Coffee dyed bras

I have more than a few bras that are beige. Beige is not a color that I like, especially in bras. So I decided I was going to change the color of some of the beige bras. I actually wanted to dye all of them, but I forgot one.

Anyway, I really wanted to get the bras as dark as I could– dark enough that they would look ‘nude’ on my skin. I googled and say that with something that has polyester as a part of the fabrication, rit dye or something similar, may not take, if it did take, it wouldn’t be as dark as an animal fabric. I saw that there was ‘idye’ for synthetic fabrics, but it says that you have to keep the items in boiling water for 30 minutes. Given that I was going to dye 2 Ewa bras, I wasn’t going to take the chance of damaging the bras before I even wore them. (Years ago when I tried to shrink some jeans I would put them in boiling water. They never got damaged-and I tried it on at least 20 pairs-, but they did shrink temporarily. Shrinking bras isn’t what I wanted to do.) So I decided to dye them using coffee. Using tea was another option, but in all the pics I looked at the coffee dyed items came out darker.

Here is what you’ll need (if you want to try this):

• Water
• a pot
• coffee (preferably instant)
• a large container
• a stirring utensil
• a strainer/coffee filter (if using regular coffee)
• Measuring cup (or something similar)

 

I got a large pot filled it about 2/3, then poured coffee into it. I didn’t actually measure how much water or coffee, but I used about 2-3 scoops with an ice cream scooper.

I let the coffee come to a boil. I put the hot coffee in the fridge for 5 minutes or so, to cool off a little. Then I put my bras in.

This is why you need a filter if not using instant coffee. I am no a coffee drinker,no it didn’t dawn on me the grounds wouldn’t be dissolved until after I put the bras in.

I stirred red the bras/coffee for a few minutes, then put a smaller pot with the coffee container on top so that all the bras were completely submerged.

I took the bras out after an hour.

I wasn’t happy with the color, thinking I could get it darker if I let it sit longer, so I poured the coffee into a large container. I used the remnants from the Marcie baby doll to filter out the ground coffee (smart!)

This is how the pot looked after. 😧

As as you can imagine there was ground coffee in the bras.

I put the container with the coffee in the microwave for around 10 minutes. I put the bras in, and then put the small pot filled with heavier items back on top to keep everything submerged. I left it like this overnight. So the bras were essentially soaking for 12 hours in coffee. I just knew when I took the bras out of the water they’d be darker than my skin.

They weren’t. They were the same color as before. 😔 Except now 2 of the bras had a black mark on them. Boo.

After I rinsed the bras off, there was still coffee grounds in the water.

Here are some comparison pics. As you can see the bras became a caramel/golden color. Better than beige, but still not what I was looking for.

Gorgeous bra

Top- new color Bottom- original color

Left- new color Right- original color

Closeup of the bow that didn’t change color. You can see the difference

CHP cappuccino

Top- original color Bottom-dyed

Top- original color (natural sunlight. No flash) Bottom- new color

PL Triumf

Top- original color Bottom-new color

Top- original color Bottom- new color

I adjusted the straps longer & you can see the slight color difference

The unlined bra took the color the best, while the chp cappuccino looks very close to the original.

So this may be ideal for someone where beige is a little too light for. Also you could probably get away with leaving the bras in the coffee for an hour, no need to keep it overnight like I did. I do wonder though if I would have been able to get a darker color if I put the bras in the hot water immediately.

Also, another thing worth mentioning, these bras have a scent to them. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s not the same as when you spill coffee. It’s slightly irritating. I did wash & (briefly) dry the bras and the smell is still there. But I suppose if I were to soak something in bleach for 12 hours whatever didn’t get dissolved would smell like bleach.

I may attempt to dye the triumf again.

