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How keep my strapless gown from slipping?

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So_happy

So_happy

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 12, 2006
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1,084
Howdy all :)

I just got my gown in today and it is so beautiful :) I had it custom made. I would say it is perfect......except that there is no boning along the waist to keep structure to the bodice. It, therefore, seems like it would be a struggle keeping it up all night. Granted, I am alone today and it has a lace up back....which with MUCH trying, can not get right by myself (pretty funny tho trying lol)....so maybe once I get a proper lace-up it would fit better? The skirt has a nice weight to it so it causes the top to pull down.

It has cups sewn in on my request because I wanted to avoid buying a bra but now I''m wondering if I''ll need one to keep it up?

Anyone encounter this? What worked best for you? I think I have 3 options: 1)get boning sewn in, 2)buy a bra (altho I dont'' really understand how that keeps a dress up), or 3)go for good ole dress tape

Any suggestions from experience?

Thank you!
p.s. I could send the dress back to have boning sewn in....probably for free...but I would have to pay for shipping/handling there and back.
 
I think there is this rubber stripping stuff that can be sewn into the dress, so that it "sticks" to the skin better. I do not know much about it in a wedding gown but as long as it is not causing the dress to be "lumpy" or not lie flat, it might be a better option than tape, which I have not had great luck with.
 
I think it shouldn''t slip if it''s laced up and tightened properly... But it may depend on the dress.
 
sounds like it''s too loose to me, could you have it taken in?
 
Date: 12/13/2006 5:40:02 PM
Author: diamondfan
I think there is this rubber stripping stuff that can be sewn into the dress, so that it ''sticks'' to the skin better. I do not know much about it in a wedding gown but as long as it is not causing the dress to be ''lumpy'' or not lie flat, it might be a better option than tape, which I have not had great luck with.
Click to expand...
Just be sure you are not allergic to the rubber stripping. Whenever I wear a strapless bra with the stuff, I get a rash!
 
Also, rather than sending it back to have boning put in.. see what it would cost to have a regular seamstress do it in your area... that would avoid shipping..
Will you have to have a bustle put in? that would require a seamstress'' services anyways.. so then you should ask what the price would be to have boning put in.

Hope that helps!
 
i would just take it to a seamstress, have her help you into it and then see what needs to be done. If I recall correctly, you bought your gown from julius or something. For repairs JB actually sends the dresses back to China. It sounds like you probably don''t need anything too severe done, so it shouldn''t be too pricey to have it done locally. If you don''t know of or can''t find a seamstress, most Nordstrom''s and Neiman Marcus''s will alter outside purchases.

Can you find a friend to strap you into your gown?
 
Minor alterations can really help! I am pear shaped, thought that I would forever need to pull up strapless dresses even after I had the very top taken in to fit my bust - turns out I needed the torso adjusted (lower rib cage taken in, hips let out a bit) and then the dress was perfect! Stayed up super well. This is on a dress with no boning, but also not very heavy.

So, sounds like this doesn''t fit perfectly yet. Have a local person do it that can actually see you in the dress, as shipping it do china still woln''t let them see you in the dress and figure out where to take in, where to let out.
 
Along with the hook and eye closures (like the back of a bra, there was a row of them), my Justina McCaffrey dress had a ''belt.'' My seamstress told me all Justina dresses have them and they are the best way to keep a strapless dress up. She sews them into all of the dresses she works on that do not already have them. It is just a strip of fabric that goes around the bottom of your rib cage (like maybe 3 inches above your belly button) that closes in the back with a hook. My dress stayed up perfectly with it all night.
 
Good points all around. Thank you.

I think my first step is to get a friend to lace me up first and see how that works out. The bust area is structured but the waist isn''t so I don''t know if that will help once it''s properly fastened up. And while the skirt is not beaded etc, it is a pick-up style so I presume it has more satin than a simple a-line skirt might have so that is probably contributing to the weight. All in all, if it could be laced up I have a good feeling it will stay up just fine :)

Next step is to take it to a local seamstress. I called one and to add boning is apparently a varied procedure. No estimates were given over the phone except that she charges $40/hr (!?). So, while $40 or even $80 won''t be that bad at all...........I hate to think it''ll cost $120 or more.

So......dress tape will NOT be good? Is this the consensus here? (I''m thinking of a just- n- case).

Thank you!!!!
 
My strapless wedding dress didn''t fit quite right on my wedding day. I lost about 5 pounds during the week leading up to the wedding (all in my boobs), and didn''t find out until 2 nights before when I did a final "dress run." At that point, I didn''t really want to go thru the hassle of getting it taken in, so I bought fashion tape, and ended up using that.

It worked OK, but I now regret not heading back to my seamstress for a last-minute fixer! My dress is a big saggy in the top in most of my pics and I''m ticked about that.
 
