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Hide bra straps: 3 tricks for every top

One-shoulder and off-shoulder tops are real eye-catchers, especially for formal occasions. Off-shoulder tops reveal a particularly elegant part of the female body: the collarbone. However, it looks less attractive if the bra straps peek out from under the off-the-shoulder or backless top. In the worst case, they are even a different colour than the top or have yellowed. Then you should better hide the bra straps. Find out now how this works!

by CALIDA

11 December 2023 • 3 min reading time

A woman smiling at the camera and wearing a Calida top from the 'Eco Sense' range.

Discover practical methods for cleverly concealing straps.

Trick 1: Off-the-shoulder tops – how to make bra straps invisible

There is a simple trick for hiding bra straps under off-the-shoulder tops. Bustiers with elastic straps or bras with extendable straps are best for this. You should set them as long as possible. Now pull both straps over your head and dip your arms underneath so that the straps of one side are under the armpit of the other side. For one-shoulder tops, do this on one side only.

If the straps of your bra are not long enough, you should either drape your bra properly before putting it on and simply pull it over your head or choose a bra with removable straps. You can simply unhook them, place them around your chest and hook them back in. It’s best if the straps are just above the cups. Make sure that they are not twisted so that there are no wrinkles on your top.

Trick 2: Make bra straps disappear under racerback tops

With racerback tops, the shoulder area, shoulder blades and often the collarbone are exposed, while the centre of the body is covered with fabric. Often, racerback tops have a turtleneck or a high-cut neckline, so you don’t have to worry about the bra showing through at the neckline. However, it becomes problematic at the shoulders and back, especially with wide bra straps.

There is a simple trick to make sure they are just below your top: Take a paper clip and connect the two straps at the back. You can also use a ribbon, safety pin or similar. There are even special bra clips that allow you to hide your bra straps under racerback tops.

Trick 3: Hide bra clasp on backless tops

With backless dresses and tops, it’s not the straps but the bra clasp that can become visible, taking away some of the elegance of a back neckline. To make it look like you’re not wearing a bra, you need two bra straps, which can be bought separately. Transparent straps are best.

To hide the clasp of your bra at the back, hook one strap on one clasp side and the other strap on the other clasp side of your bra. Now cross the straps at the back and bring them both forward around your waist on the opposite side. Here, you can hook the two straps together and adjust the fit of the bra to your back neckline.

If the back neckline ends just above the bottom, this method is usually not sufficient. Often, the only thing that helps then is an adhesive bra, which can be reinforced with special tape if you have a large bust size.


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