Shortening Straps Tutorial

I love shopping for clothes!  However, I hate spending money.  This conundrum leads me to often shop of thrift shops and consignment stores.  If I'm paying full price for a dress, I want it to fit me off the rack, but shopping at thrift stores sometimes means that you need to make a few easy alterations to clothing to make it fit.  The most common problem I run into with clothes is the waist and bust fitting but the length of straps on tank tops and dresses being too long.  If the tank top or dress fits everywhere except the straps, it's a great buy!  Straps are so easy to shorten, so you can save money and have great fitting clothes.

There are essentially two types of straps.  Straps that attach in the back, and straps that attach in the middle of the strap.  The following tutorials will help you shorten both kinds with just a few easy steps.  This simple alteration will require the help of an additional person just because it's very difficult to pin things on yourself!


Materials:  Thread, scissors, ruler

Straps That Attach in the Back

1.  Put the dress/tank top on.  Move the dress to how high you want it to be in the front, leaving all the "extra" length of strap in the back.

2.  Tuck the "extra" strap inside the dress.  Pull the strap tight and tuck the "extra" into the dress in line with the strap.  Pin in place.  Repeat for other strap.


3.  Carefully take off the dress and turn it inside out.

4.  Measure to make sure you pulled your straps down an equal length.  You don't want uneven straps.

5.  Sew the strap in place.  This can easily be done hand sewing or with a machine.  Run a seam along the top of the back of the dress/tank top.  Repeat for the second strap.

6.  Put on the dress/tank top right side out to ensure it fits.  Enjoy your now fitting dress/tank top!

Straps That Attach in the Middle

1.  Put the dress/tank top on.  Move the dress so it is the appropriate height in the front and back.


2.  Take the center seam in the strap.  Pull the "extra" strap from the front and the back toward this center seam.  You should be taking the same amount of strap from the front and back.  Pin this in place.  Repeat for the second strap.

3.  Carefully take off the dress and turn it inside out.

4.  Measure to make sure you pulled your straps in an equal length.  The center seam should be at the top of your fold.  You don't want uneven straps.

5.  Sew a new center seam on the strap.  Place the strap under the needle where you want the new center seam to be.  Run a seam down this point.  Repeat for the second strap.


6.  Put on the dress/tank top right side out to ensure it fits.  Enjoy your now fitting dress/tank top!