The Store – Page 4 – The Strap Saver

Stop Your Straps from Slipping with The Strap Saver

Stop My Straps From Slipping

February 1, 2016/in Saved Straps, Shari, The Store

Why do bra straps always slip? It’s like those things have a mind of their own! I see women reaching into their shirts all day, every day. I do it myself! It’s incredibly unprofessional at work and incredibly annoying all of the time. So, if it’s happening to everyone, why hasn’t someone fixed it?

To solve some of the mystery, here are a few reasons that straps slip and a few ways to stop it.

Reasons that Your Straps Slip:

Sloped shoulders: Not everyone’s shoulders are straight. Many of us have shoulders that slope down, so it will still slide no matter how tight a strap may be.

Narrow shoulders: Bra straps are more likely to fall off of the shoulders of petite women.

Bra straps are too long: (well, that seems logical!) Although we tighten them in the morning, sometimes our straps like to wander as we move during the day. The built-in adjuster doesn’t always make the tightest connection, especially as a bra ages. (Straps get thinner as they stretch.)

The Wrong Bra: If the bra doesn’t fit correctly, it’s possible for any part of it to fail.

How to Stop Your Straps from Slipping:

Bra Strap carriers: Sometimes called bra strap holders, these neat little strap catchers wrap around the strap and snap it into place. Some clothing companies sew them into shirts. Not only does it not fall down the shoulder, it doesn’t show either. It also helps to keep the collar/neckline of a shirt in place. There are even tutorials on doing it yourself. (for the sewing impaired!) The only drawback is that if you’re like me, I forget I’m wearing them. Even though many of my shirts have them, I always get tangled up when I go to take off my shirt at the end of the day and it’s anchored down. (I often wonder when I’m going to remember. I’m guessing just this side of never.)

U-back style bras*: These have a u-shaped back (hence the name) instead of the normal straight back. It allows for more narrow-set straps to create a closer fit.

Racerback/convertible bras: If the straps cross in the back, it will eliminate the strap slipping problem

The Strap Saver: Although we can’t fix narrow shoulder or the wrong bra, we can sort out the problem if the straps are too long, especially if there’s clip-creep (where the built-in adjuster moves over the course of the day). The Strap Saver especially shines when the adjuster has reached its full potential or, if there’s no adjuster at all.

However you choose to solve the problem, here’s to having the days of reaching into our shirts to pull those straps back into place become a thing of the past!

ALSO – it’s almost Valentine’s Day! In case you love it, in case you need a “lift” – we’re offering a special discount on bra repair and strap shortening for 24 hours only on February 14th – 20% off your purchase of Strap Savers** (COUPON CODE: HAPPYVD). It’s a great time to perk up and stock up – after all – it’s almost bathing suit season!

*We do not endorse these particular bras. We’re simply using them as examples. We do, however, endorse Erica and A Sophisticated Pair. Contact her and she’ll help you find the perfect bra!

Use this no-sew solution to shorten bra straps

How to Shorten Bra Straps

January 17, 2016/in Saved Straps, Shari, The Store

So, you have the perfect bra/bathing suit/tank top/dress and it’s great in every way, but the straps are too long. You don’t sew. You’re not giving up, this your favorite ________. It makes you look so good! And now you’re in search of best way to shorten your bra straps.

I’d like to introduce you to The Strap Saver, our no-sew strap-shortening solution. It’s a quick and discreet option for tightening your strap while still leaving them adjustable. (in case you want a lower neckline on that dress for a different party or need to shorten your bra straps further!) For adjustable straps, a single Strap Saver triples the strap, compared to the built-in method of doubling it. For non-adjustable straps, use two to create the perfect length. It’s fast and easy to install, and comes in a variety of colors and sizes.

Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, here is another example of the Strap Saver in action:

It works so seamlessly with your straps that it is hard to spot in photo! (hint: The Strap Saver is the little metal clip close to her shoulder!)

This ingenious little solution is made of uncoated and ceramic-coated stainless steel, so it will help you save many straps for years to come. Check out our installation videos or buy yours now.

Which straps will you save?

What Do Holidays and Ninjas Have in Common?

December 2, 2015/in Holiday Shopping, Saved Straps, Shari, The Store

They tend to sneak up on you and catch you unprepared, but, so much fun!