 

Eta: I decided to quickly try the 2 Ewa’s on before going to bed, and they both shrink in length. The original I stretched length that I measured for the pl triumf was 21.75″, but the current I stretched length is 20.5″. I decided to re measure because the straps felt like they needed to be adjusted longer again. Also with the cappuccino, the original unstretched measurement was 22.75″, it’s now currently 22″. Which is actually a good thing for me because when I first got it, I had to put it on the 2nd set of hook instead of the loosest because it was a little loose. (This one has 4 settings)

Ewa Michalak Pl Triumf 65E

This is going to be a very brief review because I literally just got the bra, and I plan on changing the color soon.

The bra:

The fit: This bra is very comfortable. I haven’t really taken it off since I put it on. I tried it on without the pads (that’s how it came), with the thin pads, and then with these thick pads that came in a target bikini that I just bought.

Without padding:

With the Ewa thin pads:

With the thicker target pads:

Comparison pics of all three:

My bigger breast is on the left side of the pics (where the writing is). As you can see the amount of cleavage I have gets bigger as the padding gets thicker. So this can go from an ‘everyday’ bra, to a sexy bra with the use of padding. (I don’t use any padding at all in any of the bras I currently wear). As I add padding, there is some stretching of the cups that’s closest to the gore, so I should probably wear it without any padding. With the padding the bra is essentially too small.

 

These are the pads that I was given with the bra

These are the pads from a target bikini

 

The gore is nice and low.

The wires don’t seem wide– to me.

The measurements of this bra seem similar to what I need in unlined bras. 5.25″ width, and 8.75″ in depth. Oddly enough, my depth measurement is bigger than what is in Bratabase. (Mine 8.75, the other person has a depth of 8″)

The band is nice and firm.

I love that this bra isn’t “full coverage”. This will most likely be an everyday bra for me. A bra that I can comfortably wear on the days that I work longer shifts.

Panache Jasmine 30dd (blue)

Color: watercolor

The bra:

The lining of the bra is a blue fabric

There are 4 parts to this cup.

Dark blue bow at the gore.

There is no bow where the cups & straps meet.

The lace

The watercolor design doesn’t go all the way around the band.

The review:

Left/smaller side

Right/bigger side

There is some space at the lace in the smaller breast, but none in the bigger breast.

The back

With thy my shirt on. I think the bra gives a nice natural shape

I felt like the wires were too wide, especially on my right/bigger side. (This is something I initially thought about my houndstooth jasmine bra– but later changed my mind). I think I gave this ‘issue’ with some bras, where it seems like there’s room between my breast and the wire, but in actuality there is not.

The gore is sitting on breast tissue & kind of high. The marks from the wires don’t look like the bra is too wide.

 

I made the mistake of wearing this bra today (3/28), as its one of my long days at work. Normally on my longs days I try to wear a bra that I know will be comfortable, because I don’t want to be uncomfortable 5 hours into a 10 hour shift. But this was the first bra that I picked up, so I wore it. Around 4pm, the bottom of the wire was digging into my left breast. By the tine I got home, I wanted to rip the bra off.

I love my Jasmine bras, but they’re not the most comfortable to wear. The main reason bring the poking gore. I have not yet tried to bend the gore on any of my Jasmine bras.

Freya Crush 30DD

Color: Orchid

The Bra:

It has very colorful–filled with pinks, peach, greens, blues and reds, and perfect for summer.

There is a dark green sticthing that separates the top of the cup from the lace. This one thing would probably make this not good for FOT shapes.

There is a pastel green bow at the gore

As well as where the cup and strap meets

The upper portion of the straps are thick. The straps are technically partially adjustable. But I was able to go above the thicker part.

The floral design goes all the way around the band.

The fit:

Left side

Right side

As you can see the upper lace portion does not lay flat.

 

From rom the front with a shirt on

The review:

There is a little bit of room in the cups, but not enough that I could size down comfortably. I think if I did size down (28DD) the green stitching below the lace would cut in.

Initially I thought the 30 band was okay, because it doesn’t feel big or overly stretchy, but I think a 28 band would be a lot better. The band doesn’t ride up (from the back pic), but it looks like it is from the side pics. I may possibly (in the future) permanently shorten the band (by taking it in at the hook and eye closure).

