So when Cashmerette first contacted me to ask if I would be interested in doing a collaboration with them I immediately did a number of things: 1) double checked the profile to be sure this wasn’t the most enticing scam ever; 2) squealed; and 3) engaged in a pub discussion on what it would take to post pictures of yourself on the internet wearing only a bra.

When I described the full details of what I’d be gaining through the collaboration my friends all said the same thing: “hell we’d do it for a lot less than that!”.

So full disclosure, I have received 12 months access to the Cashmerette club in exchange for making the Loftus bralette and taking these pics. But that’s just the icing on the cake as it was well worth it just to discover this minor miracle of engineering.

It’s a bralette – so doesn’t have the greatest amount of lift. But what it lacks in an upward direction it more than makes up for with a lack of movement in ANY direction! That’s right – this baby gives a new meaning to the term supportive. I seriously considered learning how the cool kids do those reel things just so I could prove to you that I can bounce up and down without my breasts being half a second behind me and bouncing up as I’m going down.

And even more miraculously – all this perfect structural scaffolding is somehow carried out whilst you walk (or bounce. Or skip) around in complete and utter comfort! That’s right – I can spend an entire day in it and not want to rip it off as soon as I get home. It’s magic I tell you, magic.

Of course, all fairy tales worth their salt will warn you there’s a price to be paid for the good stuff and in this one you pay it up front. Just as Red Riding Hood is loading up the picnic basket you are going to be faced with a 3 piece cup. Plus internal power bar. Plus a centre insert. And it’s lined, so double all of that. Oh my grandmama – what large numbers of tiny pattern pieces you have.

(Should probably stop with the fairy tale references now, am in danger of beginning to cackle)

Not gonna lie – this is not a beginner sew. You’re doing 1/4 inch seams, using delicate shifty (*double checks I definitely typed shifty) fabrics and easing in curves. Then you’ve got to keep track of whether you’re sewing the right side or left side or main or lining. (My toile version may or may not have some seams on the outside of the bra. I’m refusing to confirm but am wearing it regardless) Skills are either required or prepare to acquire.

The good news is you’re helped out along the yellow brick road by some of the best drafting I’ve ever seen. All seams like up perfectly with no dog ears to sort out afterwards. The whole thing fits together like floppy lacy lego. Just keep following those yellow bricks step by step and it’s all entirely doable (someone drop a house on me now please I’ve moved on to musicals)

Although thinking about those ruby slippers reminds me to talk fabrics… the pattern calls for 2 inch elastic for the bra band. That’s not actually all that easy to come by in the UK, unless you buy one of the specific loftus kits. But I’m taking part in the Last Sewist Standing challenge this year and really wanted to make it all from my stash.

So I substituted 1.5 inch elastic instead. Which is super easy to swap in – the only modification to the pattern is that you use a 3×3 hook and eye fastener instead of the 4×3 that the pattern asks for. And 3x3s are also far more common in the UK than the 4x3s so doppel win! 💪

I guess reducing the band width probably has an effect on the amount of support (I’m seeing the band as foundations and mentally reducing the amount of concrete you pour in) but the fact is, I’m at the lower end of the Cashmerette cup size range anyway so can get away a bit less support.

(In fact, I’ve since hacked another version of the loftus where I’ve swapped the 1.5 inch elastic out for a standard 1/2 inch bra band elastic and it also works fine for me). You can’t keep a good hacker down.

Oops almost forgot – I made another teensy tiny change (they’re a bit like Pringles – another one just slips in sooo easily then you forgot you did it). The centre insert is usually lined but I really wanted to make a feature of that beautiful lace edging, so I only cut a single layer to incorporate the edging into the neckline. It’s rigid lace so I didn’t need to worry about it stretching out, although that area is high stress so I do worry it might succumb to the strain of holding my girls together over time. If I do that again I might sew a line of seam tape behind the lace edge to reinforce it a bit.

And that’s it! Don’t mind me, I’m off to sew a drawer full of these things. I’ve seen another version made in quilting cotton I fancy a go at… 😉