Under…where?
By Never teh Bride
For the most part, the days in which brides in the western world were unfamiliar with the arts of love until their wedding days are over. Bridal undergarments used to be a complicated affair of clips, stays, inflexible boning, and lace, most likely meant to confuse men. They often still are. But more often, lingerie represents the foundation of one’s fashion…the keystone, if you will. A silky smooth, form fitting gown requires a different sort of underpant than what one would logically put underneath a big princess dress.
Modern underwear is more functional than fancy. However, what we think of as fancy once had function. According to Lifetips,
Historically, garter belts provided a function — to keep your stockings from falling down. (Remember, these were the days before elastic.) Even men wore garters around their calves to keep their socks up!
These days, the sexy garter belt is just about the only one we think of when we hear the phrase. These come in several alluring fabrics and colors, and are usually used to seduction, not function!
It’s up to the future bride to decide whether or not her elborate dress will conceal similarly elaborate undies. The day of a wedding and reception can be a long and busy one. But a bride may want her “unveiling” to be as symbolic and memorable as her veiling. The style of dress should also play a part in her choice of undergarment.
Brides should start shopping as soon as the dress has been chosen. The sales associates at bridal boutiques may be able to offer advice. A photo of the dress can help them determine what style will build the best foundation. Even if a bride is looking for a sexier style, the keyword should always be comfort. As South Shore Weddings points out,
Because the fabric will be so form fitting against your skin, you will want to choose a fabric that does not cause you to itch, perspire excessively, or has very stiff boning in the construction that might become uncomfortable to you throughout the day. If you need boning, it is best to choose one that is flexible.
I wholeheartedly agree that it’s best not to choke oneself on one’s wedding day. While I plan to post a step by step guide to choosing your wedding undies in the future, for now I humbly offer this by-the-dress bra advice:
Strapless or off-the-shoulder: Choose a bustier or corset instead of a strapless bra. The former won’t slip down and end up around your waist while you’re leading the conga line during the reception. It will also push the breasts upward, making you look hot.
Plunging neckline or backless: If you’re small or firm enough, a good tailor should be able to sew supportive cups into the dress. If not…I don’t know what to tell ya! If your dress is backless, a plunging halter bra may do the trick.
Empire waist with sleeves: Any bra that doesn’t bulge will do!
Tank style: Again, any bra that doesn’t show or bulge will do. Don’t forget to safety pin the straps to the dress, lest you look like a teenybopper or Britney Spears.
Low cut back: You may be able to find a bustier with a sunken backstrap. Or, if your dress has a halter style top, try a halter bra that plunges to wrap around the waist.
Finally, regardless of the style of dress, I recommend lingerie in nude rather than white. Not all whites will match up.
January 16th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
Another note for strapless or off the shoulder dresses: don’t think you can’t do it if you’re very busty. I always assumed I wouldn’t be able to wear one. Most wedding dresses actually support most of the weight on your hips, and there isn’t much weight pulling at your bust. A good support bustier (available at every good bridal shop) will push your breasts up, so that your breasts don’t weigh down the front of your dress. Yes, D cups can indeed wear a strapless without embarrassing themselves. (assuming you also have the arms and shoulders to pull it off)
January 16th, 2006 at 8:02 pm
Totally true, asiji! I am quite busty and wore a strapless gown to my prom (oh so long ago, now). The upper part of the dress had rather stiff boning and tapered at the waist, so the entire thing rested on my hips and wasn’t going anywhere. I wore a strapless bra underneath, but it had a bit of a shelf and I probably could have gone without if I’d been brave enough!
January 16th, 2006 at 8:02 pm
So, I know this makes me approximately 12 years old, but I can’t help snickering at the fact that no one in South Shore Weddings’ editing process thought to come up with a different way to say “if you need boning.” Because, really, hee.
January 16th, 2006 at 8:02 pm
oh, and for those who can’t find a good backless, bravissimo.com sells really cute adapters that can lower the back of an ordinary bra. (Plus, if you are busty, LIVE for this site.)
