I went to Nordstrom Rack and found this Maggy London wrap dress marked way down to just $35. I couldn’t resist it! The colors were pretty, the price was right and the fit was great, except for one little thing…
BOOBS!
Right?!
Wrap dresses are super flattering, especially for us curvy girls with boobs and hips. However, they also fly open like they’re advertising your goodies for sale.
Yes, you can always throw a camisole on underneath your dress, but when it’s 95 degrees and humid the last thing you want is another layer of clothing. So you can do one of two things, strategically keep your hand over your cleavage or just yank that baby back together when nobody is looking (you hope).
As attractive as those options tend to be (obviously), they are not really a great long term solution. Which brings me to the point of today’s post: a super easy way to fix your wrap dress for less than $5.
And no, the answer is not to use a safety pin. {However, if you MUST use a safety pin, use one of these — it’s an assorted set of black and white pins so that they don’t catch the sun and glint… catching everyone’s attention!}
Before you start, go out and buy something like this:
You can get sew-on snaps at your local Joann’s or online. Here’s a set on Amazon.com for just $3. And before you tell me what a horrible sewer you are, let me say that ANYONE can do this. I wouldn’t consider myself a good sewer, just a randomly capable person who can figure stuff out logically. If I can do this, you can do this!
Step 1: Put your dress on and use a safety pin to hold the top together just a smidge below where you’d like it to fall. Take the dress off over your head, keeping the safety pin attached to the dress.
Step 2: Leave the safety pin in your dress. Take the pokey end of a snap (I used the largest one in the package) and sew it onto the side of the dress that will lay closest to your skin. Try to use thread that will blend into your dress; however if you don’t have matching thread just keep the sewing on the folded over area of the seam. Then, you won’t be able to see it come out the other side.
Step 3: STILL leave the safety pin in your dress. Line up the unsewn side of the snap with the one that is now sewn onto your dress and attach above the safety pin. Once again, be sure to keep your sewing on the flap so that your thread won’t be seen through the fabric.
Step 4: Once both sides of the snap are sewn on, make sure they line up and snap together. NOW you can remove the safety pin.
Step 5: Look the safety pin is out and the dress is snapped together!
You’re done! All that’s left to do is for you to try your dress on again and marvel about the fact that you no longer showing off your bra.
And if you’re wondering what that cord is in the picture, I’m trying out a remote camera shutter and I’m kind of loving it! I’m also loving my new wrap dress, which is why it will be going to BlogHer with me this week.
Are you a fan of wrap dresses? Do you go the camisole route, or just stick a safety pin through the fabric and pretend to ignore the shiny gleam that peeks through?
Disclaimer: This post contains an Amazon Associates link. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.
That dress is gorgeous on you AND you’re a genius. Win-win!
Thanks Jessy!! =)
Holy crap, Joules. This is beyond genius. You have NO IDEA how many times I’ve just gone ghetto with the safety pin. After a while, I just stopped buying tops and dresses like this. Now I want to go SHOPPING!
That’s me. Just changing the world one good deed at a time… hehe 😉
Nice! I usually just go the boobalicious route. Because I’m classy like that.
You go girl!
LOVE a good wrap dress, and have totally done this. I’ve also used snaps to make little DIY bra strap holders for sleeveless or awkward neckline dresses. Just a snap and a bit of ribbon and you’re DONE!
http://www.recycled-fashion.com/2012/06/sewing-trick-bra-strap-concealer.html
Fantastic idea — I love bra strap snaps!
OMG Brilliant! I love wrap dresses and usually either wrestle all day with a bunchy cami or say screw it and just give everyone a show! I think I know what I’m doing after work now!
So easy, right?! I always thought for winter dress wearing it would be awesome to have a full-body leotard with a tank top at the top and leggings at the bottom (and an access hole for pee-pee time)…
Brilliant! I have a new wrap dress and I WILL be doing this!
AWESOME, I’m so glad this was helpful! =)
That dress looks really good on you! Love the colors!
Thanks so much!
You have saved my life and dignity. Huge thanks to you x
This is awesome..I’ve just bought a bunch of these poppers now. I have so many wrap dresses. Also think this would work for button up tops where the gaps can gap a bit in the boob area! Thanks
ok great hack but now how do we keep the skirt closed? As soon as I walk I feel pretty bare and the least little breeze can make it quite indecent. I can wear a slip under it but who wants your slip showing all the time?
I usually wear slip shorts (they look like bike shorts, but they are thinner and don’t make a swoosh-swoosh sound when you walk). If you have an extra aggressive dress that wants to fly open in the skirt area, you can add an extra snap (same directions as with the bust from this post) at the mid and bottom of the skirt slit! =)
Great idea. Although I walked down the road into town centre on a windy day, wearing a skirt with buttons down the front. Thought I must look great as getting lots of looks, until I looked down and more than half the buttons had popped open in the wind. Thankfully i noticed before it blew off completely, so embarrassing 🙂