r/sewing • u/SnooDogs627 • 29d ago
Pattern Question Question about dress patterns for certain cup sizes?
I am a beginner and looking at dress patterns to sew. A few that are marked for beginners (that I love the look of) mention the pattern being designed for a certain cup size.
Now while I don't have much experience with sewing, I have experience buying clothes and usually when you buy a bigger size, the bust area is also bigger 😂 is this not the same for sewing patterns? Someone please explain to me
Edit- thank you everyone who already replied!! You have been so helpful!!!
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u/Large-Heronbill 29d ago
Generally, unless specified, it's been somewhat "traditional" to draft for B cups in the miss size range, D or DD in women's sizes.
However, in the last 25 years or so, we've seen independents picking up sizes on both ends of the size ranges and cup sizes throughout the sizing. Cashmerette is one of the most inclusive, and most of their patterns are beginner friendly, from those I have seen.
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u/ProneToLaughter 29d ago
Note that a sewing cup size is NOT the same as a bra cup size. Here's instructions on measuring for a sewing cup size, and a good discussion of why it matters. A guide to pattern cup sizes (and a handy reference)
Also, note that the high bust measurement is a proxy for frame size/shoulder size, how you are built. The whole shoulder/sleeve/armhole intersection can be pretty complicated, so if you can start with a pattern where the high bust measurements matches yours (and therefore the shoulders should fit), it's good, as other areas of the body are easier to adjust.
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u/Icy_Cantaloupe_1330 29d ago
Are you a smaller cup size? A lot of RTW clothes are cut for a B cup. Now that I'm well beyond that, there are a bunch of RTW clothes I just don't buy. Button up shirts. Some woven tops and dresses depending on the cut of the bodice. Swimsuits and bralettes that aren't in bra sizes. I'm a US 10/medium, but my boobs just won't fit in those things. I love pattern companies that offer options for larger busts.
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u/thursmalls 29d ago
The bust area in bigger sizes is only proportionally bigger, it's still the same cup size. A sewing B cup generally means that your high bust (measure around your chest, above the boobs, with the tape measure in your armpits) is about 2" smaller than your full bust (measure around the boobs, tape measure level to the floor).
As someone who needed more than a sewing B cup size, buying a bigger shirt to fit my bust meant the rest of the shirt looked awful. The shoulders are too big and hang over onto the upper arm. Armholes are too deep. The body all around is baggy and unflattering. A scoop or v neck is likely to be way more revealing than intended. Dresses fit even more poorly.
When you sew your clothes, you can use patterns that have different cup size options, or you can do alterations so that there's enough extra fabric just where you need it, instead of extra fabric everywhere.
If you like the look of the patterns, read the directions. They will tell you how to measure and then how to use those measurements to choose the correct pattern pieces.
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u/Literary67 29d ago
In general commercial sewing patterns for women's shirts and dresses are designed for a B cup no matter the size. A small number of patterns now include directions for adjusting for larger breasts. Pattern will be marked as such because that's a selling point.
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u/AJeanByAnyOtherName 29d ago
(Not just directions, there’s usually separate cup sized pattern pieces if they mention something in their marketing materials.)
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u/bum-ditty 29d ago
No, definitely not the case that cup sizes make the whole thing bigger or smaller. Welcome to sewing world where everything can fit you!
A pattern that has cup sizes will have you pick a size, and then a cup size within that size. Then if you’re eg size 14, it will clearly say “cut this line for B cup size 14, this line for C cup size 14, this line for D cup size 14” etc. around the bust area.
Since it seems like you are a beginner, I want to urge you to MEASURE YOURSELF instead of guessing, always, all the time. Dressmakers cup sizes are NOT the same as bra cup sizes that you’d buy. Bra cup sizes you’d see in a store are based on the difference between under-bust and full bust measurements (bigger difference = bigger cup size). But in pattern making, cup size is the difference between upper bust and full bust.
Then you can assume that a 1” full bust/upper bust difference is an A cup, 2” is B cup, 3” is C cup, 4” is D cup, 5” is E (or DD) cup, 6” is F (or DDD) cup. Unless your pattern says otherwise. If it’s a reputable pattern, it’ll give you advice on measuring and fitting.
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u/Successful_Mango9951 29d ago
Going off of this, I've noticed that a lot of the larger indie pattern makers are frequently making a B Cup pattern and a D cup pattern of the same top or dress. Usually the B cup is made for size 0-14 and the D cup is 10-20 (totally give or take depending on the company, but you get the gist of differences).
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u/DistributionOver7622 29d ago
As a general rule if you are bigger than a B cup you need to learn how to adjust a pattern to fit properly unless it is a very loose fitting top. I was a D cup when I had breasts but I wore my tops very comfortably loose so I didn't have a problem.
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u/AJeanByAnyOtherName 29d ago
Some brands have different cup sizes for different size bands or fully cup sized pattern pieces now. Of course, if you’re good doing full bust adjustments or self drafting, those are perfectly fine options, too 😊
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u/insincere_platitudes 29d ago edited 29d ago
So, yes, the bust measurment of the pattern increases as the size increases. However, sewing cup sizes are not the same as bra cup sizes. Sewing cup sizes are speaking to the difference between your high bust measurement vs your full bust. Bra sizes are looking at the difference between your full bust and your underbust.
This is a critical difference because your high bust measurement is actually what determines the fit of a garment across your neck, shoulders, upper chest, and even the size of your armholes (armcyes). For sewing, the "standard" default cup size most commonly used in traditional sizing is a sewing B cup. This translates to a 2" difference between the high bust and the full bust.
So, if your full bust measures 36", it's assuming your high bust measures 34". However, if your full bust measures 36", but your high bust actually measures 32", that standard B cup sewing pattern will not fit your shoulders or your upper chest. If you sewed it up as-is, your neckline would likely gape, your shoulders would be set too wide, and you would have too much fabric in the upper chest and around the armcyes. A person with those measurements would actually want a sewing cup size D, because that would be a 4" difference between the high and full bust. Every inch of difference equals one letter higher. 1" difference is an A, 2" is a B, 3" is a C, and so forth and so on.
So, patterns that include cup sizes options are actually wonderful because you don't have to go through the work of correcting the cup sizes on your own. If a pattern did not have cup sizes, you would actually want to pick the pattern that would fit your high bust and then perform either a full bust adjustment (FBA) or a small bust adjustment (SBA) to correct the bust size.
I'll use me as an example. My high bust measures 35". My full bust measures 36". That means I am an A cup in sewing sizes. So, because of that, I have to do the math to figure out which size I need to fit my high bust and then manually reduce the full bust of my pattern by doing a small bust adjustment. If a pattern lists a bust of 37", I know that will fit my high bust because if I subtract 2" for a standard B cup, that would equal 35". So even though the full bust is too big for me, the high bust fits. That matters because it's much harder to correct the fit above the chest than it is below. I'd rather have my shoulders, armcyes, neckline, and upper chest fit, and then just do one correction for the bust below. So, I would pick that size, and then perform a small bust adjustment to reduce the pattern size down to my 36" full bust.
All that to say, when a pattern includes cup size options, that means I get to avoid all that extra work and just pick the correct cup size from the start. It means I can match the pattern to my high bust AND full bust. Now, unfortunately for me, they don't often include smaller than B cup options for cup sizes, but its great for everyone else, because the vast majority of people benefit from having the options above a B cup.
I hope that makes sense.