summer binder picture tutorial

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

no thoughts just summertime teenage liese hcs

do you perhaps have a pattern for that gentleman's corset? asking for a friend

Hi!

Unfortunately, I do not have a pattern to give you, but I do have a way for you/your friend to draft your own.

(If you really do just want a ready pattern, I'm pretty sure my #binding stays or #flattening stays tags include some etsy shops that have binders with corsetry methods)

I'm presuming you are here because that 5 year old post of the binder with elizabethan stays method is going around again (left). I've also since made a pair of stays that flatten nicely as well (right).

The left pattern was drafted with the free Custom Corset Pattern Generator from elizabethancostume.net. You just input a little extra breathing room in the waist and the bust measurement you can comfortably squish your chest down to.

However, that was many years ago and I have since had more success using a Mariah Pattie's circular drafting technique. It has so much less measuring and math and it gave me a better fit.

Here's my post on that technique, along with her video.

And here's my post amending that to a binder instead of stays.

In short, all you need is:

a large piece of paper

a string

a pen

a measuring tape and

the measurement of your waist circumference

the measurement of your chest bound down circumference

the measurement of the vertical distance between your waist and chest.

You draw out the pattern following the video + my explanation post (this takes me about 30 minutes vs the hour or two for drafting the usual way). Then I make it longer with a cm or two at the bottom and at least 3 cm on top. One change I've made since that post was to pinch out a little dart at the arms to make it lie smoother under clothes. One day I'm going to experiment with adding straps to this design, but today is not that day.

I kept mine quite low, because I wanted a 18th century round chested look, but with straps and longer stays you could probably go flatter (depending on how much you have to flatten of course).

This is what it looks like under a waistcoat tailored according to a menswear manual:

i'll also drop here the posts of other people who've I've talked about their binders using corsetry and tailoring methods: horsehair canvas summer binder, there's another one about how convenient ribbons are for easy adjustment but i can't find it (EDIT: found it!)

Good luck and do let me know if you've advanced this research any further!

An Akro white oxblood next to an Alley horsehair. I've always felt that these two belong together because one mimics paint on canvas and the other mimics pen on parchment.

Balenciaga Haute Couture Spring/Summer 1956 Collection. Jacky Mazel wears a long white tunic whose fullness flares out through the gathers. It is made of canvas, has no collar, closes with three buttons, has three-quarter sleeves and is decorated with a belt. Jacky Mazel wore it over a black canvas sheath skirt whose bottom is barely visible under the tunic. The very large hat is made of black horsehair and its brim is nicely transparent. The bag is from Schutz.

Balenciaga Collection Haute Couture Printemps/Été 1956. Jacky Mazel porte une longue tunique blanche dont l'ampleur s'évase par les fronces. Elle est en toile, n'a pas de col, ferme par trois boutons, a des manches trois-quarts et s'orne d'une ceinture. Jacky Mazel l'a porte sur une jupe fourreau en toile noire dont le bas se laisse à peine deviner sous la tunique. Le très grand chapeau est en crin noir et son bord est joliment transparent. Le sac est de Schutz.

Photo Philippe Pottier

Progress! Currently assembling the front panels, interlining (synthetics mixed with horsehair to make a stiffened canvas, 'tailor's canvas'), and cotton edging tape to secure them. The pockets are mostly done but I have to finish the interlining first, and then the back goes in at some point. They're joined together at the top left, where the shawl collar pieces connect.

Definitely glad I'm doing one or more of these practice runs first, as shit's complicated lol.

sacred offerings

inspired by Stjepan Sejic's artwork of Wonder Woman and Lara Croft

https://imgur.com/gallery/midAIaj

"Oh Hera's grace…"

Diana's hands are soft against Lara's scars, like a horsehair brush painting tenderness across the grimy canvas that is her backside. She shivers at the warm touch of cool hands, heat rushing to her cheeks.

"Lady Lara Croft… Last of your line… Nobody left to mourn for you when your luck finally runs out. You told me this the day I came to you. Is that why you do this to yourself? Why you throw yourself at the wheel of Fates, tempting the scissors of Atropos?"

Lara bites her lip, suddenly guilty and light-headed. "In my defense, lots of blokes want me dead. One less nosy archeologist to fret over.”

Dark strands tickle as a forehead rests upon her shoulder. "You are mistaken. All of Themyscira would weep for such a loss."

“I’m pretty sure I’m talking to the only Amazonian aware of my existence.” Buff biceps encircle her torso, pulling protectively close. She isn’t sure what the superhero means with all this affection, but her heart threatens to expose her desire through her ribcage. "Diana?”

"Hades has already taken so much from me." The tone breaks. "I won't let him have you. Your place is here, among the living.”

