I used to think that tidbit of wisdom was silly. Until I realized that there were long periods of time between my shopping and when I went to buy the same thing again... dun, dun, dun... it was gone, never to be made again.  The style would change, the fabrics, whatever. Stores just do not stock basics anymore. Probably ties back into FCF.

Well, I followed that advice when I purchased bras a couple years ago.  Lane Bryant has been a good source for bras, but they can be a hit & miss. Luckily, I found a big hit. They sell this adorable and sexy embroidered French full coverage bra.  It has a little lace, a little padding, lovely lift, cute fabrics, lace on the straps.  I bought a 5 bras, in neutrals and bright colors with polka dots, with color coordinating underwear. Love those all my pieces!  

For the first time in ages, I have a flattering bust that is the teensy-ist bit pointy and lifted and gives such nice definition rather than being smooshed and flattened into a cup shape that is different than my needs. If you're in the market for a new bra and are a plus size with a bust over DD, I highly recommend you try Lane Bryant.  

I even wear these bras hiking. They're way more comfortable than most sports bras because I don't end up with a headache!  Mine are beginning to wear out. SO SAD!  

After 2 bra "failures"  I mean learning experiences, I finally realized that I was better off studying what already fits.  I've done this with my T-shirts and pants.  Why not bras? Silly me. It would have been wise to start there.   

I spent time studying one of these French Cacique bras. I'm really fascinated by the RTW construction vs. construction in the bra patterns I'm using. Some techniques  align, others vary.  Both are good. It will be fun to try & adopt some of the RTW techniques. 


For reference, Cacique and Lane Bryant size this bra as a 40DDD.

On the 2 bras I've made to date, the bridge is always made of power stretch. A detail I find both pretty and interesting is the black lace over a lining fabric (likely tricot or simplex. It has absolutely no stretch and if a tricot, is likely a 15 denier.).  I've seen this lining used in sports bras, swimsuits, and also the Cacique bra I'm showing you here. The bra fits so comfortably, even with the bridge against my skin all day, I don't even notice that it's a poly material. There's no chaffing.

I like the look of the black lace bridge aligning with the black lace top of cup. It is a pseudo butterfly, similar to a design Beverly Johnson teaches. I really like that lace stops right under the lower cup seam. I think this brings the eye in toward the center of the body, giving the illusion that you are narrower.  Illusions and where the eye travels are very important in our clothing and art. Use them to your advantage and you can excite your viewer, leading them to where you want them to look.

This bra has 2 pieces for the cup. I find it interesting that the center front cup pieces are so much smaller than the side cup pieces. This makes sense considering the larger cup size.  But I also didn't instinctually realize how close the apex are.  My body is shaped a little differently.  So when it is worn, my natural bust point is turned in by the shape of this bra. Beverly Johnson talks about this in her 2nd book. 

I adore the look of the lace stitched to the front straps. It feels so chic, so... French. This is only stitched onto firm, non-stretch strap material. The back strap is stretchy to allow flexibility and not pull down on your shoulders all day. If it were firm, there is a higher chance of headache due to the amount of weight on your shoulder and neck muscles. 

I've owned this bra for 2 years. I find it interesting that there is a little pilling of the lace. That tells me that it's a medium to low a quality lace.  The level of quality also implies that it has a higher count of poly and may not have been manufactured for last-ability (long-term, full life focused) , but rather to be quickly and efficiently made (short term, immediate need filled to make a sale).  The pilling is minimal and hardly noticeable, unless you're getting real close. And if you are, well, you'd have to be a pretty special guy. ;) 

The lace is one thing that sold me on buying these bras. First it gave me a nice lifted and rather pointy shape (something I haven't had).  Second, with the lace it felt so sheer and sexy and vulnerably exposed.  I'd always worn molded bras before this. When I tried these bras on, I was worried about showing "birthday cake candles" as my friend Joel calls them, when cold. But, fortunately, no one has sung happy birthday to me on a cold non-birthday day. 

Switching to the inside of the bra, the first thing that caught my eye were how smooth the elastics all were. None appear to be stretched. The powerstretch is smooth (the wrinkles seen are due stretching from wear). I really, really like that. 

The puckering from attaching a shorter elastic to a longer piece of powerstretch is a totally fine application.  It doesn't look puckered when worn and it allows the bra to really conform and firmly hold around the body, the critical area of a bra.  Its value may be in offering longer term lastability over the smooth application as it may be less likely to stretch out and more likely to be comfortable.  But I have to believe there is a case for the smooth - same size elastic to same size powerstretch application. 


Given how much I've worn these, I'd say that alone speaks to the same:same over shorter:longer.  It's intriguing really, If anyone has studied using identical fabrics with varied construction of the band, I'd love to know which construction allows for the longest lasting, most comfortable bra.

