Thread: Bra Stuffing 101

Hi Bhuzzers! Just got a bra/belt set that might be too big for me. I want to try to make it work, but need to stuff the bra.

I don't know where to begin...should I remove the lining stitches? How do I do that without affecting the beadwork? What do I stuff with? When will stuffing just not do the trick?

If I can get it to work, I'd also like to replace the lining - but that's a whole other thread :)

What I might do is buy some of the swimsuit bra inserts at the fabric store, and also some felt in a color that matches the costume. I would baste the bra inserts into the costume bra, and then I would use the felt to make a lining to hold it in. I would use basting stitches to hold the felt lining in, so that over time if it gets gross and sweaty I can easily remove it and replace it with a fresh one.

That way you don't have to remove the original lining, just put layers on top of it.

Thanks Shira! Your strategy sounds like a less time-consuming endeavor :)

Now I just have to figure out what "basting" is.....l;,

haha.
basting just means you do a really wide stitch (so it is easily removed)

I like to use shoulder pads.

Fold them in half and decide where to place in cups for best "cleavage". I usually place them on an angle to push me up and towards the center. Baste folded padding to the existing lining of bra.
Tack in a piece of coordinating satin overtop, creating a new lining that can be replaced if needed.

If I want to sell it later, I take out the new lining and padding, and the old lining is still fresh and ready to go.

Caasi
*note: we've used Shira's method before too, but you may want to "fill" the space between the existing bra and the new cups with some kind of stuffing, unless the cups are really hard. Otherwise there's a chance of having them looking dented if bumped.

Originally Posted by jenlindseys

haha.
basting just means you do a really wide stitch (so it is easily removed)

Gotcha - thanks :)

Originally Posted by caasious

I like to use shoulder pads.

Fold them in half and decide where to place in cups for best "cleavage". I usually place them on an angle to push me up and towards the center. Baste folded padding to the existing lining of bra.
Tack in a piece of coordinating satin overtop, creating a new lining that can be replaced if needed.

If I want to sell it later, I take out the new lining and padding, and the old lining is still fresh and ready to go.

Caasi
*note: we've used Shira's method before too, but you may want to "fill" the space between the existing bra and the new cups with some kind of stuffing, unless the cups are really hard. Otherwise there's a chance of having them looking dented if bumped.

I did think about filling in the space, but the bra is super-hard. I don't know if I can get a needle through the cups.

By "tack in" do you mean sew (or "baste" - just learned that one :))? Sorry for my need for clarification - I'm just not down with costuming lingo ,f::

There may be some other considerations involved as well, depending if the bra is much larger than your frame to get a proper fit with padding. Problems I've experienced and rectified have involved moving straps closer in, to prevent gapping, and moving bra cups closer together if they end up a little larger than your frame. You will want to baste the pads in I think. Tacking is a lot like basting, but I've had trouble with tacking comeing undone. And you probably can get a needle through the bra if you have to, you just want a large heavy duty needle and thimble to save your fingers. Good luck!

I carefully take out about 2" of the stiching of the lining on the bottom of the bra (with a seam ripper or small, sharp, pointy scissors) and stuff with a poly stuffing. The kind you use to stuff cushions or throw pillows. NOT the cotton stuffing. The poly stuffing doesn't loose it's shape or get clupy like the cotton can. I stuff it in whatever place I need it, put a few stiches in the middle of the cup and the side of the cup to keep the stuffing from moving around then just stitch up the bottom again. It only takes me about 30 mins to do this, while watching tv. lol. You can also put a pushup pad inside instead. I've done that but I don't like those as much. They don't always give the results I'm looking for, I think the stuffing is a smoother more comfortable feeling, IMO.
Another thing you can do to make a large bra fit, after stuffing it, stitch the cups together a little more. It not only helps make you feel more secure in it but it helps with adding a little cleavage. ;-) I did this with a costume just last week and what a difference.

Good luck.

I would just add that you'll want to play with the positioning of the pad to get the best look for you. For example, if you happen to be fairly "fluffy" on top but need to pad anyway, often it's best to position the pad more toward the center of the cup rather than the outside, so it pushes you more up-and-forward than up-and-together -- like the difference between a balconette or demi-cup bra and a regular pushup bra. This is also good if (like me) you don't have fantastic skin at the cleavage line -- "lift and separate" is the way to ward of any potential crinkling or smooshiness.

(That last bit probably doesn't apply to you -- just being thorough!)

