This week’s review delves into the wonderful world of gender expression!  Sure, we’ve done plenty of reviews for dildos and harness, which can also fall under the gender expression umbrella, but in those instances, they’ve been used during actual sexual activity.  Today’s review is something a little different.  Before I get into the review, let me first explain a bit about gender expression.

When it comes to breaking down sex, gender and orientation, I’ve always found this nerdy tech analogy to be helpful.   Sex = Hardware; Gender = Software; Orientation = Networking.  Basically, Sex is the biological body – the physical; Gender is how you feel internally and how you present yourself to the world; and Orientation is the ways you interact with others.  In many instances Sex and Gender match up (known as being “cis-gendered”), and in other cases, they do not.  When someone’s body/sex assigned at birth do not match up to their gender identity (how they feel inside), some folks decide to live as the gender they identify as, which is called transitioning, or transgendered.  And when folks are transitioning, sometimes they use items that help them express the gender that they identify – hence the name gender expression.

Today we are reviewing the Double Panel Compression Shirt from Babeland.com.  This shirt is designed to flatten the chests of trans-men (men that were born female) and give them a more streamline, male look.  We asked one of our favorite trans-men to take on the challenge and give this chest binder a go, and let us know what he thinks.  Without further ado, here is the goods!

The Double Panel Compression Shirt is basically a super squeezey tight tank top with evenly dispersed compression across the chest and a mesh back.  Specifically made for trans guys, this shirt really does have all of our needs in mind.

While all the other binding techniques that I’ve tried (double sports bra/ace bandage) have left me feeling not only unsatisfied with the result, but in pain from deep impressions on my body and long-term pressure, this shirt has quickly become a comfortable, effective staple in my daily wardrobe.  And it has made a noticeable difference in my feelings about my body.

With wide shoulder straps and even compression distribution, this tight tank keeps me bound without cutting or pressing into my shoulders.  I don’t feel like crying from relief and freedom after I take it off and as I said above, I am not left with deep impressions on my upper body that I have to rub and scratch at for an hour afterwards.

Along with that, the fabric (70% nylon, 30% Spandex) is breathable and comfortable.  The double panels in front and mesh back were truly a brilliant move on the designer’s part.  I could never achieve such a flat look in front without winding layers of stifling fabric all over my upper body or wearing multiple layers under my clothes.  Especially during the summer, I would never be able to wear this item without overheating and roasting if it wasn’t so light and easy to wear.

Speaking of summer, with this shirt I am even comfortable going out in public with just a tank top over it – something I NEVER did with other binding techniques.  I don’t obsess about my manboobs (just what I call them, which may not be the language other people use) and how noticeable they are and how I look like a girl to the whole world, even though I feel like a man on the inside.  I also don’t feel like the area that is binding my manboobs (which are medium-sized, in case you wanted to think about your own chest in relation to the way the shirt works for me) is going to slip and produce an unsightly bulge at an inconvenient moment.  It stays in place, which is huge.  Sports bras ride up and push them out because they are too short and designed for women.  And women are not worried about not looking like they have boobs.  Unlike an ace bandage, there are no sticky metal things cutting up my sides and that annoying tendency to come undone at the wrong moment.

The Double Panel Compression Shirt takes a little getting used to for putting it on and taking it off, as it has to be stepped in and out of which is backwards from other bindings I’ve tried, but once I formed the habit, there is no problem.

Though this shirt is long enough to tuck into your pants, I personally prefer the shorter, ½ shirts (Tri-Top Chest Binder).  As I am small framed, the long cut version of the binder tends to ride up and fold over on me, as well as digs a little bit into my hip bones.  I’ve found that the ½ shirts work better for my build and the compression that they offer is more concentrated and effective for my body.

Pricing in around $40, this shirt is affordable, considering the benefits (especially since you may need to buy more than one if you wear them every day).  I consider it an investment and feel very confident while wearing it.  The Double Panel Compression Shirt (and the Tri-Top Chest Binder) really does take the torture out of binding and I highly recommend it for folks looking for a great way to bind.

Be Sociable, Share!

•