Everywhere I go, I hear “I can’t believe it’s already December! The holidays are almost here! Where did the time go?” It usually does comes right after everyone says “I can’t believe it’s already November! Where did the time go?” (I’m still going with the theory that everyone loves a smart ass.)

December brings it’s own pressures, with the plethora of holidays that involve gift giving: Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day, Saturnalia, the Winter Solstice (northern hemisphere), the Summer Solstice (southern hemisphere) Kwanzaa, and National Cotton Candy Day, just to name a few. It’s overwhelming and can feel never-ending.

Of course, we all think that The Strap Saver is the perfect gift for any occasion, but, as we’ve established before, it presents a problem. Asking your sibling/ significant other/ child/ friend/ coworker/ favorite celebrity for the width of their bra/bathing suit strap can be problematic. Walking up to them, pulling out their bra strap and holding it up to a ruler might be a little awkward. (It would also ruin the surprise.) Hiring ninjas to break into their house to measure it for you is kinda (ok, really) against the law. (once again, as much as we love ninjas – and we really do! – we don’t condone illegal behavior)

So, once again, instead of getting carted off to the clink in the name of perkiness, may we suggest a gift certificate? They can be purchased in denominations of $10 and $15, which works perfect with our pricing of $15 for the first pair, $10 for each additional pair. (don’t forget, standard shipping is always free in the US!) And, for you instant gratification (or last-minute!) folks, the gift certificates are delivered with your receipt for download. They never expire and any portion not used can be saved for a future purchase.

So, this holiday season, give your sibling/ significant other/ child/ friend/ coworker/ favorite celebrity the perfect gift to add a little spring to their straps.

Happy Website-iversary!

November 1, 2015/in Friends, Getting Started, Shari, The Store

YAY! One year! The blog has been up for much longer, but it was one year ago today that I pressed the button that turned on the store. Who knew so much could happen in a year? We had our first sale… and then our first sale to a stranger and then the next… and then the next and *poof* we’re a business. That was awesome. That IS awesome. It’s still a thrill every time we put a stamp on an envelope or see a new referral link to our website. (Today’s was a website from the Czech Republic, over 100 referrals in the last 3 days – thank you Google translate!)

To everyone reading this – thank you. Thank you for reading this blog. Thank you for taking the time to understand my words and the message we’re trying to send. Take care of yourself. Do something good in the world. If you wear one, wear a good bra and always make sure that the girls (or boys) are at the right height. And boobs can be really funny. Be sure to laugh a lot, too. Being happy should be the ultimate goal.

We’ve grown a lot in the last year – we are now fully stocked with all three colors in all four sizes. We’re continuing to work with Broadview Product Development and OmniFinishing to cut and finish The Strap Savers and are proud to work with the veterans at Scorpion HPC to apply the ceramic coating. We love keeping The Strap Saver 100% made in the USA! I’m pretty sure that this is the first time that any of these companies have worked on bra parts, but each one of them has a great sense of humor and I feel is invested in our success. Knowing that my suppliers are reliable helps me to sleep easier at night.

Our star managed to shine a little brighter this year, too. We were reviewed by one of Lingerie Addict’s top 7 blogs to read in 2015, A Sophisticated Pair. Erica. the owner, has become a Strap Saver advocate and a friend. You can also read more about us in a few other well-known blogs: JTouch of Style, Science and Silicone, Big Cup Little Cup, Two Cakes On A Plate, Lucy Loves and Trial by Beauty. While not everyone thinks we’re perfect (what are they thinking?? :) ), everyone talks about how well the product works. We also hit “the big time” with a great article by Devin Loring in the Asbury Park Press. I’ve been reading the APP for a long time, so it was a big boost to my ego and to our sales to have this feature. There’s just something about opening up a newspaper and breathing in that not-likely-to-be-good-for-you ink… :) (I have no idea if it’s really bad, I just imagine that it can’t be good… :) ) We even had our logo on a DeLorean mechanic helping Lyft and Verizon on Back to the Future Day!

We’ve also met some amazing women. Beth and I went to CurveNY in February and met women from all areas of the lingerie industry that contributed to our most popular blog, 10 Insider Secrets to Extend the Life of Your Lingerie. I met Angela of Sweetest Sin, a local lingerie store, who changed my mind about independent bra stores and shares my desire to work towards breast cancer education. I’m hoping we can partner on something soon! Beth and I spent an afternoon with Dana Donofree of AnaOno Intimates. In addition to her strength in the face of an ugly disease, she designs some pretty kick-ass bras.

