Cover each nipple with an adhesive cover, cut strips short enough to stay under the neckline, anchor each one low at the side of the breast, lift with your hand and smooth the tape diagonally up toward the center of your chest. That angle pulls in as well as up, and it keeps the tape below the top of the dress. Wear it for around three to four hours, and take it off with oil, never dry.
What do I need before I start?
One roll of boob tape (ours is 2in × 15ft, 5cm × 4.6m), sharp scissors, a mirror, the dress and something to cover each nipple. The Boob Tape Kit comes with five pairs of satin pasties, but an Adhesive Nipple Cover or a Sensitive (Nip-Safe) cover also works well.
Your skin needs to be clean and completely dry, with no lotion, body oil, deodorant or sunscreen where the tape will go, so do your hair and makeup first. If it's your first time, patch test a small piece on the inside of your forearm for 30 minutes to an hour, take it off with oil and check the skin again a few hours later. Tape never goes on broken, irritated, sunburned or freshly shaved skin.
How do I tape for a strapless neckline, step by step?
- Check where the neckline sits. Try the dress on first and look in the mirror at where its top edge crosses each breast. Every strip has to finish below that line.
- Cover the nipples. Press an adhesive cover over each one and smooth the edges down. Never tape directly over the nipple.
- Cut the first strip. Hold the roll against yourself from under the side of the breast up toward the center of your chest, stop short of the neckline and cut. Round the corners so they don't catch on fabric, or angle the top end to follow the line of the dress.
- Anchor low and to the side. Peel back the first few inches of backing and press that end under the breast, at the crease, toward the outside.
- Lift and hold. Cup the breast with your free hand and lift it to where you want it to sit.
- Smooth it diagonally. Run the tape up and in toward the center of your chest, peeling the backing as you go and pressing it flat, with no wrinkles.
- Add strips if you need them. Lay a second strip slightly over the first for more hold, then do the other side to match.
- Check in the dress. Look from the front and the side before you leave. A strip that peeks over the neckline needs redoing. Take it off with oil and cut the next one shorter.
Why diagonal, not straight up?
Straight up toward the shoulder is the classic lift, and it's right for a halter or a one-shoulder dress where fabric covers the tape. A strapless dress has nothing above the neckline to hide a strip running to your collarbone, so the strips go in toward the center instead. You get lift plus a little push inward, and the tape stays low enough for the bodice to cover it.
What changes with a larger or softer bust?
More strips, anchored lower. Smaller busts usually need one or two strips per side, while heavier breasts take two or three, each started well under the breast at the crease, with a slightly wider overlap so the strips share the weight. Lift with your whole hand and hold the breast in place while you smooth, because your hand puts the breast where you want it and the tape holds it there.
If you're softer after breastfeeding or weight changes, a little skin may fold as you lift. That's normal. Tape straight over it and it won't show under the dress. On a big bust, expect real support and a natural shape rather than the hold of an underwire. Our large bust guide goes further.
Will it show, and how long will it last?
Under a structured or lined strapless bodice, it won't show. Under a thin, skin-tight tube top it probably will, because a single layer of thin fabric shows the creases and the outline of each strip.
Boob tape is extra strong, and its medical-grade adhesive grips harder the longer it's on. That's what keeps a strapless look in place, and it's why we say around three to four hours, not all day.
When won't tape work for a strapless dress?
- When the dress is one thin, clingy layer. The strips may show through.
- On skin that isn't ready for it. Broken, irritated, sunburned or freshly shaved skin, or skin that has reacted to adhesive before.
- When you only need coverage. If the bodice already holds you in, Triangle Adhesive covers with the point turned down sit below a straight neckline with far less effort.
- If you won't take it off with oil. Peeled off dry, it hurts.
How do I take it off at the end of the night?
With oil is the only way. Soap and water won't break this adhesive down, and peeling it dry is what hurts the most. Spray Boob Tape Remover Oil over the whole strip until it darkens, wait one to two minutes, then peel slowly from the top down with the tape folded back close to your skin, adding oil under the edge as it lifts. If a strip won't budge, give it more oil and more time, not more force. The oil is for intact skin only. The removal section of our boob tape guide has the full method.
What we'd pick
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Boob Tape Kit
Extra strong, 2in × 15ft, five shades, five pairs of satin pasties included. The wrong pick if you only need coverage.
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Adhesive Nipple Covers
What goes under the tape: it sticks on its own and stays put while you lift and smooth. Up to 50 wears.
FAQ
How many strips of boob tape do I need for a strapless dress?
One or two per side for a smaller bust, two or three for a larger or heavier one. A roll typically gives you 5 to 15 uses, depending on your size and the look.
Can I use boob tape without nipple covers?
No. Always cover the nipple first, with an adhesive cover or one of the satin pasties from the kit. Tape that touches the nipple makes removal painful.
Can I reuse a strip if it peels?
No. Each strip is single use. Take it off with oil and cut a new one.
Can I wear a strapless dress without tape?
Yes, if you only need coverage. Triangle Adhesive covers with the point turned down, or round Adhesive covers if the neckline sits high enough. Tape is for when you want lift.
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