Replacing bra shelf foam with horsehair?

I think I'll get some just for experimenting. I wonder how flat it is.

My thoughts about the reinforced flat felled seams were inspired by that Freya bra, the Tallulah full cup. It's one of the ones Oprah raved about. The bottom cup is made of a net-based lace backed with denier tricot and it's got 3 of these flat-felled type seams running vertically. They are impressively stiff enough to keep the lace from crumpling down but are quite flat. Combined with the steel underwire it's achieving the necessary shaping with minimal fabric. One might increase the rigidity even more by including organza or stiff net in the seam (not the whole panel).

Pora

I haven't forgotten about your need for lower underwires. I have a plunge bra like the one in the Ezi-Sew picture and out of curiosity measured the wire. It was a metric 105. The wire in my regular bra is a 95. I don't know if there is a rule to be derived from this. I posted a comment asking about this on Beverly Johnson's blog. We'll see if there's anything to learn. But for your sake, I still seems like a good idea to simply lower the neckline on your best-fitting bra and snip the wires. You can leave it fully banded and get pretty good stability. What are your thoughts on this?

Pora

By the way, I did recently try out a high-end shop and walked away with a few from Prima Donna. They're the full figure part of a family of Belgian luxury collections by Marie Jo (similar to Rigby and Peller). I subsequently bought more from Marie Jo's other lines and have gotten a better idea of how they achieve their high-end look and feel. The fabrics of course are better, but they clearly strive to make the bras light in weight. For example, the side shaping power bar in the embroidered stretch net bra is made of tulle. I would never have thought to do that and it is absolutely invisible. I was shocked to find it. Their cup linings aren't tricot but ultrafine mesh. Stretch or non-stretch as appropriate. Although the tulles and meshes aren't so *very* comfy as tricot, the superior fit, fabrication, construction, lightness and style keep me coming back to those bras. I think the definition of elegance is achieving the most result with the least effort. Compared with the overkill of heavy layers and foams in other fuller-figure bras, this approach is inspirational. I'd say that's what's gotten me so fired up in this 48J project.

The way I look at it is that when constructing bra cups, there's only so many places for breast tissue to go. And when there is so much of it, it seems only prudent that the lower part of the cup would accommodate any overabundance of tissue present in the breast. (I grant that breasts come in all manner of different shapes, however) Unless the cups are actually too large or laterally unsecure (meaning that they would permit too much side to side 'swing'), I don't tend to think of that as 'sag'. And, for myself personally, I think that is far preferable than forcing one's ta-tas into an unnaturally elongated cone-shape that causes an exaggerated cantilever that results in more stress on the shoulders and the back, not to speak of the non-cup parts of the bra. With one possible minor exception, I don't see the Freyas as less supportive, just "differently" supportive. Personal physiology definitely plays a strong role in this, however. For some reason, I thought Freyas were made by Fantasie... am I mistaken?

Phae

. (:-)

I give you so much credit for pursuing this, Pora! Since women gave up their steel-bone corsets for the building of battleships, there has been little meaningful study of what's actually good for women insofar as supportive foundations are concerned. I fear most of the emphasis has been geared toward what makes women appear sexier--- no matter how uncomfortable, gauche or stupid. I think these discussions are really helpful and productive. :) And I agree that the industry has also done little to exploit new materials and methods either.

Phae

i'm going to say i've alswyas been unimpressed with bravissiimo. the few times i've been int to the shops, they've had less than 5 bras in my size andf when i was measured thety didn;t even get out a tape measure, just looked me up an down. Up to a 38G the do have soem interesting ones but if you're looking for functional up to that size Asda/tesco/M$S are worth a try. Above a G Bravissimo doesn't seem to have much that isn't avaibale elsewhere. And the strappy tops- nice idea. horible construction. emma

A good fitter doesn't always need a tape. Most can asses you without one. It's like me not having to take a tape measure to get a good idea of what size pattern to buy for you... :) After many years of doing it, you know...

From what are the slings suspended?

Yeah, she's tried 'em on and finds the breast shape unsatisfactory. Over the past 20 years I've encouraged her to go ahead and wear one but to no avail. It just means I have to use my head (and my alt.sewing friends) to solve this project. I ordered size 58 and 60 wires last night. Turns out I was wrong and they do make them. Yay!

Pora

The sides of the bra are longer (6-8 hooks in the back) and the slings are suspended from the body of the bra. Honest, it works wonderfully. I can run in mine and don't bounce a bit, and I wear the largest cup size they make. And it supports their weight perfectly. No more red lines on my shoulders for the past 20 years!

Is this the Coalesce (?) bra that someone (maybe you) mentioned?

Yup.

I don't see anywhere to buy them....

What state do you live in? I know of a place in San Jose called Bras, Etc. and another place in Fremont or Newark adjacent to Washington Hospital. There's a place in the midwest somewhere with a creative name

-- The Bust Stop. I can probably find you some other places as well.

The Colesce bra is the Custom Fit Brantly/Cameo/LeFemme/Confidante bra, also marketed as Norvell, Suzanne, and Jane Ette (same structure, different fabrics). The major player company is Jeunique, which owns Pennyrich, Sculptress and Jeunique as well as Brantly. Their website is

Their distribution model is through "certified fitters" who sell from their homes or small foundationwear shops. The Jeunique site can put you in touch with a distributor near you, or on line also retails them.

Pora

Ah ha...... thank you Pora. :) I can't recall if you said you tried this bra or not.