Costume Bra

[Shanazel]

Great job! Looking forward to the bling.

 

[nursedoe]

See the pretty costume in the upper left corner? I have been trying to figure out how to do something similar. I have some 1.5 inch grosgrain ribbon and some 7/8 inch. Been playing around with it. I am thinking I am going to have to take my brand new sewing machine out of the box soon!

 

[Shanazel]

You must mean the upper left corner of the page since I didn't see a costume in the upper left of your photos. The orange? It is pretty, isn't it? That's Salome. She brought some costumes to Casper when she taught a workshop here- gorgeous things.

 

[Amulya]

Well done with the bra covering! Looking forward to the next pictures! If you want you can add them to the costume diary thread

 

[nursedoe]

I love the diary of your costume. Did you mean to add mine to the same diary thread?

I was thinking that since bras are not going to be easily cleaned after adding bling- I might want to put a lining that is a bit more absorbent like cotton that is tacked in? snapped in with baby snaps? That way I could take that part out and change or wash it? I could line it with mini pads...naw- just kidding, but seriously if I were to wear the bra without a choli under it, won't it get all sweaty/stinky?

 

[Darshiva]

Actually all of the suggestions you've made are different, effective solutions to the issue you describe. Choose the one that appeals to you the most and go with it.

I usually hand-wash mine every few wearings, but air them out after each performance.

 

[Amulya]

I love the diary of your costume. Did you mean to add mine to the same diary thread?

Yes that diary thread is for everybody. It's handy to have pictures of how we have made things all in one place I think easy to find for people.

Regarding keeping costumes fresh, like Darshiva said. Works well! I wash mine with shampoo and cold water.

 

[Daimona]

I love the diary of your costume. Did you mean to add mine to the same diary thread?

I was thinking that since bras are not going to be easily cleaned after adding bling- I might want to put a lining that is a bit more absorbent like cotton that is tacked in? snapped in with baby snaps? That way I could take that part out and change or wash it? I could line it with mini pads...naw- just kidding, but seriously if I were to wear the bra without a choli under it, won't it get all sweaty/stinky?

The most important thing is to air out the costume after every use.

I've only washed one of my bra costumes after somebody else borrowed it.
I've also tried washing a dress and a top, but I've had problems with beads and paliettes loosing their color when being washed so I prefer not to wash the entire things (but then I only wear the costumes for the performance, not long before and not long after).

I second the absorbent lining. Because if it starts getting smelly, you can wash it or replace it.

 

[Darshiva]

Just remember if you do that to remove it before you onsell it. The buyer will not thank you for leaving it in place.*




*I just recently purchased some second-hand costume pieces. One of them had absorbent lining. Even though I washed the costume before doing anything to it, that stuff was nasty! Not my idea of a fun afternoon unpicking fabric rotten with someone else's sweat. But hey, cheap bra.

 

[Bellydance Oz]

I am trying to make a simple costume bra. I am a F or G cup, so I started with a Wacoal bra with the support of Boulder Dam that is strapless or convertible strap type. It fits me well. I want to keep the band as is because the support comes from the band not the straps. ...The bra is black and I will likely add coins, medals, and some sort of trim I will make from old sari fabric.

My questions: Do I have to cover the bra? I would keep it black, so do I need to put more black fabric on top?

Shushanna's site is by far the best advice I've ever seen on how to make a bra:

Shushanna Designs: Bases for Bras

You'll see she doesn't say you have to cut off the connector, straps, band etc, and instructs you how to work with them. Personally I try to avoid removing the band - on a well-fitting bra, that's what supports you. You should always be able to put a bra on and it will stay in place without the straps, at least while you're standing still - if you cant do that, it will never be comfortable.

She also doesn't insist you add reinforcement, if the bra is already strong enough - and if you've bought a bra that's exactly the right size, you can't add reinforcement anyway because the buckram takes up space and your finished bra will be too small.

As for covering the bra - it depends on what it's made of. I have a Pleasure State bra which doesn't need covering at all, it's such a lovely fabric already. The main thing is to cover or remove the tell-tale signs like the adjustable straps

About the "here come the boobs" fear: let's face it, kiddo, some of us cannot be identified in a shoulders and face photo by half the men we've ever met because they never bothered to look us in the face, hmm? The boobs are there. They are prominent. They garner attention. May as well dress 'em up to look pretty. I wouldn't add copious amounts of fringe across the middle of both cups but a layer of crushed velvet and some pretty bling aren't going to make that much difference to what we've already got.

Own it. If you got it, flaunt it. Dolly Parton made the world safe for the rest of us.

Love it!

 

[Amulya]

Shushanna has a thread in this forum here where she posts her latest updates, it's indeed very useful to keep an eye on her web site and thread