I wore this bra all day today (I also wore it 2 other days), and I don’t see or feel any issues. The lace not lying flat does bother me somewhat, but that can be fixed with a simple stitch (of the lace) at the gore.

Victoria’s Secret Pink Date Unlined Bra size 32D

You can find the bra for sale here.

Color: black cherry (a purplish burgundy)

The bra:

The gore is short & wide

The cups are semi sheer

There is an elastic strip at the top of the cup. It is very stretchy, but this may not be the best style for FOT

The bottom portion of the cups have 3 vertical seams (they don’t go all the way to the top.

The Pink® logo on the side of the band

The straps are very thin; The straps are convertible in the back only; the lace does not go all the way around the band

Theres only 2 columns of hook & eyes. (Which is to be expected in this size as well as from VS)

The fit pics:

The cups are slightly small, and there is some slight cutting in. It’s is somewhat visible in real life, but I couldn’t capture good pictures of it. The lace is very stretchy & I attempted to stretch the top of the lace out, but I didn’t want to stretch it out too much

Pics of the slight cutting in

Pics of me in the bra with a top on

The bra doesn’t really uplift my breasts, it gives a very natural appearance. And minimizes my breasts somewhat.

 

Pics of the marks left by the wires

The width of the cup measures 5.25″ , and as you can see from the pics, it isn’t too wide for my breasts.

 

The review:

This bra is literally the most comfortable bra I own. I got it in the mail yesterday & I’ve been wearing it ever since (well I did take it off to shower & to sleep.)

The gore is wide, & most likely sitting on tissue, but it is not uncomfortable at all, and not stabby. I think I may alter the gore to make it thinner.

The band is stretchy, but I don’t believe it’s as stretchy as other VS bras. It’s not uncomfortably loose. It’s not noticeably loose, but I do have the adjusters slightly below the top of my shoulders. When stretched, the wires start to stretch around 29.5″, but it can stretch all the way to 32.5 (the wires were beyond distorted though).

I only paid about $20 for this bra with the coupons I had, so I think it was a good deal. Since I have a few secret rewards cards (and more coming in the mail) I will get a few more (I really want it in black). If I go to. Victoria’s Secret I would like to try on the 32DD, just to see how it fits. I may also try some of their other unlined bras.

 

Tuttie Rouge Frankie 30dd

Color: cornflower

The bra:

Closeup of the cups

Theres a white with silver polka dot bow at the top of the gore.

There are no bows where the straps and the cups meet.

The straps are very stretchy

The strap adjusters are cute little hearts.

Cute little frilly lace at the bottom of the cups

The signature ‘Tutti Rouge’ on the back of the band

The review:

The straps on this are very wide set. This is how it looks when I out the bra on with the straps as they were supposed to be.

As you can see they’re sitting on the ends of my clavicles. And the straps are literally in front of my armpits.

This is how I wore them; the straps are at an angle.

From the right

From the left

The sides of the cup come very high.

While the bra doesn’t look like it’s big, it is

I didn’t know if the band was stretched out since I bought this second hand, but it is pretty big (not Claudette big though.).

The band. I have the straps adjusted as short as they will go. The band doesn’t seem to be riding up.

Consensus: This bra is very cute, but I would like to try it in a 28e.

I wore it to work yesterday and these are the issues I have with this bra:

the band is too big

the straps don’t adjust long enough

the straps are very far apart.

the gore is high. Initially I didn’t have an issue with the gore, but after a few hours (I’d say at least 5) it started to bother me. It wasn’t as painful as some gores, but I knew today, I wouldn’t be able to wear a regular bra comfortably.

The sides of the cup come up very high. Initially it wasn’t too much of an issue, but by 7pm, I was ready to rip the bra off. (I actually went to target braless- but I wore a heavy sweater.

I do want to note that I’ve read that this bra runs wide, and I will say for me, it didn’t seem to be wide; At the width being 5.25″, it’s not exceptionally wide, it’s .25 wider than my yellow Marcie. I believe the extra width comes from the wires being longer.

