Well, if you are small like me, you can do without easily....if however, you have been more generously endowed, maybe purchasing patterns in advance would be a good idea. I'm guessing something along the lines of a corset will be back in vogue, although more for it's supportive functions than it's slenderizing function. Reason I'm thinking along those lines is that the plastic boning used in modern corsetry as a replacement for the traditional whaleboning will last pretty much forever, and can be cut out of expired garments and reused, as can underwire supports from before TSHTF. before Lycra, cotton was the fabric of choice for undergarments...making a 100% cotton bra, out of something texturally similar to Tshirt fabric, wouldn't be difficult for a skilled tailor...the down side...because Cotton is less forgiving than Lycra, pretty much all foundation garments will have to be custom tailored. Buying off the rack (what a terrible pun) will be pretty much a thing of the past.
I've got a friend who survived the Depression, (was in her early 20's at the time), and will ask her what they did for foundation garments, but I don't think the Bra as we know it now, was mass marketed until during WWII.

 

I'm a DD and I suppose I'll have to find a pattern...although I really, really want to avoid that "bullet bra" look. GROSS!

 

SEXY! - BRA MADE FROM BORING UNDERPANTS Video
or

Just some ideas

Bogdan

 

I am a DD too. But - sagging is more a matter of genetics than weather you wear a bra or not.

Personally, I think these people have a point!

But - I like the other ideas that have been presented too!

 

Now I'm doubly glad I don't bother with them...I just find they inhibit my freedom of movement too much.

 

::::sigh:::: It doesn't seem like there's enough breast support for either of these options. I must be a femininity sheeple, because I really do love the support of a good bra.

I'm guessing a future option will be ace bandages and safety pins, LOL!

 

Well, I have seen bra patterns in the pattern books at the sewing stores Simplicity and Butterick. I don't know what kind of support you would have.

But - it might come down to the ace bandages and safety pins!

 

I can't remember where, but I seem to recall reading that some women ... maybe oriental in past eras, use to use long pieces of cloth to wrap and bind themselves. A really lightweight demin would have the strength to support and wouldn't wear out very fast. It might also be possible to use one of those vests like the peasant girls in middle ages used ... the ones that fit tightly under the breasts with the breast part exposed. Possibly, you could add some material that has a bit of stretch into the open top part of the garment. The garment would keep the bust from dropping, and the added part would lend support. Then, as the added part started to weaken, you could redo it with another piece of fabric. I would also check into some medieval web sites and see what you could dig up there. A tight fitting shirt underneath might work okay as well ... like a size or two too small. Personally, I hate bras, but that is just me.

 

I can't remember where, but I seem to recall reading that some women ... maybe oriental in past eras, use to use long pieces of cloth to wrap and bind themselves...

Yeah, and they fainted a lot, IIRC...

 

Well, the corset was the precursor to the bra. I think maybe binding your breasts so you could adjust how much pressure is going to work for you might be the route to go. I'm with you, Greywolf... Don't like bras!

 

Just a thought and not knowing how much sewing equipment ( maybe no electricity)will be available to make any kind of undergarment. A very simple and I believe easy to make bra might be something along the lines of a Bikini top, 2 pieces of triangular material and some cord or strings. These definitely will not be in the same class as the undergarments of today but this is could be improvised with materials at hand.

 

This was the original bra and it was made from ribbons and hankerchiefs. Circa late 1910 and into 1920s

 

Every prep sewing box should have different sizes (widths), strengths of elastic , then velcro also along with the regular snaps, buttons, thread, etc. U may want to get the soft elastic in wider widths to make your own bikini bra as bearman suggested, but use the wider elastic for the straps for better lift (support) . Also in a SHTF, with eating less (eating rationed amounts) your weight may fluxuate or U may lose a lot of weight so bras that fit U today, may not later. If those sports bras and other tight elastic type runners bras, or work out tops U like and they work for U, then if U see them on sale at discount clothing stores (Ross dress for Less) then maybe put some away in your SHTF clothing preps.

 

A halter style bra would be easy to make - My girls are D's so they need an underbust band or there is just no point -and the cups can be cut to fit. I would probably deconstruct a halter style bra top and make a pattern off of it to keep permanently. And if you already sew, buying a few cheap remnants now and again to put away for the future is not a bad idea -although I don't think there would be as frantic a run on the fabric store as a grocery store when the SHTF! LOL Extra needles for you sewing machine, and a really big spool of cotton thread would also be a good investment. Also, with a halter style - you get instant cleavage - even for the itty-bitties amongst us - something your man will no doubt appreciate.

 

Oh, and if you run out of thread and you have any old crocheted doilies kicking around amongst your stuff - they can be unravelled and raided for the thread. I think we get so used to looking at things as a whole that we forget most things we use on a daily basis are made up of more than just one substance or part - any of which could be used for some other purpose entirely in a pinch. What would happen if we started proactively looking at things that we buy that way - not only for what their intended use is - but really - what else can they be used for - in whole or in part. Things that make you go hmmmm.....

 

Ever since I started "carrying", I've quit wearing bras, and instead I wear camisoles, since they provide some protection between me and the holster and exposed part of the grip. More comfy than the old "over the shoulder boulder holder" (AKA double-barrel slingshot), and still provide support/coverage. They're easier to pack, too, because they can be rolled up.

 

****! I could never git away with just a cami.

You must have a real perky set.

Got to have underwire.

 

They make camis with underwires, too! (Victoria's Secret has some really nice camis underwires, and I got mine on sale through their website.)

