Adventures in underwear (73/365)

[white_hart]

As those of you who know me in real life will be aware, I possess a rather substantial bust. This is not something that I particularly like (the me in my head is flat-chested and generally androgynous, and it's always a bit disturbing to be reminded how different the me in the mirror is), and it's compounded by the horror that is bras. Bras, in my experience, resemble torture devices whether they are frilly lacy underwired ones (which (a) scratch, (b) poke into your ribcage and (c) are so femme just looking at them gives me the screaming heebie-jeebies) or sports bras (which are plain and sensible and even a bit compressing if you get the right kind, but which require the skills of a contortionist to get on and off). For the last few years, I've been wearing beige or white t-shirt bras from Debenhams, which have soft microfibre fabric with only a tiny bit of lace at the sides (and, inevitably, a small bow on the front, because apparently it's impossible to make a bra without a small bow on the front), and whose underwires only occasionally poked into my ribcage. They didn't make me particularly happy, but they didn't make me actively unhappy either, so I stuck with them.

Recently, though, I started seeing pictures of the Muna and Broad Banksia Bralette on Instagram, and I was intrigued at the idea of a bralette designed for larger bodies and a range of cup sizes. I decided that making one would be my Christmas holiday sewing project.



I've just finished sewing my fifth*, and now I have enough that I can get from one laundry day to the next without ever wearing an underwired bra. And, wonder of wonders, I actually like how I look in these. They're colourful and fun, and utilitarian, and comfortable, and not at all femme or "sexy". I'm so happy to be able to make them.

*actually, sixth, but the second version I made was in a fabric without enough stretch and the seams ripped almost straight away

Comments

[joyeuce]

I love being able to put bras in the washing machine, having been paranoid about wires getting caught in it for years. It also means I change them more often because I'm not putting off handwashing them until every bra except the least comfortable one is unwearable.

I must try Molke's high rise pants at some point, when I can bring myself to spend £15 on a pair. Quite why I'm willing to spend on bras but not on pants, I am not entirely sure.

[white_hart]

I have to confess that I have always put bras in the washing machine, and have never actually had a wire come out during washing. (I do wash them on the delicates cycle, but as I also use that for all of my handmade clothes there's no change there.)

[ankaret]

It happened to me once, and I suspect the wire in question was already planning to poke out of its channel and either stab me in the armpit or rise up like Excalibur at the front.

[perennialanna]

I wash underwired bras (when I've worn them) inside one of those dedicated net bags. That's where the colour catcher goes too, because those delight in implanting themselves in the filter.