Bust apex and bra straps
When designing bra cups, the bust apex is the highest point of the cup, usually where the nipple sits but not always. This is where your darts (if you have darts) will come to or your vertical or horizontal seam will run through.
When working out where your straps will be on the bra pattern for soft bras, aim for above the apex or 1.5cm away from the CF towards the armpit. The position is known as ‘centre pull straps’ where by the straps are closer to the neck line than the outer shoulder.
Soft bras usually have centre pull straps because you don’t have a wire or moulded cup that can hold the breast into place, so the centre pull straps means you don’t have straps falling off your shoulders and the bra brings the breasts in closer due to the strap positioning.
To check where your bust apex will be on your pattern, lay the top and bottom pattern piece over each other using the seam allowance and the middle of the cup will overlap each other at a greater quantity, then you mark the middle of this overlap, and this is your bust apex.
To check if you have the straps in the right place of the pattern, whilst the pattens are still overlapped draw a line upwards and this will be where the strap point should be.
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