Sheer, Shiny,
Pink
Mood Board
Design Goals
I wanted to make:
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something pink.
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something that glittered.
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use of a so-sheer--barely-there fabric.
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I settled on a naked in a pink harness look dripping with crystals, and a regular underwear, supportive bra feel.
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Gem encrusted elastic across the chest and peplum-esque pink drapery accentuating the hips provide parts of the set that can be admired with any outfit for everyday wear.
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The straps only bra back allows for complete band adjustability, the cheeky thong gives maximum comfort, and both contribute to a seamless nude feel for showing off.
Materials
Sourcing high end elastic in the color I needed turned out to be impossible for a small batch order, so I hand dyed my own.
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Color retention varies widely by fiber content, so I made a variety of samples.
Swarovski had just ended the sale of their crystals to small businesses, so I had to find a replacement of equal quality. I decided on Preciosa.
Mockups
While I already knew my base bra pattern was adequate, changes in materials and minute changes in style can have more widespread consequences than anticipated.
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The underwire case for this bra would be completely exposed as part of the fashion layer of the bra, along with every seam used to connect it to other parts of the bra. WIth a single layer of sheer material, there's no lining to hide raw ends or mistakes in.
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Underwire casing would have proved too bulky and left a risk of bright white fuzz poking out around the pink elastic. I chose to form my own underwire casings out of elastic instead.
Taking Shape
Preliminary fittings revealed an unexpected issue with the elastic criss crossing across the chest - it would need to be adjustable to have any hope of fitting comfortably, or fitting a variety of bodies without an in person fitting.
The end solution involved extending the straps through a ring, adding a hook to the end, and hand tacking on a ribbon to the back of each strap at exact intervals to be covered with the gemstones. The hook slides into an invisible pouch made by gaps in the ribbon.
A Look Inside
The decorative gem encrusted elastic straps on the thong are detachable for easy laundering and versatility of style.
Sliders along both straps of the band allow this bra to continue to fit through fluctuations in band size.
Every stitch that holds down the ribbon is covered wit a gemstone on the outside.
The strap meets the band with a loop that slides along the band, allowing adjustability of shoulder width to accomodate more body types and clothing cuts.
Elastic was added along the bra seams to cover stitching in the sheer material and keep the invisible look.
The area where the straps of the harness meet are covered more densely with gems to hide extra stiching.
The Finished Product
The finished piece is a luxury lingerie set of completely sheer bridal tulle, 100% hand dyed pastel pink elastic, and over 300 stunningly clear Preciosa crystals.