January 16th, 2006 at 9:31 pm
Thanks for the tip, Megaera!
(and I laughed, too, Bria :-))
January 17th, 2006 at 4:05 am
Remember that the underwear will affect the fit of the dress, so before committing to a specific size of dress, buy the undergarments - and shoes, too! - and make sure to wear them when you try on your dress. If you have your dress tailor-made, the tailor/seamstress will also want you to wear the right underwear right from the start.
January 17th, 2006 at 11:52 am
Ooh, good point, Asa. I think then the steps need to be: 1. Decide on a style of dress. 2. Buy underpants. 3. Go dress shopping with those underpants - or a reasonable facsimile.
January 17th, 2006 at 12:03 pm
And I’m going to throw in “go shopping with the shoes” and not just the underpants. Or the undergarments (I’m pretty sure you meant undergarments, and not just the knickers, yes?). This is because the type of shoe you wear affects your posture, and your posture affects the way a gown fits - it’s more than just how high you need to hem the dress, it’ll affect the way your pelvis tilts and how short your back waist length becomes.
And it’s imperative to wear the same undergarments and shoes to each fitting for the dress, as well.
Oh, and I laughed, too, when I caught it.
January 17th, 2006 at 4:08 pm
Oh jeez…. I literally had a harder time finding the right underthings than I did finding the right dress. I’m busty and wore a bias-cut low back dress… I needed something supportive, but very low in the back and that didn’t have straps or boning over the waist (which would show through the bias cut). It was a nightmare that required months of searching and ended up costing *way* more than I budgeted for undies.
January 18th, 2006 at 10:52 am
This is slightly off the topic, but the Annalucia was amused to see the garter belt referred to as some sort of fashion relic, like the farthingale. She still wears one, a plain broadcloth number which is sold by the Vermont Country Store, and she buys her garter stockings from Sears (though these are getting harder to find; perhaps she had better stock up now for the inevitable day when they disappear entirely). She finds this combination more comfortable than the panty-hose. Further, it is economical. When one gets a run in the panty-hose, the pair is ruined; when one runs a stocking, one need only replace the damaged one and keep the good one.
January 19th, 2006 at 10:27 am
Heh. The Annalucia has never been as broke as La BellaDonna … or perhaps not as motivated, since the Annalucia does not like the pantyhose. For the thrifty ladies, we cut off the leg with the run, leaving the panty intact. Save until another pair of pantyhose/tights (matching! unless you are doing the parti-colour, of course) meets the same fate. Then you just wear them. If you wind up with two left legs, of course, you just turn one inside out. Instant right leg!
IMO, this works best with non-control-top pantyhose and tights, or you run the risk of being squoze to death.
January 19th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
That sounds fabulous, Annalucia! I have only tried the stocking/garter belt combo a few times, and then only with flimsy little frilly bits that are more for the pleasure of the man than for the holding up of the stocking.
I’ve always been keen to try the more functional variety. They look like they’d get the job done while also being super retro sexy.
January 19th, 2006 at 12:07 pm
Squoze? Oh yes, La BellaDonna. I have doubled up on the pantyhose before, and have ended up looking like a stuffed pork around the midsection.
January 20th, 2006 at 2:23 pm
Hola to LaBellaDonna, and the Annalucia did indeed, in her college days, try the two-panties-with-one-leg apiece solution - but not more than once. She values her internal organs too much, to say nothing of her ability to breathe.
January 25th, 2006 at 10:43 am
The two-panties-one-leg-apiece truly works only if the panty part is not of the eeeevil control top sort. I salute the Annalucia, who must have the legs that Betty Grable would envy, if she can wear her stockings without having the dreaded thigh rub where the stockings end and the Annalucia continues. (Thigh rub is a function of structure, not weight, as no matter my size or the hours in the gym, my thighs touch.) Unless … unless the Annalucia also wears the pretty tap pants?
(And as an aside, La BellaDonna actually does wear the farthingale, at least upon occasion.)
June 3rd, 2007 at 7:18 pm
who buys the Bride to be the Grter?