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Built in bra?

Mireagaich | Posted in General Sewing Info on

I’m hoping some of you can help me with a design idea I’m having trouble putting into reality. I love the idea of the built in bra (like the Victoria’s Secret bra tops) but I’m having trouble figuring out how to do this and get a little better support. By the way, I want to use this for my favorite pattern I call my “jammie dress”…. princess seams, fit and flare style which I even used as the base for my wedding dress last year.

Most of the so-called bra tops I’ve seen are just a layer of stretchy material with elastic underneath. Fine for someone with a b cup or a more “youthful” bust profile but I’d like to have something more along the lines of an underwire bra with darts or shaped seams for support.

I’ve included a pic of the dress but it’s a little dark to help I think.

Thanks for your help.

Mireagaich

Replies

  1. suesew | | #1

    I once built an actual bra into a garment just for the reasons you mentioned. The elastic around the bottom had to be snug and I needed the straps for support. Without the straps there would have been too much stress on the garment fabric. To do it without a bra I would think you would have to think in terms of a tight fitting lining - perhaps with boning in it as in a strapless dress and then the outer fabric could hang over it without stess. Interesting problem.

  2. sewanista | | #2

    Australian Stitches magazine yearbook 2001 (Volume 8, No 3) had an article explaining exactly how to put an underwired bra into a camisole, I guess the principle would be the same for a wider shouldered dress. Cate Purcell, the author started with KwikSew 2610 and 2489 and combined the two. The gist of the article was to align the top edges and adjust the pattern outlines to match. She then showed how to convert the bra cups into darted cups and make them up from cotton lycra.
    I think back issues are hard to come by, but the publisher is Express Publications, the email is [email protected] . The American distributor is Quilters Resource, email [email protected].
    let me know how you go.

  3. pcraine | | #3

    Suesew's suggestion was also the first one that came to my mind because you could just use a regular bra.

    Another way to do it would be to build a corselet into the dress. 

    A corselet is slightly different from a tradtional boned bodice, which is built right into the agrment.  This is gerneally what you see in wedding gowns, for example.

    Susan Khalje has very good instructions for making a corselet in her book Bridal Couture .  A corselet is essentially an inner bustier and the garment hangs freely from it at the shoulders or bust. 

    Phyllis

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