There are some items that people never consider getting custom or bespoke, lingerie is in that category. Custom or bespoke lingerie changed everything for me. I know I say that a lot, but this one is without a doubt the most impactful. Underwear and lingerie are so ‘hush hush’ with most people, but bespoke lingerie saved my body as well as how I perceive it.

Bespoke Lingerie: A Love Story

“You Are an A Cup”

I’ve heard that all of my life. As a young girl, I always believed that I was going to be a larger cup size. Just because. It honestly doesn’t matter what cup size a woman has UNTIL it’s time for a bra that FITS. And that’s where my story begins. I was 14 and growing, but my doctor said that I suffered from delayed growth. Everything happened to me later in life. I didn’t mind that, except for how it affected my décolletage. I didn’t like having a small chest. They didn’t fit the clothes I wanted. But I pressed on with faith that I would ‘fill in’.

As time went on, I would be gifted bras or taken shopping and hear “You’re an A cup, right? Here I bought the wrong size for my daughter.” Or “You don’t fill the B cup; you must be an A.” How about “You look like an A cup.” No matter what I said or how much I complained it didn’t matter- I was an A cup to everyone else. I refused to believe this, because the fit made no sense.

A Bra That Fits

When I was 19, I lost an underwire in the dryer one day. It happened to be my favorite bra. I was so sad, but I tried it on anyway thinking “They sell bras without underwire all the time, it shouldn’t hurt. I had no idea how right I was. I put the bra on and suddenly the shapeless side ‘fit’. Not only did it get filled out, but there was also no sharp pressure like the other side had. It was then that I went on a seam ripper rampage and removed every single wire from every single bra I owned.

The relief was immense. I started actually liking bras, as long as the band wasn’t too tight, I’d just take the wires out. Then I got smart. I started learning about underwear. I made my first pair at 16 and thought that it was too much work. Now I’m looking at my “underwire-less” bras with a revelation. I was far more confident in my ability to create. So, I began taking my sewing more seriously. After a few years of studying, I took the plunge and decided to draft for a bra. The results?

I’m a US 26E/DD.

The math all pointed me to the E. Not an A. Not a B. But a very shallow E cup. It turns out that I have wide roots for my frame, and had my roots been proportional to my volume, I’d probably be a very full B or C cup. My band size is 26 – the smallest they get is usually 28. Cup sizes are harder because- most people don’t know this, but all cup sizes are B. The B cup is relative to scale. So if the band size is larger, the cup volume is greater… but it’s still a B cup. How can that be? It’s a long story, but if you want to know more you can go here.

My First Fitting Bra

I made a dress that required a built-in bra with underwire. Since I drafted everything else, I might as well draft the bra, too. I put this dress together and when I tried it on, I nearly cried. I looked amazing. I have never once felt that good about myself in a dress as I had in that moment. I never had any confidence in that part of my body. In the past I just ignored it. But this dress changed everything. It was, for me a challenge- a dress to conquer my fears. It had a bra and was open-back- two things I couldn’t stand. And, yet it was beautiful. I was beautiful. I believed it this time.

The only downside was that it was attached to a dress! I was on fire! My passion to create for myself was reinvigorated. I felt unstoppable- I made a bra that fit me! I had done so much research and taken so many classes, and compromised for years, because I thought that I was an “A cup”, that “didn’t even need a bra” (Yes. I’ve heard that before.) The time had come. I was able to make for myself and others.