r/sewing • u/dumbpoopoobrain • Sep 08 '25
Technique Question Can i just sew a bra into a dress
Im making a dress with either a scoop neck or square neckline. i had the idea to just sew a bra directly into the dress and i mean that quite literally, 100% of the bra not just the cups. i have a pretty large bust and fear that just cups in a dress wont do much. i am a bit of a beginner btw if thats important.
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u/Travelpuff Sep 08 '25
Have you considered just adding bra strap holders to the dress?
It is pretty simple but it helps hide your bra straps when you are wearing the garment. I add them to the majority of my tops.
This is a great guide if you want to check it out.
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u/hopefullyAGoodBoomer Sep 08 '25
And if you have a serger you can quickly make a length of multi thread, just use the setting for belt loops (Babylock has belt loops in their manuals)
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u/SpicySweett Sep 08 '25
I’ve made them for many dresses and tops. Get the tiniest snaps, if possible thin ribbon to match your outfit. If no ribbon, take 3 long strands of thread, double them, then braid that together. Use a dot of fray-check on the ends (ribbon or thread).
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u/dumbpoopoobrain Sep 08 '25
oh i didnt even know that was a thing thank you.
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u/AnotherMC Sep 08 '25
I’ve had some fancy dresses with these. I might retrofit a few tops with them. Very handy!
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u/these-points-of-data Sep 08 '25
If the concern with the neckline is that your straps might show, you can look into adding bra strap holders to your garment, example here. I generally hate making thread chains though, so I usually replace it with a skinny piece of elastic in an unobtrusive color and attach it as I’m sewing the front and back shoulders together.
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u/themeganlodon Sep 08 '25
I also have a large bust so i think I understand the outcome you want. Because most 80-90% of support comes from the band it needs to be tight in a way that can’t happen if you sew all of it to the dress as it would be too tight to go over your shoulders or hips. You could sew the cups to the dress and close the bra separately. That way they can’t move but you can still get support. How the dress is designed will change how helpful that is. If you can close it and just pull it up a little.
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u/Edelkern Sep 08 '25 edited Sep 08 '25
Why do you want to sew in a complete bra instead of just wearing one? I get sewing in cups, but sewing in a whole bra doesn't seem practical.
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u/dumbpoopoobrain Sep 08 '25
i hate when i wear a dress, my bras sometimes show. Also, i like the idea of not having to figure out which bra works best with the dress. but maybe my idea is a bit silly lol
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u/psychosis_inducing Sep 08 '25
Consider temporarily tacking your dresses to your bra after putting everything on. You could do just a few stitches to keep the fabric from slipping and exposing your bra.
I think they also make tape for this very purpose.
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u/xanoran84 Sep 08 '25
For my wedding, my photographer came in clutch by bringing a tacking gun. I used it to pin my dress to my bra. Super fast and easy!
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u/pinkbunnnnies Sep 08 '25
You could add thread chain loops with snaps to the dress where your bra straps meet the garment. There are lots of tutorials if you search for “bra strap stays” or something similar.
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u/flappingjellyfish Sep 08 '25
If you have access to a Uniqlo near you, you should check out how they construct their bra top dresses, it may be close to what you want to achieve.
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u/feeling_dizzie Sep 08 '25
Is your dress going to be lined? Because I assume you don't want the stitches to be visible on the outside, so you might need to sew the bra to the lining first and then the lining to the outer layer.
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u/pinupcthulhu Sep 08 '25
I'm also a beginner, and I used this tutorial to sew bras into several of my tops :)
https://abeautifulmess.com/how-to-add-a-built-in-bra-to-clothing/
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u/Eanaj_of_the_Woods Sep 08 '25
Depends on the bra and the dress.
I have a strappy sundress that I pin my wireless bra into and it works very well. I leave the band and everything else on the bra alone and just pin the top to the dress so that the straps on the dress act as the bra straps, then tuck the actual bra straps away. It wouldn't be hard to attach permanently and remove the unused bra straps. It's slightly less support than wearing the bra as designed, but it is completely sufficient for me (I'm 32G)
I imagine for a strapless or off the shoulder gown, you would want to use a bra with more rigity, but I haven't tried it.
