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[Frumple]

Y'know, if I had a nickle for every time someone appreciated me being lazy, I'd have more than one nickle. It's still kinda' awkward every time it happens, though. Glad not wanting to type more than one syllable brightens someone's day a little, I guess...?

[EuchreJack]

Hopefully this interview from the Guardian of Munroe Bergdorf helps.  I found it interesting. Fuck Westminster, Go Scots.

[Great Order]

Two questions:

1) Anyone got advice for protecting breasts? Usually I'm fine, but doing martial arts means that sometimes my proto-breests get smacked, pressed on or whatever and it suuuuuuucks.

2) Any sports bra advice? They're rapidly becoming problematic when I'm jogging. There's still nothing obvious due to still having moobs, but they're large enough that they bounce kinda painfully.

[Loud Whispers]

Supportive sports bra obvious first suggestion, if that is not enough then consider a proper chest guard. Depending on what martial arts you're doing there might already be a brand of chest guards for that martial art. One novel solution you may want to consider is using protective gear from other martial arts. E.g. fencing uses three protective layers to protect against sword strikes to the chest. The jacket and lame (which are probably not suitable for other martial arts, due to looking out of place fashion-wise, being expensive, and you'll overheat very quickly). However the third piece - the plastron, is worth some consideration.

The plastron is a kind of vest that goes over the chest and covers the sword arm's bicep, and is worn over a shirt and strapped around you. It is worn under the fencing jacket and provides an extra vital layer of defence against sword strikes. It is sold in padded and unpadded forms and is fantastic protection against abrasion and sharp focused strikes. It can be worn over gym wear without looking odd or out of place, and can be worn easily underneath a martial arts uniform. Plastrons are sold padded or unpadded in unisex and gendered designs, whilst also offering full mobility compared to rigid or semi-rigid underarm protectors. Wearing a sports bra, t shirt, plastron, uniform would give you 4 layers - and whilst not immune to painful strikes, does much to protect the chest as it was designed to do, though I imagine a padded one would probably be better for protecting against punches, as a standard unpadded plastron is designed more for protecting against being pierced by a broken blade than protecting against regular blunt force.

There are also things like archery chest guards, but I don't know anything about them personally. There are also rigid and semi-rigid underarm and chest protectors, but I also don't know about them, and I wonder if there's a risk of buying a rigid chest protector and accidentally breaking someone's hand if they punch it too hard lol

[Great Order]

Japanese Jiu Jitsu. Predominantly it's either I catch it, I'm throwing someone and, being unused to having sensitive boobs, drag their arm across it, or we're doing pins which require the person performing them to put their weight through your chest most of the time.

Rigid's probably out, I'd need something more padding-esque. I'll be buying a rashguard alongside a sports bra (So as to cover up the sports bra, since one of my weekly sessions takes place at a leisure centre so we use the public changing rooms, I don't want random public to see what they think of as a dude in a bra) which will probably help a bit, but it won't help so much with compression.

[Rolan7]

bluh looking at bras and bra-models is giving me gender frustration but it's important to get a comfortable one.

This is BY FAR my favorite bra:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Avia-Women-s-Medium-Support-Racerback-Sports-Bra/285946494
It's light polyester-lycra with thin but firm foam inserts.  The inserts verifiably protect against being poked in the chest, and they also comfortably flatten my chest.  My booba is very noticeable in a non-baggy t-shirt, but with this underneath I'm completely stealth.  (And I really value being able to do that).  I wear this more than I don't, even sometimes to bed.  I often leave the inserts out now though, for some subtle feminine curve while keeping the abrasion protection.

It doesn't feel like it's providing much support until I take it off and try to jog, or descend stairs.  I can't even- I basically can't do that now, I always circle back for support.  It's not the soreness of early growth, it's more about the mass moving in a weird way...  so that's a nice little reality check whenever I feel like I don't have any chest.

I just measured my self at 38" band circumference, and XL fits me perfectly.  It feels snug but it doesn't bite like my other bras.  I guess that's the lycra, though also maybe I've stretched it slightly over the past four months of near-constant use.

