Strapless gowns or shirts, one-shoulder types of outfits, and similar clothing styles require a built-in brassiere to give the wearer support without showing the bra straps. Although strapless bras are also an option, you can stitch a bra inside the shirt or dress yourself, for less than the price of a reputable strapless bra.
You can start with a bra you already own – strapless or otherwise. The type of bra you choose is of the utmost importance.The cups of the brassiere should be stiff and sturdy. Lace bras, and other flimsy types, may not give you the support you need after a few washings.
If need be, purchase stiffening fabric and stitch it into the bra cups. You’ll find fusible webbing, in a local sewing department, which will allow you to iron on a stiffening material that will give you the support you need.
Don’t choose bras that have scallopped edging, or similar cuts, around the cups. It will be much easier to stitch the bra to the outfit if the bra cups are straight cut and are full cups. Make sure that if the fabric of the garment is thin the shade of the bra matches the shade of the garment.
Get dressed, putting the bra on, then the intended outfit. The bra should be adjusted so that it fits comfortably but don’t worry with how the straps are adjusted. The straps, as well as the back of the bra, will later be removed.
It’s a good idea to have a friend help you pin the bra to the dress. This will ensure the bra is accurately pinned in place. Turning to reach the side area, without assistance, could cause the bra to shift and not fit properly inside the outfit.
Remove any embellishments the bra might have, such as a flower between the cups, to eliminate any bulkiness under the dress. Pin the brassiere to the dress,at the bottom edge of the bra, from one side seam to the other. Keep in mind the design of the dress. If, for instance, the outfit has a large bow in the pinned area, you will skip over the bow and pin the bra on each side of the bow, leaving the bow area unpinned for the moment.
Pin the bra around the side strap then up and around the cups. After all the pins are in place carefully take off the shirt or dress and prepare to sew it. Cut the straps off of the brassiere. Also remove the back section of the bra, from side seam to side seam. You are now ready to stitch the bra into place.
You’ll need to take a good look at the shirt or dress to determine whether or not machine stitching will be appropriate. For some outfits, the machine stitching will show, so you’ll need to hand stitch the brassiere to the outfit. Outfits that have fabric which drapes across the front, can usually be hand stitched, pulling the draping up and out of the way while stitching.
Most shirts or dresses will require you to hand stitch the undergarment to the outfit. Use single thread, in a whip stitch manner, to accomplish this. Be sure to stitch right along the edge of the bra and cups. Stitch along the very bottom edge of the bra, then work your way up and around the cups. Make sure the stitches are close together.
Pay extra attention to stitching in the area where the cups meet in the center. Usually a bow or ribbon were previously attached here. This upside-down “v” area is a stress point and you want to make sure you’ve stitched it appropriately. The same goes for the points above each cup, where the straps have been cut.
For areas where you skipped pinning because of the dress design, use a needle and thread to stitch the bra into place at these areas. Be sure not to catch the thread into things like a bow on front of the dress.
If you go out a lot, and wear many gowns or revealing shirts, you may be interested in installing a built-in bra in each of your outfits. You’ll no longer have to worry about choosing the perfect bra for the ensemble, but you’ll have the support you need already built into the dress.
Installing your own bras into your outfits is not complicated but can be slightly time-consuming. Stick with it, though, and you’ll soon have all your garments supporting you perfectly!
Reference:
- Purchase fusible webbing here: www.michaels.com
