What you'll need:Elastic
Bra hook and eye
Sewing equipment
1 bra
The before steps:
1. Make sure the bra hooks match up with the bra you're using; if your bra has 2 hooks, find an eye with 2 hooks.
Any sewing or craft store will have these; alternatively, the dollar store or thrift store might have bras you can salve hooks/eyes from (you might get funny stares at the checkout line though). I would personally get them at a discount fabric store, like Fabric Outlet in SF ($.99 up by the cash register). They're overpriced at stores like Jo-Ann.
2. Make sure the elastic is the same width as the hook and eye. It should be long enough to comfortably wrap around your waist--but don't cut it yet! Keep in mind that it will be in contact with your bare skin.
The steps:
1. Sew either the hooks OR the eyes to one end of the elastic. I like to keep the elastic on top so the raw edge won't chafe. The type of stitch shouldn't really matter since you're not sewing in the direction of the stretch (just make sure it's securely attached).
1. There was a pre-attached elastic tag I didn't need, which I just trimmed off. Do whatever works best for you; if the hook/eye has two pieces of fabric, sew the elastic in between them.
2. Put your favorite bra on, and attach the bra's hook to the eye on the elastic. Wrap the elastic around your waist once; imagine where the elastic would attach on the other side of your bra and mark it.
Alternatively, you can use something like 9/10ths of your waist measurement. Since it's elastic, you don't need to be exact. If it ends up being too loose, you could always sew off a pinch of elastic and trim it off?
Remember: this should be able to hold 'everything' in place, so although it shouldn't be uncomfortably constricting,it shouldn't be loose (who wants a loose bra?). Getting the right length is probably the most important step.
3. Sew the remaining hook or eye to the place you marked on your elastic, and trim the remainder. Make sure you sew on the correct sides--if the hook is facing up, the eye will face down. Try to keep the raw elastic edge on the side that won't be in contact with your skin.
How To Adjust:
To make the back tighter, tug on the elastic on your waist. To make the back looser, tug on the elastic on the back.
To make the bra back higher or lower, simply pull up or down. Adjust tightness (and bra straps) accordingly.
