I have an idea for a few thong styles that currently aren’t on the market. What do you think would be the best way to go about getting started in making them?
I can barely stitch a sentence together…jk
For many years I thought about making my own thongs. I’ve modified g strings with chain and pearl straps only to discover they weren’t comfortable. I’m currently going to a seamstress to have pouches trimmed smaller. Jaxfstk swimwear are cheap thongs so taking the risk was worth it. I end up paying $8-12 per thong. If you plan on making them, it’s really about how much time and money you’re willing to spend. A friend of mine stopped advertising knitting services because nobody was going to pay her rate (nothing related to thongs, just general knitting services). At $20/hour and something taking 2-3 hours, how can anyone justify spending $60 or more for a thong? Some do, which why Skinzwear and other brands sell theirs for so much.
I have been sewing my own thongs for my wife and I for a while now. It was alot of trial and error since I didn’t really know what do to. I had no background in how to sew, what tools I needed and I had to watch alot of youtube videos on sewing. I purchased cheap 4 way stretch fabric, thread and elastic during the learning process. I started with pre-purchased patterns and modifed them to be closer to ones I already had. Then I would sew it and see what needed to change and then make a new pattern and repeat the process. I would guess I made 20 test thongs before I got it right for me. Now I can go to the fabric store buy whatever stretch fabric I want and sew it into a thong for my wife or myself. I have a serger and normal sewing machine. The reason I started down this path is the cost of purchasing thongs through skinzwear was getting to be more than I wanted to pay. I also missed the beachndanc or dore thongs style that I had so I made my own.
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Most of the Thongs I wear are self made, and I’m always open to trying new ideas. Creating your own ideas is very rewarding however there is one big problem. You wont want to wear the rest of your collection as often anymore!
There are 3 routes you can go
- Making them yourself
- Hiring a small business/designer
- Going to a manufacturing specialist
Option 1 - is has the steepest learning curve but gives you the most control. Watch bikini sewing tutorials, buy a machine that can do knits, take apart an existing thong/bikini so you get an idea of seam allowances and fitment. If your vision is complicated, start with a simple design and practice your seams before going too far.
Option 2 - Find a small business or garment maker, send them your ideas and see if they can make it. I’ve had people send me ideas on Etsy and I’ve tried some of them. Of course, the result might not come as expected and if custom swim is their business, expect to pay more. However you wont need to learn how to sew with this option.
Option 3 - Go to a dedicated manufacturer. Many of them have order minimums but they have the capacity to produce anything you want. You will have more control if you can produce your own tech pack. I get a lot of oversea manufacturers trying to get me to produce with them but you’ll have to put yourself out there with designs to get that. Dedicated manufacturers usually have all the tools to make about anything including custom fabric blends, colors, textures, and seams/stitching that requires specialized machines. They also will do multiple samples and prototypes to ensure your vision is matched.
Regardless of which route you go, you’ll need to start somewhere. Draw some ideas. Call out fabrics, textures and suit features. Seam type, lining, pouches or similar features, drawstring/elastic types, and how you envision it to sit on the body. Most of all, have fun with it. Putting an idea on paper makes it easier to visualize.
Good luck!
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I bought a cheap Brother sewing machine on black Friday two years ago to alter and repair clothes and thongs. I soon found with trial and effort I could make g-strings. I took a N2N pocket string and Skinz M1R2 suits to use as outlines for a pattern allowing for seams. I went to JoAnn’s fabric when they were closing and bought some fabric and elastic. and went to work.
I have learned to make straps using a double fold binder but lately I find using 2.5 mm elastic cording is smaller and easier to use for waist bands and back straps. From a distance the elastic strings are almost invisible, I try to use bright colors to avoid looking totally nude for most public places. Location, Location, Location.
Lately I have been making slingshot G-strings, basically a tiny pouch that cups under balls and stays in place by using tighter elastic in the bottom of the suit. No back strap is needed, but I will add one to suits I plan to swim in just in case, to keep them in place.
If I had to do it all over again, I would buy a better sewing machine that has better tension and a better feeding system and want to buy a serger with air threading. But with practice I had learned to make g-strings with my inexpensive computer sewing machine. I have not tried to make thongs since I now wear mainly g-strings to local lake and in my front yard.
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How about you use AI to design the thong, and then you take the design to a seamstress or a tailor?
I work with AI, and I thought about creating a platform where users can design their own clothing and manufacturers can offer a price for bringing the design to reality. Sort of like Ebay, but consumers can choose the lowest bidder.
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A Serger is a real game changer. I went the odd route and got the Serger first and I’ve get between 300 and 400 suits out of it. Isn’t it so rewarding to make your own suits? Now I rarely wear my “bought” collection.