Review of 7 Bralette Patterns

The month of August is BRAugust over on Instagram and we are so excited to be participating this year! Tailor Made Shop has been putting this event on for several years and graciously allowed us to join in and sponsor this month.

All month long there will be fun prompts to get your creative juices flowing and to help you interact with fellow sewists who are also interested in lingerie and swim sewing. Follow #BRAugust2018 on Instagram to get you all the details. We are sponsoring today and are offering this gorgeous prize pack which includes everything you need to get started making your very own bra/bralette! So hop over to Instagram to get entered to win.

Have you been wanting to sew your own lingerie but feel overwhelmed at wondering where to start? What pattern should you try? What supplies do you need? And on and on and on. Our goal in this post is to give you an idea of a few beginner bra patterns you can easily start with. We are also hosting a sew along end of this month, beginning August 24th, for the Watson so if you are still feeling overwhelmed we can help you out! Join our Facebook group for more information on that.

For easy reference I compiled the table below. Additionally I have sewn examples of each and included photos of each as well as a quick review for you. I am kind of freaking out posting pictures of myself wearing lingerie but I feel it helps you see the fit on a real person instead of just a flat lay or dress form.

For reference my measurements are: 

• High bust: 33"
• Full bust: 33.5"
• Under bust: 30.5"

Also, keep in mind all of our bodies are different and our busts are all shaped differently. It is highly likely that any pattern you try will require modifications to get that perfect fit you want. Don't be discouraged if the first version you make doesn't fit perfectly.

Bella Bralette (Daydream Patterns)

The Bella Bralette is a pullover style bralette with lined cups as well as an optional camisole piece. The pattern has very detailed instructions which made it easy to assemble. However, I did run into issues on the sizing of this pattern. According to the measurement chart I should have been a size 10/12A, however, after several attempts I ended up wearing a 8C with an additional 1/2" added to the back band. I would recommend doing a quick muslin prior to sewing up your nice fabric to make sure this doesn't happen to you.

Overall I find this bra comfortable and supportive, on a few of the bras I had issues with slipping up after prolonged wear, the Bella however did not slip. The one drawback for me is that it is a pullover style. Personally I prefer my bras with clasps simply for ease of putting on. I used our Black & Teal 6.5" Stretch Lace for this one and lined it with our black premium athletic knit. The premium athletic ended up being my "go to" fabric for lining as it is so supportive and soft. Linings ended up being a great scrap buster for me on all these bras!

Darcy Bralette (Evie La Luve)

Evie La Luve has some of my favorite style of bralettes, most of her patterns come with lots of different style options so there is a lot of value for the price. The Darcy includes v-neck line, plunge neck line, lace overlay, and longline. Closure is a hook & eye style. The version I made was the plunge neck line.

The Darcy is one of my favorites however I still need to tweak it a bit to get it just right for my body. One issue that I had on this bra, and a couple others, is that the underarm is a little too low for me. As you can see in the photo I have puckering at my underarm. On my next one I plan to raise the underarm slightly to try to solve this problem.

For my version I used our Black & White 8.75" Lace and lined it with 12 oz White Cotton Spandex. Compared to the premium athletic knit the CL was slightly less compressive and supportive but still a great choice for liner. 

Florence (Seamwork)

The Florence is a gorgeous lace lounge bra that also includes an optional underwire. This bra is also a pullover style and is designed specifically for 6" stretch lace. I made mine without the underwire and while I would never wear this bra outside the house, it is the PERFECT lounge bra. I would consider this a very beginner friendly pattern as the lace isn't cut at all for the back band and there are no closures needed as well.

For my version I used our Light Blue 6" Lace and paired it with some of my Norah Rayon Spandex scraps. I lined the rayon spandex pieces with our 12 oz cotton spandex as rayon spandex tends to stretch out with wear and with a bra you need it to stay compressive. The combination was just too pretty to miss so I had to make it work! I also used our peach strap elastic/picot elastic and silver rings and sliders.

Hanna (Studio Costura Shop)

The Hanna Bralette stylistically is my absolute favorite pattern. The delicate lace on the straps and the way the cups are cut is just gorgeous. The back closure is a hook & eye closure. It is also surprisingly supportive and I will be wearing this for everyday wear.

I didn't make any changes to the pattern for this version, however, on my next one I plan on raising the side a couple of centimeters to hopefully eliminate the slight overflow issue I am having. I have seen several people with the same issue so keep that in mind as a possible change you may want to make after sewing your first one.

For this version I used our Peacock lace and again used our premium athletic knit to line it. Straps and picot elastic are both from the shop as well as the back closure and clear elastic along the scalloped edge.

Jasmine (Ohh Lu Lu)

Ohh Lu Lu's Instagram was what first convinced me that I could make my own bras. Her patterns are so cute and simple, I decided to try the Jasmine because it looked the easiest. The Jasmine has a couple different options included. There is a fun lace back detail, I did it on a different version but opted to keep this one simple.

Overall this pattern was easy to make and a great beginner pattern. It is extremely comfortable and great for an everyday bra. I did find that visually I preferred the bra styles that had more of a defined center focal point. That doesn't mean I won't end up making a million of these though because they are extremely comfortable!

For this version I used our Dark Purple 9" lace and lined it with Heather Grey Ponte. The ponte was great for lining as well as it is so thick and supportive.

Watson Bra (ClothHabit)

I really can't pick a favorite bra, but the Watson by ClothHabit is definitely in my top two. The Watson comes with a regular fit as well as a long line version. I made the long line version and absolutely love the way it fits. 

I did not have any issue with the Watson sliding up during wear, the pattern mentions that the longline version gives more lift so keep that in mind when deciding which version to make. I used our Black & Gold Glitter Lace with Black Premium Athletic liner. 

Willow Bralette (Evie La Luve)

The final pattern I tried was another from Evie La Luve, the Willow Bralette. Yet another pattern filled with options including a simple "beginner" style bra, a wrap around style with crossover front and an optional longline tutorial. I found the instructions well written and easy to understand. I ended up making the longline lace version.

This bra fit me great the first time I made it, I love it for everyday wear and do find it to have enough support for me. I used one of my absolute favorite laces for it, the Seafoam & Cream and lined it with nude swim lining. I think I would prefer something a tad bit thicker than the swim lining but overall it is a really great bra. Since the longline version requires a longer hook & eye I used our hook & eye tape, where you can cut the exact length you need!