Quick way to find the balance point of your underwire
The balance point of an under-wire for a bra is the deepest part of the wire, this is where it should be sat at the bottom of your cup pattern. You can either find the balance point by drawing an ‘x’ and ‘y’ axis like I did in this post or you can put the wire on a table with the wires facing up in the air and put your finger on the base, and at one point it will natural stay still.
Mark the balance point with a pen so you can reference it against your pattern. If you are designing a bra with a cradle (where the wing and CF meet and are sewn together). At the point of your balance point that is where the seam should be on the cradle.
The seam takes the weight of the breast, so the fabric is less likely to distort and strain on heaviest, fullest, deepest part of the breast if there is a seam. Also with the seam there, it’s a quick and easy way to make sure you have positioned the wire in the correct spot.
As the wire splays back and forth (like a cantilever) once you have the the balance point of the wire in the correct position it will support the breasts, also by ensuring your balance point of the wire is at the bottom of the cup you will be able to see if the wire is tall enough for the design you are doing. If the wire isn’t tall enough you will loose the side support of the breast which directs the breast forward away from the arm pit.
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