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Breast binding, also known as chest binding, is the flattening of
breast The breast is one of two prominences located on the upper ventral region of a primate's torso. Both females and males develop breasts from the same embryological tissues. In females, it serves as the mammary gland, which produces and secret ...
s with constrictive materials such as cloth strips, purpose-built
undergarment Undergarments, underclothing, or underwear are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer garments from being soiled o ...
s, often using spandex or other
synthetic fiber Synthetic fibers or synthetic fibres (in British English; see spelling differences) are fibers made by humans through chemical synthesis, as opposed to natural fibers that are directly derived from living organisms, such as plants (like cotton) ...
, and shirts layered from tight to loose. Binders may also be used as alternatives to bras or for reasons of propriety. People who bind include females,
trans men A trans man is a man who was assigned female at birth. The label of transgender man is not always interchangeable with that of transsexual man, although the two labels are often used in this way. ''Transgender'' is an umbrella term that incl ...
, and non-binary persons.


History

Breast binding has been used in many historical contexts. Different time periods of history have had differing viewpoints on the female form, including the widespread use of corsets throughout western European history up to the
Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
. During the era of China's imperial dynasties, revealing the curves of a woman's breast was considered lewd and breasts were often bound with a moxiong. Use of the garment was particularly popular during the
Tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...
and
Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...
dynasties. Breast binding became an exclusive aesthetic practice for women continuing until the 1930s, with more prevalence among upper-class women. In Japan, the traditional
kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...
flattens the appearance of the breasts, with breasts bound and flattened with an
obi #REDIRECT Obi #REDIRECT Obi {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from ambiguous title ...
{{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from ambiguous title ...
, and a datemaki belt wrapped around the torso from the chest to the waist. A
sarashi A is a kind of white cloth, usually cotton, or less commonly linen, used to make various garments in Japan, such as ''juban'' (a kind of under-kimono), fundoshi, or tenugui. A length of may be wrapped around the body under a kimono as a hara ...
is used by Japanese women to flatten their breasts. Korean women wearing the traditional hanbok concealed the female body by binding their breasts tightly with a cloth band. In Africa, adolescent Wodaabe girls had their breasts tightly bound to induce sagging, minimize sexual desirability, and improve their ability to breastfeed. In cultures where the breasts of
pubescent The adjective pubescent may describe: * people or animals undergoing puberty * plants that are hairy, covered in trichomes * insects that are covered in setae In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a ...
girls are ironed to suppress their development, wealthier classes often choose to use an elastic belt to compress and flatten the breasts. Until early 20th century, many Catholic nuns bound their breasts under their
habit A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.
to deflect the attention from male clergy and diminish sexual desire in men. Breast binding was one of the punishments inflicted upon the women inmates confined in Ireland's
Magdalene asylums Magdalene asylums, also known as Magdalene laundries, were initially Protestantism, Protestant but later mostly Roman Catholic institutions that operated from the 18th to the late 20th centuries, ostensibly to house "Fallen woman, fallen women" ...
. Post-WWI women office workers modified their physique with bound breasts to reduce and conceal the female form, thereby minimizing sexual curiosity from males. In the 1920s, a flat-chested silhouette became the ideal look among women, with breasts bound against the chest wall with binders. To present a boyish form,
flapper Flappers were a subculture of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts (knee height was considered short during that period), bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptab ...
s bound their breasts. Wearing a
corset A corset is a support garment commonly worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape, traditionally a smaller waist or larger bottom, for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting effe ...
was one way that the size of breasts could be reduced.