One of our goals this year was to optimize the site and improve our search engine rankings. Thanks to the folks at Yoast, their free plugin and my strategy, we’re on the first page of results for every keyword. Traffic is up in every area of the site and I’m finding the blog being shared in new places!

We had a wonderful photo shoot – getting some amazing images. They’ll continue to appear over the year, showing off The Strap Saver, or not, as one of the merits is that the product is stealthy! These wonderful women – who shall remain nameless at their own choosing – came to Beth’s apartment and spent the afternoon in their underwear for us. (although it really didn’t seem that out of character for them…) They were lovely – and selfless, asking for nothing in return. Ladies, I will never forget what you did for us. And Ashley Card, a college student home on summer break, who should have been sleeping in, gave up a weekend to help us set up shots and take pictures. Thank you.

We didn’t get everything we wanted this year – we didn’t make it into some of our favorite websites (yet) and we didn’t make it onto any of the morning shows (yet). I’ve struggled not to throw the computer out of the window as I delve deeper into Google Analytics. (yet! This thing could go airborne any minute now.) I broke the website a few times when I was trying to improve it… (although I was smart enough to make backups so it was easy to fix!) So, these get moved to next year’s goals, as we’re not remotely done yet.

We have big plans for next year. We want to add some videos to the site (some with cats, some otherwise :) ) We want to get on those big websites and on TV. We want to expand our network and continue the wonderful friendships we’ve made in the industry. We are in the process of choosing charity partner, we want to get started on our promise of giving back. We’re considering expanding our color offerings. We’re gearing up for our annual sale. We’re looking forward to CurvExpo in February. 2016 beckons and it’s going to be a great one.

This past year wouldn’t have been possible without so many people helping us – Cheryl – my alpha tester. Ruthie, who has the misfortune of working near one our suppliers, so I talked her into helping me courier packages to save postage! (just joking, I couldn’t have a stronger supporter, I always appreciate that she goes out of her way…) Teri and Jena, talented information architects, helped me with some of the site improvements that you’ll see soon. Scott, thanks for your offer of web support – I haven’t fully bothered you about that, yet, but I will! Tiffany – thank you for sharing your excellent development skills. Shea Wong, who has been blogging since blogs began, helped me choose a strategy. Dad, for offering to help me vet a charity so that I know that our money is going to the right place and will truly help people. Abby, Jason, Kevin, Stephen, Rachel, Kim, Phil, Marion… and everyone who has listened to me blather on about this business for the past year, thanks for your patience and your feedback. (and for keeping the rolling of the eyes discreet)

And then there are the two major players in this company and in my life. Marc – you are a wonderful tech and business advisor, always looking out for me, Beth, and The Strap Saver. Thank you for always being there for me, for supporting me when I struggle and for celebrating the good times. I love you. No, you can’t retire yet but maybe soon! Beth – as I said when we started, you are the beauty that is this site. You’re always thinking and pushing me to be more creative. Your time, effort and dedication helps to make this company what it is – and your unwavering belief in me when I said “hey, let’s start a company and manufacture a product that’s never been done before and talk people into buying it!” keeps me going when I think I can’t do any more. And, of course, your friendship means the world to me, there are many times that I know I wouldn’t still be standing without you.

So onward and upward, as my mom would say, here’s to the next 12 months – I wish you all of the love and success in the world. Let’s meet again in a year and we can count all of the great things we have in our lives.

The Strap Saver compared to the Racerback Clip

I Know You Are, But What Am I?

August 3, 2015/in Getting Started, Saved Straps, Shari, The Store

As we’re gaining more exposure, we’re getting more questions – and many more comments. A lot of people seem to think that they know who and what we are – before even looking at our site. We’d like to help clear things up and tell you what we are and we’re not – we are the best no-sew bra and bathing suit strap repair solution. Below is more of what we’re not…

A racerback bra clip: This is the most popular misconception. The Strap Saver works within the profile of your strap to tighten your strap and add lift, where the racerback clip turns your bra into a…. racerback! Which is awesome if you’re concerned about your straps showing when wearing a tank top or similarly cut top. There are many different variations on this – from using a paperclip or safety-pin to as-seen-on-tv devices. While the products both modify bra straps, they do it very differently for different purposes.

