If you’ve ever found yourself watching a video of fashion hacks that seem too good to be true, you’re not alone. In my hours (days?) of scrolling TikTok, I’ve been met with a seemingly endless array of tricks and products that promise to make my clothes look better — but then I’ll see that it’s a sponsored post or that there’s a weird cut in the video and I’m left questioning the credibility.
So, to root out the real from the fake, I bought some of the raved-about products from Amazon and tested them myself. I also consulted Emmy-winning TV host and style expert Lilliana Vazquez, who’s vetted a couple of these picks too.
Ahead, find five nifty clothing hacks that will actually make your clothes fit better, from temporarily shortening your hemlines to adjusting the waistband on your pants.
Straps that won't stay put? A hemline that keeps riding up? A strapless dress that slips? It Stays! roll-on adhesive is the answer. It was originally made for keeping compression socks in place, but its uses are endless.
Double-sided fashion tape has never worked for me. It always loses its stickiness or irritates my skin. When I saw a TikTok about a roll-on adhesive, it seemed like the perfect solution. On the app, I looked around for some other reviews and noticed that there were actually quite a few choices for roll-on adhesives. How had I never discovered them before?! I decided to go with this one (which is different from the one used in the video) because it has the most positive ratings on Amazon. Instead of annoying little strips that stick to themselves and nothing else, this liquid adhesive ensures a secure, no-slip grip. And after just a couple weeks testing it, I consider it an MVP in my closet — it’s that good.
The product has a convenient rollerball applicator, and you just need a swipe or two in the spot where you want your garment to stick. It’s best to apply it straight onto clean, dry skin and then give it a minute to get tacky. Then set your clothing in place over the adhesive and give it a firm press. Once it’s dry, your clothes will not budge. You’ll lose a bit of stickiness if you’re prone to sweating, but I was impressed that it didn’t completely disintegrate the adhesive. Even on a hot summer day, when I tested the adhesive on the neckline of a bodysuit, it managed to keep my clothing in place.
For the sake of this story, I demonstrated its sticking power with a sock adhered to my arm. Even when I tug and pull, it stays! (Duh!) And the adhesive really lasts for hours and hours — I had the sock on my arm for the rest of the workday.
As for removal, it’s easy to wash off with water. Peeling away the clothes is kind of satisfying, but the gentler way is to take a wet washcloth and begin to gently wipe between the skin and the stuck-on clothes until it loosens.
Instantly expand or reduce the waistband of pants that don't quite fit with these clever removable and reusable button pins — no sewing required!
I have one too many pairs of pants that I thrifted with the intention of getting them tailored but never actually got around to it. If you can relate, or have any pants where the waistband isn’t a great fit, these clever button pins — which I discovered on Vazquez’s TikTok — will save you the time and money of getting a permanent alteration. They look like regular pant buttons, but they’re actually pushpins that you can use to adjust the fit of your waistband. I like this set specifically because there are both brass and silver pins, so they can match the original style of buttons on your pants.
For pants that are too large, simply fasten the pin outside of the original button (farther along the waistband) to get the right fit. For pants that are too small, you can usually get a half-inch or inch of forgiveness and fasten the pin on the inside of the original button (closer to the edge of the pants). It’s such a quick fix, and it doesn’t leave any permanent marks on the garment. And if you notice that the placement of the belt loops or the button area itself looks a little funky with the pin but you’re happy with the adjusted fit, you can always put a belt on to hide the waistband too.
I recommend these pins for pants that are one to two sizes too big or just one size too small. Any bigger and you’ll have some weird bunching around the crotch with the extra material. Any smaller and you’ll likely have a difficult time getting the zipper up anyway.
Ceryvop Button Pins for Loose Jeans.
This easy-to-use fastening tool is perfect for quick fixes to poorly fitting clothes. From hemming to adjusting necklines and arm holes, the MicroStitch can do it all. But don't worry, it's not permanent. Just a tiny snip will remove the clip without a trace, returning your garment to its original fit.
I’ve seen videos of the MicroStitch circulating TikTok for months, but it wasn’t until Underscored’s home and gifts editor gave a shoutout to the handy device that I decided to try it for myself. As someone who previously worked in retail, using the MicroStitch was a callback to the tagging guns that I once used to affix price tags to clothing. It’s essentially the exact same tool, but the plastic fasteners are far smaller. In fact, they’d be virtually invisible to the naked eye, unless you’re really looking for them.
In the photo below, I used the white fastener to show just how small it is. The kit comes with black and white fasteners, so you can choose which will be best camouflaged with your outfit.
The MicroStitch can be used for tons of quick alterations, such as closing gaps on button-up shirts, adjusting the modesty of necklines and skirt slits and temporarily hemming pants. The latter is how Vazquez uses hers. “It saves a trip to the tailor and is great for petites like me,” she says.
I tried each of these methods and it worked for all of them, but it does require some craftiness to ensure that you’re placing the stitch in the right spot. After a couple of tries, it’s easy to get the hang of it. And thankfully, the fasteners are super easy to clip off if you do mess up.
One of my favorite uses — and the one I do the most — is to use the MicroStitch to affix bra straps to a top or dress so they stay concealed and don’t move around.
The only downside to the MicroStitch is that it doesn’t work well with alterations to sweaters or knits. The fasteners are so small they’ll either slip right through the holes or, worse, snag your sweater.
While these stretchy no-show belts can certainly be used to hold up your pants, they can also crop or tuck sweaters and baggy tops with ease.
There are several versions of these elastic belts circulating TikTok, but I prefer these thicker ones for tucking and cropping sweaters and tops. They don’t dig in and they stay in place. Vasquez also prefers the wider elastic bands to the cord-style ones making the rounds, saying that it’s the easiest way to crop your top.
The idea behind this clothing hack is that sweaters are sometimes too bulky to tuck into your pants or a skirt — so instead, you can use one of these stretchy, adjustable belts worn above your waistband to tuck the sweater under instead. It gives a cleaner line and more polished look overall. And unlike other tricks, like tucking the sweater into your bra or a belt, I found that the tuck doesn’t slip from position with the elastic. I’ll be doing this hack a lot come fall.
Satinior No-Show Elastic Belts.
These double faux-pearl brooch pins are more than just pretty decorations. Use them as sweater or shawl clips, or save yourself some money on professional — and more permanent — alterations by using them to temporarily customize the fit of your dresses, skirts and more.
These decorative pins that I saw on TikTok are a cute and fun way to adjust the fit of dresses and other garments. They can be used to make clothes more fitted by creating pleats or gathers and then securing the pin in place.
There are tons of styles available on Amazon, but I liked the simplicity and elegance of these faux-pearl pins. There are two sizes included in the set and they come in black or white.
I use them in the same way as this TikTok video, where the creator fastens them to the back of her dress to make the waist tighter. I’ll admit it’s easiest if you have a friend to help you place them in order to get a straight and uniform look, but it’s still doable on your own too.
