Brassiere Reinvented: Comfort through Support
Sophie Skelton
Introduction
• There has been a fair amount of research done on existing
bra types, but there is still a lack of comfortable women's
options with larger chest sizes. Sports bras just are not
made to be that comfortable, from tight band sizes around
the chest to cup wires digging into the chest and armpit to
clips on straps that dig into the back and shoulders. It's
like it's not a priority to make a comfortable and
accessible option for women over a specific cup size.
Then there's a whole other problem having to deal with
the extreme discomfort of rough sweaty fabric. The goal is
to take all of the issues with bras and, one by one,
re-invent them. Since it's not easy to make a decent bra
from scratch, the plan was to start with the straps. The
thing with straps is that they either aren't supportive
useless after it stretches out OR adjustable but has clips
that dig into the back and shoulders.
Objectives
▪ Create straps that do not slip or dig into the shoulders
and back.
■ It should be comfortable and adjustable, with the
same functionality as straps with clips.
▪ Create a comfortable support system that can
withstand exercise without using wire cups and offers a
significant amount of more movability and breathability.
Materials and Methods Conclusion
Materials Method(s)
● Sewing Machine Prototype 1 mfort test had a significant adjustment period,
The Co
● Thread (550yds per 1. Rip the back strap's seams and the main and the prototype had extra fabric added as an
spool) strap that both connect to the clip. additional cushion. Simultaneously, the Support
● Bra strap material 2. Take roughly 32 cm of 22 caliber wire.
test of the straps worked and showed
● Standard Sewing Kit 3. Cut the wire into three similar sizes.
○ Scissors 4. Tightly braid the wires (to help keep shape improvement over the original clips. The prototype
○ Hand needles later). functioned held up well enough until
○ 22 caliber wire 5. Pull apart a scrunchie and cover the wire Exercise/Breathability. When in movement, the
○ Thimble with the fabric. running pulled the wire out of shape. Meaning it
○ Pincushion 6. Hand sew it to the wire to secure it.
needs either a new structure or material.
○ Needle threader 7. Once secure, use the sewing machine to
○ Seam ripper sew the seams back into their previous Since there was room for improvement, steps were
○ Bobbins place. taken toward a second prototype focused on the
○ Scrunchies straps. Although it was not finished, the idea was
Testing to form some type of fabric "clip" that functions
1. Comfort: See if the bra pinches or digs anywhere. Do standard yoga
like the plastic one and does not dig into the
poses.
2. Support: Wear the prototype all-day, and see how it compares to the shoulders.
everyday discomfort from wearing a bra all day.
3. Exercise/Breathability: Go on a run. See if it allows for movement but
not too much. Take note of how sweat affects the comfort factor.
4. Make a note of any discomfort or problems in design. Fix and altercate
as necessary.
Prototype
References
Original Straps pre-prototype
work (pictures and drawn
Baytar, F., Gorea, A., & Sanders, E. A. (2020, July 05). Experimental design and evaluation of
blueprint)
a moisture responsive sports bra. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40691-020-00209-6
Casselman, A. (2020, April 27). The Physics of Bras. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from
https://www.discovermagazine.com/technology/the-physics-of-bras
Spencer, L., & Briffa, K. (2013, July 1). Breast size, thoracic kyphosis & thoracic spine pain -
association & relevance of bra fitting in post-menopausal women: A correlational study.
Retrieved December 01, 2020, from
First Prototype Plan and first Prototype in strap (front and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3704920/
prototype (pre cloth) back)