Working on Greenstyle Creations Power Bra

The Greenstyle Creation's Power Bra is such a versatile pattern.  It has princess seams and a bajillion options, including strappy back, racer back, back pocket, keyhole back and plenty of chances for colour blocking. 

I have had a lot of trouble with sizing though.  It is a good pattern and great for utilising the scraps leftover from making leggings, so I am going to persevere.  I may not get back to this pattern for a while, so I wanted to document where I got to in 2019.

My first version has been blogged previously.  I used the size chart on the pattern and my measurements and made a 30E.  I am normally an A/B cup, so this size surprised me, but I like to follow the directions first time around.  It feels okay on, but I think that is because the fabric is very forgiving and extremely stretchy.  I didn't put elastic in the seam allowances.  The shape of the cups is all wrong and I feel like everything is sagging.

Next I thought I'd try a B cup, so I made a 30B.  The outer fabric is nylon lycra, the inner is meryl, and there is a layer of power mesh in-between.  I initially sewed rubber elastic in the seam allowances.  I couldn't get this on.  That was a real bummer, because I was hoping to have a bra that I could wear both running and swimming.  I ripped all the elastic out.  Now I can get it on, and it is comfortable to run in, but without the elastic, it is a disaster to swim in.  The front pulls down in the water and creates a lot of drag.

Next I tried my RTW size, 34B.  It was way too big and I had to run the sides in a lot.  Both inner and outer are a heavy weight supplex and I didn't put elastic in the band.  After being taken in, it made for a comfy yoga-level-of-support bra.

30 was too small and 34 too big, so I was zooming in on a 32, but what cup size??  This next one is a 32D, with some modification to the princess seam shaping (I used my other bra patterns to fudge the shape).  This one is not bad, but the band still feels a smidge too tight.

At this point, I went to the shops and tried on about 30 different sports bras.  I didn't like any of them any better.  Yeah, fussy much?

Next I made a 32D, with modified seam shaping, and an extra 1 cm width to the band.  The U back is not the same as the pattern, but based on a sports top I made yonks ago.  This one is to match some unblogged leggings, made with lycra from Pitt Trading, black supplex for the lining, power mesh in between the layers and no elastic in the seams.. 

This is comfy, but I still think that I can improve the fit.  Next time I am going to start with the 32C, with an extra centimetre added to the band.