item details
Overview
A binder for the beach
In 2019, Te Papa collected a small group of objects that reflect key moments in the life of a young, transgender New Zealander as he transitioned, both socially and medically, in the late 2010s. Assigned female at birth, Will Hansen identifies as non-binary and trans masculine, and uses he/him pronouns. The collection includes two half binders.
Will purchased this binder, which has been specifically designed for the summer months. He writes of his experience of wearing this binder:
'Swimming at the beach is one of my favourite things to do, but until recently after top surgery, it has also been one of the most anxiety-inducing activities. Being surrounded by shirtless cisgender men and forced to wear a tight-fitting sports bra and rash shirt that clung far too closely to my curves, meant that the beach was a hotbed of dysphoria for me. The swimming binder, designed to be worn so that the user can feel a simulated shirtlessness, went a long way towards helping me feel more comfortable doing one of my most favourite activities. However, it became very stretched out from over-use and not so effective, causing my chest to slip out on one occasion - cue panic attack!'
Flavnt Streetwear
The binder is made by FLAVNT Streetwear, an American clothing company founded by twins, Courtney and Chris Rhodes, both of whom design for the company. Chris is trans. The siblings started Flavnt 'with the goal of creating clothes that promote confidence and pride.'
'We are a brand by queer people for queer people. We don't believe in men's or women's clothing, we just make clothes that promote self-confidence and self-love… We use our social visibility to show the world that not everyone fits into the gender/social binary and nobody has to. We feature gay, straight, queer, and trans models in an attempt to highlight a community that is often overlooked.'
Flavnt began manufacturing binders in 2016, and offer a variety of sizes and skin tones, with the tag line is 'Everyone deserves to feel confident in their bareskin'.