 

Support options

Personally, I think the best option for post-Apoc unmentionables would be underbust corsets. Even though now they are not quite as cheap as bras, the plastic boning in ones from say Walmart, K-mart, or J.C. Penney's are a lot more durable than underwire bras even now. I've had the same corset for about 5 years now, not wearing it constantly but at least three times a month, but I have to get new bras every other year. There are patterns available from many different companies on how to make an underbust corset but those I've had trouble finding places to buy the boning to use for them. An easier option is to buy a corset or two, wear them until they fall apart, and then gut them for the boning and the metal connectors on the back. Underbust corsets also don't require much fitting or adjustment so women of various endowments could wear the same size. Pros: Lots of support, easy to make, lightweight, easy to reuse or hand-down. Cons: Movement restriction and, to put it nicely, it'll be easy to tell when you get cold. Movement restriction can be dealt with by staying with the plastic boning rather than using a steel boned corset, as well by not trying to actually make your waist smaller. As long as the corset is snug it will work for breast support; you don't need to break your ribs to use it. For the other problem... stay warm. Lol.

 

I see this is a super old thread but that's okay.

My dd and I actually wear corsets on almost a daily basis. We wear Victorian style (not underbust) because we do living history reenacting (1850s-1860s Minnesota). We find them more comfortable than bras, and honestly women in the 1800s did everything we do now while wearing them.

A few things -- the plastic boning won't last nearly as long as steel boning, and spiral steel is very flexible. Plastic boning won't give as good support, and it will mold to your body over time because of your body heat.

For the most comfortable corset, make it yourself, don't buy off the rack. They are somewhat time consuming to make -- it took us about 10 hours total time to make each of ours -- but once it's done it's done. You should wear something underneath it (period accurate was a chemise) to protect it from your body oils. You will very, very rarely (if ever!) have to wash it if you do this.

There is no way I can wear an underbust corset -- I am a nursing mama with two kids, and an underbust corset just doesn't support me.

I buy all my supplies from http://corsetmaking.com/ It cost me about $100 to make 2 corsets, and future ones will be less because I already have the pattern and some knowledge so won't buy the wrong size of bones.

No matter which pattern you go with, do a thorough websearch for advice about that particular pattern. They can be sewn by hand -- my dd at 16 years old sewed hers almost completely by hand.

The hanging-onto-the-bedpost-to-get-it-tighter is all lies. A corset should offer firm support but not be uncomfortable. If it is, it's either too tight or doesn't fit right. It shouldn't dig in to your hips/lap or shove your bust to your chin when you sit. It shouldn't slide down throughout the day, and you should be able to breath freely.

My daughter right now is wearing hers over a chemise while we are washing her dress. She simply finds hers so much more comfortable than a bra that she wears it as often as she can.

 

That's so cool and I'm definitely going to try this out. Thanks so much for the info.

 

I do love a good corset, and I have a grommet punch. I've looked at corset patterns but never gotten there yet. Actually, I think the corsets I own would probably last a good long while. Can't really see them just breaking down any time soon.

*makes note to buy some extra corsets for the "stock"*

 

Ya'll are so talented! Here I was just planning on tucking them into the waistband of my pants to keep them out of the way :

 

Does anyone think this may be a business opportunity?

 

I think it's a good thought to learn how to make them, if one was so inclined. Especially to learn how to make them with available/found materials, and even with hand-sewing.

The ability to MacGyver a bra from second-hand materials would probably be a great skill post-SHTF. At the very least, there would be a lot of grateful women. I associate bra-less-ness with bedtime, and I swear, I don't feel human during the day if I don't have a bra on. It's just a night-time/rest-time association for me.

 

When I get to stay at home I often wear a "wrap". It's much more comfortable for me than a bra or corset. I'm rather well endowed so my shoulders and back get tired and sore with a bra. The wrap doesn't lift me like a bra or corset but it gives me support and it adds some support to my back as well. It's soft, absorbs sweat and I like it but I don't wear it out anywhere. However when the SHTF I think our attitudes about fashion will change and I probably won't care if I look "perky" or not.

One thing though, it’s not a wrap like they used to “bind” a woman and that’s where the fainting came from just like fainting that occurred when women wore extreme corsets. Mine is comfy.



The other option is to wear “stays” or the more relaxed “jumps”. “Stays” were not just worn for appearance but also for support and the jumps were much lighter “boned” that was worn around the home or for farm work etc.

This article might be helpful and give a look at the variety of materials that can be used for the “stays, “jumps” and even the “boning”.





http://www.marariley.net/celtic/scotland.htm

 

I was a DD in high school, and things got crazy after that.

I like corsets too, but in case of occasions when you won't want to wear anything the least bit difficult (like after a motorcycle accident, with busted ribs,) you might find the big elastic 'rib bands' help. My husband is a large guy, so when he'd busted ribs a while back, they gave him this firm, wide elastic wrap to wear. When I busted some and couldn't stand to wear a bra, sport bra, bra-cami, and didn't want to wrestle into a corset by myself every day, I used that rib-band. Snug enough, helped the ribs, and helped at least a bit with containment too.

 

Sewing bras can't be that difficult. I did a Google search and there are patterns online.

And there are a lot of people who are in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) who know how to make corsets. I suspect strongly that corsets would make a comeback in a SHTF scenario.

 

I've known SCAdians that I figured would get through anything (and I hadn't a clue about prepping/survivalism at the time) but I met some that were a pure joke too. The ones that know their stuff are awesome. I should try to find someone to make stays & jumps for me, I tend to associate my upper back pain with bras.