@thollukthcaptor submitted:
So I have kind of a longish question! I want to make a custom set of midsection/hip/thigh spanx for myself with shoulder straps to keep the darn things from rolling down like so many other pairs do. What kind of fabric would you suggest I use? I was thinking something thick for smoothing and 4 way stretch but I don’t know if two way stretch would work too, and I’m not sure what kind of material would be best, though I was thinking cotton for breathability. I also want more hip binding action and I wasn’t sure if I should add some kind of elastic band around my hips or where I’d even find one that wide? What would you think would be best for this?
Hello there!
This is such a fun question because I get to talk about both lingerie and fabric choice. ;]
Shapewear is generally made out of knits that have firm stretch to them. A 4-way stretch wouldn’t be a bad idea for the sake of comfort, though I think you’ll have better luck finding (and possibly better results using) a 2-way stretch. I would also recommend nylon over cotton. But before getting into fabrics, we need to talk about what shapewear is and how it works.
Shapewear as we know it (so not corsets and other non-stretchy things) works by using knit fabrics that stretch over the body and both compress and redistribute fat. Most shapewear is feminine, in that it is meant to enhance feminine curves, though there is plenty of shapewear out there for masculine bodies (whether to align a body that would otherwise be seen as feminine with a masculine ideal, or whether to enhance what is already seen by society as a masculine body), and it sounds like you want shapewear in the latter category that will smooth out rather than enhance curves. Most feminine shapewear works two ways: the fabric is firm enough that it can have that compression action, and the seam placement allows for the garment to direct where the redistribution takes place. In other words, if you want to make your butt look more shapely (for example), you have to use seams and panels that make sure the fabric around the butt is shaped to an ideal form, and then the firmness of the fabric will keep the wearer’s butt in that form. (Seaming also allows for different materials with different levels of firmness to be used, though some shapewear is knitted as such to include variations in firmness into the fabric itself without the need for seams.)
This also means that if you want to have shapewear that hides curves rather than enhances them, you’ll want to keep it relatively seamless.
So what you would need in a fabric is: something knit (so it can stretch over and with your body), something with excellent recovery (so that it snaps back into shape easily after being stretched), and something firm enough to hold everything in.
There’s actually a material like this out there, often simply called “girdle fabric”: powernet. Also called powermesh or powerknit. Make sure that you can get a heavy-duty one -- I wouldn’t trust the wimpy regular mesh they’re trying to pass off as powernet at Joann’s, for example. You can also double up on fabric (whether the same type or of different types) on areas that you want to have even more control in.
There are other fabrics, as well, mostly that go under either extremely generic names that are ungoogleable by themselves, or that have very specific, industrial-sounding names. Some search terms you can use: “girdle fabric,” “bra band fabric”
Here’s a few sites that supply this type of material, just from a quick google search:
http://www.bramakerssupply.com/site2009/cart/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=20 http://www.sewsassy.com/BraProducts/brafabric.html http://spandexworld.com/c3/catalog/browse/42
A couple of sites talking about materials choice:
http://www.orange-lingerie.com/your-guide-to-bra-making-materials/ https://www.seamwork.com/issues/2015/02/choosing-the-right-lingerie-fabrics http://sewing.patternreview.com/SewingDiscussions/topic/24790
Aaaaaaand a few sites on how shapewear works and some sewing tips:
http://blog.cupidintimates.com/2010/08/12/7-tips-on-how-to-sew-shapewear/ http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/beauty-style/science-shapewear
Now I mentioned earlier that I would recommend nylon over cotton. This is for a few reasons. One is that you are pretty much never going to find a mostly-cotton knit that has enough recovery and is firm enough to use as a base for this type of garment. Second is that cotton, while it’s nice and breathable, also tends to trap moisture against your skin and feel clammy, which is not what you want here. Third is a very practical reason that you may not think about, but anyone who has worn a cotton skirt over a pair of tights can attest to this one -- nylon is slick, and cotton is grabby. Your clothes will be much smoother on top of your shapewear if you use nylon. Also, if you use cotton, your clothes on top might catch onto the fibers and start riding up or clinging in strange ways that you clearly do not want. Nylon will be much more comfortable for you and look better.
Honestly? Shapewear is hard to make so that it fits right, does what you want, and looks good. My advice would be to buy a piece of shapewear that does what you want and add straps to it, or to buy multiple pieces and wear them together. The latter option there might be less comfortable, but you’ll get the results you want. (Just...don’t overdo it, okay?) Something like the hip binder sold on Underworks combined with a waist cincher, perhaps even attached together at the waist, would probably do the job you’re asking. (Also, a lot of commercially-produced shapewear is made on machines or otherwise with technology that the average home sewist doesn’t have access to.)
If you do embark on your shapewear-making journey, I wish you the best! I’d go for a fairly simple high-waisted shorts type pattern, and make sure that the hem hits where you want on your thigh, since you presumably don’t want a lot of the curve-creating action of more feminine-styled shapewear, but rather something to smooth you out. Lots of extra seams to create shape wouldn’t be needed in that case. I’d also advise putting a bit of elastic or silicone banding in the bottoms of the legs and the top of the waist so that it doesn’t ride up, and to help those straps out. Double up on the fabric around your hips, or use a firmer fabric there in addition to your regular fabric. An elastic band would likely get very uncomfortable after a while, but doubling up the fabric would help add some strength. Also, if rolling down at the top is a problem, a little boning in the sides should help with that, as well, though straps would be easier and possibly more comfortable.
Good luck! I hope you find this helpful :]