Lingerie is still not my most common make, but I do love sewing luxurious sets. The Mara bralette and Watson panties are my latest ones and even though I’m very happy with them, it’s not my favourite one so far.

I wanted to sew the Mara bralette by Studio Costura for a while. It looked exactly what I wanted - a beautiful, yet supportive design thanks to all of the extra details like the underwire channelling tape (with no wires used) sewn under the cups and on the side seams. It was quite easy to follow the pattern instructions. They’re great: well explained and paired with informative pictures! 

As for the supplies, I used stretch lace from a local shop and some organic cotton jersey from Minerva. I don’t like synthetic fabrics on my skin, so it wasn’t an option to use a mesh or anything like that. I lined the bridge with cotton voile and silk organza. I should also mention that I used 2 layers of cotton jersey. The reason is I prefer the shape of the cups when it’s 2 layers, they don’t stretch out as much and they last longer. I also used my trusted 2 cm wide plush back elastic. I think it contributes to better support of a wireless bra. 

As for the fit… I like it but it’s not perfect. My favourite jersey wireless bra is a Watson bra. It offers great support (keep in mind that I’m 34B though) and it’s very comfortable. The same size of the Mara bralette feels a bit snugger in the bridge area but the finished garment is not as supportive as the Watson bra. 

 

I think the secret is in the placement of the straps - since they’re slightly shifted to the sides and the bra doesn’t have an underwire, it affects the support. I might be wrong, but that’s my theory. Overall I still like my Mara bralette and it still gives support, just not as much as Watson bra. 

As for the panties, I used a slightly modified version of the bikini one from a Watson pattern. I reduced the coverage and added the same lace. I used this pattern and I like it - very versatile and can be used for pretty much any set.