Why Bra-Making?

May 28, 2015

Recently, I can’t help but notice that there is a flurry of interest in sewing bras. My curiosity is piqued, so I am posing a question to you all: why bra-making?

why bramaking watson bra in cream silkWatson Bra in Cream Silk & Embroidered Lace 

Sewaholic: First and foremost, I was inspired to take a bra-making class after reading Tasia’s write-up of Johanne Brousseau’s Bra-Making Class at A Great Notion. Bonus: I took the very same class and I found that everyone in it signed up because of Tasia’s post.

Fit and Lack of Options: To date, I have never seen a 30AA bra in the wild. The closest fit is 30A, but I have trouble filling out the cups and the underwire is often too small for my broad frame. 30A is a fringe size for most retailers, so  design options are pretty limited and lackluster. Sewing my own bras meant that I could control the design, material, fit, construction, etc.

So why bra-making? Is it due to the increasing accessibility and availability of bra-making resources? Is your bra size impossible to find at the retail level? Were you inspired by a certain blogger? Share in the comments below!

6 Comments

  • Maddy

    May 28, 2015 at 9:15 PM

    For me, it was a combination of things; I have a very strong interest in fashion and what I wear, and given my predilection for vintage and classic-styled pieces, I encounter a lot of high pricetags. This becomes even worse when you take my bra size (30F), where the options are moderately expensive and boring or ridiculously expensive but lovely. I was pretty inspired when I started seeing other people’s gorgeous lingerie creations, and once I overcame my trepidation, I was hooked! Now I can have underwear that’s pretty, well-fitting AND affordable – who’d have thought??

    1. tailormadeblog

      May 28, 2015 at 10:08 PM

      Thanks for sharing. Sewing your own bras is a great way to cater to your personal style. We all have our personal preferences and tastes even when it comes to our unmentionables, so learning how to make bras gives you the ability to accomplish just that!

  • Emerald Erin

    June 16, 2015 at 10:17 PM

    I got into bra-making through swimwear (my ultimate passion) but the two really go hand in hand. What I love about it is it’s something practical that you can wear, and you can make it as pretty and unique as you like, not to mention it’s kind of that next step in sewing- learning how to work with knit fabrics, elastics, lace and all very little curved seams. I just love it- and I’m pretty much a perfect RTW 36C – so finding bras in stores has never been a challenge for me- I just love making them 🙂

    1. tailormadeblog

      June 17, 2015 at 7:45 PM

      Haha, that’s great that you’re still motivated to make bras even though they are readily available to you in RTW. Awesome!

  • Alma Robles

    July 19, 2015 at 12:55 PM

    Hi!
    I studied fashion design and in the last year we got a lingerie making class (it actually wasn’t really good tho) and for the school’s annual runway I had to make a set, so I did this one http://almaloveless.tumblr.com/post/124349238902/almaloveless-lingerie-inspired-by-frida-kahlo

    And one day people started to reblog it a lot on tumblr, so I kept making more bras and lingerie, I did a research and found a lot of people into bramaking and that have helped me out a lot.

    I believe the DIY boom is the reason why “fashion making” is becoming more common and popular.

    Also I love your blog, I’ll keep and eye on it!

    1. tailormadeblog

      July 19, 2015 at 8:37 PM

      Thank you for your kind words! Also your set is very lovely. Can’t wait to see more work from you!

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