Girl Talk Reviews: Getting Stuck on Stylin' Tape

The top that gapes open at the most inopportune moment. The bra strap that just refuses to stay under your shirt where it belongs. The plunging v-neck that plunges just a fraction of an inch too far. We've all been there. It's so frustrating. It isn't like you're trying to pull off a J.Lo-esque cut-to-there Versace gown, you just want to be able to wear your fave halter top without flashing the goods. It's not too much to ask for, right?

Stylin' Tape
$15.00
Available at: Bristols6.com

As Ms. Lopez taught us back in 2000, sometimes you need a little help to keep your fab frocks from slipping out of place. Enter double sided fabric-to-skin tape. Back in the day, models and other in the know types kept toupee tape on hand to wrangle difficult fabrics. These days, there's a wide range of sticky products on the market designed to help us everyday fashionistas avoid "wardrobe malfunctions." I've used a few myself, but I was curious what the average "real world" woman would think about taping her clothing into place. Is clothing tape a genius invention, or a sign that our wardrobes are getting a little too high maintenance? I turned the Stiletto Jungle Girl Talk panel-- a group of fun, fabulous women who are always up to road testing crazy new products-- loose with packages of Bristols6 Stylin' Tape, one of the newest entrants into the clothing and body tape market, and then asked for their honest opinion.

"These products are AWESOME! Every woman needs Stylin' Tape... in her arsenal of beauty products!" gushes Po, a 28-year-old attorney in Ceres, California. "I've used double-sided styling tape for clothing before, but it wasn't as easy to use as these ones by Bristols6. I really like how Bristols6's tape is precut, flat, and easily packaged-- unlike the tape dispenser style I am used to. It's flatness makes it easy to carry around, even in my pocket-- in case of emergencies."

The ease of packaging was also a strong point for Pearl, a 28-year-old LA-based music industry coordinator. "I love that it comes in different sizes and that it is clear. And, I love the packaging of the tape in the little purse envelope," says Pearl.

Stylin' Tape
$15.00
Available at: Bristols6.com

Unfortunately, things were not as rosy for Kim, a 23-year-old recent college graduate from La Jolla, California. "As far as the Stylin' Tape goes, it did not work that well for me. Maybe it is because I'm a size C and it doesn't want to hold up these kind of girls. When I tried to tape it to my strapless bra [to keep it in place] it just wouldn't hold," Kim laments. "However, it did work on a slinky top-- by taping the bottoms so it did not bare all of my breasts."

Jennifer, a 31-year-old nurse from Long Beach, California, also liked the option of using Stylin' Tape to take charge of a shirt that tends to bare too much skin. "The tape worked great," says Jennifer. "It allowed me to wear two tops that I don't wear very often because of potential 'pop out'."

Michelle found a different use for the Stylin' Tape-- keeping strappy tank tops in check. "I love using the tape for bra straps, especially with layered tanks. There's nothing worse than two tanks and a bra strap. Tacky," offers Michelle, a 40-year-old SoCal nurse. "So, I tried the tape with the bottom tank and bra strap [stuck together]. It worked great and held all day. It is a must have!"

So far, so good. Sounds like our Girl Talk ladies found some good uses for Stylin' Tape. So, what about you, "Random Chick?"

"I wasn't able to try the Stylin' Tape. I just have absolutely nothing in my wardrobe that would require its use," says "Random Chick," a 31-year-old freelance writer. "As you may have noticed, I am rather low maintenance style-wise, and clothing you have to tape into place is sort of the opposite of that. Having the tape makes having the clothing slightly more feasible, though, so you never know what might happen in the future."

Hmm. Only one half-hearted mention of the "high maintenance" nature of our girly-girl wardrobes, but plenty of creative uses of Stylin' Tape. Looks like double-sided clothing tape may be just the kind of accessory we fashionistas have been waiting for.

Click on either photo to link directly to where you can purchase Bristols6 Stylin' Tape, as road tested by the Stiletto Jungle Girl Talk panel, online. Don't miss any of the Girl Talk reviews. Subscribe to Stiletto Jungle and get free updates by e-mail or RSS.

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