Why should you make your own bra?
On average, girls start wearing bras (bralettes/sports bras included) from the age of 11 until the age of 90. That is 79 years of bra wearing. Which means, unlike most other things, bras don’t seem to be going out of style any time soon! Let’s take a look at why every woman should be making their own:
1. It’s a great investment
Bras are available at most price points, though a good, quality, ready-made bra is priced at around $85-$200.
If we were to estimate what we would spend on ready-made bras through the duration of our lives based on the recommendation to replace our bras every 8-18 months and with the average cost of a quality ready-made bra, we would be spending $6,715! That figure is only an estimate for women who would only purchase one bra at a time – forget about if you wanted a specific ‘t-shirt’ or ‘strapless’ or ‘sports’ bra because that would end up costing you $26,860 in your lifetime! I don’t know about you, but that is a LOT of money to spend on bras alone!
When you make your own bra, excluding the cost of start-up material (ie, sewing machine, patterns, needles, etc) you’ll be saving hundreds of dollars per year! Instead of a quality bra costing you $85 dollars, you could make a beautiful, quality, great fitting bra for $38-45 each! If you wanted to make 4 bras a year, every year for life, it would cost you $14,220 – a savings of $12,640 when compared with ready-made bras!
2. Freedom to mix and match material
The quality of fabric and craftsmanship in commercially produced lingerie can vary widely, and more often than not, even higher quality bras are made using cheap, low quality material. When you make your own bra and lingerie it allows you to handpick luxurious materials that feel exquisite against your skin, but that can also match your needs. For example, for somebody with eczema, they may want 100% cotton fabric to use in their projects, and not a cotton blend. Or, a person who has body acne who may want to have a completely sheer bra, to help with air flow, but does not want to compromise on the structure of their bra, selecting Sheer Cup Lining or 15Denier would work best for them. You have control over the materials you use, ensuring that every piece you create is entirely personalized.
3. You’ll be more comfortable
Often, ready-made bras are mass produced, which guarantees the majority of women will not be able to find a perfect fit. Research indicates that’s true since results have shown only 20% of women are wearing the right size! Bad news for the 80% though, not only is an ill fitting bra uncomfortable.. it has serious consequences! Wearing the wrong sized bra has been linked to:
- breast pain
- back pain
- shoulder and neck pain
- skin abrasions and chafing
- rib cage pain
- premature breast sagging
- bad posture
Think about how much we’re spending on bras, we might as well be throwing away money if they don’t fit properly!
Thankfully, making your own bra will save you not only money, but save you from pain and discomfort, too! You can find numerous ways online on how to measure for your bra size, though we recommend using the BCD method – all of our patterns use this method, too. The BCD method also makes finding your size, easy! Having an accurate measurement will allow you to create something that is entirely made to fit YOU.
Here is a brief synopsis on how to use the BCD method:
The BCD method measures the distance from the apex of the breast down to the wire line directly below it. That measurement in inches will determine your cup and frame size. Then take your Rib Cage measurement directly under your bra. That actual rib cage measurement (no magic number involved) is used for the band length. The combination of BCD and Rib Cage is your pattern size. For example, the BCD might be 4.0 and the Rib Cage could be 32. In our BCD system, you would be a 4.0/32.
For a more in-depth explanation on the BCD method to measure your size, you can visit our previous blog post here
4. It’s fun to make!
Simply put, you should make your own bra for all the reasons listed above. More importantly – you should make your own bra because it’s enjoyable! Every single bra you create can become an experience to express yourself. Bras don’t always have to mean business, they can be used as accessories, too (Hello, Diamond Bustier!) Using a combination of whichever colours you’d like, along with lace or charms; You can use bra making as a creative outlet, one you can choose to share with the world or to keep for your own enjoyment. If you are interested in sharing your creations, you’ll find an endless community of fellow bra-makers on social media OR in our classes, making it easy to find friends and connections with other people who share your interests! How cool is that?
Now you know the reasons we at Bra-Makers Supply believe that everyone should make their own bras! Do you agree with our list? Would you add anything?
What is Boob Camp? Will there be another?
So many fabrics and lace to play with. Love being able to make my own bras and play with design. No more spending $$$ on bras that don’t fit in the department stores and the time it takes to find one that sort of fits. It is a journey of learning and playing that I love. Making a bra that is comfortable with no sliding straps and being able to make bras for any outfit is fantastic.
Hi. While I agree with this conversation the math in point number one is not very clear to me. I have looked a lot at Cost-Per-Wear of my clothing, as well as my husband’s, so having those numbers more detailed would help me understand better. I have made my own bras since 2010, after I went to Sweden for the European Bra Summit. And I took Beverly’s bra drafting course there. It has been life changing. Thank you for the discussion, and perspective.
It’s very satisfying. It took me many tries before I was really successful. Take a class and get help Sony don’t mess up so much.
I love that I can wear so many different styles now.
Also I’m not just wearing beige or white. I never had beautiful bras because they didn’t fit. Now I have drawers full.
I couldn’t buy a sports bra that fit. Now I even have those that fit.
I laughed at no wired knowing I couldn’t wear them because I could t buy one that fit. Now because I can make it custom to fit me I have all kind.
I love making my own bras. So comfortable and pretty. I even my my pain ties too now.
It’s funny isn’t it? The thought of having to wear a bra all day sounded dreadful.. making your own and having a good fit CHANGES everything! So much more comfortable and supportive than just having a ready to wear bra!
Yes!! It’s not the first thing I want to take off when I come home at the end of the day.
Omg…. Having a bra that fits me right, is comfortable and supportive. Can make matching bra and undies. Different colors. It’s amazing.
I attended a week long Boob Camp in July 2019 and it was AMAZING!! There were women there from the UK and the US as well as closer to home in Ontario.
The instructors were patient and caring as they walked us through getting measured and fitted properly. In no time we were assembling our first bra and got help perfecting the pattern pieces and selecting the right underwires, fabric selection and lovely add-ons. I was so impressed by how knowledgeable everyone was and how much fun a group of strangers had sewing and modelling our me-made undergarments. The patterns are well designed, too. Since then, I’ve finished about 10 bras – zipper front short and long sports bras, multiple Ingrids and Classics. I love the wide variety of ways I can customize my bras.
Speaking of fit – no more jiggling body parts, drooping straps or too-tight bands. Making your own bra is the best way to ensure a garment you’ll forget that you’re wearing one because it is so comfortable and unique to you. And no more staring at ill-fitting bras in depressing three-way mirrors. Thanks, Beverly and crew!
We are so happy to hear this, Hyacinthe! It’s always nice knowing that everyone who attends our camps or classes has as much fun as we do, too!