Lara gulps. She wants to say something smart and funny, a quip that will lighten the mood. But there's a lump in her throat that feels too much like emotion. If she opens her mouth, something other than words might escape.

So she rolls the dice, and turns her head to plant a kiss in the mass of black tangles. Diana pulls back slightly, dazed and blushing. She doesn't know who leans in first, but the two meet in the middle briefly, blessedly. Lara goes in for another… and another, and another, until the formality is finally dropped.

Until names are whispered like prayers, with the forest as their only witness.

La Mode nationale, no. 7, 16 février 1901, Paris. No. 1. — Deux toilettes pour jeunes femmes. Bibliothèque nationale de France

(1) Robe de visite pour jeune femme, en drap satin bleu de mer (plus clair que le marine). Jupe à plis couchés retenus au bas par une haute bande de guipure rebrodée; chaque dent de la guipure fixe un pli. Des deux côtés du tablier, plissé de soie souple noir, s'étalant en éventail. Deux plissés semblables, sur les devants du corsage paraissent continuer ceux de la jupe. Le haut du corsage est en soie noire; le bas à plis couchés fixés par un corselet de guipure. Manches plissées terminées par un poignet à l'enfant. Ceinture drapée en liberty noir. Col de toile rabattant.

(1) Visiting dress for young women, in sea blue satin cloth (lighter than navy). Skirt with flat pleats held at the bottom by a high band of embroidered guipure; each tooth of the guipure fixes a fold. On both sides of the apron, pleated black soft silk, spreading out like a fan. Two similar pleats on the front of the bodice appear to continue those of the skirt. The top of the bodice is black silk; the bottom with flat pleats secured by a guipure corselet. Pleated sleeves ending with a child's cuff. Draped belt in black liberty. Folding canvas collar.

Matériaux: 5m,50 de drap; 4 mètres de soie souple noire.

Capeline de paille blanche; sous le relevé à gauche, touffe de primevères jaunes autour de la calotte, palmes de plumes beiges et piquet de myosotis; nœud laitonné en velours noir faisant aigrette.

White straw hat; under the relief on the left, tuft of yellow primroses around the crown, beige feather palms and forget-me-nots stake; Brass-plated bow in black velvet making an egret.

—

(2) Toilette de promenade pour jeune femme, en lainage diamanté rouge clair. Jupe collante, remontant en pointes devant, de façon à mouler la taille. Boléro découpé en dents rondes et bordé de biais sur un gilet long devant eet à revers en taffetas blanc. Chemisette en soie écossaise. Col rabattant et petits parements blancs; cravate de satin noir.

(2) Walking ensemble for young women, in light red diamond wool. Tight skirt, rising in points at the front, so as to hug the waist. Bolero cut into round teeth and edged at an angle on a long front and reverse waistcoat in white taffeta. Scottish silk shirt. Turn-down collar and small white facings; black satin tie.

Matériaux: 6 mètres de lainage; 2m,50 de soie écossaise; 2 mètres de taffetas blanc.

Capeline de crin noir toute recouverte de belles plumes noires.

Black horsehair capeline all covered with beautiful black feathers.

Art Is The Artist

I'm laying on the floor watching you throw acrylics at the canvas It's ballet with horsehair brushes and dirty stained cups of water You don't even remember I'm here

I love to watch you paint Mixing colors into something meaningful You used to tell me that abstract was freedom And as I pour words, I agree It doesn't always mean something Sometimes it just needs to look appealing

You mix blue and green And move a line that looks random But I know you've got some kind of plan Hiding deep within the swirls

There are no words spoken and Placebo plays through the red splotched speaker Without you, I'm nothing

I could watch you all day For this is far more intimate then a strip tease I can see your naked soul and it is the most perfect thing I've ever known I long to taste you yet again

You look back at me Your face covered in little drops of paint And the colors only brighten that amazing world that is your taste You smile, with paint makeup I've never seen something so stunning

I pray this moment never ends And I can live within the world you create

Hey there, thank you so much for the binder tutorial! I have a pull-over binder but sometimes my shoulders just Will Not do it and sometimes its just a nightmarish sensory experience.

I do have a question, is the horsehair absolutely vital? I’d like to know if I can substitute anything, since I dont currently have any.

hi! you can absolutely substitute something. fusible interfacing could work (i'd do a few layers if it's some of the thinner stuff, but it comes in all kinds of weights)

there's also coutil and buckram, which you could sew in as stiffeners (if they come in a fusible option i havent heard of it), or you could put in channels and use boning to give it some shape. even a stiff heavy canvas could work

i chose the horsehair specifically because it's very smoothing with a minimum of layers (this particular binder was made to keep me as not-sweaty as possible in hot muggy summers) but any stiffening material would work.

i’ve been doing a lot of drafting. gave me time to watch a youtuber who’s also a novice. i don’t like her style but her videos about how to think about sewing reeaaaaally made me take a step back on this project. i’m resetting my expectation on this dress. i’m not going to get the exact sleeve/off shoulder combo as the inspiration dress. hell i’m not gonna get the horsehair canvas i originally planned to get (way too much fucking hand sewing). all i hope for is this dress to be pretty and clean enough to look handmade and not homemade.

