Recently, I was traveling to London from California. As I was getting off of the plane, I reached up to get my (very much overpacked) carry on bag. Once I’d grabbed my bag and was lowering it down, I felt a familiar “Pop!” on my ribcage. You know that sound… the sound when your underwire breaks?
A few choice words (that we don’t publish, here at TCF) came to mind. My underwire had snapped. I still had a six-hour flight ahead of me. I was not looking forward to sitting in a cramped seat with a wire stabbing me every time I moved.
Cue my emotions:
Luckily, I’m a resourceful lady with access to the internet. I googled (and tried) a few MacGyver-like solutions, and…
Here are a Few temporarily fixes for when your underwire breaks:
- Ask for a Band-Aid. You may not have tape on hand when your underwire snaps. But, I’m betting you (or someone you can ask) does have a few Band-Aids. The idea is to wrap the Band-Aid around your underwire (using it like tape) to keep it from scratching you. Arguably, you could tape the underwire down, but I found out that it usually springs back out.
- Use a pad. Okay, I know this sounds weird. But, most public restrooms (and the woman sitting next to you) will have a pad. Rip it into a smaller section (you don’t need the whole thing!) and wrap it around your underwire, taping it down.
- Turn your bra inside out. Whenever my underwire has snapped, it’s always poked in, towards me. You can turn things around (literally) by turning your bra inside out and making the underwire poke away from you. Then, using whatever you have on hand, tape down the exposed wire. This only works in some situations (and you run the risk of the underwire poking through your top) but it is a temporary fix and it can work!
from Imgur.com
Not only is this extremely frustrating when this happens. for some, it is downright maddening. Bras can be expensive, hard as hell to find, so when your underwire breaks, it is a serious thing.
But have you ever asked yourself why it has broke? These questions run through our mind after this happens:
- How old is the bra?
- How well have you been taking care of your favorite bra?
- How amazing was the quality of the bra?
Things like your breast shape, wearing the right size, and the quality of the bra all play into the life and wear of your cherished boulder holders.
BUT!
Now that we are here… what do YOU do when your underwire breaks?
Do you have any life hacks for fixing an underwire that’s snapped? Share them below!
I hate it when that happens! One trick which I’ve found helpful is if you happen to have a ball-point pen in your purse, extract the shaft that holds the ink and the writing tip, snip off part of the (n0n-ink!) end, and slide the cut-off piece over the exposed end of the severed/exposed wire. A temporary fix that will get you back on your way…
That is brilliant!
My boobs are so big that my underwire doesn’t snap because it’s so thick. My wire is so thick I can’t go through a metal detector with out setting it off and then getting wanded. Ugh
The struggle is real!!!!
When mine breaks it sounds like a gun shot, people start taking cover!
i usually just pull those buggers right out.. LOL. then i have one supported boob and one saggy boob!
until i can get home to throw the bra out.. or just remove the other wire too! and wear the bra around the house.
I never wear underwire. . I refuse to torture myself to fit society standards.
Please share with the class where you find these magical no wire plus size bras
I don’t have a large chest to go with the rest of my rolls. I get light support sports bras, or go without.
…I am so jealous I’m gonna puke Kyra Holmes!
Yeah we can’t be friends because these g-cups are absolutely not having it
Trust me, being big belly big but and smaller up top is miserable. I’m all out of proportion and I look weird
I don’t think I knew real pain until the first time I pinched my nipple with my elbow.
No, I don’t know how I did it, and yes, I’ve done it multiple times lol. I was a B cup until I turned 28, and then I swear I had late puberty because I even grew almost 2 inches in height LOL.
Oh owwie. One of my kids used to bite during breastfeeding. Oh I know how bad that has to hurt.
Love the dual colored hair btw. Lol!
This is useful.
I never had one break, they always come out though.
Nicky Gerber
Bandaids are great for when the underwire starts poking through in your cleavage or armpits. Push the wire back into place and put the bandaid over the hole until you can fix or toss your bra.
lol. Thats just like me. Only I use a panty liner!
Mainly, mine poke out of their cover.
Kristi DeerSandwich ð
The title made me laugh way too hard
Mine never breaks… It simply pops out of the bra and jabs me in the back! ð¡
Same except it jabs me in the chest
I know it doesn’t help in the moment but for after you’re back home – if the bra is still in good shape many specialty bra shops can repair this for under $10, so worth it when the bra is worth 10x that!
I didn’t know that! Then I remember I’m a decent seamstress. Duh. I wonder if I can buy replacement underwires? I pay good money for high end bras to wrangle these double D’s into submission and I follow all the rules! I need to get more life out of them!
My “fix”. Just grin and wear it! They break so often and basically in the same area…. ððð
yes, hi, hello. I’m 6½ years late to the conversation lol
but I have an idea/recommendation/etc if you’re having your underwires snap in the same place frequently.
if you still have the bras with the broken underwires, a hot glue gun, a sewing kit, and an hour or two of your day, you can “Frankenstein” your bra(s) and reinforce the wires using the ones from the other bras.
you’d have to sacrifice at least a bra or two, but if you’d already be throwing them out anyways, then it wouldn’t be a total loss lol
•you’ll want to remove all the underwires from the bras you’re sacrificing *and* the ones you’re reinforcing.
•if you want to use the broken wires, then use the hot glue gun to reattach the pieces
•take the unbroken wire from the old bra and hot glue it to a wire of the new bra
•if using the repaired wire from the old bra, hot glue it to the other wire of the new bra(the wires might not be the same exact shape, so this will help keep each side more even, but you can always pair like with like if you’d prefer)
•you can wrap it in duct tape/moleskin/etc for extra stability and to make it easier to reinsert into the bra
•put the one with the 2 unbroken wires on the side that typically snaps on you; put the other one on the side that typically snaps less frequently
•sew the holes closed
I’m sorry if I explained that weird 😅 but I hope it might help, you or someone else who finds their way to these comments lol
Very Very useful
Remove the underwater.
This saved me today! The flipping it around specifically! Thanks!
I have heavy metal wires that don’t break. In fact, when they make a hole and poke out, I grind them down on the electric tool shop grinder, shape them so they don’t have sharp points, paint the tops with dishwasher rack paint, and then sew up the hole. At least this way I can get more time out of the bras. After all, it costs about $70 each to replace them.
You are innovative and extremely resourceful!! I do not blame you and understand! I have been living in bralettes for a while now!