While a regular Bra strap is considered significant to provide support to your breast, at times your outfit requires you to go strapless. Think of off-shoulder or strapless dresses or a boat neck top! The idea of bra straps peeping out of your dress is unimpressive. And if you are not able to get hold of any strapless bra at that moment, you may have to swap your trendy off-shoulder dress with a boring conventional dress that can hide those pesky bra straps.
What if i say, you can make a strapless bra from your regular bra?
Sounds interesting? If yes, then let’s find out the suitable ways in which you can plan to wear any off-shoulder attire without worrying that you don’t have a strapless bra in hand.
How To Make a Great Strapless Bra
Tweaking your regular bra is easy to make it strapless. However, depending on the type of bra you choose, the support your boobs require varies. So, let’s find out:
Method 1: Bra with Removable Straps
It is a brainer that a regular bra with a removable bra strap can be easily converted into a strapless bra by just removing its straps. Here are the easy steps to follow:
Gently unhook the straps from the back of your bra and position and put on the bra. Make sure that the band is fastened at the front of the bra (not from the back) and dangling down your lingerie in your front.
Now adjust the straps to their maximum length.
Starting from one bra strap, (say from right), wrap it around the ribcage towards the back and bring it to the point where you hook the left side of your bra strap at back.
Hook the right bra strap safely at the backside of your band. Now adjust the length of the strap so that it fixes well without being loose.
Similarly, for the left strap, wrap it along the backside and secure it where you typically hook your right strap at the back.
Crosscheck if any of the straps is dangling down so that you can tighten them up.
Keep your bra secure by doubling the strap, if required and the length of the strap permits.
Pros:
- Quickest and simplest method
- Provides you with a secured bra fastened with straps around
- More support than an actual strapless bra
Cons
- You may not find many convertible bras in your wardrobe
- You may need some help to hook the straps at the backside
Method 2: Hiding the Straps Using a Bra Band
As we know that we are not always stocked up with detachable bras. However, we have plenty of regular bra with fixed straps. So, let’s find out how to modify them temporarily to make a strapless bra to serve your purpose:
Choose a regular bra that can be tightened up more than your regular fitting. This is because you are going to rely on the band for support.
Now wear your bra regularly with the straps positioned in the normal way. Tighten the bra clasp to ensure the snuggest fit and make sure that the bra is not loose enough to move.
Now gently put off the straps and adjust its length to the minimum possible.
Now tuck each side of the strap under the cup. Make sure that it does not create any bulging effect.
If you find that the straps are sticking out, use a fashion tape, painter or masking tape or a safety pin to secure these straps safely.
Pros
- You have ample regular bra in your wardrobe to convert
- It is a simple way that does not require any sewing or cutting
- You can manage to convert a regular bra into a strapless bra without any help.
Cons
- There is a slight bulge on the top one the straps are down and folded.
- It is not appropriate for tight outfits where outlines are visible.
Method 3: Cutting off the straps
If you are looking for a permanent solution, you can consider chopping off the straps of your regular bra to modify it into a strapless bra permanently. If you have a sewing machine at home, its time to try out your sewing skills.
Take a bra that you don’t mind altering permanently.
Put down your bra (to be altered) on a flat surface to cut down the straps from the front and back carefully.
To avoid any remnants of the bra, cut closest to the seams.
Now the bra has turned strapless but it has some more work to proceed with.
Put the area where the straps are chopped under the sewing machine and run it in a zig-zag pattern.
Alternatively, you can use a needle and thread if you don’t have a sewing machine to secure the area where straps are cut.
Pros
- Firm support as compared to the strapless bra
- A permanent fix to your strapless bra requirements.
- You can find many regular bras that you would love to twist
Cons
- Potentially lost the durability due to cuts made
- You cannot sew back the straps
Method 4: Attaching to your strapless dress
If you are Ok with the idea of altering your regular bra and dress, this method works for you. But I am sure that you will love the final results. From your tank top to shorts or even that strapless dress, this DIY strapless bra will accentuate your look.
Cut down the straps as you did in the previous method carefully.
Now cut down the sides of the bra carefully. The cut should be one inch on either side of the cup.
To keep up with the bra shape, ensure the hard piece of boning on either side.
You may choose to remove the boning or cut behind the boning if you want to keep the structure strong.
Keep the wiring intact, if you have a larger chest or looking for more support.
As you are left with only two bra cups, there is no band or straps, up to them on a flat surface.
Take out the top or dress you want to fit these cups into
Now place these cups gently on the inner lining of your dress to sew it. To blend the stitching perfectly, choose the matching thread resembling your dress.
We recommend using safety pins firsthand to position the cups and try the top to understand their proper placement.
If you won’t get the cup placement right, you may end up with lopsided boobs. Hence, before sewing them finally under your dress, make sure to check the fit.
Once you are able to find the proper placement of cups, sew them into the top carefully. For thin-fabric clothes, I recommend sewing the cups from the sides only to blend the thread into your dress.
Pros
- Provides you with excellent fitting if done right
- No side spilling of straps
- No band so that makes you feel braless
Cons
- A time-consuming method that requires advanced sewing skills
- Overall a difficult method to adopt
How to convert a sports bra into a strapless bra?
A sports bra comes with strong elasticated fitting as compared to any other regular bra. If you are looking for an excellent fit, you may consider converting your sports bra into a strapless bra. As discussed in Method 3 above, you need to cut down the straps of your sports bra and then sew all the gaps with your sewing machine. Now, you are ready to use your sports bra as a strapped-free bra.
Pro Tip: If you choose a sports bra with a thin strap, it will ease the process of cutting and sewing. Avoid a sports bra with multiple straps as it may complicate the process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Is it Ok to wear a strapless bra every day?
A: The answer depends on your preference. If you are not a large-breasted woman who is looking for considerable support from a bra, you can consider wearing a strapless bra every day. But you must know that the main purpose of any strapless bra is to hide the nipples and breast. Prolonged use of strapless bra may also result in sagging as the strapless bra is not meant to uplift your boobs.
Can I wear a regular bra under my off-shoulder dress?
If you are in a casual setting, it is ok to showcase our bra straps. However, you must avoid the act for formal settings as it is not considered decent even in a public area.
How Can I Fix my Strapless bra in place?
You can use double-sided tape to stick the strapless bra to your clothing in order to keep it in place. alternatively, you can pin it to fix it securely.
Conclusion
There are many ways to achieve strapless bras. While some methods may take longer than others, they all require patience and skill. So, pick one which best fits your needs and have fun!
