How to Fix Saggy Swimsuit Bottoms? Easy Tips

Does your swimsuit look like a diaper when it’s soaked? Hey, it happens. If you’ve toned up or lost weight, last year’s bathing suit is probably too big. Also, tossing your swimsuit in the washer is hard on the elastic fabric and may have stretched it. At any rate, now you’re searching for how to fix saggy swimsuit bottoms, and here we are. Lucky for you, we have simple solutions ranging from easy, no-sew fixes to getting out your needle and thread for making alterations.

How can I make the bottom of my bathing suit tighter?

Yes, there is a way to tighten swimsuits. In fact, there are several options. You can cinch the bottom of a swimsuit by adding drawstrings. Otherwise, you can add elastic, alter the pattern, or ruch the fabric with a simple sewing technique. Or you can cheat with booty glue.

JOMI COMPRESSION Roll-On Body Adhesive

The easiest way to make your bathing suit bottom smaller without sewing is to use body adhesive on your skin. No joke: swimsuit models do it, athletes do it, and ordinary people wearing everything from orthopedic stockings to plunging necklines use it.

It looks like a stick of roll-on, so don’t get confused with your deodorant. You really don’t want to stick your armpits together by accident. This glue stands up to sweat but comes off with soap and water.

The trick is to roll it on and wait a few seconds to let it get slightly tacky. Then dress and smooth out the fabric so that it looks perfect. Voilá – your swimsuit bottom stops sagging.

However, if you go swimming, chances are the glue will dissolve and the saggy bottom will return. Maybe it’s time to dig out the needle and thread after all.

SINGER 01511 Survival Sew Kit

Not everyone has basic sewing essentials at home (here’s looking at you college students). There’s no shame in that. Most people don’t bother with hemming their pants at home and so forth. But it never hurts to have a needle and thread handy. This kit includes even more essentials like scissors, pins, a thimble, tape measure, fabric glue, 2-sided tape and safety pins. It’s everything you need to fix a problem in a flash. It’s also handy for altering a saggy swimsuit.

How to alter the waistband of a bikini bottom

It’s as easy as folding over the waistband and stitching it by hand or with a sewing machine. This will gather up the material and make it fit a little tighter. But please, before you do anything, put on the bikini bottom and roll over the waistband to see how it looks. Chances are it will change how it fits and may expose more cheek than you’re willing to share. Use straight pins or safety pins to secure the fabric before you take it off and start sewing.

How to fix elastic on a bathing suit

If you’re going to fold over the waistband, you can also make it fit tighter by adding elastic inside the fold. Measure the elastic first so that it’s not too tight or too loose. Then insert it inside the folded fabric and stitch the material closed over it.

You can also place elastic inside the leg openings of a one-piece swimsuit or add it to the straps to make the suit fit more tightly.

Mandala Crafts Flat Elastic Band

This quarter-inch-thick elastic is just what you need to tighten up a baggy swimsuit bottom. It comes in a variety of colors on 50-yard spools.

Use it for waistbands, leg openings, straps, and anywhere else you need a better fit. The flat, braided elastic is machine-washable and shrink-resistant.

How to scrunch or ruch a bikini bottom or swimsuit bottom to make it fit better

You can also transform a sagging swimsuit into a flattering fit without elastic. All you need is thread and a needle because this is best done by hand unless you’re experienced at using a sewing machine. For best results, you might want to use stronger thread like dental floss, fishing line, and the like. (We’ve included a convenient option below).

The trick is scrunching the fabric between the cheeks or on the hips. It has a pleasing side effect of emphasizing curves. Let’s start by ruching the cheeks.

Begin by turning the swimsuit or bikini bottom inside out. Draw a straight line down the middle of the backside. If you’re not sure you’re in the middle, fold the fabric in half and mark the crease that as a guideline. If you don’t have a fabric marker, use a washable marker. Avoid using pens, pencils, and Sharpies.

Prep the needle with thread and start from the waistband. Poke the needle from the inside to the outside of the swimsuit then skip about a third of an inch before poking the needle back through. At this point, you don’t need to pull it tight yet. Repeat the stitches down to the bottom of the swimsuit, skipping about a third of an inch each time.

When you reach the bottom, pull the string tight and it will scrunch the fabric. Tie a knot, trim the thread, and you’re good to go.

If you don’t want to scrunch the backside of the swimsuit bottom, you can gather up the sides. Follow the same steps along the side seams.

In either case, you might show a little more cheek when you’re done, but the swimsuit should fit better.