Modified bra strap parts: One person suggested buying bra G hooks and using “tin snips” (that amused me, I admit, I think she was British!) to modify them and voila! Well, not so much. We tried that ourselves after we couldn’t find a ready-made solution. It had two major problems. First, the ends were rough and uncomfortable. Then, it broke. The piece wasn’t designed to hold the weight of the straps without a connection on both sides. Our engineers accounted for weight and friction of the straps when developing The Strap Saver and choosing the materials. It is specially designed to work without needing a full connection on either side.

A permanent solution that saves a single bra forever: Bra straps are made of stretchy material (I think lyrca?) and they do eventually fail. The Strap Saver will triple the strap, where the normal adjuster simply doubles it, adding months to the life of your lingerie. And, when it’s time for that bra to be replaced, The Strap Saver can be moved to another bra. Your bras won’t last forever, but with its stainless steel design, The Strap Saver will provide added perkiness over the life of many, many garments.

And then, the last comment we hear often about The Strap Saver:

If you need The Strap Saver, it’s time for a new bra. It’s hard to disagree with this one. If parts of a bra are stretched, there’s always an argument for replacement. Except, not all parts of a bra or bathing suit wear evenly. And bras are expensive, so it can be hard to justify replacing one because a single part is stretched, both from a financial and environmental point of view!

I hope that this clears up some of the confusion of what we are – The Strap Saver helps you shorten your bra, bathing suit and tank top straps without the use of a needle and thread – and what we’re not – a racerback bra clip, a modified bra part or a solution to resurrect bra from your junior high school days. (although kudos if it still fits!)

We’re having a giveaway through September 7 – $50 Visa Gift Card + $25 Strap Saver Gift Certificate. Check out our reviews on Jodie’s Touch of Style and Science and Silicone and enter our contest!

The Strap Saver is the no-sew solution to shorten your bathing suit straps.

Are your Bathing Suit Straps Too Long?

July 7, 2015/in Saved Straps, Shari, The Store

Ta da! The Strap Saver to the rescue. As you can see from the photo above, The Strap Saver shortens straps and blends seamlessly. In this case, it’s the top piece of hardware on the strap (for those of you that can’t find it!). It works with the built-in adjuster and unlike sewing, the strap remains adjustable. If the bathing suit straps didn’t come with adjusters, we could have easily used the 2-Strap Saver Solution.

As some of you may already know, The Strap Saver was originally invented to save bathing suits. It turned out to be a glorious thing, as not all bathing suit straps are adjustable. Some aren’t built with the same strength as bra straps and don’t offer enough support after a few wears. (Dear Gravity, Some days I hate you. Love, Shari) Using The Strap Saver to fix bathing suits goes back to our original premise – sure, it’s easy to fix if you know how to sew and either have help pinning the swimsuit or can pin it yourself. (if you’re a klutz like me, that spells a lot of holes in my shoulder)

We know that with bathing suits comes salt water and chlorine, so we built The Strap Saver to be extra durable. The uncoated metallic Strap Savers are 18-gauge stainless steel, which will not rust. The black and tan Strap Savers are also 18-gauge stainless steel with a ceramic coating, designed stand up to harsh water like the ocean or the family pool, yet still almost unnoticeable against the skin.

In the true spirit of The Strap Saver and extending the life of everything with straps, once beach season is over, it’s easy to relocate your Strap Savers to other strappy clothes. Just check out our videos on how to install The Strap Saver on the article of clothing of your choice.

Have you had problems with your bathing suit straps in the past? If so, how have you solved the problem?

SEO-OH-OH It’s Magic!

May 26, 2015/in Getting Started, Shari, The Store

One of my goals for May is to work on our SEO (Search Engine Optimization). If a site has better SEO, it will appear higher in the search results and more people will see your link. It’s always nice to have a great product, but not useful if no one can find you and we don’t want to be a one hit wonder, like poor Pilot. (don’t feel too badly for them, and they still managed to release FOUR compilation albums.) We have plans to continue to evolve The Strap Saver, so we want people to find us and keep coming back!

