How to Use Boob Tape Correctly, According to Experts

While bras are helpful for feeling secure throughout the day, sometimes, the particular look you're going for necessitates going without. If you want to ditch your bra while still having some level of support, boob tape is a true game-changer, but it can sometimes be tricky to figure out how to apply it properly. If you're planning to try boob tape for an upcoming event or recently purchased some only to find it difficult to apply, you've come to the right place: We asked two pros at breast tape brands to share all their best tips. Keep reading to learn all about how to use boob tape, complete with outfit-specific advice.

What Is Boob Tape?

As the name suggests, boob tape is an adhesive strip of fabric designed for keeping breasts in a fixed position. There are several ways to use it, whether you push your breasts together for more pronounced cleavage or secure them in a slightly lifted, shaped position. Imagine your favorite, most comfortable bra became nearly invisible: It’s kind of like that.

Before a wide selection of dedicated boob tapes existed, many people turned to DIY solutions with household tapes. For example, Kim Kardashian wore gaffers tape in 2008 under a low-cut look. Luckily, the options today are gentler, more effective, and come in a range of nude shades to suit different skin tones. This includes Nue, a brand launched in 2020 by beauty/fashion-editor-turned-founder, Stephanie Montes. The product is available in three shade options and donates a portion of its sales to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, however it’s best known for being a self-professed “boob job in a box.” That’s not to suggest Nue—a French word meaning “nude”—is for augmentation: It simply allows the wearer to choose how their breasts look on their frame.

Like the decision to wear a bra at all, boob tape is an optional and completely personal wardrobe choice. If you'd rather wear convertible bras or nothing at all, stick to tape for household odd jobs and gift wrapping.

How to Prepare

Do a Patch Test

Montes says that some of the same rules apply to boob tape as they do with skincare. “If you know that you’re a super sensitive skin type, just do a little patch test, whether it’s on your chest or your arm,” she says. Nue’s tapes are hypoallergenic and latex-free, but you’ll want to be sure this or any other product won’t cause you irritation, especially if it’s going to be on your skin for multiple hours.

Start with Clean, Dry Skin

Once you’re in the clear, the conditions for proper applications are straightforward: clean, dry skin. “Don’t wear lotion, as it would mess with the adhesive and it won’t stick as well,” Montes adds. Good Lines customer support coordinator Blythe Enke backs this up, saying that "any moisturizers or body oils will cause Good Lines to not stick as well as it's intended."

Mark for Placement

To make sure you’re applying tape to the proper spots so it won’t show under clothing, Montes recommends using a nude eyeliner to mark the outline of your top on your skin. However, should you have any tape sticking out after application, it’s also easy to carefully cut away any excess. Either way, keep scissors handy to cut the strips of tape.

How to Tape with Low-Cut Tops

For plunging necklines or silhouettes with a wide opening, boob tape can help you create a lifted breast shape without visible bra lines. To achieve this, hold your breast in the desired position, then apply the first strip of tape starting from the underside (about where a bra band might be), following it along the curve of your bust. Pull as much as necessary to hold the breast in the desired place. “I like to go straight through the nipple, to give lift, as my base strip,” Montes says. “Then if I want to go in more for cleavage, I’ll put a strip on the outside [of the breast] and push inwards.”

Montes explains that the next strips can run vertically along the outside of the breast, slightly pushing inward to create cleavage, while smoothing the tape along the curve of your body for a natural shape and hold. You can optionally apply a piece vertically next to the nipple piece, closer to the breast bone, to define your shape. In total, you’ll likely use two to four strips to establish a secure fit. “You do need a lot less than you think because the tape does stretch so much,” Montes tells us. Ultimately, the amount you use will depend on the size of your bust.

How to Tape with Strapless Tops

If nothing frustrates you more than tugging at a strapless bra while wearing a bandeau top or dress, you'll be relieved to know that boob tape can be a suitable alternative. “I like to start underneath and kind of pull upwards,” Montes tells us. She explains that you can create a bandeau look with strips of tape running horizontally from the bottom side of one breast—securing where the breast tissue begins, nearly under the armpit—to the outside of the other, layering strips toward the nipples. “Build from the bottom up for support,” Montes explains. “Pull upwards for lift and inward for cleavage to get a balconette look.”

Montes says this supportive-at-the-bottom, full-at-the-top look not only works well for strapless pieces or “a Bridgerton look,” but she also chooses this boob tape technique for under everyday T-shirts: “If I want my T-shirt to look really crisp and smooth, then I can add the tape underneath and I don’t have to worry about the crease in the back or the line showing up top.”

How to Tape with Triangle-Shaped (and Other Tricky) Tops

For complicated silhouettes like cutouts, triangle tops, or anything else nearly impossible to wear with a bra, boob tape is your best option to provide any support you want or need. In most cases, you'll want to use the strips of tape to create two individual bra cups. Determine the ideal placement of your breast, then apply smaller strips horizontally from the bottom of the breast toward the nipple or top to create what Montes calls a “mermaid cup.” Pull the tape slightly upward and inward to create cleavage and lift, then repeat the same process on the other breast.

When using sweat-proof and waterproof boob tape products like Nue, this application can even work under swimsuits. “I laid out, swam, sweated, and went back to my hotel room, and it was still on,” Montes says of her own recent experience wearing Nue boob tape to the beach. “And then when I removed, it peeled right off.”

How to Remove Boob Tape

We’re not interested in any fashion tool that requires painfully tugging a strong adhesive off of our body, and this is what makes boob tape so game-changing: It's designed with this specific use in mind, which makes for comfortable application, wear, and removal. Montes says Nue strips, which lay directly over the breast skin and nipples, peel easily off the body after a day’s wear. “Your skin does get a little more sensitive when you’re on your period, so if you feel like removal is a little rough or if you're sensitive in general, you can use a body oil, olive oil, or any oil you have around the house to soak the tape off,” she explains.

Fair warning: Montes notes that getting the tape wet with water is the opposite of helpful if you're trying to remove it. “Some people will jump in the shower with it and think that’s how to remove it—don’t do that," she says. "Because it’s made to be sweat-proof and waterproof, it actually gets even stickier as it gets wet so it won’t slide off in the pool.” For additional removal comfort, some brands also offer pasties that go under boob tape (or you can layer a thin cotton round on top of the nipple), but Montes says it may not be necessary at all. Feel free to experiment with this as you use the boob tape for the first few times to figure out what feels best for you.

The Final Takeaway

As stated from the start, boob tape requires some practice to get right, at least at first. You'll want to test out application methods to get the look that works best for both your outfit and your unique anatomy. Once you have it figured out, though, boob tape is truly a game-changing product, as it allows you to create extra support when you need it without resorting to options that are uncomfortable or not designed for this purpose.