About Your Custom Printed Sports Bra

Flex Sport Lycra fabric is what gives this sports bra so many great qualities. We use two layers of fabric to add extra support and ensure that the sports bra is comfortable to move in. This gives it a light level of support, which is ideal for exercises such as pilates or yoga and other low-impact activities. As a bonus, this lycra offers UV protection and is temperature regulating, so your custom sports bra is amazing for outdoor workouts. When you design your own sports bra, you can choose from seven binding colors, which will be sewn around the edges of the garments to provide structure and look neatly put together. Each of the panels is separated by your choice of black or white cover stitching, which helps to ensure the seams stretch as you need them to. 

Designing and Making

There are eight separate panels for you to work with, which include the front, back, two side panels, two shoulder straps, and the front and back of the elastic. They are all separated by the stitching; keep in mind that we might not be able to align your pattern across each panel. The front panel is the largest and will be the best place for a focal point, while some of the smaller panels, like the shoulder straps or elastic, would be better suited to solid colors or minimalist designs. With the exception of the elastic band, all of the prints will be mirrored on the inside of the sports bra. 

Sizing For Hemming And Shrinkage

We have a full Cut & Sew service here at Contrado, and are able to hem your fabric prints for a small additional charge. We create a small one- or two-fold hem that typically uses 0.2" to 0.75" (5-20mm) of material, depending on the thickness of the fabric. So, for example, if you want a finished piece of fabric that measures 39.37" x 39.37", you will need to order a size of 39.96" x 39.96" to allow for the hem (on top of that please also allow for shrinkage of min 2%). The thicker the fabric, the bigger the hem will be. You can choose to have your prints hemmed with either Black or White thread. On our silk and other light woven fabrics, one hemmed edge will be straight (vertically down the roll) and the other will be slightly rippled. The hemming material allowances are as follows and you need to make your print bigger to accommodate the hem:

• Light Fabrics (0.59oz-2.95oz): For silks and other light fabrics, we use 0.24" - 0.32" / 6mm-8mm in the hem (2 fold), so overall width/height will be minus 0.48"-0.56""/ 12-16mm
• Medium Fabrics (2.98oz-5.90oz): For medium-weight fabrics that fray, we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (2 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.4" - 1.6" / 35-40mm
• Stiff/Heavy/No-fray fabrics: we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (1 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.5" / 35-40mm

All of these measurements are approximate and can vary. Including with shrinkage, it can mean a fairly significant difference to ordered dimensions, so please plan your print accordingly. Depending on how open the weave is, our fabric can shrink anywhere from 2% to 8% with the average being 2.5%.

How Would you Like the Edge?

• As it comes. We cut around your image, leaving a simply scissor cut, perhaps uneven white fabric border. 
• Hem with thread. We can hem your fabric with a choice of black or white thread. Please allow 1-2 days additional production time. See below for information on how hemming affects the size of your print. We offer an overlock hem, as well as a folded hem (one or two fold depending on the fabric) however not all fabrics are suited to both hem types. If you can see both options, it means both are suitable, and you will be able to choose whichever you prefer. 
• Cut on the line. We will cut neatly on the edge of your design. This means that if you have a border around your design we will cut around that border, if your design takes the whole space of the fabric, then we will neatly cut around the edge of that image. Please be aware, when we cut along the line, we have to cut against the grain of the fabric. This is the standard procedure for fabric cutting. This means that with some fabrics, for example, Georgette and Mulmul, which have a slight wave in them, some fraying will occur. This is unavoidable, as the cut follows the grain of the textile. 

All of our fabrics are cut manually by hand, with the utmost care and attention. If your fabric has a slightly uneven look on the edges or a touch of fraying, this does not indicate a flaw in the textile. It is not always possible to achieve a perfectly straight cut with certain fabrics, so please do bare this in mind when it comes to your design. If you have any queries or would like to know about our cutting methods in more detail, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to discuss them with you.

Please note: As we make everything by hand, all sizes may vary slightly.

For further information about our fabrics see our FAQs.

What kind of activity is this sports bra suitable for?

As the custom sports bra is designed to provide light support, it's best for exercises that are low-impact, such as walking, pilates, yoga, and cycling.

Which parts can I design?

The custom printed sports bra has eight panels that you can design, which will be the front and back, both sides, both shoulder straps, and both halves of the elastic band. You can also choose between black and white stitching, and choose from seven colors for the binding around the edges.

How is the sports bra made?

When you design your own sports bra, we make each one by hand by printing, cutting, and sewing each piece together. We use a dye sublimation technique to create the print, which ensures a bright, long-lasting design on the lycra.