On the “news” * the other night they had a little segment where Kmart introduced their new range of $5 bras, which is insanely cheap… and all over again I got to thinking about why I make my own in the face of the ever plummeting prices of rtw clothing. See, a lot of people I know think I’m completely bonkers (source; they tell me) for making my own when it’s so cheap to buy a perfectly pretty and well-made bra, and without the angst of sourcing all your own bits and pieces and spending the few hours it takes to put it all together.
* “News” in inverted commas… because some of our local news programmes go for a full hour here while at the same time this is a city where basically nothing ever happens. The world news, or REAL news, is raced through in about ten minutes; local news might be another one or two minutes, tops, and usually is something like “the Mayor in hot water because she tried to claim her wardrobe as a work expense!”; the twenty minute sports section is always lengthily and disproportionately weighted towards Aussie rules football and stats and is highly detailed, let’s not even go there! ; the weather is a brief high point; and the rest of it is thinly disguised ads. The Kmart bra story definitely fell into the category of thinly disguised ad.
So, summarising into a neat and tidy little list of pros and cons…
CONS
- it’s relatively expensive to make your own. During my year where I added up how much I spent on my totally handmade wardrobe, I discovered that bras and undies were amongst the priciest of things to make yourself. Sure, you’re only using teeny pieces of fabric and/or lace, but once you include elastics, hook and eyes, rings and sliders, and even the optional underwires, underwire casing and foam paddings… well it adds up pretty quick!
- it’s fiddly
- if you buying a rtw bra, you can reject any one that is not completely perfect and just keep trying on different ones until you find The One… when you’re making your own it takes time and maybe even a few less-than-satisfactory bras before you work out the perfect fit for you with any given pattern.
- it can be difficult if not impossible to find colour-matching bits and pieces. You can dye your own (more fiddle) or settle for good old boring black, white or beige. Kind people may give you their old colourful bras from which you can harvest the colourful bits.. however in my experience the hooks and eyes closure at the back which is the very hardest bit to source in different colours is usually the very first bit to look hideously wrenched and worn out, and is not worth saving.
PROS
- you can be creative… express yoself!!
- I feel a lot better about myself and my wardrobe if it is my own labour being poured into it, rather than someone else who is being grossly underpaid for doing so. Many years ago when I took my Lifetime Pledge in Wardrobe Refashion, I thought long and hard at the time about doing so… and my reason has remained unchanged… I love fashion, I love the artistry and creativity and self-expressiveness of it, but I can only live with myself by taking that ethical stance
- it’s actually kinda fun
- it’s fiddly. Yes, I also claimed this as a “con” but I’m the kinda loon who actually thoroughly enjoys doing detailed and fiddly things.
- I like that my free time is spent doing something productive and useful… and there’s not much more productive and useful than making your own consumables. Plus, last but certainly not least:
- I LOVE sewing with a weird and totally unreasonable passion. Perhaps that should have been number one on the list.
Well, anyway, there it is, annoyingly inconclusive. I suppose what I’m saying is that as long as I’m able, I’ll probably continue to make my own, while questioning my own sanity at the same time. Definitely bonkers.
Oh, and yes, I made a new lingerie set… ta da!
Fabric; Liberty cotton Clifton jersey Josephine’s Garden in the Pink colourway … this is the other piece of liberty cotton jersey that I bought from the Fabric Store in Melbourne during my weekend away there with Mum, Cassie and Tiffany… and now I’ve made up all my Liberty and have NONE LEFT! (sob) Knicker elastic, and the white cotton jersey used for lining from Spotlight. The pink ribbon that I used to make the little decorative bows, white rings and sliders, and the bra hook and eye thingie were all from Homecraft Textiles.
Pattern; both bra and the two identical pairs of matching knickers are the Watson by Cloth Habit… with a few variations of my own, namely:
1) the front crotch seam has been eliminated from the knickers, as per usual.
2) I really like the shape of the Watson bra pattern, however the raw edges showing inside has always been a problem for me… anyway I made this one so the bra cups + front band are fully lined and with NO raw edges showing on the inside. My method is outlined below.
