Bra Under Summer Outfits
Keeping your bra straps, cups, and band concealed under your clothing becomes more difficult during the summertime when the weather gets warmer and your outfits are likely to be more revealing and offer less coverage. It seems like many tops and dresses for summer are designed specifically to be worn without bras, which can be very frustrating for larger-busted women who require the support of a bra or any woman who feels more comfortable wearing a bra than going without one.
Many women struggle to hide their bras under their tops and dresses during the summer; it’s a very common problem. Fortunately, there are also many ways to hide your bra under outfits you may be more likely to wear during the summer. Keep reading to discover five of the top tips and tricks for how to hide your bra under more revealing summer outfits to enhance your style and expand your wardrobe options this summer.
1. Choose the Right Type of Bra
There are countless types of bras on the mainstream women’s clothing market–many of which are designed specifically to remain invisible underneath different types of clothing. Choosing the right type of bra is one of the easiest ways to keep your bra concealed under different styles of tops and dresses. For example, choose a T-shirt bra to maintain a seamless finish underneath tighter tops and dresses. Pick out a plunge or low-back bra to keep your bra hidden more easily underneath low-neck and low-back tops and dresses.
Investing in a convertible bra is one of the most affordable and most convenient ways to help ensure that you are able to rock a wide variety of stylish summer outfits while keeping your bra concealed. Buying a convertible bra that can be configured in many different ways can help you avoid having to spend an exorbitant amount of money on several separate bras to pair with your summer wardrobe. As their name suggests, convertible bras are designed to be convertible. They generally feature straps that are removable and reconfigurable so that the bra can be worn in a traditional way, as a one-strap bra, a strapless bra, a halter bra, a racerback bra, and more.
2. Try Shapewear
Wearing shapewear in place of a bra is another way to keep your bust supported while keeping your undergarments concealed under summer outfits that offer less coverage. There are many shapewear styles that feature built-in bras but offer plunging, low-back, or backless coverage.
Wearing shapewear styles like these offers more support for your bust than most traditional strapless or backless bras while still keeping your bra concealed underneath most tops and dresses.
3. Wear a Bralette
Depending on your bust size, support needs, and the clothing styles you wear, it can be impossible to hide your bra under some of the outfits you wear during the summer. In these cases, consider wearing a bralette instead of a traditional bra. Bralettes are stylish and are meant to be shown off, so you don’t have to worry about trying to conceal your bralette underneath your clothes.
Many larger-busted women worry that they won’t be able to find a bralette that offers the support they need for their bust. While it is true that many traditional bralettes do not offer much support, there are plenty of more supportive bralettes on the market that aren’t just for decoration and are actually capable of comfortably supporting larger busts.
If you’re having trouble finding a bralette that offers the comfort and support you need, check out retailers who sell bras targeted toward larger-busted women to find more supportive bralette options.
4. Clip Your Straps
If you don’t have a convertible or racerback bra but want to hide your bra straps underneath an outfit that offers less coverage, the best way to conceal your bra is to clip the straps of your bra together in the back. Clipping your bra straps holds the straps next to each other and prevents them from showing out the sides of a racerback-style top or dress.
In a pinch, you can use a large safety pin to clip the straps of your bra together. However, using a safety pin can lead to unnecessary wear and tear on the straps of your bra and can create a bulge that gives your top or dress a lumpy, bulky finish in the
back. A better alternative is to invest in a bra strap clip. Bra strap clips are very affordable and are designed specifically to clip the straps of your bra together in a secure way with a flat finish that remains completely invisible underneath racerback tops and dresses.
It is important to keep in mind that clipping the straps of your bra together tightens the straps of your bra. To stay comfortable and support your bust effectively, you may need to loosen your bra straps before clipping them together.
5. Sew In Your Bra
When all else fails, you can consider sewing your bra into a top or dress that you want to wear. This does require some commitment and permanently attaches your bra to your top or dress, so this solution works best for your favorite tops that you know you’ll wear on a regular basis. It is also a great hack for enhancing the appearance of a more valuable top or dress that you plan to wear to a special event where you really want to look your best.
Depending on the style of top or dress you want to wear, you can choose to sew your entire bra into your top or dress or just sew in the cups of your bra. Sewing your entire bra into a top or dress can be trickier, but it also offers you more comfort and support when done correctly.
With the help of a lot of sewing pins and the right types of stitches, sewing your bra into a top or dress is definitely doable. However, the process can seem a bit daunting–especially if your sewing skills are not particularly advanced. If you’re worried about accidentally destroying your top or your bra by trying to sew your bra into your top, consider taking the two items of clothing to a seamstress or tailor in your area. Paying a fee for the services of a seamstress or tailor is likely worth the higher sewing quality you’ll get by entrusting the process of sewing your bra into your top or dress to a professional.
A less extreme alternative to sewing your bra into a top or dress you want to wear is to simply use safety pins to pin the parts of the bra that are visible to the inside of the fabric of the top or dress.
This works best when you are wearing a bra that is almost hidden by your clothing but remains visible in some areas–or when the material of your top or dress is slippery and keeps sliding down over your bra. You can use this easily reversible trick to quickly conceal the straps, band, or cups of your bra without having to permanently attach your bra to an item of your clothing. Just make sure to use small safety pins that won’t create large holes in your bra or your top and won’t be easily visible to other people.