Think about the last piece of lingerie you wore. Maybe you felt like a million bucks, or it itched and rubbed in all the wrong places. While some get a sensual boost of confidence, others may feel silly donning what the fashion industry has deemed the essence of intimacy. Dressing up for your partner (or yourself) can be more trouble than it's worth.
Spokane seamstress Sarah Aga wants to change that.
As the owner of Bull Stitch Sewing, a one-woman company she runs out of her East Central Spokane home, Aga produces thoughtfully made, size- and body-inclusive lingerie that can be anything her customers want their lingerie to be, from comfy to seductive.
Taught to sew by her grandmother when she was 8, Aga mostly dabbled with needle and thread until her daughter was born. She rediscovered the outlet, making adorable baby outfits and toddler costumes. Then, one night several years ago while lying awake in bed, she had another idea: Why not try her hand at making lingerie? It had always been hard to find high-quality pieces that fit her body type and personal style, and budget-friendly custom options were scarce.
"You cannot buy lingerie anywhere other than like Adam & Eve and Victoria's Secret, so why don't I try lingerie for once and see how hard it is," Aga recalls thinking as she sits in her basement studio on a chilly January day. Four different sewing machines are set up at various work stations around her. A bright, art deco-style sunset mural she painted on one wall of a room used for client fittings lends a cheerful vibe.
"And it's much harder than I thought," she continues. "People think it's easier because it's such little fabric. But because it's form-fitted, it takes way more time to get the pattern right, and because everyone's body is different. I have people give me their measurements, not their size, and I make [each piece] to their measurements so it fits them."
Aga's lingerie pieces are characterized by her frequent use of soft, stretchy velvets in luxurious, gem-toned hues, and her mixing and matching of sheer and opaque fabrics. She often adds sequins or embroidery as embellishments, and gravitates toward fabrics with whimsical prints like moths or glittery celestial motifs.
When she initially began making panties, bralettes, bodysuits, nightgowns and other intimate pieces several years ago as a side project, Aga also worked as a nursing assistant and did alterations for a bridal shop. She left those two jobs during the pandemic to focus full time on her lingerie business, and because working at home was better for her family. (Aga still offers bridal alterations, and has even made a custom wedding gown.)
While she sews ready-made pieces in a range of sizes — from XS to 5X — to sell in limited quantity on her website, custom orders allow clients to pick everything from the fabric and trims (lace, sequins, ribbon, embroidery and more) to the exact size and style of each piece. That includes different sizes for each piece of a matching set — a size small panty and a size large bra, for example — which mainstream intimate brands usually don't offer.
"I try to offer separates and always, if they're local, I do free fittings," she says. "They can come to my house, and I'll fit it to their body before I actually finish it so it's guaranteed to fit."
Bull Stitch's ready-to-wear lingerie ranges from $60 to $80 for a complete outfit, with customs from $80 to $120. Turnaround is generally about four weeks, but is also dependent upon whether Aga needs to purchase additional materials.
"Sometimes I only have so much fabric before it's gone, which makes it more fun, because it's a one-of-a-kind piece," she says.
bullstitchsewing.bigcartel.com
Instagram: @bullstitchsewing
To reduce waste, Aga buys fabric in small amounts, and reuses as many of her scraps as possible for things like panty gussets and even pieced-together designs of mix-and-match fabrics, sort of like quiltmaking.
All garments are made with handpicked materials that won't dig into the wearer's skin, rub or cause other discomfort. Aga wants her customers' unique bodies to be emphasized naturally, too.
"I do more vintage styles, so like higher-waisted, no padding, and I don't do a lot of boning or underwire," she says. "I think it's right to dress up your natural body because you're going to take it off eventually, and I don't want you to feel uncomfortable in your naked skin. I'd rather make your natural body look nice than force it into a mold."
While many customers seek Aga out because they can't find what they're looking for anywhere else, she can guide anyone through the process of finding design inspiration, color palettes, fabric and finishes. And she loves funky customs, like a fur-embellished, cupless bodysuit she made for a local burlesque dancer.
"I get to be creative," Aga says, "which is the best part." ♦
