Fashion Tape: How to Use It
Fashion tape is double-sided tape made for fabric and skin. It solves the small problems that ruin an outfit: a neckline that gapes, a wrap dress that shifts, a strap that will not stay put, a hem that keeps riding.
Where it earns its place
The most common use is a neckline. A short strip on the inside of the fabric, pressed to the skin, stops a plunging or wrap front from opening as you move. The second most common is straps, holding a bra strap to the inside of a shoulder seam so it stops sliding.
It is also useful on hems and slits where you want a specific line to stay where you set it, and on saree pleats where fabric would otherwise travel through the day.
Fashion tape versus body tape
The two get confused. Fashion tape is thin and made to join fabric to skin or fabric to fabric. Body tape is wider and made to shape and lift the body itself. If you are fixing a garment, you want fashion tape. If you are shaping, you want a wider breast and body tape.
Using a wide body tape for a small neckline fix usually means more adhesive on the skin than the job needs.
Applying and removing it
Skin must be clean and dry, the same as with any adhesive. Press the strip down along its whole length rather than at the ends, and give it a moment before you move. Warm skin bonds faster than cold.
To remove, peel slowly along the direction of the skin rather than pulling straight out. If it feels tight, warm water loosens the bond. Never rip it off in one motion, and do not reuse a strip that has already lifted.
