Clothing occasionally lets us down from time to time. We’ve all endured ripped pants or torn sleeves. Material breaks down, it’s only natural. Unfortunately, this can strike at that most important of times—right before heading out on stage to audition. Luckily, this doesn’t mean you have to grin and bear it to the end. If you have enough time, you can fix what seems unfixable.

A Broken Bra

Bras break. Though not common, it’s still something that has been known to plague performers. If you find yourself with a broken back clasp, head to the bathroom, take it off and tie a knot. Once the knot is secure, pull the bra back on over your head like you would a shirt. Now, because the circumference is probably a bit smaller than when it was clasped, you’ll no doubt be pinched. Grin and bear it. Same goes for an underwire that has started poking out. You can remove it once the audition ends.

A Busted Buckle

Far more common is the broken shoe buckle on items like dance shoes. Under continual wear and tear, it’s amazing they last as long as they do, and if you’re not diligent in keeping up with the state of your shoes, you could very well end up snapping a clasp right before being asked to dance. Because of this, always make sure you carry around a small sewing kit. With this, you can quickly sew the strap to the shoe so that it will stay on as you dance.

A Snapped Strap

Depending on how active you need to be, you could end up needing to do a lot or a little. If there is little movement required, simply tuck the broken strap in and move as little as possible. If you need the strap to hold, either pull out a safety pin or a sewing kit to secure the loose strap.