can anyone help I have just bought a backless skating dress and dont know what bra to wear under it.

Try going to a specialist underwear shop (i.e. one that only sells underwear). You can get several types of bra that might help. You can get some with clear straps, you might be able to find one with a clear back, and if worst comes to worst you could always get one of those stick-on ones that only goes at the front! Failing that, I know I've seen one somewhere that has the back go right down towards the waist, i.e. so it's not across the middle of your back (if that makes sense). It's worth looking around, and maybe looking on some internet sites for lingerie companies/shops.

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"It’s never too late to skate at any age." - Alexei Mishin.

Or to the underwear department of a department store, especially if it's one that offers a proper fitting service, but be sure to take the dress with you so that the assistant can see what you need, and you can try it on and jump up and down to make sure it's comfortable!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Depending on how low the back is you can just get extenders for the bra so that instead of clapsing in the middle of your back you can pull it lower and clasp it where the back of the dress starts. You can find those virtually anywhere they sell bras, La Senza or department stores...

Another thing I've done is to buy a liner for your dress, you can get one's with backs so low it's like there isn't one... the liner is sort of like a body suit so it gives you some support, not exactly like wearing a bra but it works. You can order these at skating stores and they come in different designs and are skin coloured or just try and find more of a body suit undergarment from somewhere like Walmart.

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* Marcoux & Buntin * Miller & Moram *

i've heard of duct tape and bandaids lol but i think that'd be a bit painful.

LOL that works too!! Hahaha you can get the medical tape that is easier on the skin and use it as a first layer then put the heavy duty tape on top, this way you don't rip your skin off lol, and it holds you in much better than a bra lol, you aren't going anywhere

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* Marcoux & Buntin * Miller & Moram *

Do you absolutely have to wear a bra under it? I've never seen anyone wear underwear under their skating stuff, maybe you can get a shelf bra sewn into the dress instead? It sure would be less hectic and dangerous than going for something that could come undone in the middle of a skate.

Er - some of us have to wear bras, or we would not be able to jump at all! Think ordinary adult figures, not skaters' figures, here. Adults don't usually look like skaters, even when they are.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

If you need more support than a shelf bra, go get a good well-fitting foam-cup or underwire bra (don't use a bra that's just about past it's useful shelf life). Put it on. Put the dress on. Get a friend to pin the dress to the bra on the sides and front (safety pins work well, carefully applied). Take everything off, leaving the bra in the dress. Cut the back out of the bra, so in essence all you have is the front and sides of the bra, pinned to the dress. Make sure when you cut, that you leave enough side fabric on the bra to be able to have the bra sewn to the side seams of the dress at the spot where you pinned the bra. Also in front, where you had the bra pinned, have the bra lightly fastened to the dress lining. Once the bra is securely sewn to the dress, you can cut off the shoulder straps. You may also have to have the top edge of the bra fastened to the dress lining in a couple places.

Or... you can buy stand-alone bra cups and fasten them to the inside front of the dress in the appropriate spots. I've noticed a lot of mesh-intensive competition skating and ballroom dresses use this approach.

Hi:

In addition to being an adult skater, I am also a maker of skating dresses. I often hear people complain about the use of illusion fabric .... but I love the stuff, particularly for us adults who need the support provided by a bra. I have made many a dress which looks for all intents and purposes as though it were very low backed, but the back was really covered, hiding the bra closure and bra straps. For this application I use skin-toned power mesh.

Perhaps you can find a seamstress in your area who can add a power mesh section to the back of the dress which would allow you to wear a bra, but would still allow the original design of the dress to remain.

-- sheilagh

umm dont wear one... unless its everry nessesary...
and if it is.. you can buy pads.. or wear your bra and buy the clear straps ... you can buy them at a skating store.. hope it helps

Okay, all you flat chested teenaged skaters, listen up! Apparently you've missed the subtleties, so it's time to just lay it out there for you. Female adult skaters have boobs. Many of us have used them for nursing. They flop around when we jump. They bang into our pairs partners. And they react to the cold. We need bras! All clear? Telling us not to wear one isn't particularly helpful.

