In “Invisible Support”, Party Dresses Winter 2014 special issue, author Ruth Ciemnoczolowski walks you through some easy options for creating built-in bust control. Now, she shares some ideas for turning ready-made bras and longline bustiers into strapless dress support in this web extra.
Take in the Waist
Full-busted women with slender waists sometimes have difficulty finding a ready-to-wear longline bra that fits. You can take in the waist on a longline bra or bustier that fits your bust.
First, mark a vertical line on either side of the back opening to establish the dart placement. Carefully remove the stitching that holds the hemline elastic as far from the center-back opening as needed to add the dart, sew the dart on the right side, and topstitch it into place.
Tuck the Cup
Women who have a large rib cage compared to their bust size often buy a longline bra that fits around their waist but has cups that are too big.
To fix this, alter the cups: sew a tuck in the cup below the “shadow” of the bust at the midpoint of the breast.
Backless Solutions: Bra to Waist Stay
If the dress has a waist stay or you can add one, you may be able to use your favorite bra for support inside a strapless dress.
Simply attach two bra-back extenders to the waist stay, loosen the bra straps as much as necessary, and hook them to the bra-back extenders on the waist stay.
Rigid Construction Goes Undercover
Bras for full-figured women usually have seams across the breast. These seams actually supply lift and shape to a full breast but can show through soft, drapey fabrics.
Sew thin, seamless cups over the bra cups to hide the seams. Use a featherstitch to sew around the edges.
Keep the Bra in Line
Sew ribbon belt loops on each side of the dress’s center-back zipper to keep your bra from riding up in the back and showing above the top edge.
Put on the bra and the dress; then hold your bra in place while someone unhooks it, passes each end through a loop on the dress, rehooks the bra, and zips up the dress.
Do you plan on trying any of these techniques? How do you create support for your strapless garments?