Bra FAQ #4: Bra Fabric & Anatomy This is the long-awaited alt.sewing Bra FAQ, now seperated from the Underwire FAQ, and into several sections itself, due to their increasing sizes. In some of them you will find addresses for bra patterns I have so far found with mention of mail order places that carry supplies, with as much detail as people could muster. (There has been much discussion on alt.sewing about whether or not people like underwires, see a use for them, need them; so since I need them, I've taken a keen interest in what's what with underwires. Call me selfish. I have tried to confine that mostly to the Underwire FAQ, which see.) There are now five files in all: Underwire FAQ: Wherein the author has completely nerded out on underwires. Contains some mail order lingerie supplies addresses. See Bra FAQ #3 for more. Bra FAQ #1: Bra Fit & Fashion Contained a discussion on people's complaints about bras and how to measure for proper fit, and other things in those areas. Bra FAQ #2: Places to look for lingerie & lingerie supplies Covered further the issues of finding the supplies for sewing lingerie, including mailorder bra patterns, lingerie supplies, and mailorder bra sources. It includes some addresses for swimwear, as well. (One so far.) Bra FAQ #3: Bra making Tutorial Covered what I have learned about how to design and sew a bra, with contributions from the net. Bra FAQ #4: Bra Fabric & Anatomy Covers some discussion on specifications for bra fabric like the RTW ones are made from, and some pointers to finding it (see Bra FAQ #3). There is also a stretch chart that people can make up themselves to check the stretch of fabric and elastics and a discussion in one section on not only lingerie fabric descriptions, but on my approximations on bra anatomy. I welcome anyone's comments and additions, but I don't have the facilities to maintain this as an automatic posting (I *might* be able to set this up), I certainly have no way of making it FTP'able, so someone else will have to take over that part of it for all of us. I hope people will find _and_make_ these a useful set of files. Babs Woods babs@jfwhome.funhouse.com, or babs@funhouse.com ========================== Bra FAQ #4: Bra Fabric & Anatomy This file covers some discussion on specifications for bra fabric like the RTW ones are made from, and some pointers to finding it (see Bra FAQ #3). There is also a stretch chart that people can make up themselves to check the stretch of fabric and elastics and a discussion in one section on not only lingerie fabric descriptions, but on my approximations on bra anatomy. ========================== Bra Fabrics About percent stretch of fabrics or elastics: Take any 4" X 4" square of fabric and stretch it out along a ruler. Note the amount of stretch and check it against these numbers, or make up your own chart. Draw 16 straight lines all the way across a piece of looseleaf paper. Mark each at 4" from the left margin side, then mark as follows away from that mark. Mark all endpoints with a vertical bar.: Fabric stretch chart (Any 4" X 4" square of cloth.) 1/4" == 6% 1/2" == 13% 3/4" == 18% 1" == 25% 1-1/4" == 30% 1-1/2" == 38% 1-3/4" == 44% 2" == 50% 2-1/4" == 57% 2-1/2" == 63% 2-3/4" == 70% 3" == 75% 3-1/4" == 81% 3-1/2" == 88% 3-3/4" == 94% 4" == 100% ============================ For bra fabrics, my analysis shows : Chestband: Lycra/Spandex Powernet or Powerknit: Medium Weight 2-way stretch with 50% stretch in the vertical and 50%-75% in the horizontal. Other than that, use a knit with similar properties. (Sew Sassy has this.) Single layer of lightweight lycra/spandex powernet: 75% stretch in the vertical, 35%-40% in the horizontal. (I get this from Kieffer's sales.) Cups: Tricot: 18% - 30% vertical, 25% - 30% horizontal (Sew Sassy has this in 32 or 36 gauge, or 40 gauge; 30-45 deniers avail., Antron III nylon tricots). 40 gage, 45 denier is the good stuff. 100% cotton single knit or other fabrics with 2-way stretch, giving no more than 30% stretch in the vertical and 25% stretch in the horizontal. ========================== Single layer of 100% cotton single knit (t-shirting): 38% stretch in the vertical, 75% stretch in the horizontal. (Two layers: 25%-30% vertical, 50% horizontal.) (I get this from Kieffer's sales.) ========================== From my notes on lingerie fabrics, culled from various unnamed sources I think I got a lot of it from "Sewing, the complete guide" (an HP Book): Polyester -- A strong synthetic fibre, often used in fabric blends, the fibres may be crimped or bulked, it's usually warm to wear, doesn't stretch much, or absorb much water. It is rot- and moth resistant and may shrink when washed unless pretreated. Both woven and knit polyester can be washed and drip-dried. Do not press with a hot iron, or dry in the dryer on hot, the fabric will melt. (Dacron, Encron, Kodel, Fortrel, Trevira, Ultron, etc.) In the flame test, polyester burns slowly and melts, leaving a hard, black, round ash behind. Nylon -- Comes in many weights and widths and can be