Bikini competitions are expensive! There are entry fees, tanning appointments, makeup and hair, travel to and from the show, hotels, supplements, gym memberships, and nutritionists. Add a sequined competition suit, and you could be looking at $1,500 or more – for ONE show!
Purchasing a competition bikinis often costs $200 for a basic suit, with no rhinestones and can run as much as $700 for full rhinestoning. You can make your own for less than $30 without rhinestones, and less than $100 with a basic rhinestone design.
Making your own takes some basic sewing skills and a little bit of time. My first suit took about 4 weeks to construct; the second I completed in about 6 hours over the course of three days, and the third took less than 4 hours – most of which was rhinestoning {yay efficiency!}.
The content below includes a step-by-step process for making your own suit, my favorite sources for suit materials, and tricks for those who want to alter or jazz up a suit they’ve bought from someone else. These are all designed with a novice sewer like myself in mind – trust me, you can do this!
I’ll continue to add items here over time. Subscribe to the newsletter in the box to the right to receive each post in your inbox as they go live, and comment below to request specific advice.
COMPETITION BIKINI DIY: Getting started
The Comprehensive DIY Bikini Shopping List
3 Tips for Picking the Perfect Competition Suit Fabric
Bikini Fabric Pattern and Color Options (video)
Understanding Fabric Stretch (video)
COMPETITION BIKINI DIY: Constructing your suit
Cutting Out Your Competition Bikini Top (video tutorial)
Cutting Your Competition Bikini Bottom (video tutorial)
Constructing the Bottom (video coming soon)
Applying Rhinestones (video coming soon)
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