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If you need to patch up a loose hem, secure a bra strap, or fasten a button gap but lack sewing skills or time, the best fashion tape can come to your rescue. Double-sided and skin-friendly, this stylist-recommended tool is simple to use and can work on various fabrics without damaging the material. That said, understanding how and where you can use fashion tape to address common clothing issues is key — so we tapped personal stylist Stephanie Gisondi-Little of ComposedCo and wardrobe stylist Taylor Greeley for their expert advice.
How does fashion tape work?
Most fashion tapes are designed in double-sided, pre-cut, single-use strips. Others come in spool dispensers that allow you to cut as much or as little tape as you need, which is ideal for securing larger swaths of fabric. According to Gisondi-Little, either type of fashion tape is ideal for securing low necklines or gapes, like “button down tops across the bust line,” as well as “holding straps in place, particularly tanks in slippery fabrics that tend to slide more easily, along with bra straps to the top itself.”
Before you buy fashion tape, also consider the fabric that will likely require mending. Gisondi-Little tells Bustle that fashion tape works best on “lighter weight fabrics made of cotton (poplin, especially), silk, and rayon,” adding, “If a fabric has a ‘drier’ feel like these do, it will adhere best.” Some fashion tapes are strong enough to hold heavier fabrics like denim or wool, and work well on fabric-to-fabric fixes like hems. There are even waterproof fashion tapes that are made specifically for securing bathing suits straps.
Now, it’s time to shop for fashion's best-kept styling secret. Scroll on to shop the best fashion tapes on Amazon, including two recommendations from expert stylists.
1
Pro Pick: Best Fashion Tape Strips
With close to 2,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, and the most name recognition on the internet and beyond, Hollywood Fashion Secrets Fashion Tape is the most popular fashion tape on the market. Measuring 3 inches long, this double-sided tape is the product of choice for Gisondi-Little, who says, “They are hypoallergenic, invisible, and leave no marks on fabric. The precut strips make it easy to use and put in your purse in case of emergency. I suggest keeping some in your smaller handbags.” It even holds up after a common fashion tape mistake: If you forget to take the tape off before tossing clothing in the wash, it won't melt into your clothes. This order comes with three cute, portable tins, each containing 36 pre-cut strips.
Helpful Review: “I carry these around with me everywhere! I work in the retail industry and have to do audits of my team, and they are perfect for little emergencies like lost buttons, slipping bra straps, ripped hems, blouse gaps, holding down collars that curl, and I've even used them on those annoying sandal straps that keep slipping down your heel every five steps. I keep one in my handbag, one in my car and one in my luggage - I won't be without them. I've given these to friends and they all love them - awesome to have "just in case".”
2
Pro Pick: Best Fashion Tape Roll
The Braza Flash Tape is a go-to for wardrobe stylist Taylor Greeley. “It comes in a roll on a classic style tape dispenser, it is double sided, and you can easily rip off the amount you need,” Greeley tells Bustle. “I use this to secure bra straps to the inside of shirts, to make a quick hem, or close areas of clothing that may reveal too much skin.” She adds that this tape works best on thicker fabrics, like cotton, since it might leave behind a sticky residue on more delicate materials like satin or crepe. The tape itself is on the thinner side — it measures 5/8-inch in width — so it’ll remain invisible if you choose to use it on smaller garments like bra straps (one Amazon shopper wrote that they used this tape to secure a crochet bikini top). Also, many shoppers recommend peeling the tape off before running it through the wash. Otherwise, the tape may fuse itself to the fabric.
Helpful Review: “This was a life saver for me. I had a wrap top that I love but every time I move a certain way, it would flap open. I used a piece of this to close the opening and it worked beautifully. It stayed stuck all day- even though I was cooking and reaching a lot- and I remove it completely from my blouse afterwards without seeing any residue or evidence of the tape. I highly recommend for fabric on fabric use.”
3
The Cult-Favorite Fashion Tape
While a toupee tape may seem like an unusual choice, this is the same tape that held Jennifer Lopez’s famous Versace dress in place, and it’s one that celebrity stylists still swear by. The double-sided tape comes in strips and can be applied directly to your skin or between fabrics. The medical-grade adhesive is transparent, waterproof, and strong enough to hold heavier fabrics. This order comes with two packs of fashion tape, each containing 50 individual strips measuring 1 by 3 inches.
Helpful Review: "This stuff is a dream for keeping clothing in place. I tape lower blouses to my chest/bra to prevent any accidents and have been using it for that forever. Way better than run of the mill 'fashiontape.'"
4
The Best Fashion Tape For Sensitive Skin
Although all the options on this list use medical-grade adhesive that’s suitable for use on your skin, this double-sided fashion tape is specifically designed to feel comfortable and non-irritating on the most sensitive skin types. The residue from the adhesive easily washes off, though some reviewers mention that because it’s so easy to remove, the tape won’t hold heavier fabrics like wool and denim. Instead, these 1/2-inch by 3-inch strips are an excellent choice for smaller jobs like loose straps, or for holding down loose, thin fabrics.
Helpful Review: “I love using Fearless sensitive tape as it doesn't react with my skin. I have used this tape on many clothes and it sticks well. It has even gone through the washer and dryer multiple times and it still holds. Even getting hot, sweaty, and wet at an amusement park....it held."
5
The Best Waterproof Fashion Tape
Finding fashion tape that stays on in the water is a rarity — but this fashion tape is designed specifically for bathing suits, so it’ll stay put even after a swim. The tape is clear, double-sided, medical-grade, and measures 5/8-inch thick, and it comes in a tape dispenser that allows you to cut to the specific length you need. It’s extra-sticky, which does make it a little more difficult to use — some reviewers report that it can be tricky to separate the tape from its paper covering, or even your fingers — but most agree that this downside is outweighed by how well the tape works.
Helpful Review: “Last weekend I went to the beach and I have a new swimsuit that I wanted to make sure would stay in place even in the pounding surf. I decided to try this tape since it says it is waterproof… and IT WORKED! I spent hours in the water and walking the beach and that stuff stayed on and held in place both on my skin and on my swimsuit the entire time. I didn’t feel like I needed to readjust or pull my top up or anything."
6
The Best Fashion Tape To Replace A Bra
If you want to go braless but still want some coverage, consider this breast tape. Made of breathable, sensitive skin-safe cotton, these six pre-cut, single-use strips can be arranged in any way you want over your breasts for coverage and a subtle lifting effect. They’re also seamless, so they’ll remain invisible underneath your top, as well as sweat-proof — one shopper even wrote that they stayed on during a gym session. Note that these only contain adhesive on one side of the strip, so they’re not a one-to-one replacement for traditional, double-sided fashion tape — but they’re equally easy to use, portable, and key for a well-stocked wardrobe arsenal.
Helpful Review: “Wonderful product! Provides great coverage and lift. Stays on ALL day!! Unlike other tape it doesn’t hurt at all when removing. Will definitely purchase again!”
Experts:
Stephanie Gisondi-Little, personal stylist and closet organizer of ComposedCo
Taylor Greeley, wardrobe stylist
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