Foundation garments – shapewear, bra and knickers, what should I wear under my wedding dress?
Ladies!! Foundation garments are a hugely overlooked part of your wedding preparation! Boom! I said it.
Ok, I know I am a professional and I work with this kind of thing every day. But honestly the preparations which goes into your wedding dress shopping, to not consider what you will wear under, is a very big mistake. Foundation garments do what they say, they are the foundation of your outfit.
I would like you to consider this issue when you try on dresses, and before you settle on your dream dress, it should not be an afterthought.
We are all different, some ladies, would not even consider emptying the letterbox without a fully supported bra, others are quite happy going to work with no bra. This is a hugely personal issue, and although you can ask advice, you will have to be happy with your decision.
Dress styles and their complimenting underwear
Bra’s
Your foundation garments depends very much on what type of dress you pick. If you are going for a strapless fully corseted dress, you will probably not want to wear a bra. Perhaps you would want to ask your dressmaker to fit in some cups, sometimes on a boned dress, it can feel quite hard on the skin. If you always wear a bra a strapless might be able to do the trick, make sure when your dress is fitted you ask for a loop at the back to thread the bra through, so it NEVER makes an appearance on the day. Do not get yourself talked into buying one of those long length bra’s. Bone on top of bone does not work, they often also shape your boobs too hard so you end up with different shaped boobs than your dress is.
Built in bra’s aren’t always an option
If you have a softer dress, then things are a bit more complicated. Often brides are sold dresses in shops and been told “just ask the dressmaker to fit in some cups for support”. But think about it.. if you wear a lose top, like a t-shirt or sweat shirt, and you stitched in some cups, they would not support you, they would just float around inside the top along with your boobs.
So if you have a softer dress, your support should be on you. A lot of those low back dresses are around at the moment, I am a fan of those little stick on cups, they look like a normal bra, cup, but is attaching by tape under your arm. There are loads of more expensive options than these including those gel ones, which I often think are too heavy.
If you have a softer style dress, and If you are small busted and young you may want to consider going bra less. I think it’s a lovely option, and I think you can get away with more see through, and more shape of your bust than if you are big busted, where you may need more lift and support. If you are going bra less, you may want to consider the little daisies, so you don’t have the “cold nipple” issue.
Bodysuits
Depending on the cut of your dress, you may be able to wear a multi way bra, or a little multiway body suit. For these you need a trial run of such. They can occasionally be a little complex and end up showing but can also be a great option for low back/plunge front dresses. They can also have the added benefit of feeling like shapewear and just refining your shape if that’s something you’re interested in. Foundation garments are an aid to you and shouldn’t be a hinderance so only wear what’s comfortable. There are hundreds of options out there, don’t settle until you are sure. Especially on your big day.
Tape
ALWAYS ALWAYS test run the tape on your body for 24 hour. This is to see that you do not develop an allergic reaction on the day. If you use any tape, make sure you don’t use any lotion, perfume or similar on the area before putting it on. This can soften/dissolve the adhesive which will cause it to slip throughout the night or not stick at all. You want the tape to last all night and keep you in the same position. Dry skin is the way to go when doing this.
This is the same with any other sticky products like bras or even stick on knickers (which I’ve seen advertised for super high slit side dresses).
What colour to chose? Well many will go for ivory or white the colour of your underwear should be the colour of your skin. This ‘flesh colour’ does not mean the dead flesh grey tinged colour you sometimes see. If you are really pale skin, it may be a cream colour that compliments you. I tend to go for a really pale pink for winter time and a sandy beige for summer time.
Pants
Ok, so the pant part. It’s a tricky one. Many ladies think they need to go for those crazy Bridget Jones, hold me in, tight knickers. In my opinion, for most brides, it’s just too much. Often, they create a problem elsewhere by leaving a line on the leg where they stop or on the belly. So if you need a bit of support or are worried about chafing, tights might be the thing. You can get tights with support on the belly and a bum lift; these are worn commando… no knickers! And no VPL! Brilliant!
If you settle for a pair of knickers. Then again few options to consider. Calvin Klein makes lovely paper thin nude style knickers, they are great under a dress. I think usually the little shorts or the thong is most invisible instead of the plain knickers.
Marks & Spenser also have a more affordable and brilliant no VPL range.
Final tips
Oooh and then your feet! Did you break your shoes in? Make sure you do so. You can put them on in the house. If you wear an old sock over the top of them they won’t get marked. Stockings, tights and pop socks can protect your feet against blisters. You can always take them off later if you are hot. Nothing worse than getting a blister early on.