Stitch the side seams…
then stitch the cup into the cradle curve… taking care to leave free the narrow upper seam allowance of the cup at the centre front
Wrong sides together, stitch the cup lining to the cup/cradle seam allowance, cradle side up so you are stitching along the previous stitching line. After this, fold out and twist the shell and lining cup pieces so they are right sides together and stitch the upper, inner-front cup seam with a narrow seam allowance. (no picture of this, sorry!)
Pin cradle lining right side to the seam allowance of the existing cup/cradle seam allowance, and stitch together with the shell pieces uppermost, so you are stitching over the previous stitching. Trim and grade seam allowances…
Now, take the cradle lining and twist it round so you can pin the side seam edge to the outside of the bra side seam… i.e. the right side of the cradle lining is up against the wrong side of the bra back piece. Holding the pinned seam with the shell fabric uppermost, and taking care not to catch any other bits of fabric in with the stitching, stitch along the previous side seam stitching.
Trim and grade seam allowances…
Looking pretty neat and tidy already!
Attach the upper and lower elastics as per usual, and it’s all perfectly clean and neat in there with absolutely no exposed raw edges… *satisfied sigh*
I dread the fiddling around with fitting, but cheap bras don’t come in my size. RTW bras cost me upwards of AU$80 so I think doing it myself would be cheaper, I’ve even collected most of the bits and pieces I need. I just have to make the time. Thanks for helping motivate me.
you’re welcome Karey! yes, making your own is definitely cheaper than $80, and you are correct that those ones really are the “good” bras; thank you for putting it that way, I feel so much better! Good luck with making your own! 🙂
I always try to compare the cost of making my own clothes to the cost of ‘fair’ rtw brands (for as far as any brand is, according to the clean clothes campaign not a single brand is entirely clean) rather than to fast fashion prices. And the fair brands available here are very much geared towards a certain group whose bodytype I do not exactly share..
I second that: you have to compare your own sewing to the cost of clothes made in such conditions and for such pay that you wouldn’t find totally unacceptable yourself! And also clothes made from similar quality materials to those you use. When I do that, I always find the money spent on sewing is way less than buying RTW clothes – but that’s without accounting for my time, of course…
Very nifty. I’ve sometimes wondered about how to line the watson, but never actually figured it out. I don’t mind the exposed seams much as I’m the only person who is going to see them but your insides look amazing.
Yes K Mart bras are cheap and cheerful and actually surprisingly comfortable, there is something quite satisfying about making my own. I love the challenge. It does work out quite expensive once all is taken into account but I do try to save underwires and rings from old bras for reuse. I have been making my own undies for years. Now that I have a fit I like, I find it difficult to go back to rtw.
This is lovely, and especially the inside! I cannot imagine that Kmart bras are as comfortable as yours. Here in the US, they are stiff and cheap feeling. I also cannot imagine any cheap undies comparing in quality to those you have made. The fiddly part is what has kept me from trying to make my own, but maybe someday…
This is lovely! Simply lovely! From one who does not make her lingerie… yet…. I don’t even try to compare my handmade makes with rtw anymore. There is no comparison. So maybe one day lingerie will be added to that list too. Meanwhile, love reading about yours and others who do.! 🙂 Btw…. your passion should be at the top!! It’s always apparently clear and contagious!. <3
Beautiful – as per ususal. As someone who is a non standard size and doesn’t fit into those cheap bras I do find that making my own is cheaper than buying ready to wear so at least I don’t have to worry about that, but I will admit that I have been known to buy those cheap bras and use them for their notions. I find that I can usually reuse their underwires, their back clasps in pretty colours and all the elastic and rings that I can salvage. I must admit though I do feel guilty ever time I do it as the more we buy that cheap crap the more they make.
I’m more of a knitter than a sewist, & I’ve gotten the, “You know, you can buy socks at …” before. I just laugh & say, “No? Really? I never knew that!”. I’d love to make bras, but I’m terrified to do so, mostly because I know there’ll be several wadders before I get to the right fit & the thought of putting in all that work & using supplies for something that won’t fit will just drive me crazy!
One of the pros that I found was they lasted much longer that RTW items… Yours look amazing.
Just Lovely! And, BTW, no need to justify your sewing addiction. 🙂
So very lovely again, Carolyn! My first thought was how you have used a Liberty for the Watson until I realized that this is made out of Liberty jersey, not tana lawn.
