increased in size by about 50%. this has been really fucking good for my health in every single way* except that when my chest is squishy or moves at all it’s So Goddamn Triggering for me. but also since ive had top surgery ive developed and/or been made away of a plethora of chronic conditions that make every single commercially available binding option medically impossible. unbound, my chest is pretty much what you’d expect for a chubby cis guy but venturing out into the world in just a tshirt no longer works for me
*anyone who badmouths weight gain or fat bodies in the notes WILL be blocked
under the cut are a bunch of process pictures and explanations of what they all mean:
first i’ll give you a look at the pieces and measurements:
most of the seams are sewn in this picture and one half is turned inside out, allowing you to see both the finished dimensions (right) and the placement of the fusible horsehair canvas that gives this lil scrap of linen any structure at all (left)
to get your chest measurement, you’re gonna have to do some math:
first measure above and below what you want to bind. average these numbers. mine are something like 32 and 34, which average to 33. subtract a few inches--this is to allow the air movement between the laces at center front and back, critical in the summertime. i deleted 3 inches bc i like that number but you can go bigger if you want. the more inches you subtract here, the more youll be able to ratchet all your chest material down later, but at the same time you need to leave enough fabric for a sturdy garment. let’s say a range of 2-6 inches/5-15cm. by taking your measurements this way, you’re essentially measuring the chest you would like to have. that + the horsehair canvas work together to compress any squishy tissue/force anything that doesnt compress up and to the outside (basically into the armpit/lower shoulder--the chest might stick out but it will give a very puffed chest captain america pectoral silhouette)
you can also see how ive clipped my curves and pre-drilled my lacing holes. i used the marlin spike on my knife to open up the holes on the interfacing side, mainly as a way of marking them. this worked well bc the interfacing’s glue kept the linen from raveling
this is the same stage but looking at the non-interfaced grey linen/cotton blend (the black is some 100% linen from my cabbage stash). you can see ive broken the solar-plexus-to-back measurement up into a bunch of pieces to save on fabric but that’s not necessary. my original pattern was just two pieces (front and back) and chopping the straps into thirds on both sides was aesthetic
in the following picture you can really see how this is really just overgrown regency stays:
i thought about doing side lacing but didn’t think that would be comfortable for me. on the front, the side seam allowance was pressed inwards before turning to create a finished looking slot. on the back the side seam is left unfinished with an extra wide seam allowance, and is inserted into that slot.
here’s a closeup on it pinned in place (you can adjust the angle of the side seam and the fit during this pinning stage):
that side seam was just topstitched in place once i had the fit how i liked it, and the armhole was reinforced with more topstitching
alright, time for eyelets: first, you can see how well the marking worked:
next, two rows of basted eyelets (left), one row of eyelets sewn with a doubled and waxed cotton thread (center right), and one row of eyelets opened and stainless steel rings placed (right).
next time i’m going to mark the eyelets same as i did above, but do this step differently--i’ll mark and baste the steel rings in place BEFORE widening the eyelets. this is bc i had a lot of problems keeping the eyelets on center
eyelets half done on this one! on the left are eyelets sewn with doubled and waxed cotton thread and on the right eyelets sewn with quadrupled and waxed thread. the center is basting again. i was able to force the holes back in line while sewing the eyelets but it was kinda annoying. adding a second picture that doesnt have great focus but hopefully shows how that process worked and shows the spike clearly
i ended up using this white cotton thread because it’s stronger than my black cotton thread (which the rest of it is sewn with). [eta: after this was first posted, i pressed the whole thing heavily, which effectively de-waxed the thread, and i dyed the whole thing a medium charcoal grey, the thread blends in perfectly on the lighter side and isn’t such a sore thumb on the darker side]
bonus: the piecing layout for that little piece of strap. the whole light gray half of the binder was made from 1/2 of one of the legs i cut off some linen suit pants to make slutty camping shorts last year and i really really didn’t want to break into any of the other three halves for this garment--i have Plans for it
overall the fit of this is incredible. it DOESNT hurt my ribs which every zip-up garment ive been able to find (and it is difficult) does due to really thick elastic at the base. it doesnt aggravate my sensory issues with the synthetic fibers that every commercial option is made of. i can walk up a hill or stairs, or go to pt, without getting too out of breath. i can eat with it tight, or loosen the front easily and without taking it off to make eating easier and less nausea-inducing. it is reversible!
