Does your bra show through your sleeveless tops and dresses? - YouLookFab Forum

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Does your bra show through your sleeveless tops and dresses?

Maya

Veteran

I'm curious because it seems inescapable for me. I just picked up my altered dresses and while both are better, neither of them are perfect. I don't think there is anything I can do about it though. My arms are skinny and my chest is huge and trying to resolve the discrepancy is expensive and complicated.

General

21 replies

Latest reply was from Maya

Vani

Veteran

Ugh, yes most of the time. When it is an issue with straps showing sometimes using something like this bra clip helps by pulling the straps closer. If not, I end up doing funky like using safety pins to pin the bra straps to the shoulder seams. Sometimes sewing the side seams near the armholes to make them smaller works, when the issue is gigantic armholes. When all else fails, unfortunately, a cropped cardi or bolero comes to the rescue.

DressLover

Veteran

Does your tailor make clothes or just perform alterations? I've noticed tailors who custom make items can do more complex alterations.

If you can't avoid the gap, you could try a matching cami underneath or in cases of extreme heat maybe a matching bandeau bra so it doesn't appear it's your bra, but rather a layering piece underneath.

You can also try a sleeveless wrap dress. You can go up a size or two for your chest so the arm holes don't pull, but still keep your waist defined.

Phoebe

Veteran

I try to avoid that because I feel very exposed when it happens. It´s somehow like a back cleavage, you know what I mean? My husband loves it, btw...:)

Itari

(website)

YES! There's not much I can do about it. Wearing a cami doesn't help when it's visible too.

And your chest is not huge

Maya

Veteran

Going up a size or two is what causes the problem. The arm holes are always gigantic on my skinny arms and my bra band that gets exposed. Now the bra band doesn't show, but you can still see a bit of the cup and strap. I have XS arms and a M bust so it's tricky.

Yes, they do make custom clothing and they did a good job. I just don't think they could have tightened it up any further without causing a lot of distortion.

No wonder I love my cap sleeves!

DressLover

Veteran

There's a company that makes dress shirts that are sized by bra sizes. I wonder if they have branched out into dresses. That would be a very lucrative market.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm blogging about this on Thursday. Will not comment now.

Rosie

Veteran

Yes, it does sometimes. Not a fan of this, so I usually try to watch out for it when purchasing or wear a layer underneath or over if it happens with something I already own.

Queen Mum

Veteran

a little bit, but usually not enough to bother me much.

Srujana

Veteran

Maya, do you mean bra straps, or the outline of the cups/bra itself?

taylor

Veteran

I am with Vani here IF I don't want them to show I use bra clips, usually on a cut in neckline. Other times I don't mind my black straps to show:)

Maya

Veteran

I see most of you are talking about straps alone. I'm talking about the bra itself--cups, band. If it were just straps it would be comparatively easy..

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Maya, I have no issue along these lines. I only get sleeveless items that cover my shoulders -- dainty straps, spaghetti or otherwise, are dealbreakers. I also tend to eschew very low-backed options. What parts of your bras tend to show?

Rosie

Veteran

Yeah, I was talking about those kinds of issues, although I couldn't tell from your initial post what exactly you were asking about. (I just assumed not straps.) Are you talking about from the front or the side or both?

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Maya I find that issue sometimes- the band showing through the armhole. It bothers me, so if I notice it I won't purchase the item. Obviously, that's not an option for an altered item.

taylor

Veteran

Ohhh, NO ...I don't like my bra to show through armpits ever.!!! I am picky about that. Seems I don't have too much prob. in that area though.

Maya

Veteran

Sometimes sleeveless works for me, if it's a knit or voluminous, but from now on if it doesn't fit in the arm holes, back on the hanger it goes. I think it's just a fit issue I have to deal with due to my awkward proportions, and it isn't as inexpensive or simple as having the waist nipped.

Thank goodness I can wear cap sleeves or I would be REALLY frustrated!

marianna

Veteran

In general I hate when armpit holes are cut really deep. I've tried on a few tops like that and they're never winners.

londonkiwi (now back in NZ)

Veteran

I have a similar problem Maya, steming from a reasonable bust, a very wide rib cage and being really short waisted, in particular I have problems with shirts, not so much dresses.

I used to have really toned arms from swimming so cap sleeves weren't a problem - time to get back to the gym I think!

Louise

Veteran

I have a banded top which has really low arm holes grrrr. It's a nuisance so I always wear a cami under it x

Maya

Veteran

Camis are not a solution when it is THIS hot (90 degrees at 8:30am). I am not going for any styles that have intentionally deep cut arm holes or spaghetti straps. It makes sense that arm holes are cut larger on bigger sizes. It just means I should only wear sleeveless with voluminous styles (only because I no longer like stretchy knits). I was more just curious to see if it happened to others and if it bothered them. Some don't mind visible bra straps but I'm one of those people that finds them to be an instant dealbreaker.