I received a lot of requests about making tutorials with latex clothing, which is easier to make. So I have chosen to make a latex Tank Top Tutorial this time.
It is really easy! It consists of just two pieces and four small seams.
On the pictures you will see that I am working on a latex tank top for guys, but there is no big difference to a Tank Top for girls. Because I have chosen a very simple cut. Like you will see in my drawings.
You need:
- Approx. 1 x 1 meter latex (depending on your size)
- Some rubber cement and a small brush
- 3 long latex strips
- Cutting material
- Cleaner
1. Pattern
The pattern is super easy! You need your chest, waist, hip and armpits measurements. If you really have problems making the pattern, get one of your tightest shirts to compare it with your pattern.
Take a look at the drawings to see the difference between guys and girls tank tops and get some tips.
You can easily change the look of your pattern, by changing the front cut out or by designing a special look in the front! See examples in the drawing.
2. Gluing the shoulder seams
O.K. here you can see the two latex pieces for the latex tank tops for guys and the latex strips.
The color I have chosen is “translucent smokey black” from Radical Rubber.
If we make a latex tank top or similar things like a T-shirt, will we start with the shoulder seams. That is really easy here, because they are so small. Start by cleaning the surface on the shoulder seams. Now apply a thin layer of glue and let it try! Put the shoulder seams together and apply a little pressure with your finger to it, before you roll over it with your seam roller.
3. Reinforcement and application
If you lie your latex Tank Top now flat on your workspace, it will be easy to glue the latex strips on. It is not a must to glue those on, but it will reinforce the cutting edge and if you chose another color it gives a nice contrast.
The latex strips don’t need to have a certain width, because you will glue them on, so that they will 
overlap the cutting edge of your latex tank top. After you are done gluing you just cut the overlapping part off. To keep the same width on the tank top, you can make some markings on the top or if you got a good eye measurement do it without it.
4. Glue the sideseam
Now we will glue the side seams together. We start in the armpit!
Clean the side seam and apply the glue. It is easier if you lie your latex tank top right away in position like you see it on the picture. So that you don’t need to move it a lot around after you applied the glue.
Glue now the side seams, beginning from the armpit down to the hip together. Done!
You can glue the finishing latex strip on the bottom of the latex tank top after you glued the side seams together or as well before. That depends on how good you meassured everything in first place. If you glue on the latex strip before you glued the side seams together and it doesn’t fit a 100% on the bottom afterward, your pre-work is gone. Because you have to cut the overlapping piece off and glue then again a latex strip on. Nobody is going to have a latex Tank Top where the front part might be 5 mm longer then the back part. That doesn’t look good!
I glue the finishing strip on the bottom of the latex tank top always at the latest point.
But you dont have to do it all if you dont like it.
Have fun gluing and designing!
Kitty
May 12th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Nice one
The mirroring bit is quite smart, as it stays symmetrical.
May 13th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Thank you!
oh.. mirroring its called..I couldn´t come up with the English word for it. I will keep that in mind!
Yes, it just saves drawing material.
May 13th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Thank you for this! This is just what I have been looking for. I definitely over-reached with my first (overly complex) latex clothing project, so have been looking for a good tutotial and pattern on something a lot simpler, so that I can get more practice at the basics.
This is brilliant.
May 15th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
ok…
May 15th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Looks great!
May 16th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Yes its looks great!
May 19th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
If one makes a mistake on the seams how easy is it to mend? Does one pull apart the seam slowly? If you have already seam rolled it is it a lost cause and one has to start over? Does one use the white spirit?
May 19th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
great shirt. do you think you might be able to put together a surf suit?
May 20th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Hi Gia,
it is of course possible to take the seam apart again, even after you rolled the seam! The fresher the seam the easier it is! Because the seam gets its strength as well by time, through the chemical reactions! Anyway if you want to open the seam up again you just pull carefully the seam up. Do it carefully and dont pull to hard, if there is a area where its hard to take it apart use the mineral spirit or heptan on a piece of cloth and rub it in the seam so that it dissolves the glue. That will do it!
May 20th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Thanks.
Of course, a surf suit is no problem for me or you.
May 28th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Er det også muligt selv at lave bh i latex ?
En dejlige side…og skønt med de små klip af hvordan man gør.