So yeah I'm VERY happy with it, and it's the only one I've tried with such easily removable inserts.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Avia-Women-s-Racerback-High-Impact-Sports-Bra/249452757
This one costs $16 instead of $10 and is "high impact" but has no inserts at all, so almost nill impact protection???  It's also uncomfortably tight in the band despite being the same size and manufacturer.  It also has awkwardly big cups despite also being a "sports bra".

I use it as a backup when I need to wash my good one (I often just handwash my good one in the shower though, it's just light polyester).
I'm just now realizing why size charts have been so unhelpful to me, and why they emphasize cup size as much as band size.  I have a bit of belly fat but my "band" is just my ribcage...  Whereas someone with a smaller skeleton could easily reach my 38" band with soft tissue.  And their "C-cup" would be a lot different from my "C-cup", shape-wise.  (I measured a high B back in November and it HAS to be more, now.  I'd rather not check).
Anyway, I think there's going to be some guess-and-checking.  My size (for this brand) is roughly XL at 38".  I tried a L that I REALLY liked the design of, but it was obviously too small so I returned it (and they did take it back!).  I probably should have tried it in a changing room (even over a thin shirt?) but I wasn't brave enough, I was nervous enough anyway.

That's also why I went for the cheapest, though I'm still surprised (annoyed, honestly) that my $10 is materially better than the $16 one in every way.  though maybe the larger cup size will be useful (':
(same listed size though!!  Both sports bras, same brand, agh!!)

[Vector]

As an AFAB martial arts person, my advice is 1. yes a sports bra to pin them down when you're running and make sure the fit is correct but also 2. I'm so sorry but in terms of sudden boob ouchies during puberty you're just going to have to deal with it. And yes, it sucks. If the problem is cloth abrasion against nipples use some athletic tape, pasties, or bandaids if you want to cover up the sensitivity zone, but in general the answer for the problem you're talking about is "Take a Deep Breath Sweetie, That's Just How It Is."

(Open to other answers of course but this is a problem for most girls in PE classes and I never talked to a single person with a solution.)

[Remalle]

I love you all <3

[Egan_BW]

Thanks. :)

[Magmacube_tr]

Haha, thank you~

[Great Order]

Yep, I'm in need of a padded sports bra or something. Couldn't do much jitsu today because they were getting way too uncomfortable way too easily.

I'll just get a cheap one, I'll be replacing it soon enough. No point in buying one to last if I won't be wearing it in 6 months time.

[Rolan7]

Yep that was my thinking too!  And who knows, a cheap padded sports bra might last longer than you think.  Some of the reviews on mine were whining about "looking flat" wearing it, that it was hiding "substantial" amounts of boob.
Also thanks Remalle <3

[Great Order]

Well, measuring size and I've unlocked new dysphoria!

Big fecking chest. As in the ribcage is big. There's a layer of flab, but pulling it tight to "simulate" losing weight only gave me an extra 1.5 inches of play room.

Like, it's not catastrophically large, we're not talking Elon Musk levels, but it's large enough that it falls into L/XL.

I'm also an A cup rather than an AA, I think because I'm still running with moobs over the top of the actual boobs.

[Magmacube_tr]

Does anyone here would really like to have a partner in theory, but is absolutely horrified by the concept in reality? Can't be the only one.

[Rolan7]

Pretty sure having a wide chest and large band size is just a typical trans girl thing.  Nothing to do about it and work a bit harder to get a bra that fits.

Reminder that I have 38" band and XL is just *barely* large enough, and that's basically hugging my ribs.  L is unwearable.  I shouldn't have tried, but I was a bit vain   It's nothing to be ashamed of.

Does anyone here would really like to have a partner in theory, but is absolutely horrified by the concept in reality? Can't be the only one.

Mmm yeah a bit.  I have a great partner (I had a nightmare about us breaking up yesterday, messed me up a bit) but it's long-distance, and I get... really awkward about being sexual with them, usually.  A LOT more than I did with strangers, actually.  I think there's some shame problems there.

(not the trans part, we're t4t-ish and they've been incredibly supportive and vice-versa <3)