How to fix this dress

[AnotherChinHair]

I got a dress like this, dirt cheap, for what will possibly be a one-off occasion. The front gapes too much. I have minimal sewing skills. What can I do to tighten the front a little? It's a lighter green than the photo and an fairly unforgiving material.
https://www.asos.com/bershka/bershka-cowl-neck-satin-mini-dress-in-green/prd/202984353

Shorten the straps or use toupee tape?

It looks like you can adjust the straps with no sewing.

Thanks. The straps have been shortened, but the gaping at front is still a little indecent.

How would I use the tape? The bit that needs tacking is the very front.

Body tape & stick it to yourself?

Can you take it in a little under the arms/ down the sides of the dress? That would reduce the gaping at the front.

Toupee or body tape is like double sided sticky tape, so you stick it between the skin and the dress, the dress will then stay stuck to you and not move.

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usmagazine.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F04%2Ffearless-body-clothing-tape-fabric.jpg%3Fcrop%3D0px%252C0px%252C2000px%252C1131px%26resize%3D1600%252C900%26quality%3D86%26strip%3Dall&tbnid=tcZ_Ilael9MKqM&vet=12ahUKEwiEtMey25eAAxUdrycCHYZSAj4QMygHegUIARDNAQ..i&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usmagazine.com%2Fshop-with-us%2Fnews%2Ffearless-body-fabric-skin-clothing-double-sided-fashion-tape%2F&docid=JiBI_EUXL-cFLM&w=1600&h=900&q=fashion%20tape%20before%20and%20after&hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwiEtMey25eAAxUdrycCHYZSAj4QMygHegUIARDNAQ

Unpick the straps where they join the front and thread through a piece of elastic (or even string) as indicated by the red line. Try it on whilst pinned to make sure it looks right. Then sew the straps - with the ends of the elastic - back into place.

Gotcha. I actually have some of that tape, but was hoping for a more permanent solution.
@ilovesushi, no, don't have enough sewing skills to manage that!

@Konfetka, oohhh, intrigued about that, thanks! The straps are detachable which is a real bonus!

Please show us a photo if you try the elastic method, I'm interested to see if it works.

Would a brooch work?

Can you post a picture of the dress on you? Blur out your face for anonymity.

It is difficult to advise without seeing the dress itself or how it fits.

I'd be inclined to go for tit tape unless shortening the straps will make it decent.

Satin is a bitch to sew and easy to mark. I would happily shorten straps or take in the side seam under the arms a bit but if that won't fix it and neither will tape I'd return/sell and get something else.

The cowl neck is too wide for your shoulder to bust measurement. Possible options I can think of:
Shorten the straps as far as they can go without making the armpits too high.
Remove and re-attach the straps at the front slightly closer to the middle and fold the leftover bits into the armpit and hand stitch.
Try hand stitching a small gather on the fabric just under each strap to take in some of the bulk and see if that looks ok.
Unpick the straps at the back then tie them around the neck to turn it into a halter neck

Wear something underneath, like a close fitting T-shirt top in a lacy fabric, or one of those tops with puffy see through short sleeves? It might work, pinafore-style, if you can find the right top.

(To be brutally honest, OP, I have satin nighties in less flimsy fabric. 😂)

Thread a large bead on a bit of thread and sew it to the centre front at the top. Let the bead dangle about 5cm or so from the fabric. When you put the dress on tuck the bead through the front of your bra. Top will be anchored, but you may need to fiddle with how far the bead dangles for best anchorage and drape.

I have a dress from the 70s designed just like this.

Tit tape the dress first and then remove when wearing the dress to stick into place.

You need to do side boobs first then top of boobs

Love this solution. Brilliant

Thanks for this solution. My dd has a dress like this for a wedding and it gapes. I will see if this is better than altering the dress, which I was intending to do.

Thank you ladies. Considering all options. Would love to see photos of the bead method, I don't trust myself to follow that direction without pictures.
Also, I have found this: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nqGovXMbHG8

@AnotherChinHair I am trying to find a picture but I can’t. My dress is in the loft and I can’t get up there at the moment.

The link you have posted, instead of pleating the front, the very top of the cowl is where you sew the dangly bead. The brilliant thing is if you are careful if you don’t like it you can snip it off and the dress is undamaged!

Also google ‘Modesty Pins’. This could be used instead of sewing pleats or the bead, but similar idea.

That also looks good.

The bead solution is very simple I think. You sew the bead at the top of the neckline in the centre - I’d do it a couple of millimetres down so that it won’t show if ever you want to remove it. Let it dangle down enough so that it can be threaded inside a bra and be tucked below the band under the breast. The band serves as an anchor. You will need to make several long stitches of the same length or you could secure the bead to a piece of wool or similar and sew the wool to the neckline. Does that make sense?