Again at the cradle where it attaches to the band, we see the boning casing, quite similar to the underwire casing.  But, we also see the lining fabric as used on the bridge (below).  The powerstretch is on the left and used in the band.  The tricot or simplex (I'm not exactly sure what the fabric is), is located between the underwire and the side boning. You can see the polka dots barely shining through.  I believe this non-stretch combined with the boning, help hold everything up and in some ways help push it forward at the sides. Depending on your shape, you may have a longer or a shorter width from side seam to underwire.  The boning hits me just at the front of my underarm.  For some of us, the bustline tends to gravitate toward the armpits.this helps counter that and helps push the breast into the cup, where it should be.

Like you may have seen on ClothHabit, the inside seams of foam cups have a seam covering. I find it interesting that the lower cup seam has the lining and appears to be zig zagged, whereas the upper cup to lower cup cross-cup seam is only serged, then topstitched down. When worn, I'm not aware of either seam.  But when I first bought them, it did take some getting used to the lace vs. foam cup.  I was much more aware of the draftiness and the cross-cup seam then.

Finally, we see the firm, non-stretch, lightweight tricot or simplex material I've yet to find or identify. In my underwire sports bras, I really liked this fabric at the bridge. It gave the really stretchy fabric some structure and I found that comfortable when running, jumping, etc.

What is your favorite feature in a bra? 

Have you looked at your own bras to see how you can translate some of those features into your bra making? Or even your clothing? 

Can you shine a light on the bridge and cradle fabric? 

Have you tested out comfort and lastability in bra materials vs. construction? 

When starting my first bra, I felt like I needed make the full bra in order to see how the cups would fit because that would be the only way to have all the support in place.  Monica suggested we fit an individual cup and showed how in her Sew Expo workshop. But, when I tried to do that on myself, my girls did *not* want to cooperate. Ugh.

You see, my girls don't sit up and bark. They do the Miranda clap. They aren't a fondant covered birthday cake with pointy candles that want happy birthday sung to them (there's a story there, yes). My girls wander where they will and are great friends with a pretty cool and very consistent guy named Mr. Gravity. When I attempt to fit them unsupported, it's like trying to "nail jello to a tree," a term from my Texan friends, or maybe it's like trying to catch fish with your bare hands.  Odd at best.

When I am working through a challenge I research. Heavily.  I pour through my bookshelf. I buy books recommended by other sewers who've been working on similar projects. I follow threads and surf waves of knowledge and links as far as they will take me. I know others must have been through this. Sewing is such an old craft.  There must be tribal knowledge somewhere.  

In search of an answer, I read many blogs  Maddie's,  Kathy's,  Amy's,  Novita's and several others.  In my experience, no one single person has all the answers I am seeking. Using multiple sources allows me to get a very complete answer.  

With a fit, the most helpful thing is for me to draft a pattern based on my own measurements.  That way, I'm not trying to alter someone else's block or with a body style or shape that has very different fitting issues from my own. It cuts out a lot of pain and heartache. And saves on fabric too.  This and my research brought me to Beverly.

Beverly Johnson, bra pattern designer and owner of Bra-Makers Supply is known as the Fairy Bra Mother.  (Help me, oh Fairy Bra Mother!) The Bra-Makers Supply is one of the biggest suppliers in North America with the best and most clearly organized selection.  

In searching for reviews of Beverly's patterns, I came across Emerald Erin's blog. She spent a week learning to bras at Boob Camp and sew swimwear with Beverly. I also found a great interview that Stephanie of Starcross Sewing did on Beverly. Stephanie is also challenging herself with a year in indie patterns.  She's picked some unusual and fun patterns and introduced me to some new designers.  I enjoyed her interviews also.

After reading those posts, I was sold on Beverly's work.  I invested in her book, The Bra Makers Manual, Vol. 2 (because it has a section on pattern drafting) and the Shelley pattern. In her book I discovered that for many breast types & shapes, fitting the cup must take place while the breast is supported. Oh wonderful. Now I get it.  

Did you know she has a Craftsy class that just launched? Yay!

I also invested in a book by Norma of Orange Lingerie, Demystifying Bra Fitting and Construction, months ago.  I must not have been ready to read it, because I was caught by the kindle formatting and couldn't see beyond to the content.  Thanks to Kathy's post this week, I went back to Norma's book this weekend. Norma has a section called testing and fitting the toile. It's ultimately a muslin version of a bra with some great notes on how to work through fit. And I thought I had to get the underwire and all that jazz in first. Oh how lovely.

Now I am ready to draft a pattern and test the fit for Bra #3!  

Do you research before starting a major project? Or do you dive right in?

Are there any other bra resources or people sewing them/blogging about them you recommend? I'd love to know!