June 2nd, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Go cutie, give us the howto for your great 80’s top now
*hugs*
June 2nd, 2009 at %I:%M %p
All done with the tank top and I am pretty happy with the way it has turned out. Only minor mistakes when making the pattern easy to remedy: Forgot to add seam allowance in so the body is a bit tight and I need to make the arm holes a bit bigger. One thing that confuses me is that for some reason I got the front a bit longer than the back. I have checked the measurements and they are precisely equal length. Is this a common problem? Any ideas as to why this is?
Thanks for your excellent site! It was the kick of inspiration I needed.
June 6th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
I wish I had found the website earlier then i did. Thanks you for the great tutorials.
After the legging and now the tanktops, could you explain me and the other visitors how to make a full catsuit?
Because that’s my ultimate goal.
Thank you and keep us up to date.
June 13th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Me and, I have to disagree. Posting a catsuit tutorial here would be a big mistake, mainly because once posted, our poor Kitty would have no time for anything else in her life other than approving comments and questions clamoring for more information.
I also suspect that newbies would totally bypass all the earlier lessons and jump in without any experience and try a catsuit. This would be a shame, because the project would be outside most beginners’ scope, and might discourage them from trying to make latex clothing in the future.
That said, check out this YouTube tutorial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6b-FBlTgc0
June 14th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Miss Fuzzy Bunny,
Your are totally right. I also just started to work with latex, but for me it is good to learn the different steps and work towards the ‘ultimate’ goal. Kitty should only add information when she has time for it off course.
Maybe, if she has time, can make a short tutorial about making patterns. She describes thinks really clearly, she is a great teacher.
Or maybe add a section where people can help each other? It is just an idear.
Me and my girlfriend
June 22nd, 2009 at %I:%M %p
@Gia
if i’m allowed to, i will answer.
the reason why the front is longer than the back is simple. usually your shoudlers (and shoudler blades) are more round than your front (breasts doesn’t matter), so you’ve got more width from shoulders to your waist in the back than the same measurment in the front.
it’s hard for me to explain, i’m studying fashion in german and not english, but i hope you understood what i was trying to say.
a great page nad great tutorials! you helped me out a lot!
dankeschön!
kathi, austria
June 22nd, 2009 at %I:%M %p
and in addition (i forgot that to mention)
usually the front shoulder “edge” is shortened 1cm, and the back edge enlarged 1cm. so the whole seam moves over a little bit to the front part of the shirt. (using a german pattern system called Müller München)
i can’t see whether this happened in this pattern, but it could be an explanation
kathi
July 10th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
co-worker has been making latex for several years, she’s made some really cool designs
http://sogoodforbunnies.blogspot.com/2009/07/circus-wear.html
July 31st, 2009 at %I:%M %p
@ Kathi – Aha. That seems like a possibility and will have to make adjustments to my pattern and see how it works out. Thank you.
October 26th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
hi Kathy! wonderfull website!!!!!! wel done and thank you!!!!!!
I just started work on my first latex cloth,as dressmaker I am ok with lots of things,but never work with latex-thank you ,with your tips it is much easy. I trying to atached the swarowsky flat back glass cristals-and I tryed rubber cement and UHUbut didnt work,if any idea what could work? thank you so much.
Ella
October 26th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
I am sorry!!!!! lots of spelling mistakes!!! Kathi!!!!!
December 9th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Kitty,
This look like a lot of fun!
Never having done this before, how do you apply your measurements to the tank top pattern?
thanks.
December 10th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
This looks like fun and I want to give it a go. Never having made any clothing before, can you give me an idea how you transfer the measurements to the pattern? Take the waist measurement, divide by 2 and that’s how big one half the pattern is? Sorry for the dumb question
January 24th, 2010 at %I:%M %p
Hallo Zusammen,
danke für die Anleitung. Wir haben das mal als unser Erstlingswerk gemacht. Ist super gelungen. Was sagt meine Frau? Endlich mal ein Latex-Top was passt.
Gruß
OHM
January 24th, 2010 at %I:%M %p
Das freut mich zu hören
und man ist eben doch mehr stolz drauf wenn man es selbst gemacht hat.
Viel Spass weiterhin.
LG Kitty
April 19th, 2010 at %I:%M %p
I think it’s a great tutorial too. I hope you will please make one for the next step — making sleeves for a simple shirt (T-shirt). I imagine the seaming for sleeves is difficult?
Thank you
June 18th, 2010 at %I:%M %p
I am a newbie at latex making. I tried just to glue a seam together and after leaving the latex to cure overnight, I stress tested the seams and the two pieces came right apart. Can anyone tell me why and how to remedy this problem? lynnsinger1@yahoo.com