found as fashion fabric, sheers, elastics, laces, ribbon, also. It is a synthetic, first introduced in 1938 as a stocking fabric. Nylon fibers are elastic and strong and can be woven or knit, even made into such things as Woolly Nylon thread for serging knits with it in the loopers. Nylon rapidly regains its shape after stretching, washing easily and drying quickly. Do not iron with an iron over 250F - 275F or you'll either wrinkle or melt the nylon. It is best to hang dry nylon garments to prevent wrinkles, since nylon resists wrinkling well and will regain its shape. A garment made all of nylon is much easier to care for than one of a mix of fabrics, which includes never using cotton thread in construction since the thread may shrink and pucker the seams in the nylon. Wash white nylons seperate from colors, since they tend to pick up dye run-off. Do not wash hot, or dry in direct sunlight (it yellows), but it is easy to dye. In the flame test, nylon melts very slowly with a small flame, leaving a hard, round grey ash. (Antron, etc.) From: shannah@netcom.com (Teri Miller) Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1993 21:49:09 GMT Subject: Re: Tough outdoor fabrics--maybe Tyvek, maybe not. In article hill@cs.buffalo.edu (Robin Hill) writes: >I can't resist consuming the bandwidth to plug natural fibers, even >though that is NOT what the original poster (denisegalejs@ll.mit.edu) >wants. My best backpacking pants, which have lasted through >years of demanding trips, are a wool/nylon blend from a surplus >store, and Ah, yes, nylon, one of the best natural fibers around. I have a nylon bush growing in my backyard, and I have to tell you, it has the loveliest flowers on it! The only drawback is the amount of time it takes to comb the dried fruits so that the fibers align nicely. My husband has made me a nylon sheller, which removes the dried husks, and it's an immense help. I then wash the fibers carefully, because while some like to spin it "in the pulp" I find it just a little too sticky for my tastes. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your tastes) it doesn't tend to felt, so if the water is a little too hot, it's no catastrophe. I've had inquiries from L'Eggs, Hanes, and Bali, but with just one bush in the backyard, there really isn't enough to keep up with commercial production needs. Rumor has it that they are buying farmland in the central valley (California) in order to grow this exotic crop. -- *--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--* Teri Miller tmiller@cisco.com -or- shannah@netcom.com *--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--* ============== Lycra/Spandex -- A Stretchy yarn used in hosiery, foundation garments, swimwear and activwear. It is an Elastomeric fibre. It is light weight, especially when used Alone, but it is usually blended with other fibres. It has high holding power and usually a lot of stretch, good abrasion resistance (I don't know that it ever pills), holds up well to chlorine bleaches and machine washing and drying. Machine and hand washable, gentle. Raschel-knit Lycras are made with spandex in one direction only. Charmeuse -- 100% Polyester, a silky woven satin lingerie fabric. Available in 60" and 45" widths. From: ef693@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Clare Smith Long) Date: 11 Jul 1994 00:26:18 GMT Subject: Re: Bra size Babs, according to Claire Shaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guide (a wonderful book!), charmeuse is "soft, satin-weave fabric with a dull back and lustrous face. may be silk, polyester, cotton, rayon or blends. Creases, snags and wears poorly. Uses: blouses, dresses, evening gowns, lingerie, and nightgowns." -- Clare Long UMI Ann Arbor clong@umi.com Hi-Q satin -- 100% Poly, softest silky available with yarns so fine it feels like a microfibre. Crepe d'chine -- 100% Poly, a silky woven crepe fabric with a subtle sheen to it, it is often used for nighties, blouses, on the bias for lingerie. Knits -- In knitting, a continuous yarn is knit into interlocking loops forming a stretchy, flexible fabric. Stretchy yarns are made by tight-twisting or crimping the yarns. Knits made from this kind of yarn are the most stretchy. Some yarns may have a rubber core or special extendible fibres may be used. There are various weights and textures now available in knits. Wale is a row of loops running lengthwise on the fabric, like the warp of a woven. A course is a row across the fabric, like the weft threads of a woven. Denier is the fabric's weight and thickness, and gage is the number of stitches used. Knit fabrics can also be made as a weft knit tube, with one thread making the courses down the whole length of the fabric. Knits can also be done in a warp knit, where instead of the loops of a course linking first-current-next down the length of the fabric, the loops link in rows going across the fabric. Warp knit knits are considered almost run-proof. Both warp-stretch and weft-stretch knits are only one-way stretch fabrics. Tricot -- Made of nylon (Antron III Nylon tricot, Enkalure, Qiana, etc.), lingerie tricot has 25% - 50% stretch in the crosswise direction and comes in 54" - 108" widths. Nylon tricot made with an anti-static finish is less likely to be clingy than other nylon tricots. Tricot comes two main weights, with 15 denier as the lightweight and 30, 32, 36, 40, 45 denier with 32 or 36 gauge. 