I''m wearing a strapless too and just want to share advice on getting into it.
During the second fitting, the lady had me bend at the waist at a 45 degree angle, adjusted the dress and sewn-in cups so they were slightly above my breasts (not underneath). Then she zipped me up, pulled the dress down slightly and it was a perfect fit.
Just for fun, I put on my dress just standing up, none of this bending over stuff. The result was a visible gap between my chest and the dress.
pretty cool eh? Maybe you guys all know this already though!
9.gif
 
Date: 12/13/2006 7:17:57 PM
Author: jazmine
Along with the hook and eye closures (like the back of a bra, there was a row of them), my Justina McCaffrey dress had a ''belt.'' My seamstress told me all Justina dresses have them and they are the best way to keep a strapless dress up. She sews them into all of the dresses she works on that do not already have them. It is just a strip of fabric that goes around the bottom of your rib cage (like maybe 3 inches above your belly button) that closes in the back with a hook. My dress stayed up perfectly with it all night.
Click to expand...

oh, I think my david''s bridal dress had that too. My strapless stayed put all night (I had a bra on too if that helps)
 
Date: 12/13/2006 7:17:57 PM
Author: jazmine
Along with the hook and eye closures (like the back of a bra, there was a row of them), my Justina McCaffrey dress had a ''belt.'' My seamstress told me all Justina dresses have them and they are the best way to keep a strapless dress up. She sews them into all of the dresses she works on that do not already have them. It is just a strip of fabric that goes around the bottom of your rib cage (like maybe 3 inches above your belly button) that closes in the back with a hook. My dress stayed up perfectly with it all night.
Click to expand...
This is a great idea. I have a couple of J.Crew dresses that came with that little contraption already sewn in--it is a godsend!
 
Tacori and Monarch~ I''m getting confused here lol. What worked for you? The dress tape? Or putting the dress on the way Trelala describes?
 
nevermind........just figured it out.
 
Does anyone actually know if the bra has anything to do with keeping a strapless dress from slipping or not?

After thinking about it a little longer, I''d actually prefer to get one just to make sure the tummy is smooth anyway..........if the bra will also double as a keeper-upper, then that''s my best option :)

Has anyone tried a gown on, noticed "slippage", then bought a bra, and nocited the slippage stopped? If so, can you reccomend that brand/type of bra to me?


THANKYOU so much for all of your suggestions/advice !!!!!!!
 
I think that the whole bra holding it up thing probably has to do with the fact that wearing anything underneath the dress will make it tighter and therefore hold it up better. If you have a bra (something that comes down to the waist at least) on you could probably attach the dress to it with hooks or velcro or something.
 
I wore a long line bra from david''s b/c I just cannot go braless. Maybe it helped, I don''t know. I don''t think it made it *that* much tighter. It is fairly thin. I am not sure how large your chest is. I think the more you have the easier it is to keep the dress up.
 
Is that what they are called...."long line bras"? That''s good to know. I think I had one of those on when I tried on at David''s too. And it did seem to make things tight but then again I didn''t try it without either. I like that they provide support up top and smooth the tummy and waist and they kind of end above the hips but somehow are undetected with the dress on.

I tried a Mori Lee gown on once and it seemed to have some sort of smoothing apparatus built right into the dress itself....that was nice.

mmmmm.....well, are all long line bras created equal? If not, any particular ones I should look at?


Thank you!
 
I think that the whole bra holding it up thing probably has to do with the fact that wearing anything underneath the dress will make it tighter and therefore hold it up better. If you have a bra (something that comes down to the waist at least) on you could probably attach the dress to it with hooks or velcro or something.


Robbie was onto my secret. I had the seamstress sew my long line bra to the dress. This kept everything in place the whole night and I didn''t have to worry about the dress slipping or the bra showing etc.
 
I bought a long line bra from David''s actually, but ended up just using a stapless bra because the long line bra was just a tad big. My dress did not have boning in it and I am definitely not big chested, but I had no problems with my dress slipping. If the dress is fit properly, you will have no worries! If it is a tad loose and you don''t want to do alterations, then you can try a long time bra, but honestly, I wouldn''t want to have to worry about it on my wedding day, so I''d just pay for alterations from a local seamstress with good references.
 
Rascal~ That is encouraging. Since the gown has a lace-up back, it will fit as tightly as I want it to....once someone helps me that is :) I may want to buy a long line anyway though, to get the smoothness that it can provide.
 
I second David''s. It was actually comfortable. We have a friend who had one with boning and she was in so much pain (tears) she took her''s off.
 
Date: 12/15/2006 7:41:46 PM
Author: So_happy
Rascal~ That is encouraging. Since the gown has a lace-up back, it will fit as tightly as I want it to....once someone helps me that is :) I may want to buy a long line anyway though, to get the smoothness that it can provide.
Click to expand...
A lace up should be no problem then! And of course, try a long line if you want the smoothness, since you don''t need to worry about it making the dress a little tighter since it''s lace up.
1.gif


Let us know what works!
 
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