Can you solve my bra strap nightmare?

[CashmereHoodlum]

I have narrow, sloping shoulders and find that my bra straps slip off. I've tried the racerback adaptors that you attach onto the straps but I don't like them. These are supposedly properly fitted bras, and not at all cheap. I've found that ill-fitting M&S bras have straps that stay in place, but they give me four boobs

Is there anything I could stick on to the straps to keep them in place? I am happy with the overall fit of the bras but I can't keep going round hoiking my bra straps up every 30 seconds.

What about getting a dressmaker (or doing it yourself) to shorten the straps a bit?

Thank you. Standing up straight is sensible advice. I'm not sure if it is the length of the straps which is the issue, as even if I have them on the shortest setting it still happens. I think it might be down to the stretchiness of the straps, the fabric they are made of, or the angle at which they are attached onto the cups. If I could just sort of glue them onto me they would be perfect.

the majority of the the
time this is caused by wearing a bra which is too big in the band.

I agree with StatisticallyChallenged You probably need to go down in the band and up in the cup.

Thank you. I will give some different sizes a try. I have had them fitted in Bravissimo, John Lewis, House of Fraser and Rigby&Peller and I am struggling to actually do the bras up as they are so tight in the band, so I may have trouble going down. I will try different cup sizes. The only bra which fits that I don't have this trouble with is a full-cup one which I can't wear unless my clothes have a high neckline, so it may be to do with the cut of the cup. I will head off for another fitting and see what happens.

Incidentally, I also have this trouble with shoulder bags!

You can get the Strap Trap but you'd have to sew them into everything you wear.

CashmereHoodlum What are your bras like if you put them on back to front? Do they feel very, very tight or can you pull them out from your body? If the latter, then you probably do need to try a bigger cup as that will sort out the tightness. Feel free to post your measurements if you want some suggestions.

Thanks, right I've put the same bra on back to front and it is still just as tight. I'm not convinced that it is the cup as the whole breast is fully enclosed, there's no overspill and the middle bit sits completely flat against me. I do have back fat, enhanced by the tight band. I am convinced this is an issue with my shoulders being a peculiar shape. I've seen a silicone thing on amazon that you put under the strap, but it is intended to stop digging in and I don't have digging in, just slippage.

I was at the dentist this morning and in the waiting room most of the magazines seemed to have an article suggesting you have a bra fitting and come out feeling fabulous. I come out feeling £35 poorer and deformed.

I will look into those strap traps, Lougle, thank you. The effort of sewing them into everything I own would certainly be less than constantly pulling my bra strap back onto my shoulder.

Hmmm, back fat is very often caused by too small a cup. Do you scoop?

Sorry, that should have said "too small a cup and too big a band".

What is scooping? Do you mean the approved R&P method of putting the bra on? I asked Bravissimo about the back fat and they said it is unavoidable if the band fits. I do have a layer of fat everywhere, not just on my back, it has to be said.

Scooping, courtesy of SC's blog:

Lean forward, drop your breasts in to the cups and do the bra up at the back. Now, take your right hand, put it round inside the left cup, all the way round under your armpit (I actually go right round to my back and smooth the skin round), and scoop all the soft tissue and flesh in to the cup. You might not know it, but all that soft tissue under your armpit is breast, and it needs to be in the cup. Now, repeat on the other side. The wire should totally encase your soft breast tissue, and you should have no overspill or wrinkling in the cups. The central gore should sit flat in between your boobs.

i have this problem. i can only buy bras where you can adjust the 'adjusty' thing all the way along the strap, many bras you can only adjust half the length of the strap. one person did mention to me that you can unpick the strap cut some off and resew shorter using a sewing machine. might be a solution if rest of fit is good. I too get the 4 boob effect from m&s bras too !! i put it down to saggy boobs being hoiked into balcony bras, as i don't recall this problem pre dc !

I too get the 4 boob effect from m&s bras too

I can pretty much guarantee that this is from too small a cup.