I always try to have my dress designed with a compression sports bra in mind, but if that's not possible, a panel of flesh colored illusion can hide most bras. Personally, I dislike the clear plastic straps because they're shiny, which just draws attention to them. Sewing cups in is another good option, but make sure they're tightly fitted, or they'll shift when your dress shifts and may not come back where you need them. Next thing you know, you've got what looks like a boob sticking under your armpit and your real boob is left out in the cold again.

Amen, sister!

In addition, for those of us who are mothers of young men/teenage boys, wear underwear!!!!!!!
There are enough male hormones running around without the obligatory snide remarks made about your attributes, when you do not wear underwear.

Or at least make sure the dress has a liner in front.

Or if all else fails, tape white medical tape over the nipples.

Last year I had a dance top that laced up in the back, so I got a bra with a clear back. The cups are a nude type color and the back part just clips onto the bra on either side. It also comes with a clear halter strap if you want it to feel more secure. It was a bit expensive (about 45 dollars) at the Bay, although most department stores probably have them. It's been useful quite a few times before performances though.

I didn't mean any offense- I know there are a lot of adults on this board but there are some teens as well, so I don't know how, from the post the original person posted, I would be supposed to know that they were adults. Plus some adults ARE flat chested, and finally, I'm not entirely flat-chested, and shelf bras work just fine for me so I assumed they could work for a variety of figures as well. What might be a better idea, then, would be those underwire bras that they put inside bathing suits, I bet those could be adapted into a skating dress. Would that provide enough support or no? I just think wearing any kind of underwear would be very stressful and could turn out badly if something came undone or decided to ride up/down and showed during the performance, so I was trying to think of alternatives.

If they do have a bra with a clear back I say that is a life saver. I like to wear sports bras in practice and like to have similar in competition. It's so hard to find things that go under that look invisible. There is nothing wrong with wearing underware with your dresses. I tried wearing none once and I couldn't stand it.

I don't have a choice on the bra issue... having been unfortunately well blessed (can we spell "D" cup?). That plus middle age (gravity is a curse...) makes wearing a bra non-optional. So... I generally have my dresses designed so I can wear either a good sports bra or good minimizer bra underneath. Occasionally I have the bra sewn into the dress and the dress bodice, is, as a result, fairly snug to ensure everything stays in place. Otherwise, I do stuff like have my dressmaker sew little loopy things into the dress that I fasten over my bra straps to make sure the bra straps don't show if the shoulders of the dress move a bit.

That's a very smart solution. Speaking of illusion fabric, I've been thinking of putting some on my dress but don't know where I can buy it. Do you know of any online retailers that sell it? I've looked at a few that people said would have it but they didn't. . .

[QUOTE=skaternum]Okay, all you flat chested teenaged skaters, listen up! Apparently you've missed the subtleties, so it's time to just lay it out there for you. Female adult skaters have boobs. Many of us have used them for nursing. They flop around when we jump. They bang into our pairs partners. And they react to the cold. We need bras! All clear? Telling us not to wear one isn't particularly helpful.

Well. . . Yogachick didn't mention her cup size so I don't think the non-bra suggestions were necessarily out of line. If she's a B cup or smaller, that would probably be the way to go (I am a B cup and have gone braless without a problem).

Try Murielle Roy (www.murielleroy.com)

https://www.murielleroy.net/miva/mer...duct_Code=3000

is Mesh... comes in oodles of colors, including Nude and Light Nude. 2-way stretch, 58-60" wide, $11.95/yard.

They also sell clear bra straps and soft foam bra cups.

Weird. . . Murielle Roy is the first place I checked but I didn't find it. I'll look again! Thank you!

How about DD+? Try finding anything that fits those. I had to make all my dresses (still do.) I solved that problem surgically, but I still wear a bra (don't want to ruin the surgeon's good work!) And I either design my dresses to cover a bra or pin the bra out of sight.

I'm cup heavy (C) and have tried the adhesive bra once- it hurt to take it off and there was no support! I do have a beige colored bra with clear straps that I wear to compete, as well as a tube bra!