Fine-tuning a bra fit

[indrayu]

Aargh! The bra I've been working on fitted as it should at every stage, until now when I'm attaching the final bit between the cups. Several versions later, still gaping at the top (on a small frame, even a fraction is too much)

It is something to do with the real piece pulling the cups in a slightly different alignment. During the rest of the construction, I had it joined together in the middle with ribbon, which has some flexibility. The final look is intended to be with a wider piece, going from the centre of the cups down to the bottom edge.

I've put the bra on and drawn the shape needed, and redrafted several times. All looks right until the actual hand-sewing of the piece. The finished attempts have all been reinforced and quite firm. Would using slightly less interfacing (e.g. on front fabric only) allow slightly more flex and allow the cups to sit how they should? They are more for covering than support; a narrow strip has always been easy to fit in the past, but the wider piece suits the design better.

 

[Darshiva]

Is there any way to keep them both there? pin the wider fit in then the narrower fit and when you put it on, observe how the wider fit is sitting differently to the narrower fit, and make some adjustments to suit.

 

[indrayu]

Hmmm, maybe tack the good fabric piece on, both sides equally starting from the bottom while the ribbon is in place. If all goes well, sew up to the ribbon then take it out to do the last centimetre.

The Costume Goddess photo galleries show almost all the bras with just a narrow join at centre front. Is this a hint??

 

[Amulya]

Can you show us pictures of the bra? I find it difficult to imagine what is going on by just reading the description. I have had many different bra fine-tune issues in the past so I might be able to give tips if I know what exactly the problem is.

 

[indrayu]

There photos make the worst of Regretsy look good! I'd blame the camera, except I was raised on sayings like "A poor workman always blames his tools"

Hopefully, you can see a difference between the two photos, with the cups tilting outwards at the top more on the one with the wide centre piece. They both have the centre joining pinned in roughly for the photos. The wide one is the actual piece I was planning to use. I would make a better attempt at symmetry before actually stitching.

Straps and embellishments to come when the centre bit is finished. Thinking of making the shoulder straps split at the end; one piece joining to the point on the upper, outer edge of the cup, the other attaching a bit in toward the centre so there is a small bare triangle in the centre of where it joins the cup.

 

[gisela]

Have you tried to pin shoulder/neck straps on yet? The gaping at the top might be solved by a neck strap holding the cups in. And perhaps you should wear the bra a bit higher on the chest? It looks like it's sitting low now.

 

[Pleasant dancer]

Thinking of making the shoulder straps split at the end; one piece joining to the point on the upper, outer edge of the cup, the other attaching a bit in toward the centre so there is a small bare triangle in the centre of where it joins the cup.

This would help. And I agree with Gisella that perhaps a higher fit would help. I have solved this problem but putting on two sets on straps, one a halter neck, the other over the shoulders as usual, but I am large busted and this might be a bit too much on a small frame.

Why not get some grosgrain ribbon and pin on some straps in different places to see which works best? Then make your proper straps accordingly. Fiddling around with strap positioning can make all the different to the fit. Best of luck!

 

[indrayu]

Yes, it is a bit low with no shoulder straps yet. There's not much room for error on me, so I want the cups to sit as close to my body as possible, then the shoulder straps are more for style and back-up than necessity.

The two sets of straps has sparked an idea: two sets, halter and over-shoulder, attached at different points on the cup so they cross over on the front. If they are fine, they shouldn't look too overwhelming.

Thanks!

 

[Darshiva]

I noticed that the thin centre strap is sitting a bit higher and pulls the cups closer together than the fat one. That would affect the fit too, I think.

 

[Daimona]

To me it seems like the wider band is pulling the bottom of the cups closer making the cups sit differently on you.

Tack it on while the narrow band is in place (perhaps you could keep them both while doing this?), or at least mark the fabric where the bottom of the cups would go before you sew it on. Then go ahead and play with the straps as the others have said.

 

[Amulya]

The smaller middle connection between the cups seems better, but it's true that upper bands affect how they fit. Halter style often makes gaps for me at the bottom where the cups connect. But if the cups end up looking small then halter style is a way to make them a bit better.

 

[indrayu]

The problem is, I've tried various ways to get the best position of the cups on the centre piece: putting the bra on with the ribbon join then slipping the wide piece under and tracing where it sits, doing as before but making a pin line rather than chalk line in case the width of the chalk was distorting it, holding it together with the ribbon and tacking one side of the wide piece on then tracing the position of the other side. Having the cups a little wider or closer hasn't affected the tilt of the cups.

And, with very little to hold the bra in the right place except good fitting in the first place, there's a limit to how much can be done with shoulder/neck straps before the whole thing moves upwards uncontrollably!

:wall:

Give up on the wider strap and just go with the ribbon width?
Persist, trying different amounts of flexibility in the piece (regular bra straps which have some stretch don't have this problem)

Thanks again!

 

[Daimona]

Is making the connection of the backstrap with the cups wider a solution?

And have you asked a friend for help? Whenever you move your arms, this will probably distort the placement of the bra as well, adjusting these things by yourself will make it harder to become perfect.

 

[SeeJaneDance]

Have you thought about using two narrower pieces to connect? It'd allow some flexibility, which given everything you've described, sounds like the problem. The wider piece seems to be contorting the curved edges of the cups. If you did a small piece where you have the ribbon, then come back with another small piece slightly below it, you'd have the look of something a little bulkier, but without making that wide distortion along the cups.