Undergarments, Curse or a Blessing?

When I began my career as a fashion stylist back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, one thing that stuck with me was that what you wore under your clothes mattered just as much as what you put on. The right undergarments can provide lifting where things are droopy, cinching where needed, smoothing where we might want to hide ripples, and even prevent camera accidents (more on this below). The undergarments that you wear under your wedding dress can help you look your best on that special day. So why do we hate them so?

At some bridal shops, the first thing they ask when you are trying on a wedding gown is what size bra and underwear you wear. Next thing you know, the stylist is bringing you this white cage looking contraption made of polyester that feels like a shower curtain was glued to boning. If it's new out of the bag, you feel like you are squeezing your insides and your bust into it. If it’s not new, that thing that is digging into your back is a hook and eye that is probably on its last leg. And then the pièce de résistance, depending on the style of skirt of the wedding gown you will be trying on, a slip, made of similar shower-curtain feeling polyester, with ruffles that set your teeth on edge with the noise they make when they move. And you stand there wondering, “Is all of this really necessary?”. Well, here is our take on it.

The bustier with boning and cups that some bridal shops provide is meant to provide lift, girding, to create a smooth line for the wedding gown to lie on. The thing is, we all come in different shapes. Our torsos aren’t the same length, which is why for some, these bustieres are very uncomfortable. Recommendation: Take a strapless bra that you know you like to the try-on. With the expansion and modernization of shapewear, you can find your wedding gown and then try different bodysuits that you know will do the job while providing comfort. Trust me, you don’t want to spend your wedding day digging boning of your back. Also, speak with your seamstress! My seamstress was able to take my dress, reinforce the boning of the actual dress, sew cups into the dress, so that I didn’t have to wear anything except the Spanx’s of my choosing.

I’ll never forget the first week of dressing brides when a bride held up the bag with the mermaid slip and said, “Why?”. Well, a good slip serves multiple purposes. First, it helps to define the shape of the skirt of your dress. If the dress is a mermaid, it will enhance the silhouette of any trumpet or mermaid style dress, same if it’s a ballgown or A-line slip. Second, it will allow walking in the gowns so much easier by preventing the material of your dress to be caught between your legs. And third, when you are being photographed, the slip helps to prevent the dark shadow that forms between your legs in pictures.

Are undergarments important? YES. Our biggest suggestion of all, shop around for undergarments that make you feel beautiful but comfortable, consult with your seamstress, and remember that what is underneath is just the frame for the timeless picture you are.