Bra Flaws: How To Uncurl a Curling Cup

Edit: the photo order and descriptions have been adjusted. Hopefully Google will keep it that way this time.

One of the reasons I buy Freya is not just for their somewhat extended size range and the availability of a t-shirt bra that fits a natural tall, wide root in a 28. It's also for their somewhat better quality. I'm not going to find the same type of durability or size that fits from a bra bought at Victoria's Secret, Target or Walmart - or any American brand for that matter. Sometimes...even Freya falls short on their own quality. Perhaps their QC team is made up of a bunch of monkeys, or 5 year olds, or disgruntled sweatshop workers...or all of the above? I don't know. But if I'm paying $60+ for a piece of underwear that has a tag loaded with those wretched QC stickers that leave residue to prove they've been inspected then I expect something decent.

That being said...last year I ordered the last of Freya's "original" shaped Deco bra: Deco Honey Plunge in Jade. (Currently they are making them all with an overstarched trim that only fits women with short, narrow roots which was their only target audience with all of their other bras. The original Deco design does not have trim.) Upon receiving it in the mail I noticed one of the cups was badly deformed. Having to avoid shipping it back and waiting close to a month I kept it and figured maybe it'd work itself out. Not only that but I ordered a larger cup size because my others were getting small. Then I lost weight. Then I gained the weight back so now I can wear it again. I had it on yesterday and Luke noticed the flaw, "If I can notice it then it must be bad!". Yes, thank you!

I searched online for a fix. The most popular result, and pretty much the only one, was to iron it with a cloth to protect the fabric. I actually tried that when I first got this but it only lasts through 1 wear, and eventually the cup refolds.

Why does this happen? A couple of reasons:

1. Shoddy workmanship!
   a) The main fabric has not been cut correctly, usually because it's too short for the foam so it has to stretch over the top of the foam cup and this causes it to pull the moulding out and down. - or
   b) When stitching the main fabric to the moulding, either one of them could have been pulled too much in the process resulting in the fabric being stretched and the thread in the stitches actually keeps this shape.
2. The bra is old and has stretched out - except this would most likely happen equally to some degree in both cups.
3. The bra has been man-handled in the wash, and/or put in the dryer. Don't put them in the washing machine, unless you're careful. (See my update below) And always line dry them letting them hang from the center gore so neither the straps nor band can get stretched out in the drying process.

So why did it happen to mine? Reason 1a. There is a super quick and easy fix for this that involves chalk, thread, a thin needle, and a pair of scissors. Below are photos, pretty self explanatory but I'll briefly describe them as needed.

Yuck!

I paid $60 for this nonsense...

Shame on you, Freya!

Unsightly edges under clothes.

Cup appears too big because of the curl.

On the inside of the bra, mark the bottom of the curl with chalk, extending toward cup edges a little ways past the majority of the curling. This line will be where you insert the needle.

Use a double strand of thread. If you want more security you may wax it first. 

Beginning at the outer side of cup (strap side), insert your needle into the cup lining where you've marked it. DO NOT penetrate all the way through the foam! You may go through a little of the foam but not all the way, and definitely not through to the outside of the cup. Your second pass will be at the top of the cup. Same with this, do not go all the way through. You just want to catch a little bit of foam here. The idea is to pull the top back down. Stitches should be no more than 1cm apart.

DO NOT PULL THE THREAD TIGHT! One commenter on here said this fix did not work for their bra, and instead made it worse. If you pull the thread to tight it will create curling in the opposite direction. You only want to pull it as tight as to help the foam to lay smooth. Take your time, and check the foam after every stitch or so to make sure it's keeping a normal shape.

After completion. 

Completed.

Completed. It still appears there is a bump in the two photos above but now the other way. If you're in the correct cup size this will go away while being worn.

Much better!

This is what a t-shirt bra should look like under a t-shirt.

Update 12-29-18: mine is still holding up very well, and I carefully wash all of my bras in the machine, regular cycle, cool to warm water, in lingerie bags, line dry only. I haven't had a problem with the integrity of them, and the hand sewing on this one still looks like new. I wear this bra quite often too.

This is what my stitching looks like after 4.5 years. As you can see it's still intact. The threads have stretched a little but the foam is completely smooth. This is without waxing the thread. (And yes it does still fit  😄 I keep a very consistent weight and shape.)

Nice close up to show the integrity, and also how much fabric is really being held by thread.