DIY I. AM. GIA. Bodysuit
Being a frequent Instagram user, I'm always scrolling through posts that feature a lot of popular insta-baddie clothes. One of the most well-known brands being I.AM.GIA. had me falling hard for their Jupiter and Saturn bodysuit from their 2019 collection (currently sold out but was sold for $97CAD). This tutorial is definitely a bit late to the party, but I still love the style of this show-stopping cutout bodysuit. It's definitely a super unique piece and I have definitely seen an uptake in the one-shoulder style popping up all over the fashion world. Guaranteed it will still be big this summer!
This bodysuit was definitely a challenge, as I upheld this (self-imposed) standard to have it at production quality with all seams and stitching hidden. You could definitely simplify the process if visible stitching on the garment front isn't a big concern. It was quite the twisted and confusing adventure trying to decide which parts to sew first for a flawless outer surface on the bodysuit.
Read on to see how I created the I.AM.GIA one-shoulder cutout bodysuit!
TIME | 1-2 days
COST | $
DIFFICULTY | Hard
What you'll need
Knit fabric - outer and lining (could be the same or different, I recommend a lighter knit for the lining material or even a power mesh)
Sewing machine
Invisible zipper - 6" length
Matching thread
Snap buttons x 4
Hook-eye clasp
Needle
Pattern
Screenshot of pattern pieces from video tutorial: Front, back and sleeve.
Steps
Create a pattern:
Trace a well fitted one piece swimsuit or bodysuit of choice.
Trace a sleeve of a well fitted long sleeve top.
Fabric and prepping pieces:
I found a thick black jersey from my local fabric stores scrap bin, it almost felt like a thick workout compression material, which is ideal for coverage and I used this as my outer layer.
For the lining, I used a thin stretchy jersey, a power mesh would also work well (if you don’t care for clean edges with no visible stitching, a lining material isn’t necessary).
Make sure the maximum stretch is in the horizontal direction for the pattern. Trace and cut out all pattern pieces with half inch seam allowance.
The sleeve only needs to be cut out of the outer material.
Shoulder cutout:
Take the front outer and front lining pieces and have both good sides facing together and pin around the cutout shape.
You will be sewing along the outline that was drawn from the pattern.
At the top where the two straps are connected, cut to separate them so that you can flip the front piece later right side out and to cut the cutout shape.
Sewing along the outline of the cutout shape with a stitch length of 2, make sure that the stitching doesn’t overlap any previous stitches at the top where the two straps meet. Best to leave a gap of ⅛” between the straps at the top.
Carefully cut out the cutout shape leaving 1/8" seam allowance.
Cut notches into the seam allowance around the cutout shape to allow for the seams to lay flat when flipped right side out.
Opening up the two front pieces, add under-stitching to the inner layer.
Short hip seam:
Attach the respective lining pieces together at the side short hip seam and do the same to the outer pieces as well.
Next, maneuver the bodysuit so that both lining pieces are sandwiched inside the outer pieces with the bad sides facing outwards.
Pin the stomach cut out area and sew the lining to the outer layer
When you get the short hip seams to be sure to spread open the seam
Cut notches into the stomach cutout seam allowance along the curved sections and add under-stitching to the inside of the bodysuit to help everything lay flat.
Sew close the leg opening sections making sure to leave the button flap area open to flip the bodysuit inside out later. Under-stitch where possible to keep the lining from turning out.
Sew the neckline seams with the good sides facing each other and repeat cutting notches where necessary in the seam allowance, and under-stitching.
Installing the zipper: Follow this tutorial
The installation of the invisible zipper should be done in a way that no stitching should appear on both the lining side and the outer side of the bodysuit. (This isn’t necessary by any means but it provides a very nice and clean look and prevents any irritation on the inside of the bodysuit against your skin.)
Sewing the shoulder seam:
I sewed a line across the top of the front pieces of the shoulder cutout to hold them flat and help me align it to the back shoulder line.
Sandwiching the front shoulder pieces between the back lining piece and the back outer piece, stitch down on the shoulder seam line. Flip things right side out and it should produce a clean shoulder seam with everything tucked inside.
Attaching the sleeve:
Because the sleeve is only one layer, it will be the only area where the stitching and seam allowance will be visible on the inside of this whole bodysuit due to the single-layer.
Lining up the midpoint of the shoulder panel with the top shoulder seam of the bodysuit, pin it all into place and stitch it down with the sewing machine.
Finish off the sleeve wrist opening with a single fold and zig-zag stitch.
Try on the bodysuit and see if any adjustments are needed. I ended up adding a small 1-inch triangle piece under the sleeve piece in the torso section as it was too tight to get it over my shoulders. This is a great spot to add adjustments to your bodysuit so it can fit you like a glove.
Sew down into the gutter of the short side hip seam to prevent the inside lining layer from moving around. I would recommend sewing into the opposite side gutter as well for added security.
Bodysuit flap:
Tucking the raw edges inside of the flaps, pin and sew a straight stitch to close up the openings before adding snap closures to the bodysuit.
Hand-stitch four snap buttons across the flap making sure they line up on both sides.
Learnings
I would adjust the pattern around the crotch as the material I ended up using was quite thick and with the double layer and snaps, is a tad bulky. I would recommend experimenting with making it a single layer below the waist
I would love to recreate this just as a top; I find bodysuits aren't necessarily the most convenient thing to wear. Even a bra style without the sleeve would be super cute!
