BUST BINDERS
I suggest turning control top pantyhose upside down, cutting off the legs, putting the head through where the cotton crotch used to be (be sure to keep the area around the crotch to function as shoulders) so that the control top is over the breasts. He provides info on alternative wearing of an abdominal trimmer from the Sears Home Health Care Catalogue and a heavy duty Frog Bra from Title Nine Sports. Although smaller breasted women were happy with the control top binder, and one of the expensive binders was successful on our biggest girl, overall we were happiest with 6" wide ace bandage, although I learned a lot about using it correctly from the web, moving the breasts down and out toward the armpits, etc. I thought the best overall suggestions for making women into men was to wear men's shoes, which seem to own the earth.
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I use corset weight elastic (I hope it's still available from Greenberg and Hammer) and use either the 6" width for smaller busted women, or a 6" with a 2" zigged onto the bottom for
large busted women. Sometimes vertical bust darts are needed, so I cut out one side of the dart and overlap the other with a zigzag stitch. I scoop out the armseyes and bind them and the center back opening with bias tape, and put hooks and eyes up the back for a closure. I also add elastic shoulder straps to keep the binder in place. This binder is powerful but stretches for bending and breathing. I have been using this technique for a long time and have never had a complaint regarding discomfort or heat. The only problem I run into once in
awhile is a visual one: A ridge from the top edge of the elastic if the actress is wearing a form-fitting costume. I would not use a woven fabric; it doesn't stay in place, and you'll have to cinch it too tightly for it to be bearable. These elastic bindere cost very little, do not take long to make, fit snugly to the body, and are very durable. Of course they will never get large women completely flat, but that's impossible without inflicting a lot of pain.
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