SINGER 00260 Clear Invisible Nylon Thread

In our opinion, this is the best thread to scrunch bikini bottoms. It’s good for any color fabric because it’s transparent. Moreover, it’s much stronger than cotton thread and it will never rot.

The spool has 135 yards of thread so you have more than enough to ruch several swimsuits.

One note of warning: it’s much easier to sew with this thread by hand. We heard a lot of stories about people using it in the sewing machine and ending up with jams and other issues. Apparently, you even need a special grippy bobbin for it.

How to tighten a bathing suit

There are still more ways to tighten a bathing suit. Another solution is to add ties to bikini bottoms.

You can add a drawstring at the waistband instead of elastic. Another option is to add straps on the sides to tie up the legs a little higher. You might not need to sew ties on the sides as you can stick one end of the cord through the waistband and out the leg then make a bow to scrunch the fabric. Nevertheless, if you like the way it looks, there’s no harm in using a few stitches to secure the middle of the cord to the swimsuit.

As for a drawstring at the waist, you’ll need to sew that in place. It’s as easy as folding the waistband over top of the drawstring and cutting a small opening for the string to emerge at either the front or the side of the swimsuit. Stitch along the folded fabric to secure everything. It’s also a good idea to reinforce the drawstring opening so that the fabric doesn’t tear. You can treat it like a buttonhole or add a grommet (but be sure it’s a rust-resistant grommet).

Mandala Crafts Soft Elastic Cord from Spandex Nylon Fabric

This colorful elastic cord is perfect for swimsuit drawstrings and ties. It’s about 5 mm thick and comes in a wide range of colors.

The string is soft and stretchy because it’s spandex with a hollow core. It feels just like a swimsuit.

Since each roll of cord is 20 yards long there’ll be plenty left over for hair ties, bracelets, bookmarks, and other crafts.

How to avoid a saggy swimsuit bottom in the first place

The easiest way to avoid dealing with a saggy bathing suit is to get the right size. Take the time to measure your body and check the size chart if you’re buying online. It doesn’t hurt to glance through reviews to see if most people think it’s true to size.

If you’re getting a bikini set, be careful with the one-size-fits-all bottoms as they don’t actually fit everyone the same.

Once you have a favorite swimsuit, wash it by hand with mild detergent and it will last longer without stretching and sagging. Washing machines are hard on synthetic fabrics like spandex and nylon.

At a minimum, rinse the chlorine or salt water out of your swimsuit each time you use it. This protects the material from breaking down quickly.

Lastly, the style of swimsuit makes a difference. Let’s face it, some of us have skinny butts. But a ruffled swimsuit or a romper can disguise your bottom so no one ever needs to know if the fabric is drooping.

Check out this adjustable swimsuit that might be the answer to the problem.

High-Waisted Bikini Twist-Front Tie-Back 2-Piece Swimsuit

The advantage of this bikini set is that it has tie closures. There are drawstrings on the sides, too. You can adjust it to fit as tight as you like – but you’ll still need to get the correct size to begin with. Luckily, the size chart is very detailed. It explains that you’ll need to measure your bust, waist, hip, and torso to find the perfect match.

The fabric is 20% spandex, 80% Chinlon, and fully lined so it’s hand-wash only. However, it’s very soft and comfy.

The bust is padded and there is a high waist to camouflage your tummy. Use the ties to scrunch up the sides and tighten the bottom coverage.

SHEKINI Women’s Bikini Bottoms Ruched Swimsuit Drawstring Swim Bottoms

There’s no excuse for loose-fitting bikini bottoms when you pick the right size and have a drawstring closure. These bottoms are made of soft and smooth spandex and nylon and they are fully lined.

They have a ruched design that makes the wearer look slimmer. Use the adjustable ties on either side to adapt the coverage and fit. (It starts off with mid coverage which doesn’t reveal much cheek.)

Choose from a wide selection of colors that can match any swim top.

MagicSuit Women’s Swimwear Bianca Romper

Yes, it’s a retro romper, a one-piece swimsuit that harkens back to yesteryear. The advantage is that the wrapped midsection and ruffled bottom keep bagginess out of sight. You can even wear a T-shirt over the top and it seems like you’re wearing shorts.

The suit is made with a patented polyester-spandex blend called MAGITEX which provides shaping and smoothing for a slimmer figure. The adjustable halter straps and the bust can handle up to a D cup. All people will be noticing is the tasteful V-neckline and how the swimsuit flatters your figure.

Be sure to follow the instructions on how to measure your body for the best fit.

Conclusion

We hope this article helped you figure out how to fix a saggy swimsuit today. We’d love to hear which solution you tried so please leave us a comment below.

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