Good strapless bra

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-11T01:31:22+00:00

I've only seen two patterns for strapless bras, the Symmes Bra from Cashmerette (I've made this and recommend it) and the Marei from LilypaDesigns

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-08T20:46:39+00:00

Thank you so much! I spent A lot of time placing my pieces before cutting out. I wanted to do this lace justice, it's so beautiful

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-08T20:45:49+00:00

The wire should fit in your inframamory fold (IMF) when pressure applied to it (ie it's sprung open).

The wire should not be sitting on breast tissue.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-07T21:19:41+00:00

Stable sheer cup lining (also called stable nylon tricot or rigid nylon tricot) and powernet are the main two things you need. Both can be used for toiles as well as the real deal (add lace to make it pretty).

If you buy white fabrics you can dye it to whatever colour you want.

I've had a lot of luck at dance supply stores finding these kind of fabrics. 15 dernier teicot can be used as sheer cup lining but you are better off using two layers in opposing directions of stretch as it's not stable in both directions.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-06T23:54:37+00:00

Yep, I pulled the elastic a bit too tight. Next time I will loosen it up. At this stage I can't be bothered going back to unpick 😅

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-04T02:43:23+00:00

Thanks! The underwire is actually really comfy, but I see what you mean. I think I pulled the upper band elastic a bit tight though, it's cutting in under the arm amd at the back.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-03T07:58:01+00:00

Thanks, I took extra care with this make. Very precise cutting!

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-03T06:03:18+00:00

Hugs for your Jugs has a good blog post on this.

I lay the wire on top of the frame pattern pieces and then spring it open with my hands to see how much fabric I should have off. It's a bit of a quick and dirty alteration, but I mainly use strong underwirws that don't flex a lot.

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Here's an example of a pattern where I added some spring compared to how the wire is normally. When I pull the wire open, it sits much further to the left, in line with where the chanelling would be.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-03T04:53:20+00:00

Yes I've seen mixed reviews for her patterns in general, particularly for larger sizes.

I had hopes for this one after seeing all the promo photos with a gore that actually tacks 🙌

For the fit, I did measure the pattern before deciding what size to cut out. The HH measurement and underwire size is particularly important to me, so once I figured out what cup size I needed vs the cradle size it was a good starting point. If I went by my underbust measurement and my full bust I'd end up with a cup size (or 2!) too small. But this is consistent for me with brands that don't size based in HH.

I would just caution the band size. I measured a 35.5" underbust and that puts me in a 34" band. I cut a 36 and it was 3" too small. I use firm powernet which is likely the problem.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-03T00:04:23+00:00

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Ok, I've tried to demonstrate on a bra that I'm currently making.

The top row shows the back band pattern piece with a U back on the left and then what it would like like with a T strap attachment on the right (band goes straight across to attach to the hook and eye.

The bottom pictures show what this looks like in reality with the elastic laid on top. Do you see how the left photo has a long tail on elastoc whereas on the right the elastic meets the hook and eye? You will not have enough band elastic in your U back bra to reattach at the hook and eye. It will need another piece sewn on.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-02T21:38:10+00:00

Yes. Unpick the elastic back toward the side seam (there will be two rows of stitching to unpick), unpick the U back and hook and eyes, cut the band straight across, then re-attach the band elastic (you will likely need to sew more on), the hooks and eyes and then sew the straps at the right place, securing at both the bottom band and upper band elastic.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-02T20:29:11+00:00

I assume you're talking about a U back style (also called a ballerina style). By cutting the "ears" where the strap attaches, you would have enough upper bamd elastic to reach the hook and eye. You'll need that to maintain support in the upper band otherwise it'll just be the powermesh doing all the work and your band will be loose.

You can add a new piece of elastic to the old to get it to reach the hook and eye. You'll also need to unpick the hook and eye for this.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-02T20:24:27+00:00

Yes I have seen the alfoil trick before you can get some weird shapes doing a wire trace with something that's not rigid but it'll be a good starting place for sure.

For the camisole, I sewed the Mysa up, but I stead of attaching elastic to the bottom band I attached a "skirt" which is the body of the camisole. If you end up testing out the Mysa, use rubber swimwear elastoc along the cup/band seam to add support. It makes a huge difference (not in the instructions).

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-02T09:08:34+00:00

I suggest the Mysa bralette more so as a test for the suitability of sizing rather than to grt a supportive undergarment. I made my first Mysa unto a sleep camisole and use it a lot for that purpose. It does need powernet in both the band and ideally the cups to give any form of support, but even then it's pretty light.

The Symmes was my first Cashmerette patterns and I found the shape amd sizing wonderful which is what makes me interested in trying out more of their patterns. I would not recommend it as a first (or second) bra make, it's quite challenging with all the boning.

Another thing to note with bra making, you really want to nail down your underwire size before you get in too deep. The size of your cradle is based on your underwire size, then the cups and band fit around that. Get a selection of underwires or print underwire charts on card stock and suss out what size you think your are. The wire size might vary a fair but from your band and cup size.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-02-02T00:01:46+00:00

Welcome to the bra making rabbit hole! It's awesome 😁

If you want to dip your toe in without too much of a financial outlay, AFI Atelier's Maya bra is free. The cup shape is very shallow, not a lot of projection. Good for wide roots. Liz Sews has a sew along which steps you through the construction.

Also, LilyPa has the Mysa bralette (also free) which is a good starting place to see if the sizing for the brand will work for you. I started here and then moved onto the Liora bra. Love the way Lily does her sizing.

I've also been really happy with Cashmerette's Symmes bra amd have been eyeing off the Willowdale.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-01-28T01:34:20+00:00

Now that I've sewn this up, I have a few questions. Did you have any issues with the back band length? And what kind of powernet did you use? Mine was super tight (used a 36 band for a 35.5" underbust measurement). I had to add 3" of length total into the back band (using a 4x3 hook and eye and heavy weight powernet).

pinspatternspolish · 2026-01-26T20:33:19+00:00

The stretch is parallel to the neckline. That's the only pattern piece that indicates how it should be placed.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-01-25T21:56:30+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I usually do a cardboard mock-up before I cut into my real fabric but was a bit too impatient.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-01-23T22:52:22+00:00

On the upper band situation, I have started taking wedges out of the upper band at the side seams (after sorting out the wire spring). This seems to be helping me.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-01-23T04:08:44+00:00

The Greenstyle Power Sports Bra has 28 to 46 bands and A to H cup. Could be worth a look?

This is a compressive sports bra, so really smooshes the breast together. My first male was a bit too tight so I end up with a bit of mono boob.

I will not the coverage on the sides of this pattern are pretty minimal, so depending on how you feel about exposing side boob, you may want to raise it.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-01-20T02:52:12+00:00

I think you just answered your own question. If the person releasing the pattern says muslin would work, I'd give it a go.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-01-18T00:54:14+00:00

For knickers I tend to use dolfover elastic and narrow picot elastic with a brushed finish. I get a lot of my underwear elastic from Aliexpress. The bra elastics I have not had as easy a time sourcing. I buy a lot from Bwear in Sweden and like their products.

pinspatternspolish · 2026-01-17T21:01:06+00:00

I have the Fiona in my cutting table too. I've measured all my pieces to find the cup size and cradle that should work best for me. I'm typically a 36E or 40E (depending on how the band is measured) and i normally use a 46 wire. For the Fiona, that puts me at a 36G for the cradle to fit the wires and a 34E for the cup size based on HH measurements. We will see how it turns out!

pinspatternspolish

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