Buzzers, I had a troupe costume that I loved but that after seven years the bra was just too small - and I'm talking the cups overfloweth big time. I dillyed and dallyed around in the past year adding trim to the top of cups to add 1/2 inch to cup but finally last week it was obvious that my girls were not going in those cups. I'm a 38C and sometimes D cup size in regular bras, and the bra on this costume is marked 36B and it's a DEMI-CUP. Uncomfortable, because I had to wear it very snug to prevent any onstage "wardrobe malfunctions", in fact it was so tight I had bruises after wearing it last March. Something had to be done before the next concert!
So, at 11 p.m. last Thursday night , I bravely and irrevocably cut off the shoulder straps, back straps and the lining on the cups and simply sewed it intact with all the beady embellishments onto a good quality 38C bra. Mind, you I had to tack it down firmly in about 25 places on each bra cup with button thread and plenty of knots to ensure that the old and new bra cups would fuse together; wouldn't be good if it looked lumpy in places. I didn't even need to use buckram to stiffen cups - having two layers of bra really made it strong and stiff enough. Next, I sewed burgundy velvet ribbon all around the cups, which blended in very well with the existing costume bra cups and then added a few embellishments to the sides of cups. All I have to do now is add new shoulder straps and back straps, reline the bra cups with cotton felt inside and voila! A new bra that fits and matches belt exactly and will give me years more wear!
Word of caution: This wasn't an hour job - the bulk of the work was tacking down the old bra cups to the new bra cups firmly enough; to get through all the layers of fabric, I had to use jeweler's pliers and a good strong embroidery needle and it took me five hours just to get all that done.
But those of you out there who have a costume you love that is in good condition but bra is too small, this works!
