Thread: Adding elastic to extend bra straps Help!

I have a costume which was a halter and in converting it to a regular bra style, I'll need to lengthen the straps. I have some similar color/beading headband material I can use to extend it but I want to extend with elastic as well. I know exactly how much elastic I need to the lengthen the straps as I desire but how do I go about attaching the head band material to the elastic. Should I sew the elastic to the bra straps directly and then attach the headband material onto that? Or should I attach the elastic to the headband material then sew that to the bra altogether. I figure if I do it the latter way, it won't give me any stretch for some reason lol.. Help!

Honestly, I think elastic in costumes is a bad idea. I'd just go with the fabric & a stabalizer if anything.

don't mean to sound harsh or be a downer- elastic is nice in everyday comfort bras that you wear for hours & hours every day, not exercising. Elastic just doesn't stand up to the support I need in a bra when doing something as physically demanding as dancing, and it wears out fast, especially with sweat. I want everything to stay put & the costume to last.

Most of the costume bras I make have straps that do NOT stretch, for the reasons cited above. Grosgrain, not elastic, is what I *usually* use. However and on occasion I have used no-roll elastic (3/4" minimum) as all or part of the strap. But not for a bra that is used often.

As far as covering any shoulder straps, I'm a big fan of casings (tubes, sleeves, whatever) around the strap, not just on top of the strap. But in any event, I'd attach the extension to the bra strap before doing whatever I was going to do to decorate. If you decide to decorate only the top of the strap, be sure to stretch the elastic as you sew. The Costume Goddess describes how to do it here. Scroll down a bit to 'Cover Back and Side Straps.' That talks about covering the top of the stretchy parts.

I can't wear halter tops. I usually remove the halter straps completely and replace them with new straps, sometimes made out of the old straps and other costume pieces (headbands, etc), sometimes with completely new straps. Either way I like to use grosgrain ribbon as a base.

Most dance bras have fixed straps with no elastic or stretch. But when I do want stretch in the straps, I make a tube or casing and stitch it to the bottom side of the grosgrain ribbon, then thread elastic through it.

Thanks for the tips!