For many people, the process of beginning chest binding can be daunting. I, for one, was terrified to even Google search for binders, much less measure myself and buy one. But like most people going through the transition process, I had finally reached a point where layered sports bras and loose t-shirts no longer cut it for me. I settled for what was essentially a glorified sports bra for my first binder. It was tough, white, plain, and did the job just fine.

Upon further thought, however, I wished that the binding websites I’d looked at had done a little more to help out a scared trans person that had just come out like myself. Most of the websites for binders nowadays (and trust me, I’ve seen enough of them to make this generalization) make it difficult for people first getting into binding to get over their fears and enjoy this new step in their lives. All of the websites were plain, hard to navigate, and set up with an assumption that you already know what you’re doing. Or worse, the websites don’t accommodate for all sizes of people, and in order for a larger-chested person to get fitted they either have to shell out more money to get a custom fit or try another style or website. Most troubling, the websites often label themselves as a “lesbian” store and assume their primary customers are cis women, even going so far as to show exclusively skinny, white cisgender women as models for their products. On the other side of the scale, there are occasionally trans people as models for their products, but they cater exclusively to trans men, who are the majority but not the entirety of people who use chest binders. Even more confusing, there are also websites that show thin, muscular cisgender men as the models for their chest binders.

What I wish I’d had when going through this was a store like Shapeshifters. Shapeshifters is a store that sells handmade binders, and is about everything I wished I had had as a young trans person just coming to terms with my gender. This revolutionary website sells binders that are all custom fitted and made exclusively for each customer. They are hand made and are designed by a couple of nonbinary trans people for people of all genders.

Their slogan on their website says they have “Chest binders and compression bras for all sizes and all genders.” Their binders are all a set price for each style, so there is no size discrimination and they do not make plus-sized clients pay more for their binder. Their website is fun and colorful, and their FAQ breaks down the basics of Binding 101 so that people who are just getting their start can learn the safest ways to bind. Their models for the binders are of all genders and all sizes, and they even had access to a customer selfies page, where potential customers can see what people of all body types look with their binders on.

They also allow for free alterations in case something with a client’s binder is wrong at first. They even have a binder repair service for a mere $10 in case something goes wrong later down the road with a client’s binder. In addition, the binders are reasonably affordable. Their prices are about $50 per binder not including shipping, which is about average price for a good binder. They could easily get away with charging more, but they don’t.

As if all of this wasn’t fantastic enough, their binders are designed to make their wearers feel as absolutely comfortable as possible. This doesn’t just reference the confidence that comes with finding a binder that fits as well as flattens your chest properly: this references the joy of wearing a piece of clothing that is fun and which fits your unique style. Take a look at some of the styles they offer:

Scales, glitter, rainbow, pinstriped, galaxy print- you name it. There are dozens of different fabrics to choose from, even plain black, white, or beige if that’s more your speed. The fabric is the truly revolutionary part of the binders. Binders tend to only come in black, white, or beige: they are designed to fulfill their function and nothing else. The idea of a binder coming in a rainbow print or in an iridescent mermaid scale print has been previously unheard of. Bras and underwear are occasionally given the “fun” treatment and given cute prints and designs, but binders across the board (until now) have been plain.

Why is this important, you may ask? Because chest binders can (and most of the time do) treat gender dysphoria. While a cis female (or the occasional trans person with breasts who lives without dysphoria) can look at their breasts and accept their existence or even be happy to have them, trans people often do not have this luxury. Gender dysphoria is the feeling that one’s body parts do not match one’s gender. For trans-masculine people, dysphoria is often accompanied by shame, sadness, and general displeasure that their body is not “masculine” enough. I myself cope with mild dysphoria in the chest department, and I never go a day without looking at my chest after putting on my binder and think “it’s not flat enough” with a pang of disappointment. The plain black or white of the three binders I own already draw my eye to the fact my chest is not masculine enough.

Shapeshifters’ binders, however, combat dysphoria by giving their customer a fun fabric option for their chest binders. A customer on the testimonials page of their tumblr blog states “[my shapeshifters binder] looks cool, so it gives me the same little confidence boost as a cute pair of underwear" (x). The binders also come in the designs of marvel superheroes such as Captain America and Iron Man complete with an option for a light up arc reactor if desired). I shouldn’t even need to explain why wearing a superhero design on one’s chest would feel empowering for a trans person who deals with chest dysphoria. The very ability to look in the mirror at one’s bound chest and think “wow, I look like a cool dragon with this scale pattern!” rather than (or at least before) thinking “ugh, my chest is not flat enough today” is one trans people who bind seldom have, and one which shapeshifters is allowing for.