Bras by Kristen

When you're considering custom made bras, it can be difficult to make the leap into the unknown as far as costs go.  Thanks to a set of patterns from Jennifer of Porcelynne, not every client will need all of these steps.  Jennifer's patterns take several measurements into consideration and have 600+ variations in one set of patterns and 900+ in another, for a customized fit without having to draft from scratch.  Having said that, there are sizes outside of her set of patterns.  My first client would be a P cup on the US pattern system if there was such a thing. She was much of my motivation for pursuing drafting even after I found my own fit. 

When you are comparing custom to ready to wear, sometimes it doesn't seem worth it.  Some people can find good ready to wear bras that have a wire size that fits their body, volume that fits their breast, and bands that are the right circumference around the body.  In our sewing business, we have several clients that can fit the underwire and volume, but the band is too large or small, so we do alterations to the band to make it smaller.  We are more than happy to consult with you about how to make ready to wear bras work for you if your budget just can't handle the custom process. For some people, there just aren't bras out there that can get close to fitting and if we need to take the process one chunk at a time to be budget friendly, we will work with you to help you achieve the fit, one step at a time.

With most people, we can achieve fit in 3 to 5 test cups which translates into about 6-10 hours worth of pattern drafting, sewing and fittings.  In the Midwest, where we are located, the reasonable price for labor in the sewing market is around $30-$50/hour with stitching being more on the $30 end and pattern drafting on the $50 end. I have outlined below a general idea of the steps involved.

The start up costs are all to get a sense of your size and make a draft volume test that fits properly.  Then from there we make what is known as the sloper.  Slopers in garment sewing are a basic block pattern from which all designs are made and are very basic with no design elements to them, just basic seams to make up a garment.  In bra sewing, once you have a sloper, we can make seam lines out of your perfectly fitting garment to make our own version of popular styles that will fit your body. 

Once all of those steps are completed, stitching a basic bra with little to no trims is a $100-$150 venture including labor and materials. In that regard, custom made bras compare to ready to wear once we have your size/pattern sorted out. In the bra making community, I have heard people discuss how long custom bras last versus ready to wear counterparts and the consensus is that they last at least 3 - 5 years with proper care (HAND WASH ONLY, FOLKS) and don't need replacing as often.  In the long run, custom is cheaper over the years, even with the initial investment of getting fitted.

1.5-2 hours

Measurement fitting