Here are six quick and easy ways to keep bra straps from slipping off of your shoulders. These fixes are all very inexpensive and easy to do. So if one of them doesn’t keep your bra straps on your shoulders, give a different one a try!
Option 1: Use Silicone Caulk to Keep Bra Straps from Slipping Off Your Shoulders
Silicone caulk on a bra? Yep! This easy fashion hack adds some friction to bra straps that keep sliding around. You can also use it to fix bra straps that get longer throughout the day. The silicone will keep the straps adjusted to the length you set them at.
You might have a strapless bra with a line of rubbery, grippy material on the band to help keep it from sliding down. That’s silicone! I’ve also used silicone to keep arm cuffs (like this dragon scale arm cuff), in place. In the past I used dimensional fabric paint for this purpose, but I’ve recently started to prefer silicone.
Get some silicone caulk and make some thin dots, stripes, or just random smears on the upper part of your bra strap, where it touches your shoulder. (I recommend a squeeze tube of silicone like this, because it’s easier to control than the big tubes that go in a caulking gun.)
If your bra straps don’t stay adjusted to the right length, put a bit of silicone right beside the slider that adjusts the length. The silicone will keep the strap from pulling through the slider by itself. (Make a thin smear of silicone, not a huge dot, so that you can adjust the strap later if you need to.)
The silicone fix works best if the bra fits okay, but the straps are too slick. If the bra is stretched out and should have been thrown out years ago, you will need one of the more drastic fixes below.
Option 2: Try Spring-Gate O-Rings (they add some pizzazz!)
Spring-gate O-rings are kind of like really classy carabiners. You can clip one on each of your t-shirt sleeves, trapping your bra strap inside. Put the ring all the way around your shirt’s neckline, like this:
The ring will keep your bra straps on your shoulders. I like the 1″ inner diameter rings for this purpose. It’s easy to swap out the rings to use them on a different shirt. Or, change out the color of the rings from gold, to silver, bronze, or rose gold. I particularly like the way this trick works on V-neck shirts:
In addition to looking awesome and dressing up a plain tee, the rings tighten up the neckline. You end up with a higher but wider shape to the collar, almost like a Queen Anne neckline. I think it looks quite stylish! If you like, you can add rings to the back of your sleeves, so that they sit behind your shoulders. (And check out my tutorial if you need another way to fix a neckline that’s too low!)
Option 3: Use Strap Tamer Clips to Keep Bra Straps on Your Shoulders
These strap-tamer clips attach to your shoulder seam allowance on the inside of your shirt. Your bra strap then slides into the notch, to keep it where it belongs. Attach them with the opening facing towards your neck to keep your straps from sliding off of your shoulders. Or, if you are wearing a boatneck top, you can attach them with the opening facing away from your neck. This will keep the straps from showing inside your neckline.
I have used plain safety pins like this before, and they do keep the straps in place. But it’s considerably harder to get the pin in the right place and open/close it while you’re getting dressed and undressed. Why? Because you have to actually fasten the safety pins while you’re wearing your shirt AND your bra, reaching through your armhole or neckline and working the pin under the strap. If you’re always needing some kind of fix to keep your bra straps from slipping off your shoulders, the strap-tamer clips will save you a lot of frustration.
Option 4: Add Racerback Clips or Joining Straps
Racerback clips and the accompanying joining straps are easy to use. They link your bra straps to each other in the back, to keep them from falling down. The plastic clips give your bra a sporty racerback fit, and the long thin straps are adjustable, providing a more subtle change in fit. Attach the clip or adjustable strap, and slide it up and down your bra straps to give you the fit you want.
If you wear a lot of racerback-style or sleeveless tops, you will definitely appreciate the option to convert your bra into a racerback style. The clip will keep bra straps from peeking out of the more extreme armholes of a racerback top.
Option 5: Use Silicone Bra Strap Pads
These silicone bra strap cushions would be particularly helpful if you find that your straps dig into your shoulders too much, because they cushion your shoulder and make sure that the strap rests on a larger area. They are supposed to add some friction to your strap, much like my silicone caulk hack above.
I haven’t tried these, and I’m wondering whether they would stay in place for me, because I move around a lot. Probably not many of you know this, but I work on a farm, and if something isn’t glued/sewn/clipped in place, it tends to slide around. But a lot of people do really like the silicone pads, and they’re not expensive, so they’re worth a try if you don’t like any of these other fixes. They are also very easy to swap from one bra to another, and they come in different colors.
Option 6: Try a Stick-On Bra (no straps, no problem!)
A stick-on bra is kind of the option to end all other options. There’s no way the bra straps can slide off your shoulders, because there are no straps! And since it’s strapless AND backless, it will work with a variety of outfits where a traditional bra would show. I use a stick-on bra when I’m going to a fashion show and want to avoid wardrobe malfunctions at all costs. Or when I’m wearing something (like my mermaid dress) that makes a regular bra impractical. You also don’t have to worry about the indentation of the band or straps showing through your clothes! And mine has stayed in place through long fashion shows, photo shoots, and some rather vigorous dancing at a friend’s wedding.
The two cups stick in place, and then they link together with a front-closing clip. I personally find it plenty supportive (for reference, I’m a D cup). You do need to make sure that you’re sticking the cups far enough to the sides of your breasts though. It might take you a couple of tries to find your perfect placement.
I honestly love the sticky bra I bought, and I’ve taken it with me on vacation as my one and only bra. You do need to wash it after every use (I just use shampoo and water) and then let it dry. It gets sticky again when it’s dry, like magic! When I was on vacation, I just washed it off in the sink and left it on a clean washcloth on the bathroom counter (sticky side up) to dry overnight. Then, the next morning, I was ready to go again! I seriously love it and I wish I’d bought it years ago.
So there you have it! I hope you liked this list of ideas, and picked up a few useful tips. Now you know how to keep your bra straps from slipping off your shoulders! And if you’ve found some other tips that work for you, feel free to drop them in the comments section below.