Most of the time, the best positioning for the padding is on the lower outside of the inside of the cups. With the thickest part there and becoming thinner as you go towards the center. definitely baste the padding in and line over the top. I usually use tee shirt material to line my bras with because it is cheap and readily available. Tee shirts also come in a variety of colours, so it's pretty easy to match your bedlah!

{{{HUGS}}}

I'm barely an A but have padded up to a C sucessfully. It really does depend a lot on the depth and width of the cup, whether you can do it or not. Cup overflow into the armpit is a dead giveaway that a bra is way too big. I have one bra that's a little too wide and it chafes my underarms miserably - I only wear it for very short performances.

I use 2" foam rubber to pad my bras. Because it's so firm, I have to move straps and hooks quite a bit to get the bra to not pull away from my body. The bra band needs to be super I-can-barely-breathe- tight, and the shoulder/halter straps often need to be moved closer to the center of the bra.

I just buy the push up pads from the fabric store and safety pin them into the cups so I can play with the positioning. Once I have them the way I like I just baste them in with big stitches and remove the safety pins.

Then, they are easy to remove if they get sweaty or I sell the costume, etc.

Thanks for the tips! I'll have to go home and make sure the cups don't go into my armpits. I'm pretty sure they don't. It's a true D bra so it fits like my regular bras. I usually buy B/C cups to get the cleavage without the padding LOL. I'm in the "up and together" bra category so shoulder or bra pads might work better.

I have some "Fashion Stick tm Push-up cups. reusable foam bra cups that magically stick to your clothing-Not your skin"

They seem to be working and I can move them between bras.

Malena,
Check out the shape of your body, too, before stuffing.

Proportion (and of course cleavage) is the goal. If it's not proportional, it looks weird. You want to try and match the width of your hips with your bosom. It looks weird if your hips are a certain width and, in an effort to create cleavage, the bra cups are squooshed so close together you have cleavage but your breasts and the bra cups look unnaturally too close together in relation to your hip width, ya know what I mean?

Tahiradancer's suggestion of padding heavier on the outer part of the bra is helpful in this regard. Pad the sides, not so much underneath, and as a last resort, then push the cups together. Duct tape is a wonderful thing!

If you have a problem with "double boob" you might want to add wire to the rim of the bra cup so that you can shape/mold them to a rounder shape so your breast falls more naturally and rounder into the cup, rather than being squooshed straight into your chest.

Halter vs. side strap: If you have large breasts, it's best to have the side strap, set as far on the outside of the cups as possible. Halter will pull your neck and create pressure.

Halter is better if you are smaller chested and if your shoulders are not too narrow; the dynamics of halter push the breasts in closer and you can pad from there. Figure out where to put the straps so that you are not pushing flesh against you, but rather supporting it on the sides.

Hope this is helpful if comprehensible. ;op

I like the curve of the full-cup size bra inserts from the fabric store as "extra credits". I position them angled on the lower half of the cup to get that nice Victoria's Secret tits-on-the-half-shell kind of look

~~Kimahri

Originally Posted by Kimahri

I like the curve of the full-cup size bra inserts from the fabric store as "extra credits". I position them angled on the lower half of the cup to get that nice Victoria's Secret tits-on-the-half-shell kind of look

~~Kimahri

Love that! In fact, many of those balconette bras resemble the ruched clam shell look! And those with real breasts or silicone breasts look great wearing that style because they "spill" into them so nicely...

Before I had boobs, my best padded bra was one that I completely filled the cup with stuffing, so my flesh had nowhere to go but up and in!

I tried on the bra and it's definitely not too big. It fits like a regular bra, so I'm going to need to stuff/baste/attach/insert to create cleavage. The bra has both side straps and a halter. I moved the hook on the halter which gave me a noticeable lift. Azhia, I know what you mean about the pressure. It's actually not bad and I prefer to have more support.

Heading to the fabric store tomorrow - I'll let you all know how it goes :)

For those who have nothing but would like to look as though they have a lot here is a trick I learned from a FABO Drag Queen. . .

Buy a Nerf tennis ball. Cut it in half, carve the flat side out to fit against your chest wall properly. Cover with a flesh toned knee high stocking. Insert into bra. VOILA! Instant chest!

There was also a dancer out here whom I used to perform with. She used the above technique. She never bought a costume that was smaller than a D. Her real bra size was maybe a AA. . .

In costume no one knew that she was heavily padded.

{{{HUGS}}}