How to alter, lengthen or shorten an underband on an already made bra

Whether you have made a bra and it doesn’t fit right (so annoying putting in all that work and it’s not comfy), or you have bought a bra and the elastic has stretched and it doesn’t offer you support or something is not quite right, before you chuck that bra you can alter it to fit you exactly as you need.

*You can obviously use this method if you are making a bra from scratch and wish for the back detail, the only difference would be in to sew the loops directly onto the cradle on the wing part, the reason you sew it onto the wing part when altering a bra is because there will be a bulky seam there.

You will need 110 - 140cm bra strapping and either six sliders and six rings or 12 sliders, 3 by 3 hook and eye or 2 by 3.

Step One

Lay your bra flat

Step Two

You are going to cut along the wing fabric, about 1cm away from the cradle and wing seam. If you have boning in the seam you need to remove it. The reason you are going past the cradle and not cutting down the seam is because you need the fabric amount to turn under the cradle.

Step Three

Chop the strap away from the wing, leaving the strap whole and a ring left on the strap.

Step Four

Repeat step two and step three on the other side.

Step Five

Cut three pieces of bra strap approx 4cm, it’s longer than you need so you can handle it and sew, if you need to cut it longer please do, you will be trimming off any excess length.

Step Six

Thread the strapping through the rings (or sliders) and sew them facing towards the centre of the bra. Trim off the excess strapping. Place one strap loop, at the top, one at the bottom and one in the middle.

Step Seven

Zig-Zag, Overlock or attach fold over elastic to the raw edge where you have sewn your straps.

Step Eight

Fold under the the edge and sewn down to keep the loops facing towards the back of bra.

Step Nine

Repeat steps six, seven and eight for the other side.

Step Ten

Cut three x bra strapping, how long will depend on the length of the wing that you have cut off. You want the length of the wing you have cut off plus five. So if you wing length was 13cm your straps needs to be 18cm (13+5)

Step Eleven

Thread the strap through the sliders and sew to secure.

Step Twelve

Thread the strap through the rings (or slider), you want the strap to through the ring then back on itself through the slider (covering the wrong side of the strap).

Step Thirteen

Repeat ten, eleven and twelve for the other side.

Step Fourteen

Attach the hook and eyes, if you have chosen a 3x3 hook and eye, match the strap to where each hook and eye is, if you have chosen a 2x3 hook and eye then the straps will sit very close together.

Step Fifteen

Cut bra strapping at 10cm

Step Sixteen

Measure approx 4.5cm away from the hook and eye and sew the strap in place to the strap back, you will need to turn under the bottom part of the strap to create a neat edge and to secure the strap into place. I usually sew all the edge of the vertical strap.

Step Seventeen

Attach the ring that is on the strap to the strap that you have just attached and sew securely into place.

Step Eighteen

Repeat steps 14, 15, 16 and 17.

Step Nineteen

Trim all loose threads

Step Twenty

Rock out in your new fitting bra.