In my long-running quest for a workable and supportive bralette for the small band medium-large bust combination genetics has handed me, I’ve crafted myself yet another wirefree bra. The Watson pattern is available at the wonderfully talented Cloth Habit, and has been attempted and reviewed hundreds of times by many bra and clothing bloggers. As I browsed online reviews and images of the various Watsons that have been made, I found myself disappointed that all were done by small band small bust women – the target market of mainstream bralette manufacturers. There’s plenty of reviews in the 30A-32C size range, and seemingly nothing larger.

There’s a severe, if not total, lack of bra-sized bralettes or any kind of bralette workable for small bands and larger busts. So I took it upon myself to change that. Watson is available down to a 30 band, and from “AA” to “I” cup – using a European cup progression of AA-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I. This works out to a 30:9 index size and is the largest cup volume available in the smallest band the pattern is currently drafted for for. The pattern is also available in sister volumes going up in the band from there – for example 32:1-8, 34:1-7, and so on. I usually wear a 28:9 or 30:8. Based on my experience with previous bralettes and also my desired results from a bralette, I decided to make it in the 30:9 volume – one cup size larger than normal. With the example I’m showing you today, this worked out perfectly. I’ve made 4 Watsons over the past couple of weeks and this one is the best, therefore the one I’ve chosen to review.

Let me give you a rundown of the materials I used: black 2-way stretch lace, nude 2-way stretch powermesh, black bra rings, 1/2″ elastic, 1/2″ clear elastic, and red 1/2″ foldover elastic. I used a 3×2 band fastener I found at Walmart of all places, and black straps I stole from an old black multi-way bra. The stretch lace I found at Walmart too (my local shopping resources are extremely limited) and is available at any fabric store worth their salt. The bra rings and powermesh can be found on Amazon (or any fabric store as well), as well as some elastics, with one caveat: The Watson pattern calls for plush backed lingerie elastic and I’m absolutely certain this is the best route to take for durability and comfort. I did not use it because it’s not available on Amazon nor anywhere in any fabric/craft store within an hour from me, and I never got off my butt to place an order at any of the lovely resources Cloth Habit provides in her incredibly detailed and user friendly Watson Sew Along. I’ll warn you in advance: fold over elastic is basically useless for anything other than hair ties and decorative edges, and I’m well aware the overall durability of this particular Watson is likely limited. Due to my proportions, a wireless bralette is something that’s not going to get heavy use or even be in my daily rotation. If you’re on the smaller side and want to live in Watson bralettes, I highly suggest following Cloth Habit’s instructions and special ordering lingerie elastic, or at the very least using knit elastic.

Let’s take it from the front!

Those of you even remotely familiar with the lingerie world will recognize immediately it looks just like a well-loved and wildly popular favorite that is sadly not available in my size, and not within my budget constraints. This was the main selling point and motivation for me as far as making a Watson went. The cups are unlined and have one vertical seam. I made the longline version and lined my bra cradle with the nude powermesh, cut in the opposite stretch direction of my lace to provide stability. I lined my cup edges with the pretty red foldover elastic. Since I was stitching directly into unlined lace, I stabilized the neckline edge of my cup with a flat clear elastic before stitching the red trim onto it.

The band is nude powermesh. The side profile is very minimized, as to be expected from a bralette with no wires or stiff structure. But I’m impressed with the amount of lift I get from something wireless! It’s also easy to see from this shot how short my natural roots are and how little upper fullness I get when not supported by an underwire! Detail oriented people will notice that I had to take in the sides of the cups by the vertical band seam. By not using the recommended 1/4″ lingerie elastic, the sides of my cups didn’t contract as much as the pattern allows for and were gapping open. I’ve since made a white Watson using 1/4″ elastic on the cup edges and I didn’t need to take in the cups, but it doesn’t fit for various other reasons I’ll explain later so I chose not to feature it in this post.

Angle shot! I’m seriously impressed with the separation I get here too. I can’t stand my boobs touching, and that’s something every other wireless bra has failed miserably at accomplishing. And look, it’s just so danged pretty.

The back:



The strap elastic is stitched directly onto the top edge of the band. Because it’s a longline, the band sits lower on your back. I find the 30 band to be plenty roomy and will likely alter it smaller myself eventually. Your mileage may vary depending on what material you choose, how stretchy it is, and what elastic you use.

On that note – I made an all white Watson from 4-way stretch jersey knit fabric. It was too large all around. 4-way stretch “grows” more when you’re stitching it and simply stretches more when pulled on. I will attempt it again using this material, as it’s incredibly soft and comfortable, but in a cup volume smaller and definitely with a tighter band.

Watson, complete with all size options and a pattern for a matching bikini, is a total steal at $15. If your size changes, you don’t have to purchase the pattern again in another size. It’s a great value and a project I’m really glad I attempted. I’d highly recommend it to anyone! I imagine if you have knowledge of pattern drafting and cup scaling, it could be easily altered to your specific size if it’s not one of the already drafted sizes. If any of my lovely readers has made or decides to make a Watson, comment with your results – I’d love to see them!