Motivation

There are many reasons people would bind their breasts: * For accelerated recovery by reducing movement after an injury or surgery. * For
lactation suppression Lactation suppression refers to the act of suppressing lactation by medication or other non pharmaceutical means. The breasts may become painful when engorged with milk if breastfeeding is ceased abruptly, or if never started. This may occur if a ...
. * For concealment of
breast The breast is one of two prominences located on the upper ventral region of a primate's torso. Both females and males develop breasts from the same embryological tissues. In females, it serves as the mammary gland, which produces and secret ...
s or breast development. * For beauty and
aesthetics Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed thr ...
. * For
cosplay Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...
, crossplay, and other forms of
costuming Costume is the distinctive style of dress or cosmetic of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. In short costume is a cultural visual of the people. The term also was tradition ...
. * For a masculine clothed appearance, to assist with passing as male. * For transgender men, including non-binary people, it alleviates
gender dysphoria Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identitytheir personal sense of their own genderand their sex assigned at birth. The diagnostic label gender identity disorder (GID) was used until ...
by altering the appearance of the chest and creates
gender euphoria Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identitytheir personal sense of their own genderand their sex assigned at birth. The diagnostic label gender identity disorder (GID) was used until ...
; and as a substitute for, or prior to chest masculinization surgery. Women who have developed larger breasts from hormone replacement therapy or breast augmentation surgery may choose to bind. Some adolescents begin to bind their breasts as they
enter Enter or ENTER may refer to: * Enter key, on computer keyboards * Enter, Netherlands, a village * ''Enter'' (magazine), an American technology magazine for children 1983–1985 * ''Enter'' (Finnish magazine), a Finnish computer magazine * Enter ...
puberty Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy. ...
. This is done usually for reasons of embarrassment (they do not want others to know they have started developing), or desire to be as they previously were (they do not want to have breasts yet). This has potential risks, as the developing tissue may conform to the restricted shape, resulting in permanent deformity. Breast binding in adolescent girls may be a symptom of body dysmorphic disorder. Cisgender men may also find cause to bind if afflicted with gynecomastia as a means to control appearance in place of surgery or during the wait before surgery. However, cisgender men with gynecomastia typically wear male bras.


Transgender and non-binary people

Transgender men A trans man is a man who was assigned female at birth. The label of transgender man is not always interchangeable with that of transsexual man, although the two labels are often used in this way. ''Transgender'' is an umbrella term that inclu ...
may bind their breasts as an alternative to or while waiting for top surgery, in order to be recognized as masculine presenting. The appearance of a flat, masculine chest may cause
gender euphoria Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identitytheir personal sense of their own genderand their sex assigned at birth. The diagnostic label gender identity disorder (GID) was used until ...
. Many people who bind for gender-affirming purposes are unwilling to seek medical attention due to a perceived lack of knowledge from healthcare professionals, and continue binding anyway since they believe the benefits out-weigh the risks. In case of health concerns, they tend to seek help from healthcare professionals they perceive as trans-friendly and who will not stigmatize their binding practice.


Methods

Purpose-built
undergarment Undergarments, underclothing, or underwear are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer garments from being soiled o ...
s known as binders or binding bras exist (often using spandex or other synthetic fibre), and are commonly used for breast binding. These can be more expensive than other options and are not widely stocked, but are generally considered less dangerous than alternatives. Other common binding materials include cloth strips, elastic or non-elastic bandages, and shirts layered from tight to loose. Duct tape has been used as well, but is dangerous and should be avoided. Elastic bandages such as ace bandages are also unsafe to use. It is safest to use a binder from a reputable company or a high impact sports bra.


Complications

Breast binding is known to create a number of health risks, including difficulty breathing, backache, skin rashes, and deformity of the ribs. To minimise complications, it is often advised that a binding device/method should always be as loose as is practicable and should not be worn for longer than eight hours. Binding for extended periods of time can lead to
rash A rash is a change of the human skin which affects its color, appearance, or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin. Rashes may cause the skin to change color, itch, become warm, bumpy, chapped, dry, cr ...
es or
yeast infections Candidiasis is a fungal infection due to any type of '' Candida'' (a type of yeast). When it affects the mouth, in some countries it is commonly called thrush. Signs and symptoms include white patches on the tongue or other areas of the mouth ...
under the breasts, back or
chest pain Chest pain is pain or discomfort in the chest, typically the front of the chest. It may be described as sharp, dull, pressure, heaviness or squeezing. Associated symptoms may include pain in the shoulder, arm, upper abdomen, or jaw, along with n ...
,
shortness of breath Shortness of breath (SOB), also medically known as dyspnea (in AmE) or dyspnoea (in BrE), is an uncomfortable feeling of not being able to breathe well enough. The American Thoracic Society defines it as "a subjective experience of breathing disc ...
, overheating, or, rarely, fractured ribs. Additionally, some unconventional binding materials, such as duct tape or athletic bandages, are known to increase an individual's risk for negative health outcomes such as shortness of breath, musculoskeletal damage, and skin damage. Unsafe binding may lead to permanent deformation of the breasts, scarring, and lung constriction, and long-term binding may adversely affect the outcome of a future mastectomy.


See also

* Breast reduction * Dudou


References


Further reading

* *


External links

*{{Commonscat-inline, Binders (clothing) Breast Body modification Human appearance Undergarments Sexuality and society Trans men Flappers