Life on Beacon

The most cost effective way to purchase rhinestone crystals for personal use is in 1 gross {12 dozen} increments.  This may sound like a lot of stones, but it doesn’t go as far as you’d like. 

So what does this mean for the actual design?  I’ve replicated some popular suit designs below, sharing what stones I used and where you can buy them from.  Please note, these designs are based on an A/B top and small bottoms.  You’ll want to increase the number of stones slightly for larger cup and/or bottom sizes.  I also over buy by about 25%, just in case stones fall off or I want a different look when I start laying out the stones.

Whether you’ve decided to sew your own suit or buy a simple suit from a reputable competition bikini manufacturer, adding your own rhinestones adds a lot to your stage look and can save you HUNDREDS!    

CHOOSING A STONE TYPE

I don’t use true Swarovski crystals for my suit. I know, it sounds crazy, but here’s why:  Swarovski uses a precision cutting technique that gives you those gorgeous facets that reflect light.  And, that comes with a price.  You’ll pay about twice as much for Swarovski stones, compared to Preciosa Viva 12 czech crystals.  

If you’re producing these suits for sale with significant markup or using the stones in something that will be viewed up close like jewelry or a wedding dress, of course it makes sense to use the genuine Swarovski crystals.  If you’re making the suit for yourself, save 50% and use Preciosa.  You’ll never notice the difference on stage, I promise!

If you’ve been following along, we’ve SELECTED OUR FABRIC and put an order in for connectors.  Next up, sewing the suit top.

CUTTING THE TRIANGLES

We’re not going to use a pattern today.  Instead, we’re going to use a set of Swim Shapers to model our suit around – even if we’re not going to use them as padding on our suit.  Alternately, you can use a triangle bikini top that fits well with minimal bunching along the bottom {you want the fabric on your competition suit to be pulled tight when complete}.  

You’ll need a total of 6 connectors for your suit.  If you want to save a little more, you could skip the connectors, but they add a lot of sparkle on stage – always a good thing!  I buy my connectors from Mode Beads or Bead and Trim.  Bead and Trim is less per unit, but has a minimum order quantity per style of 4-10 – great if you’re splitting with other girls or making multiple suits, but leads to extra materials if you’re just buying for yourself.  The specific connectors I use are all linked below, or you can buy any extras I have from my Etsy shop.

First up, the center connector.  This is a small piece between the two triangles.  The size that will look best depends on how wide your chest is.  I have a fairly small frame, so I use a center connector that is a little under 1″ wide like this 3×3 crystal or this one with a larger center stone.  If you prefer more spacing in your top, you might prefer a 3×6 crystal connector like this one.

Whether buying or making your competition bikini, picking the right fabric is critical.  A few things to keep in mind when selecting your fabric:

Competition bikinis should always be made with 4 way stretch spandex.  Unlike 2 way stretch, which only moves in one direction, 4 way stretch spandex stretches both cross-wise and length-wise.  This enables the fabric to move with you and be pulled taught around a fixed object {like your top inserts} without the print “cracking”.  If you pull a 2 way stretch fabric in a direction it does not stretch, the ink used to print the fabric will appear to crack, losing its elasticity and showing white or black lines through the print.  

I source all of my fabrics from Spandex House.  They have tons of 4 way stretch spandex options in nearly every color imaginable, and at really reasonable prices.  I used their Avatar print in Turquoise and Black on my last suit, and have the same fabric in Black/Silver, Black/Purple, Black/Royal, and Black/Kelly as options for my next suit {I’m only a little indecisive…}.  I also picked up the Scattered Mini Dot fabric in Red/Black as an option for my next suit.  

Let’s be honest.  Bikini competitions are expensive!  There are entry fees, tanning appointments, 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!

Competition bikinis from reputable companies are a minimum of $200 {for a basic suit, with no rhinestones} and can run as much as $700 for full rhinestoning.  Having grown up sewing with my mom, I decided to attempt my own {to be safe, I gave myself until 6 weeks prior to my show, at which point if I didn’t have the construction down, I was going to order one from someone else}.  

Hours of research and testing different patterns, three completed “practice” suits, and a few burns from the rhinestone applicator later, I had my suit done.  My first suit took about 4 weeks to construct; the second I completed in about 6 hours over the course of three days {yay efficiency!}.