My unicorn fabric: Stretchy-squeazy like swimsuit, feels like cotton.

August 19, 2020 5:04 AM

I want to sew a sports bra but I hate the feel of most technical fabrics. I like the feel of cotton. I don't need much moisture wicking. I do need a good amount of lift and squeeze. What fabric should I use? Please be super specific. (Actual unicorn print not required, but if such a thing exists that would be epic.)
posted by anaelith to Grab Bag (7 answers total)

Cotton/spandex, like the material used for (some) leggings. Usually between 5% and 10% spandex but that won’t be enough for the support you want. Underwires would help in that case, or some kind of external elastic wrap.

Moleskin spandex with four way stretch is stronger, dancers use it, but it is nylon.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:58 AM on August 19, 2020 [2 favorites]

^ Ran out of editing time. Despite being nylon, moleskin spandex was very smooth and comfortable. Available online at Spandex World but you probably have to go in person to see all the prints.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:08 AM on August 19, 2020

If you want lift, you'll almost certainly need powernet/powermesh - nothing else is going to give lift or compression. You could sandwich it between softer layers but it's unavoidably synthetic/technical af.

I find bamboo and modal jersey is a little more substantial and spongelike than cotton jersey while also being breathable and soft to the touch, and I've been using them for bralettes and undies for that reason - you'll want a small percentage of spandex/elastane for recovery. (They're very likely to be plain and not printed!)
posted by carbide at 7:54 AM on August 19, 2020 [2 favorites]

I have found nylon/spandex fabric to be pleasantly soft--much nicer than poly/spandex. If you have already tried nylon and don't like it, then bamboo jersey is the softest, butteriest non-synthetic knit I've worked with. The more spandex, the better recovery will be--10% spandex if you can find it! For example, Fabric Fairy has some options.

Seconding the powermesh/powernet, on both the front and back pieces for the most compression. You could do the softer fabric on the inside against your skin, and powermesh on the outside. Bra-Maker's Supply has fun colors. The terms powermesh and powernet are used interchangeably--it's just stretchy mesh--but the amount of stretch and weight of the fabric are the important factors.

This was not in your original question, but elastic choice will hugely impact how supportive your sport bra is, assuming it's the bra is just front + back + straps + band (no cups/shaping/special elastics). Wider elastic will give more support and I use 1" or wider. I never get the elastic tight enough on the first try, which is very frustrating if the band is already sewn shut. Muna and Broad have a bralette sewalong where they show how to leave the band partially open on the inside so the elastic can be adjusted later.

Edited to add: do you have a pattern in mind? Pattern specifics could help to refine answers if you want more detailed answers.
posted by esoterrica at 8:34 AM on August 19, 2020 [3 favorites]

I'm here to repeat the bamboo and modal blend recommendations! Though, as noted above, you'll need a good amount of elastane content for something that will recover without bagging out. Rayon knits can also feel really nice, and not as snaggy as more technical fabrics. But yeah, pattern specifications will be a big help, especially if four-way stretch is required. If you already have a pattern in mind, you could also contact the pattern maker directly for recommendations meeting your requirements.

Also seconding the recs to get powermesh, and I can heartily recommend the pattern in that Muna and Broad sewalong, the Banksia Bralette (I've made three already and am planning an embarrassing amount of future versions).
posted by quatsch at 8:45 AM on August 19, 2020 [1 favorite]

Oh wow, that pattern explicitly says it can be made without a serger. I keep reading that that’s usually possible, but I believe it more if the pattern designer says it!
posted by clew at 10:48 AM on August 19, 2020

Response by poster: So, good news, I do have a serger (and can do basic stuff with it after only about an hour getting the tension right).

Interesting that nylon-spandex feels better than poly. I'm not strictly opposed to synthetic, I just want the feel to be cottony (not plasticky). I actually have some technical clothing that I like, the problem is that when I look at the care tag the fiber content is basically the same as other items that I can't stand. So I can only assume that something else is also coming into play here in how the fabric is made.

Starting with a stretchy base and adding a tougher fabric on the outside for recovery seems like a pretty good plan, too, if no unicorn appears. It's mostly things touching my skin that I have problems with.

My general idea is to do something similar to the SheFit bra with a super wide adjustable band (but probably not adjustable straps and no zipper). 1, easy to fit, 2, get more life out of it after the band starts to stretch. So I can loosen the band, pull it on, and then tighten up the band again. (Side note, the actual SheFit bra looks like it has shiny fabric in videos. Shiny fabric is usually a hard no for me.)
posted by anaelith at 2:37 PM on August 19, 2020