I've been on a bit of an Edwardian kick lately, especially with the realisation that the belts really make the outfit.

This time I'm trying the free Black Snail Patterns dropwaist belt pattern, which is so structured it veers towards corselet.

It's fully boned and has horsehair canvas interlining. For the outer fabric I'm using a failed early project, when I just learned fusible interfacing makes your project better, but I hadn't quite figured out how and it became a bubbling mess.

Slowly, this fully interfaced mess of a dress is turning into bowties and belts and ooh I can probably get a corset out of it!

This pattern is definitely harder than the other belt patterns I tried. I started doing it with the machine, but had to redo things by hand. However, I have a feeling it may be worth it.

actually. maybe my whole current mood... thing can be traced back to that one post where I had finished like six different things. I was just puttering along with some of it and others had been dormant for aged when I realised hey, I can put them all together and make a litte tumblr post and feel good about myself, so I focused on those things specifically.

And then I turned around and said, “well, that wasn’t so bad, why don’t I do this more often”

Except I had run out of almost finished things. I kept coming back to that stupid coat that i’ve been working on since march and spent the majority of two different sewing courses on. And there is still SO MUCH TO DO. Coats, it turns out, are really quite tricky and require a lot of technical skill and thinking through and if you try to bash your head through the wall to get them finished, turns out all you end up with is a headache. It still needs sleeves set in but before I set in the sleeves i need to do the epaulettes and those little loop things, and belt loops, and there’s more loops at the wrist and the lining and the topstitching is so wonky in places, why don’t I go and cut a whole new piece for the collar (it’s one of those fabrics that’s really unforgiving for ripped out stitches, the holes only disappear with a lot of persuasion) and oh god the lining and didn’t I want to make a hood and I had so much fabric left over I thought about making a little capelet and actually in THIS round of the sewing class - of which I’ve missed four out of eight evenings thanks to covid and christmas work party and general malaise of OH NO I MUST FINISH MY COAT (yes one time I didn’t go to sewing class because I had too much I still wanted to do in sewing class) - actually this time I wanted to make a waistcoat but all I have is some cut pieces that are slowly fraying away at the bottom of my projects bag and I can’t find the stupid bias tape maker I have somewhere and I wanted to hand stitch the horsehair canvas into the fabric because I watched too much Bernadette Banner and... Besides there’s awful people in that class who will just get some pattern adjustments and details pinned and leave early and return with a whole finished garment the next week and repeat that every week. The gall!

Anyways short version is I wanted to Just Quickly some things and you can’t Just Quickly most things and in sewing especially Just Quickly is the guarantee that you’ll have to put in twice the effort later and you can’t finish something before you’ve done them and I somehow need to manage the new projects I take on

