Crossplay without binding

[Crow]

Not sure if this can be called a controversial topic, but nobody seems to agree on this, so I thought I'd start some discussion.

How do you guys feel about female to male crossplay where the girl doesn't bind? I don't mean that the costume is a male character made into a female one- I mean the full male costume, just with breasts.

The impact is different, for sure, depending upon the cup size. But if you can really see the breasts, just how much does it detract from the cosplay, in your opinion?

[uchiha sakura]

I personally can't stand girls that don't bind when cross playing. i think it kills the costume. cause really you have the costume go the extra step and be the character. it's like cosplaying a character and just not bothering to buy a wig to match the color of the character's hair.

[Crow]

xD Glad I'm not one of the only people who's really bothered by it.

I'm not the best at binding, but I make my effort, dammit.

[Shiroku]

I see nothing wrong with girls crossplaying, but when they do it without the binding, it really bugs me.

I mean, some people would put their time into making the costume, yet they leave out the chest binding

[BATMANdoom.]

You have to consider health purposes too.

Honestly, I don't really care whether a girl binds or not, because I don't automatically think she's lazy or AMG NO BINDING = BAD COSPLAY. For all I know, she could have had the binding on all day, then just took it off for the rest so she could breathe and relax. Or like I said, health problems and stuff.

But I won't deny that in photoshoots, girl->guy serious crossplay will look better if they bind even the slightest bit.

EDiT;; IN SUMMARY, it does not bother me, but I agree that it does detract from the costume a bit.

[uchiha sakura]

there are ways to bind without making you unable to breath. ACE bandage is not the way to bind. they make compression shirts for a reason. there are other ways to bind and if you can't breath with the binding you are using then you did it wrong. I've done my fair share of binding for myself and my sister. it's not that hard.

[BATMANdoom.]

Was that in response to: "...it off for the rest so she could breathe and relax..." ?

No matter what you use, there is still going to be some constriction and discomfort. I didn't literally mean not being able to breathe at all.

Well, unless a person is like an A or maybe a B cup. Of course the amount will lessen if any occur at all. I didn't clarify.

I guess I'm speaking more for C and above. Even though I've read where girls with B's complained about sores and stuff.

[Crow]

I am speaking as someone a bit over a D, and I can tell you there IS discomfort, but there are so many ways to lessen it that I find binding worth it and think it says a lot about the level of dedication. I'm not going to crucify somebody for not binding, but I'm not really interested in taking a picture with them either.

I've only cosplayed as a woman once, so I've been through quite a few conventions wearing binding two to four days in a row, and never gotten sores. I think it all depends upon how much time you spend finding the right way to do it for you.

I'm still getting there- my binding isn't perfect because of how (as some people annoyingly put it =.= ) 'gifted' I am in that area, but I'm starting to learn what does and doesn't work for me. I've even been ice skating (true, exercise-type ice skating. xD) in cosplay with binding, and been fine.