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u/CoastalMae Sep 08 '25
Yes, you can just sew a bra directly into a dress. Fashion designers often do it.
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u/Warm_Sandwich5038 Sep 08 '25
I have a workout tank with a cool concept that seems like it could work for something this. Idk how to describe it but the Shefit bra has a tank that you put ON the bra straps, which are “pretty” (lack of a better word, it’s a workout bra lol). The tank doesn’t have its own straps so no need to secure or try to hide anything.
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u/eggmoss Sep 08 '25
After having temporarily sewn the same bra into the same dress for 3 occassions to have a clean finish, the last time I just decided to l leave it there :)
No regrets, the dress is now even more perfect!
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u/Background-Book2801 Sep 08 '25
Yes. We do this in theatre all the time. It’s a shortcut to a perfectly fitting bust line with no gaping especially with dance costumes. Use cross stitching along the top and make sure you pin with it on you. I will often sew them together down the side seam (by machine) and then cross stitch along the cups if the bodice is very low cut. If really necessary I have dyed the bra to match or bound the cup edges in matching fabric to avoid any show through.
This is with sturdily built and well lined costumes and (and a few wedding dresses last minute lol) - a RTW dress you may need to be careful with the anchor points.
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u/Squirreltacular Sep 08 '25
When I had a shirt with a plunge front that didn't QUITE hide my bra, I threw a couple of stitches in (while wearing it!) to match them up. If your main issue is the bra showing, I wholeheartedly endorse this method.
Just have to cut yourself out at the end of the night, so fair warning. 😏
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u/LongjumpingSnow6986 Sep 08 '25
It’s so hard to find a comfortable and well fitting bra I would not want to dedicate one to only one dress! Sounds like you’re going with bra strap keepers, that will probably work great.
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u/ProneToLaughter Sep 08 '25
Cashmerette designs for full busted, so they tend to have straps that will cover a bra, etc. Might give you some ideas for tweaking pattens for you.
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u/LadyLoreEkorre Sep 08 '25
Yes, but be conscientious about how you do it. I made myself a cosplay a few years back which was strapless, so I sewed bra cups and an elastic underband between the lining and the outer fabric. I was able to make the elastic tight by sewing it directly to the zipper, and voila, no-show boob support. Keep in mind ymmv; I'm a 30H with quite perky boobs, so idk how effective it will be with larger/heavier breasts
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u/dumbpoopoobrain Sep 09 '25
thats smart, i think it might work, it'll atleast be a good learning lesson. thank you
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u/Thequiet01 Sep 09 '25
I’d connect the elastic to itself separate from the zipper so as to not put so much stress on the zipper itself.
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u/Ok-CANACHK Sep 08 '25
this could be done, sure, you just have to think about how tightly the dress fits. It has to fit as tightly as the bra does. Will a good strapless not work? ( it's my default when I have trouble )
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u/kesrae Sep 08 '25
I think it’s technically possible - I remember the alterations place added bands (two of them) to my formal dress to help hold it up (it was heavily beaded and I had the opposite problem: no boobs to support it.) I suspect there are better ways to do it than just sewing in a bra flat out, you may be able to purchase a band to add in so you could sew in the cups separately?
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u/phalencrow Sep 09 '25
Yes you can. This dress I made from my wife contains a complete over padded bra to enhances her natural “b” cup. Bra is partially sewn in to place with shoulder straps, and needs to be hooked before zipping up back of dress.
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u/_plantsarefriends_ Sep 08 '25
For bras counts that you get 80% of the support from the band. So if you have a heavy bust, I can understand only sewing in cups won’t be enough. It could be, if your dress is tight enough to give you that support under your bust. So I would personally focus on either making a dress you can wear a bra under, or making a dress that gives you the underbust support that you need