When turning to Google, most of us don’t go past the second page, if we go that far, before we change search terms, so it’s very important to stake your claim near the top. Of course, there are ways to buy your way to the front of the line, but we’ve decided to try to change our rankings organically. (as in, through skill, luck and elbow grease, not funding)

I started by downloading a plugin from Yoast (I’m giving them a shout out because the free version of their WordPress plug-in is very powerful, not because they paid me. It has worked well for us, your results may vary.) and dug in. Although it takes me through the process of where to put things, I first have to understand how our customers will find us. Is it through “bra strap repair”, “stretched bra straps” or “shorten bra straps”? Do people search for the problem or the solution? There are a lot of tools out there to help (thanks, Google, for your Keyword Planner and your Webmaster Tools!) but it’s also about knowing your product and your audience. Google will rank us on everything from how often our keyword appears on the page (although “keyword stuffing” sounds unnatural and you’ll lose points). We’re also judged on the length of our copy, the quality, the number of links that we have to other quality content and the number of sites that link to us. Are you dizzy yet? I am!

But, hurrah! Our efforts are paying off! (quite literally!) We’ve almost doubled sales in May. Our rankings are up significantly, as well as site traffic and our number of Facebook and Twitter followers. I’m only partially finished with my optimization plans, as well. This is key to the growth of our business, as it’s an ad and a map to our front door all rolled up in one. So, good things are headed our way – and perkiness is headed to mailbox near you.

How do you search for answers to your problems – is it by the problem or the solution?

Your Favorite No-Sew Bra Strap Repair Now Has Bluetooth!

April 1, 2015/in Shari, The Store, What's New

We’re proud to introduce The Strap Saver 2.0, now with Bluetooth!

We’ve added enhanced connectivity with the adoption of Bluetooth 4.2 – it’s simple to use and pairs effortlessly with all Bluetooth compatible devices while also saving your stretched-out straps.

Connect it to your smart phone! Connect it to your car! You’ll be amazed at your new level of productivity as well as the perfection of your perkiness.

The Strap Saver 2.0 has been optimized for efficiency and you’ll get hours of use from a single charge. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without it!

As for what it does once it’s connected, your guess is as good as ours. Happy April 1st from all of us at The Strap Saver.

Red bra on a clothesline with clothespins with hearts on them, text reads fall in love with our sale

Perk Up with 20% OFF on February 14th ONLY!

February 14, 2015/in Holiday Shopping, Shari, The Store

It’s time for The Strap Saver’s annual Valentine’s Day sale! Use coupon code HAPPYVD for 20% off of the no-sew bra strap repair solution*. The Strap Saver is great for refreshing and reviving the stretched out straps on your favorite bras and bathing suits. It also helps you find the perfect fit for the rest of your strappy clothes. What are you waiting for? The coupon is only good until midnight on February 14th!

*not valid on the purchase of gift certificates

a drawing of 5 hands reading out to a heart

What’s the Most Romantic Thing Your Partner Can Do For You?

January 29, 2015/in Friends, Holiday Shopping, Shari, The Store

Once, when playing “The Family Feud” on a cruise, I was asked this question. My answer was “clean the house and cook dinner”. I swear I heard booing. The top answers were “flowers”, “jewelry” and “lingerie”. I thought they were unimaginative and was disappointed. As we’re nearing February 14th once again, the same trite solutions are being presented as the “must haves”. YAWN. Even if you don’t want to break out the scrub brush, use some imagination, folks!

Generally, I don’t partake in Valentine’s Day. I don’t have an issue with the idea of a special day to celebrate love as long as it isn’t used to put others down. It just isn’t important to me. I take every day to celebrate my love! (BARF.) The thing that DOES bug me is that businesses take advantage of this – roses that were once $40 are now $80. Dinner that was $60 is now $120, simply because of the date on the calendar. It always felt like a scam to me – especially now with social shaming – I mean social media. There’s pressure to spend money that some might not have, or forever deal with the consequences in a very public way. If you want a special day to celebrate love AND want to do something like flowers and dinner, what’s wrong with February 15th? Or 16th? It’s the same food, the same celebration and the same love, without the gouge. OR, if the date is important, why not go with something a little more DIY – make a card or cookies for your honey – or, my favorite – cook dinner and clean the house. :) To me, the important part is the love itself.

So there are those who love it, those who don’t completely understand it (me) – and plenty of people who just wish Valentine’s Day would go away… which is a shame but understandable. Once again, at The Strap Saver, we’re here to help. In case you need a lift, we’re offering a special discount on bra repair and strap shortening for 24 hours only on February 14th – 20% off your purchase of Strap Savers* (COUPON CODE: HAPPYVD). It’s a great time to perk up and stock up – after all – it’s almost bathing suit season!