Also, with the frilly lace at the bottom. It makes it look like the gore isn’t tacking all the way, but it is.

Panache Jasmine 30dd *houndstooth*

*Be forewarned, this will be a long post with a lot of pictures, as at some point this bra went from being a little loose to fitting perfectly.*

Color: pink & black houndstooth

The bra:

The inner part of the bra is lined with a black fabric

There is a slim black bow at the gore (closeup)

but no no bows where the cups and the straps meet

There are 4 parts to the cup, the part that is attached to the strap, the upper lace part, an inner panel, and a middle panel.

The lace portion is very stretchy

The houndstooth print does not go all the way around the bra, the back portion is black.

The straps are nice and thin with a picot trim around the edges.

The review:

 

This bra is just 😍

I prefer black & white houndstooth or pink & white houndstooth, but this is cute too.

You can see some of the space in the cups:

Wrinkling on the side of the smaller cup

The marks on my skin from the wires. As you can see the very top corners of the gore are sitting on breast tissue.

Photos of me in various tops

I wore this all day for my birthday. And it was largely okay fitting most of the day.  There were a few areas of poking mainly at the gore. Also I think the side of the bra on the right is a little too far back

 

Update from 2/2016

For a while I couldn’t find this bra. When I finally found it, I wore it, and noticed it actually fit. I’m not sure if you can see the difference in fit, but I get a rounder appearance now than I did before.

There is no wrinkling on the cups.

The back

This bra is like 90% perfect. It’s only after wearing the bra for a few hours that I start to feel pressure from the gore. Once I start to feel it, it doesn’t go away until I take the bra off. But I think just about every bra I own has a stabby gore.

I like that the upper lace portion is very stretchy, and it allows for upper fullness, and accommodates for difference in sizing. There’s nothing restrictive about it at all.

I want to note that when I wore the bra in February, I didn’t notice the wires being too wide on either side.

I actually have a few pairs, in a shopping cart that I may buy soon, just to have a few different colors.

Kostar bra 300 65E

Color: Kwiaty

Style: padded plunge bra

The bra:

The floral pattern goes all the way around the back.

The size tag

The inner part of the bra is black and has thin padding (a lot thinner than a VS pink lightly lined bra)

The cups

Theres a small shiny black bow on the gore

As well as where the straps meet the cup

The straps are black and nice and thin

The quality of the bra is nice, but I did notice an area where the top of the lace isn’t completely stitched to the cup

I didn’t notice this this until after I went to take the bra off, but there’s a small rip in the fabric at the top of the cup. (Blue arrow) I don’t think I did that, but since I just noticed it, I can’t be 100% sure.

The review:

I made it a point to wear this bra today so that I could review it quickly. This bra doesn’t fit perfectly, but I love the print, so I decided to keep it anyway. On to the pics:

The areas where it doesn’t fit:

There’s about a finger width of space at the bottom of the cup. Oddly enough, I do think the bottom of my breast is where the wire is, but there is a space where my finger can fit.

Theres a little room where the lace is.

I don’t know if it’s my eyes, but when I look at the side of the bra, it’s ‘lumpy’ at the upper portion. The sides of the cup come up kind of high.

I love that the design goes around the back.

With a cami on.

After I took the bra off. Going based on the marks, it actually was at my IMF.

The wire wasn’t too wide at all

 

Initially putting this on, the bra felt okay. But towards the middle of my day (around 2pm) the bottom of the wires were really irritating my skin. The wires are a lot thinner/more bendable than Panache/Cleo/Curvy Kate/Freya bras. They’re very soft, where I wouldn’t be surprised if they were plastic (they’re not). That irritation came and went (but when it was there it lasted for at least 30 minutes).  After I got home I realized that the sides of the cup were irritating my skin.

The band seems like it’s a tts 30. The floral material is stretchy and tshirt like. Overall I’d contemplate getting the same bra in a smaller size (or perhaps a longline), of the shipping wasn’t so high.