40 gauge, 45 denier is said to be very good for bra fabric or other lingerie where a heavier fabric is needed. Nylon is strong, does not stretch, shrink, or soak up moisture, which can make it clammy to wear. Washes easily, moth and rot-resistant. 40 denier is considered heavy weight tricot, 30 denier medium weight (both used for single layer gowns, robes, slips, bras, panties, PJs); 20 denier lightweight (panty weight, and two layer gowns) Sheer nylon tricot -- 108" wide, 100% Nylon. Although a mere 15 denier fabric it is also a very strong fabric. A chiffon tricot for lingerie, dance costumes, or curtain sheers. Nylon sheer is often used as a second layer over tricot to give a more soft look, such as an overlayer on a nightie. It can also be used as a backing for lace and for binding and trimming garments. Crepe tricot -- This is usually between a nylon sheer and a nylon tricot in weight. You can tell what it is by its frosty surface. It is used in panties, slips, nighties, etc. Satin tricot -- 100% Poly, 40 denier lingerie knit fabric with many fine yarns per square inch, resulting in a lightweight but full bodied tricot. Qiana knit -- 52" wide "simplex double knit nylon tricot". Super soft, double weight tricot for lingerie, sleepwear, or dance costumes, and shadow proof panel slips. Satinized tricot -- This tricot looks like satin on the right side and is often used for nighties and peignoirs. Brushed nylon -- This resembles flannel in look and feel and is warmer than nylon tricot, which makes it very suitable for gowns, robes, children's wear. Quilted nylon -- This is mainly for robes as it's so warm. It's simply quilted fabric with some batting between layers. Stabilized nylon -- This fabric does not stretch and is mostly used in slips because it is non-cling and does not build up static electricity. ============================ Bras: Naming the parts and defining terms (An abyssmal ASCII graphic follows.) ___ / \ ./ \ ........../ 2 \ ......../ | ......... \ .......... \........ | | / \ |\/| / \ | \......... | ../ 1 \| |/ \..| | |> | 3 \._ _./ 4 \._ _./ 3 | | | / ----- ----- \ | |> | /-------|-----------------|-------\ | | |_............../ \..............|.._|> 1. Lower Cup. 2. Upper Cup. 3. Bra Chestband or Bra Frame Back. 4. Bra Chestband Center Front Panel, or Center Belt. (5. 3+4=5 here, where the sum of the Back and the Center Belt are the Frame, with or without seams between.) Bra Cups: The part of the bra that holds the breast, this can be designed in one molded piece of usually nylon tricot fabric, or two or more pieces or sections, and in a myriad of fashion or support specific designs. It can be made and supported with or without the addition of underwire inside channeling fabric, an elastic band can be added for support across the bottom of the cup, or other non-underwire methods employed for added support. An additional fabric layer can be used in the lower cup for support, cups can be made with lace or simply overlaid in lace, and so on. Full cup: This has to do with breast coverage, both structural and for modesty. From observing catalogue pictures and descriptions, this seems to fall anywhere above the topmost swell of the breast, above the demi. Usually covers the center front, but many styles are cut very low in the center front, or may even open in the front. This seems to be the basic style meant when you read "full coverage". It may also mean "it covers the nipples". Demi cup: Again, from catalogues, this seems to usually mean about 1/2 way up from the nipple or bust point in coverage. In practical terms, this seems to be about 1" above. Push-up bras seem to be demis, plus the pads which are often removable and are for showing cleavage or decollete'. They use a much shallower underwire than the full cup styles. The design is also such that the breast is pushed toward the center front from the cup being designed to lie slightly in from the side seams, allowing not only for more cleavage, but for less tissue near the underarm. Semi-demi cup: I've never quite got this one, it would seem to be between full and demi, or even lower cut than the demi. I just haven't figured this out. Baseball cup: My understanding is that it apparently means the cups are made with one seam usually across (rather than down) through the bustpoint (nipple) line and curving from some point toward center front and somewhere toward the side seam (underarm). This varies by style and design, about as ficklely as fashion. This creates a vaguely baseball-seam-like curve in the lower cup piece. Tulip cup: Tulip-shaped cups that are demis cut on a diagonal about 1" from the bustpoint. The shape is as if