Every thing you are writing about making your own underwear is so true. However, I agree with others that your lovely underthingies are comparable to more expensive ones which I would buy sometimes! Thank you for showing how to underline the Watson so beautifully!
Beautiful!! I look forward to your posts, I check everyday to see if there’s a post. You are so Amazing ! I’ve been sewing for almost 40 years and I learn something new from you every time I read a post. Just wanted to let you know about fabric.com they are having a 50% off on liberty fabric and its much cheaper than most places. Again you are an amazing person and I love to see your posts,you make my day much brighter. Thank you for that.☺auburn was.usa
thank you so much for those kind words Cheri! YOU have totally made MY day! and thank you also for the tip about liberty fabric. I’m checking it out!
What a pretty set!
I absolutely love your sewing projects!! I have never made a bra or panties but I fear that I would do it with the wrong fabric – the kind that doesn’t have good recovery, you know? I would hate to spend the time with fiddly (I don’t much like fiddly!) then end up having the set stretch out of shape half way through the day. What fabric content is best (besides using athletic fabric)?
thank you Beverly! yes, definitely the fabrics with the best recovery make the best underwear, but you can use anything really. The most important component is the elastic, and it’s important to use good elastic. With the bra, the under bust elastic needs to be firm and have excellent recovery. For underpants, some elastics are flimsier than others…I find the best is Birch’s lingerie elastic, but I’m happy to use different types if I want a certain “look. It is something you get a feel for, the more you do. Practise really does make perfect, and, I encourage you to give it a go! it is fun and you quickly get the hang of it 🙂
Only another sewer could understand this sort of syndrome…an such a nice new set of undies. I mean, really, the satisfaction of looking at those pretties is worth heaps, don’t you think?
Your description of the news made me laugh and laugh, it’s so spot on! Your new underwear is so, so pretty. Every time you post on your underwear I think I must make more and then I don’t get round to it. You are inspiring me!
I’ve thought about making my own bras – to get a perfect fitting bra out of a fabric I love makes me salivate with desire. I certainly am not able to buy one for $5! (my least expensive bra was $70 CDN and my expensive one was $130 CDN – because I’m busty and picky about all the things you point out re ethical) So it would undoubtedly be less expensive – it’s how long it would take me to get it right! I bet a year or 2 🙂 and by then I would be a mad woman. I always bow to your incredible gift and skill Caroline 🙂 Love your set in Liberty – pretty, breathable and I’m sure really comfortable to wear.
thank you so much Kathleen! and it definitely would not take you a year or two… I promise you it’s an addictive thing to get into, and once you’ve made one all you’re dreaming about is your next one. And practise really does make perfect!
Love your lingerie set. I agree with the points you have made here, particularly about feeling good that you made it and not an underpaid worker.
What a totally enjoyable read.
I have a whole dresser drawer full of bras that fit in the dressing room, but were uncomfortable after an hour or so wearing them . I make my own. At the moment, I’m making and wearing sports bras. I did make underwire bras for myself, but I lost weight and I fell out the bottom of the bra. Until my weight stabilizes, I’m not about to spend the time getting the fitting right just so I can do it all over the next month.
Amen to your pros and cons list. How can you feel good about a bra that only cost 5 $? I mean, obviously somebody has been exploited for that! Amen to your new beautiful and delicate bra as well, I love it and I always line my Watsons in the same manner 🙂
Don’t try to compare what you are making to RTW – especially the cheap end – as its not in the same league. What you create is way beyond RTW pricing. Cherish it
Would love to make my own under wear never really thought about it really. But it is a pain to wear bras that are uncomfortable and not made with cotton. Regardless of price synthetic material is itchy and during the summer months can be unbearable next to the skin. You have given me something to think about that is for sure. Thanks to all those readers who have commented too!
Why is it that no one wants to know why someone spends hundreds of dollars for golf clubs, or ski gear? But sewers have to justify spending time and money sewing. I don’t sew to save money nor does anyone I know. I sew because I love it. I sew for great fit and unique clothing. I don’t save money, but sewing enables me to wear clothing that I couldn’t otherwise afford. In my neck of the world sewing coats really does save money since they are so expensive. As far as lingerie goes, those $5 bras don’t fit or give me the support I need. You sew beautifully and everything you make is beautiful including this unique lingerie set. I assume wearing it makes you feel good, better than that $5 bra ever could.