Fitting Crispaire Full Canvas Suit: ตัดสูทหางม้า สไตล์คลาสสิคด้วยผ้าจากอังกฤษ ปกวินเทจ Classic Lapel ขนาดกว้าง ตัดเย็บแบบ unlined เน้นความเบาสบาย https://www.dgrie.com/blog/dgrie-crispaire-full-canvas-suit/ เสื้อสูทหางม้า “Full Canvas Construction Suit” ความพิเศษของเสื้อสูทรุ่นนี้คือ คือการเลือกใช้วัสดุภายในที่ทำมาจากผ้าแคนวาส “Canvas” ผ้าที่ถูกผลิตมาจาก “ขนหางม้า” (Horsehair ) ที่มีความบาง เบา ยืดหยุ่น และเป็นทรง นำมาตัดเย็บเป็นโครงสร้างของเสื้อสูท (Interlining) ด้วยมือ ในแบบเต็มตัว “Full Canvas” ตั้งแต่ช่วง บ่า-ปก ที่ช่วยให้ Lapel Rolled อย่างเป็นธรรมชาติ หางม้าแยก Layer ชัดเจน จรดชายด้านล่างของเสื้อสูท เพื่อให้ได้ชุดสูทที่ ทิ้งตัวสวย อยู่ทรงตลอดทั้งตัว, Canvas (Horsehair) แยกชิ้นกับผ้าอย่างชัดเจน (Floating Canvas) ด้วยเทคนิคการเย็บด้วยมือ, หากท่านใดชื่นชอบในสไตล์ชุดสูท “Full canvas” ที่มีระดับ สว��งาม และประณีตในทุกรายละเอียด สามารถเข้ามาใช้บริการตัดสูท Full Canvas ได้แล้วที่ DGRIE ทุกสาขา . DGRIE BESPOKE, CUSTOM MADE SUITS, PANT, SHIRT , OVERCOAT #ร้านตัดสูท ตัดเชิ้ต และ #ตัดกางเกง, ตัดเสื้อโค้ท #DGRIE #BESPOKE #SUITS BANGKOK ตัดสูท คุณภาพ ด้วยผ้านำเข้าจาก อังกฤษและ อิตาลี "ตัดสูท ตัดเชิ้ต ตัดกางเกง คุณภาพด้วยผ้าชั้นเลิศ" "ควบคุมการผลิตด้วยโรงงานของเราเอง" #สูทเจ้าบ่าว #สูทงานแต่ง #ตัดสูทเจ้าบ่าว ตัดสูทเพื่อนเจ้าบ่าว สูทสั่งตัดเริ่ม 6,900 บาท [CONTACT US] LINE: @Dgrie สาขาที่ให้บริการ ------------------------ DGRIE SATHORN สาขาสาทร นราธิวาสราชนครินทร์ ซอย 15 หัวมุมติดถนนใหญ่ 0893550555 เปิด 11.00-20.00น. Google Map: DGRIE SATHORN https://goo.gl/maps/q3hANKBHV5v ------------------------- DGRIE SIAMSQUARE SOI 2 สยามสแควร์ ซอย 2 026584899 เปิด 11.30-20.30น. Google Map: DGRIE SIAM https://goo.gl/maps/qMuiKk1t1UL2 ------------------------- (ที่ Dgrie) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmVyA_CvId_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

5 Ways To Stay Stylish In The Summer

Getting dressed in the summer can usually present a challenge. We’d prefer to stick with wearing as little and as light as possible, but those of us who have to look put together and professional can feel like they are left with little to no options to alleviate their situation. When you think of menswear, you can easily relate it to heavy dressing with multiple layers and form-fitting, constricting garments. As tailors and custom clothiers, we’re here to provide some easy solutions to get through the warmer months. Below are 5 ways to stay cool; both sartorially and physically! Stick to a lighter color palette. Darker colors keep in the heat and usually look out of place for the summer aesthetic. You can still wear your typical colors if you’re a fan of neutrals, but just go for medium shades instead of traditional dark navy and charcoal if lighter ones are too drastic for you. Various shades of browns are also great substitutes for black and pair well with a wide variety of colors. Focus on separates. If you still have to look professional during the warm months, utilize two and three piece suit options that can be broken up and worn on their own with lighter weight items. For example, a nice pair of lightweight wool dress pants with a 100% cotton dress shirt and tie is a heat-friendly menswear look while still remaining put together. Simply add a vest for more formal events! Or, pair a linen sports coat with jeans and a moisture-wicking polo for a casual weekend look. Look for natural fibers. Cotton, linen, silk, and wool will be your best friends this summer. Natural fibers release body heat and are extremely breathable. When it comes to custom jackets, ask your tailor about what type of lining fabric they use. Most are made with polyester which will make you feel warm very quickly as synthetics trap in heat. All of our jacket linings are 100% cotton and feel like silk. Choose canvas interfacing. If you’re going to wear a suit or jacket, make sure it is made with canvas inside as opposed to standard interfacing. A canvas construction is made from horsehair wefts mixed with cotton and silk, making it a natural fabric. This interior layer allow for your body heat to be released and keep you cool instead of trapping all of that in. Most off-the-rack (and even some custom) suiting is made with traditional synthetic interfacing and glue, so be sure to ask your tailor what method they use. All of the custom mens suits at Reign Custom Tailors are proudly made using canvas construction. Details in dressing. Lastly, regardless of what you decide to wear during the summer months, don’t forget about tailoring! From jeans, t-shirts, and other menswear casual clothing, we can tailor it all. You can still look put-together and stylish no matter what the weather is like. We offer full-service tailoring at both of our Phoenix locations. Don’t sacrifice your personal style this summer! Visit our experts today.  

Best Tailors in Bangkok

Website: https://reigntailors.com/

Email: [email protected]

The Art Of Suit Construction: A Guide To Understanding The Different Techniques

As per conventional practice, the outer exterior of wool fabric was overlaid with a layer of horsehair canvas when custom tailoring men’s suits. This canvas maintains the suit’s form and prevents it from deforming or sagging, much like how a house’s foundation keeps it erect…Read More