a tulip bloom were on a diagonal leaning toward the armpit with the tops of the petals. Seamless Bra Cup: A bra cup made of one piece of usually factory-molded stretch molded nylon tricot per layer or ply of fabric in each cup used to form the cup with no seams internal to the cups. Contour Cup Bra: A usually lightly padded soft cup bra usually for cup size C and less. Bandeau bra: often a strapless band around the bustline, often made of a knit fabric. The wearer is at the mercy of its fit and ability to remain in its place, especially when moving about. These are not sports bras. Scoop front bra: A bra designed with a very low cut of various shapes, on the order of a scoop neckline on a blouse. Miracle bra: A padded push-up bra, obviously for C-cups and smaller, with an angled demi cup, often cut quite low. The angle is such that the breast is tilted toward the center front to show off more cleavage. The push-up pads, which are usually removable, are placed on the side seam sides of the bottoms of the cups and set at an angle, pushing the breast toward the center front of the cups. Victoria's Secret carries these. Wonder bra: Made by Playtex (which is owned by Sara Lee, of the pastry company). (I know nothing about these.) I gather it's a push-up bra. Bra Straps: These are straps which can be either stretch or non-stretch, narrow or wide, adjustable or not, and in many different ways. If the straps are adjustable, they may employ some sort of slide and ring set, or velcro (some sports bras), or something else entirely. Wide set straps: straps usually stitched to the top of the cup at the side seam of the cup, or very close by there, rather than the cup top edge somewhere toward the cup center. Strapless bikini or bra: Sometimes this is a bandeau style, sometimes a convertable style. Convertable bra: A bra or swimsuit top in which the straps have been attached to a hooked slider (a swim hook). The strap goes through the loop in the hook, then the free end goes through a slider as usual and is stitched closed around the hook loop. The hooked end is attached to a loop at one or both ends on the bra, with a hook possibly on the far end as well. The straps can then be taken off, adjusted, and crossed, uncrossed or removed entirely and worn with a strapless garment. These are not really for anyone with a heavy or large bust. Usually underwired, sometimes with some boning in the sides, but not quite a bandeau. Triangle top bikini, etc.: A bikini or halter in which the cups are made of fabric triangles, not always darted to fit in a curve along the frame edge, that often slide along a stringlike chest tie for the frame. They usually are string-style garments, with open sides and back. They tie in back and the nape of the neck, leaving the back open. Can be made of woven fabrics, handknit or handcrocheted, swimsuiting, etc. Bra Chestband or Frame: The part of the bra that goes around the wearer's ribcage and into or onto which the cups are sewn. This piece can be designed as a continuous single piece, in two or more sections (sides and half the cup, plus a center front section), in sections of center back to side seam and around the cups to the center front, and so on. Boning can be applied in underwire channeling along where the side seam is or would be if used, for added side support. A front or back closure may be designed in, or in the case of a pullover style, often no closure is used and the pieces may be cut on the fabric fold. The center front may either be cut on the fold or seamed. Often the frame is made from powernet, sometimes from fashion or support fabric (45 denier, 40 gauge nylon tricot), or from broadcloth or even flannel, depending on garment and use. Some models, especially soft cup ones, are designed with the frame extended to the middle of the cup, with another fabric (soft stretch lace) across the center front, with the seam down through the princess line. Race back (frame): Any one of several styles which allow maximum movement of the back and arms by being cut in any one of several designs: A high curve near the neckline with a t-strap down the center back, a lower curve with cut-outs around the shoulder blades, etc. (They're hard to describe.) Underbust band: The part of the chestband that crosses directly under the bust (under the cups). Not all bras have this section. Back or front adjustable straps: Bra or other lingerie straps with the adjustment hardware, such as buttons and buttonholes, open or closed slides with or without rings or with loops of some kind, and so on in the back of the garment, or the front (depending on garment). Ply: Layer of fabric. Double ply refers to two fabric layers in use together. Inner cup: The inside ply or layer in a bra cup made with some sort of lining layer, which could simply be a second layer in the lower cup. Plush: A soft, fuzzy pile-like surface often on one side of lingerie elastic, or on the surface of a fabric usually on only one side, as in elastic. Lingerie Hardware: Strap slides and rings, garters, continuous