(Heads up, I’m gonna talk about fitting the Cloth Habit Watson Bra pattern, which necessitates talking about BOOBS. You’ve been warned.)

After I blogged about realistic projects for working from home, I got antsy to try the Watson Bra and ordered an elastic/notions starter kit from Porcelynne (seems to be out of stock at the moment). It gave me enough elastics and sliders and closures for three bras, which gave me enough tries to get the fit really dialed in.

Here are all three testers, and I am so tickled with all of them. I MADE BRAS! This pile would be AT LEAST $80 to buy.

I made useful clothing from GARBAGE, essentially:

 

OK, on to the fitting:

The Watson Bra is sized by subtracting your upper bust from your full bust. Now that I have muscles, there’s not a ton of difference between those measurements–it’s all between my full bust and underbust (where the bra band sits). I’m a 32C in ready-to-wear, but the Watson size chart  put me in a 34A for this pattern. I was dubious, but I also usually wear an underwire and this is wireless, so I just went with the recommended size to start.

Bra #1: 34A

As I thought, the band was too loose. I can wear it on the last hook but I can tell as it stretches over the day. Surprisingly, the cups fit pretty well. I put it on and said WOW, because the unlined cups just stretch over everything and give you such a nice “perfected” silhouette (especially compared with the “tank style” wireless bras I’d been wearing, which just mushed everything into place).

Verdict: Hallelujah, no more uni-boob! Definitely wearable, but the band’s a little big.

Bra #2: 32B

The cup pattern piece for the 34A and the 32B was the same (the sorcery of sister sizing) so this one really just got the band dialed in. As I thought, a 32 was good. (However, turns out I hate the longline version.)

I was curious as to where the cup seams should hit on this for the best fit–I didn’t see any info about that in any pattern review. With an underwire, I know they should go flat against the chest, but the seams here and on Bra #1 were slightly up ON the boob versus hitting down at the base of it.

Verdict: NO THANK YOU to the longline. Band was spot on. But what about cup seams?

 

Bra #3: 32C

The cup seams on this one hit lower down, flush against the rib cage, but as I wore it all day the cups didn’t feel quite as secure, like things were just starting to think about falling out. I also noticed a difference in the amount of lift, and I can only conclude that the cup seam is supposed to hit the boob itself in this pattern? (I don’t really know, honestly.)

Verdict: I can wear this (with a slightly tighter strap than usual) but the 32B is the winner for security and support.

 

Final Thoughts:

I love the Watson Bra! All three tester versions are wearable and comfortable, but now that the fit’s dialed in it’s like wearing nothing. But it’s also really glamorous and gives a great shape (which is, after all, the point of a bra in the first place).

The instructions are excellent and even dictate what type of stitch and length and width to use. If you’re an adventurous beginner, you could make this. And I regret waiting so long to try it–because now I’m a little obsessed with making bras.

 

BOOBS!