How to make a spaghetti strap dress modest

We’ve all done it before. You know…. wearing a short sleeve shirt under our sleeveless tops/summer dresses. Yes, I’m talking to you LDS women out there. And yes, some of us still do it(me guilty!), it’s such a UT/mormon thing but it’s not like we think it’s cuter that way, we just want to dress modestly and we have no choice when we want to show off our cute top/dresses! But I do gotta admit, it looks the CUTEST just the way it is, without anything underneath. A cardigan is okay, but a white shirt under it? Let’s just say we probably won’t win a “best dressed” award with that outfit. So with Summer here and too hot for a cardigan, what do you do? Well, we can “modestify” our sleevess tops/dresses!

And viola! No need for a white shirt underneath! And another tip for modestifying your dresses: Buy a dress a few sizes bigger since it offers a longer length and then alter it to fit you.  Use the extra fabric to make the sleeves!

I thought I’d get creative with the idea of how to wear thin strap tops. While most of us limit our wardrobe to certain styles, I’ve been on a mission to be more open to the things I’d never wear. And trust me, there were a lot of items I’m wearing now, that I’ve said no to in the past.

Quote of the day: “The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.” Benjamin Disraeli

Sure, maybe you don’t actively seek out spaghetti strap tops anymore to buy or add to your closet. Yet possibly you have one lurking in your closet from days gone by. Or maybe you’ve seen one online or at the store that is SO darn cute, and you think, if only it had sleeves.
Well, I wanted to see if I could think of how to wear thin strap tops creatively. And that still might work for those of us who aren’t comfortable showing our bra straps.

How to Wear Thin Strap Tops

I have a couple of spaghetti strap items in my closet, and just recently added another one. Granted, when you live in 100-degree heat, you are more apt to change your mind about certain styles. It’s called evolution and should be part of our journey in our clothing and our learning.

Here are the ideas I had for how to wear thin strap tops.
1-Wear it Under a Kimono or Other Top
2-Layered Over a Halftee
3-Use Clear Bra Straps
4-Wear a Bralette (with your normal bra, not instead)
5-Tuck in the Straps

Wear it Under a Kimono or Other Top

I’m sure this is the way we are all comfortable wearing a spaghetti strap top…under something else. The advantage of the thin straps is they are cooler under the extra layer. The disadvantage is if it gets warm, you may not be comfortable taking off the outer layer.

Details of the Outfit

This outfit was worn for showcasing a kimono with all different length outfits. The kimono was from my Fashom box for our cruise last winter. I wore it many times on the cruise and even as a swimsuit cover-up.

Insider tip: Online clothing boxes have MANY advantages for all of us. I hope you try it out at least once. I’ve discussed 3 different services I’ve used. The company Fashom, is risk free because you’re first styling fee is waived, and with my link, you get $20 to spend on any item you like.

The strappy top was one given to me as a hand-me-down from a friend. I knew we were moving to Arizona at the time she offered it to me and figured this would be a good time to try to embrace spaghetti straps.

Layered Over a Halftee

Of course you could certainly layer your thin strap top over any kind of t-shirt. This way adds coverage for modesty, yet keeps the focus on the cute top.

Details of the Outfit

This was one example in my post last week about the 5 ways to wear Halftees. Since I signed up to be an ambassador of the company, you can get 20% off with the code, JTOUCH20. I can receive a small commission from your purchase if you go through my link, so thank you.

Insider tip: The advantage of the halftee is there is no extra bulk around your middle (and there is a band at the bottom so they don’t ride up) and so is slimming along with cooler. OR this would work for a crop top too.

I’ve become a huge fan of hats and the fedora style is fun in the summer and winter. This hat happens to be my husband’s, which I borrow regularly.

Insider tip: You can wear men’s hats. I use a sizing tape if they are too big.

Use Clear Bra Straps

Clear bra straps seemed to be a fashion trend many years ago, and luckily I still have many of them. Even if your bra didn’t come with clear straps, as long as the straps are removable, you can purchase the clear ones.
The advantage to these is how they really are invisible. The disadvantage is they don’t stretch as well as elastic.

Insider tip: Instead of wearing the clear straps over my shoulders, I elongated one of them as far as it would go, and used it around my neck for this style of top.

Details of the Outfit

Since retiring, I have been loving the gingham print for some reason. I saw these pants at Target a couple of years ago and couldn’t resist.

The pink top I recently purchased when I bought my yellow print kimono. That kimono was showcased with 5 different color combinations which I’ve incorporated into a color recipe. I wasn’t sure I would wear the top alone when I bought it, which made me consider this idea of how to wear thin strap tops creatively.

Wear a Bralette

Wearing a bralette OVER your normal bra can be a great way to camouflage your bra straps. Sure, you can wear just a bralette, but most of us need more support than bralettes can give us.
Therefore I will wear mine on top of my bra. It’s really NOT hotter this way because they are lightweight.

Insider tip: There are a couple of different kinds of bralettes that I discussed in the past.

Details of the Outfit

I fell in love with this skirt when I saw it (and the top) advertised on Instagram. I wore them together in a blog post, and now am trying to make it work in other outfits.

The pink cami is from the Peach brand when I was working as an ambassador for the company. Even though I’m not an ambassador now, you can receive $10 on your purchase by going through my link. This is called the “Erika” tank and is still available at half price.

Tuck in the Straps

This may not help with the modesty of your spaghetti straps, but I was working on my creativity here. Some thin straps can be tucked into the top and hidden away to create a strapless piece.
Of course, this option calls for a strapless bra, but it’s certainly a summer look.

Insider tip: I’ve researched over 10 different types and styles of strapless bras in this post. #12 is my new favorite.

Details of the Outfit

I’ve had this dress for years. It’s from Target and it is a grey seersucker print. You can see how I’m print mixing by adding in the floral sandals.

I just adore the green clutch as a pop of color with this outfit. In fact, it makes me think I need some green sandals. The clutch was a gift from Nancy from her trip to Italy a couple of years ago. I’ve worn it as a pop of color in the past.

Insider tip: You can incorporate bright colors in your purses and handbags easily. They can give a whole different vibe to an outfit.

Photo credit: Rob Filogomo

Thank you

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