best of all the lacing at the back gives the garment enough movement for me to get it on without dislocating, and the interfacing and steel rings give it structure once it’s on. the shaping comes only from fusible horsehair linen canvas and stainless steel rings like youd use for chainmail, there’s no boning at all, which makes it very quick to sew (except the eyelets, but metal grommets would be sturdy and quick provided theyre of good quality)
there’s a small amount of gaping on the outside of the shoulder strap, which i plan on fixing with a tiny tiny dart in the armpit, i want to add pockets to tuck the laces into, and i need a better lace for the back, but it’s completely wearable in time for the 90 weather next week which is all i wanted. i’ll do a reblog when it’s perfectly finished with an update on the fit but for now it is done enough
the little ridge where it doesnt lay flat against the shoulder is most visible with just a single t shirt over it. with a flannel or a sweater, it disappears, and by itself, it’s hidden in movement
eta: after dyeing this, i relaced it a bit looser in the back and that gape mainly disappeared. ive decided to leave it in instead of smoothing it with a dart because the loose fabric gives space for my chest to expand when breathing and shapes my silhouette in a way that emphasizes my shoulders
Screenshot because guess who wrote half of this and then accidentally deleted it.
There’s definitely a whole ton of ways to visually change someone’s perceived body shape without having the actor/client/self change their own body. It’s a basic part of theatrical costuming, and entire fashion textbooks have been written about it.
Basically, I’ve spent like 6 years studying nothing but sewing, and anyone who tells anyone “you’ll just look fat” or whatever is full of bullshit.
So let’s jump into it.
The first thing to consider is fit. If a part of your body is pressed tightly against the edge of the garment, like it’s too small, that part appears larger. If there’s a little slack, it appears smaller. If you’re making a garment from scratch, try going up a size in just your bust. It’ll give you some comfortable breathing room, too.
The next thing to consider is style types.
AP’s Cosmic Sailor JSK has a collar that sits right at your collarbones and neck. Having a heavy detail right by your face draws attention from your chest, and helps emphasize attention on places you want. Large collars and things like tie-on fur collars also help with this.
Also, this JSK is free-size around the chest and waist. Not everything you wear needs to be free-size, but it does avoid drawing attention to your ribcage or your underbust line.
Holy Lantern’s OP is another dress with the nice combo of free size chest and detailing at the neck.
What you don’t want is empire waistlines or high wasitlines, which emphasize the chest, like this Holy Lantern JSK.
And then the third thing is style lines. I’m listing these third because, while they’re the most powerful visual-shaping tools that I know, they’re also kind of a pain and involve either redrafting or some very careful pattern selection.
Many lolita garments have princess seams that terminate at the armsceye.
This swoop at the top emphasizes the bust, which is part of why it’s popular in mainstream fashion.
If you go back to a classic princess seam, you visually minimize the bust.
Please excuse the dry ramen on this picture. I’d retake it, but I don’t have the book with me right now, so we’re just going to have Ramen Fashion Time 2k19.
A lot of lolita dresses don’t have a true armhole. Instead, they have something similar to a strapless dress foundation, with either straps or sleeves added. If you add small armholes, you can put your darts and seams in there. The vertical line that goes above and below the bust is minimizing.
If you’re making a blouse, moving the side dart to the shoulder can also add that look.
In terms of darts, you’ll want to minimize visually enlarging darts like armsceye darts and center-front darts. Center-front darts also give you 1950′s cone boobs, which I don’t think anyone wants.
Here’s a fast sketch of what pattern pieces would look like for these kinds of foundations.
If you’re interested in more complicated pattern manipulation, just let me know. I love that stuff and I’d probably make the whole blog be about it if I wasn’t careful.
Julian Calls Up Great Aunt Marjorie To Give Her A Piece Of His Mind for Calling Dru A Butterball( He found this out from Emma)
Julian : Hello Great-Aunt Marjorie, I was wondering if you had a minute......
Marjorie : oh sure, Julian is it? The lanky one ?
Julian : Yeah, that one. I just wanted to clarify that you. Don't. Ever. Get to insult my baby sister and tell her she is not as pretty as other girls.
Marjorie : I don't appreciate this kind of direct behaviour from you and on the matter of Drusilla, as her brother maybe you should keep an eye on your fat sister's eating habits and....
Julian : Excuse me !!! How DARE you ? My sister trains harder than any shadowhunter of her age and as for her eating habits - She eats just fine. It's none of your bloody business.
Marjorie : JULIAN !!!!! What's happened to you? I only want what's best for her....
Julian : Well then, you'd better leave us alone.
Marjorie : I'll never forgive such crude attitude ....
Julian : And I'll never forgive you for making my beautiful sister feel any lesser than what she is. I'd thank you for our stay in London, except it did more damage than good to my family and there seems nothing to thank you for.