hook & eye tape or pre-cut hook & eye tape, bra or slip strap holder, underwires, are all examples of lingerie hardware. Underwire: A special wire used for supporting the cups of a bra, swimsuit, etc., along the bottom curve of the cup and frame from center front to side seam. Some are made of stamped sheet metal, some of heavy gauge wire, some of plastic. Continuous underwire: An underwire shaped a lot like a round-font lower case w used both in bras and swimsuits. (I have no idea how to sew one in!) V-wire: An underwire-type heavy gauge wire used in the center front of bras and swimsuits to hold the center front shape, especially in cutaway styles. Also a U-wire, both are named for their shape. Strap slides: Used with strap rings, the strap is threaded through the middle bar of a closed strap (a three barred piece of stamped metal or molded plastic either clear or in some color), stitched closed, and then the free end is passed through a ring, and then under-over- under through the slide and the free end attached to the top of the bra cup or some position on the back of the frame. The ring is sewn to whatever side the free end is not, depending on style. On a swimsuit, or some bra styles, a loop is sewn either to the cup top, the frame position, or both, and the hardware used is a bra or slip strap holder of some kind. ________ ___ ___ (________) |____________| (________) |------------| Closed Bra or Slip Strap Slide |__ __| (I find this type more comfortable \__===__/ than the open type, which digs into Open Bra or Slip Strap Slide me.) Bra or slip strap holder: A metal or plastic piece shaped in roughly an upside-down lower-case e shape, one open hook. The strap is looped through the eye and stitched closed in a short loop, then the free end is sewn to the front or back of the garment. In the case of a convertable bra, the strap has one of these at both ends, and in that case a fabric loop is sewn on both the top of the cup and the attachment point on the frame back, plus the use of a slide on the strap so that the strap can be lengthened if the user wants to cross the straps or shortened after uncrossing them. One end is sewn to one holder eye, the other has the strap looped through it as if it were a strap ring, using the middle bar (use the more square shaped holders). This is also sometimes found in bathing suits, and often as the front or back closure hardware. Powernet or Powerknit: See elsewhere. Used for bra frame. Sports Bra: A specialized bra for wear in athletics or exercise activity, they are usually supposed to provide extra support during such activity, but a lot of women I've spoken to say to use two of your usual bra layered, or similar things, especially in the larger sizes where support is crucial. A lot of sports bras are described as having no hardware at all and being slip-on, step-in, or pullover (rather than having to use any sort of closure or even being underwired or boned at all. Some offer "non-chafe seams", which means extra care has supposedly been used in manufacturing a soft feeling to the seams in some way or ways. I think YMMV, although I haven't worn any of them. The Sport Top is a similar idea. Some of the bra- like sports bras are really bras, the examples I've seen sometimes have a support panel inside the lower part of the lower cup but don't seem to come in underwire styles. Sport top: A kind of sports bra that is built much like a spandex tank crop top. Some have additional support of various kinds and are pullover, front closure or back closure. Names used: jogbra, sport bra, others. Under bust, undercup: The area of the bottom of the lower cup, where a narrow layer of extra fabric or of elastic is added for support, often without recourse to underwires, sometimes as added support with wires. ___________________ _______ | |) |) | <| | Hook & Eye Tape (3-hook | | | | | | single hook & eye tape shown) | |) |) | <| | | | | | | | Use with the eyes on the left |____|)____ |)____| <|_____| and the hooks on the right. ___________________ _______ | |) |) | <| | Hook & Eye Tape (2 pair | |) |) | <| | hook & eye tape shown) | | | | | | | | | | | | | |) |) | <| | |____|)____ |)____| <|_____| This is available most often as a continuous tape, sometimes in pairs of hooks & eyes, rather than single sets, spaced 1/2" to 3/4" apart (in my experience, anyway). The result is usually two rows (as shown), or more, such as with nursing bra hook & eye closures where there are more rows, of one hook or a pair of hooks. Sometimes it's found in a set width, precut, but if found as a tape there is more latitude in the width the sewer can use for the closure. Usually the rows of hooks are about 1/2" apart, and the hooks themselves can vary from set in pairs to about 1/2" or 3/4" apart. ========================== This is what I have so far. Again, I welcome people's additions and comments. Email me at: babs@jfwhome.funhouse.com, or babs@funhouse.com Happy sewing! -babs woods (If all else fails: Babs Woods 958 Mass. Ave. Boxboro, MA 01719 )