This entry comes to us courtesy of a fellow store owner, and friend Holly Ward, owner of Belle's Bridal Couture Boutique in Abilene, TX. Thanks Holly!
This little post is dedicated to looking smokin’ hot on your wedding day. And not giving in to the temptation of the frump. (aka NOT looking frumpy on your wedding day). Yeah, I said it. Some brides may be happy wearing a their wedding gown, underpants, deodorant, and that’s it. But most gowns NEED more than that to look their best. I kid you not. You may think it’s just more crap that you have to buy and the bridal shop is just trying to pull one over on you. But, it isn’t.
Mike Ward, at Belle’s Photography has been telling brides not to skip the foundations for years. If a guy is willing to tell you this, then it must be important. Mike’s clients typically pay in excess of $5K for wedding photography, so they want tips on looking their best. This is one of the best tips to look beautiful, polished, and pulled together on your wedding day. You never want to hear someone looking at you and using the word ‘frumpy.’
So here is the skinny on what you need what for and when. There are 4 basic necessities each bride should consider. Your bridal shop should help you with selecting what is correct for you, your figure, and your gown.
Item #1 - The Bustier
This bad boy will hide a multitude of sins. A bustier is a bosom-to-waist control garment, which is usually made of satin. Additional features may include detachable garters, push-up cups, flexible boning, optional shoulder straps, and hook and eye closure.
Why do I need this thing? Control. Simply put, a strapless bra lacks support needed to wear most wedding gowns. If your gown does not have a bustier built into the bodice, then you should consider this thing. Reason 1 - it smooths your torso and streamlines your curves from bust to waist. Reason 2 - it gives you lift. Weather you are a AA cup or a DDD cup, you need support. You may need it for different reasons, but you need it.
Is it really uncomfortable? If you can manage a bra, you can swing a bustier. It offers moderate support through the tummy as well as the bust. Most bustiers have a low back, so that it can be worn with a low back wedding gown. If your gown is constructed of taffeta or another light weight fabric, then you can consider a seamless foam bustier. This bustier is missing the boning (think of it as under wires) that runs through the regular bustiers vertically. The boning gives the bustier more support. The foam bustiers are molded, often have a push up cup, and offer a seamless option. They do the same thing as the traditional bustier - they smooth and support. That’s what you want.
Item #2 - The Petticoat
A petticoat is a type of slip that a woman wears under her gown. It often has layers of ruffles to make the skirt of the gown fuller. Petticoats are something that are skipped by many brides if they did not buy a ballgown. BIG MISTAKE. One of the biggest reasons bride’s look frumpy on their wedding day is due to lack of a petticoat. I know some of you are thinking, I don’t want to wear that. But come on, how often are you going to be a bride and get to wear one? Petticoats are fun. They swish when you move, air can circulate under them. Regular petticoats are lined too so the crinoline isn’t scratching up your legs. So its swishy, fun, airy, and soft.
If you have an A-line gown (its NOT fitted to your body) a petticoat will make your waist look thinner, as well as removing the frump factor. The petticoat holds the skirt in place while you walk. Keeping the hemline wider than your waist creates an optical illusion and makes your waist appear smaller than it is. What girl doesn’t like that? And the layers typically end at your ankle so you don’t need to worry about tripping on it either.
There are many kinds of petticoats. They come in different shapes and sizes. As you may already know, there are a million variations of an A-line skirt. Your bridal consultant can assist you in selecting the proper petticoat. One of the most common specialty shaped petticoats we sell is the mermaid. Its a fitted slip to the knee and then flares out to support the skirt on a mermaid wedding gown.
Item #3 - The Corset
You may have thought that the corset died with chivalry, but they are still alive and kicking. And for good reason. A corset can offer support unmatched by any of its more comfortable counterparts (the merrywidow, bustier, strapless bra, nu bra, and body suits). That is the main reason why the corset is still around.
Now, I have to point out. Most corsets that you will find in stores are lingerie. They are not shaper corsets. A shaper corset does just that - it offers shape. It can pull you into an hourglass figure or as close to it as you want. The shaper corset comes in different lengths. It can extend from your bust to hip, bust to waist, under bust to hip, or under bust to low waist (also called a girdle). The corset material is typically a thick satin or damask, with boning for support, hook and eye front closure, and a lace up back.
There are 2 laces on a shaper corset. A top lace and lower lace. When laced properly, they meet at the waist (or middle). The laces are tightened from the top and the bottom of the corset to keep it from shifting while being tightened. It also gives a better shape and a better fit when laced this way. A shaper corset also has metal grommets on the back. This is so the laces can be pulled tight and can support pressure.
What do corsets do? Obviously they shape. And they shape better than any of their sister garments mentioned earlier in this post. A corset can flatten your stomach, cinch your waist, narrow your hips, and give you a bigger or smaller bust line (depending on how you lace it). It’s wonder underwear! It’s also smokin hot wedding lingerie.
We carry prefab white shaper corsets. We typically have several sizes in stock. Those come with a matching thong and garters. We can also order a custom Old World bridal corset. These have a higher price tag, but are so insanely beautiful, and offer the best support. Custom corsets take about 16 weeks to arrive. So plan accordingly.
Item #4 - Panties, Thongs, and Seamless Control Panties
OK, here are limited definitions in case you’ve been going commando so long you forgot. ;o) Panties are full coverage front and back, thongs (and g-strings) offer front coverage and minimal back coverage, and seamless control panties are something like Shapes or Spanx.
Embarrassing scenario #1 - If you are wearing a white wedding gown, and, let’s say that it’s made out of white chiffon. So you have on no petticoat because you have a flowing skirt. Hmmm. What kind of underpants should you wear? Rosebud panties are so out. Don’t even think about it. People will able to count the rosebuds on your butt as you say your vows. Do NOT be that girl. If you wear a panty, chose a nude color - that means it is solid and close to your skin tone. Why? So no one can see it!
Embarrassing situation number next. You are wearing a clingy silk wedding gown with a built-in bustier and granny panties. They are nude colored, but people can still see them. Do you know why? Silk does not hide ANYTHING, including panty lines. Its time to consider your other options - thong or Spanx? If you can see a slight shadow on your gown when facing the mirror at the waist of your thong, you can see it. And you will have to wear a seamless thong or Spanx.
When do you wear a control seamless panty? When you want no panty line and you want support through your tummy and a little lift to your derriere. Typically you wear this under fabric that is extremely unforgiving and clingy. It smooths, flattens, and lifts.
Comfort & Drawbacks
Let’s just cut to the chase. I know what some of you are thinking. I want to be comfortable. There are different levels of comfort. There is sweatpants on a rainy day with fuzzy socks comfort and there is comfort anticipated to look smokin hot. Sweat pants are NOT smokin hot. So don’t compare apples to rocks - sweatpants comfy is not wedding day comfy. On to the comfort levels and drawbacks of each item.
Out of all this stuff, what is the most uncomfortable? As a woman who has worn all this stuff at one time or another - seamless control panties (like Spanx or Shapes) by far, hands down, are the most hot and uncomfortable. That should bring a sigh of relief since most women have worn these in the form of control top panty hose at some point. Kind of a pain to take on and off. Kind of hot. Kind of sticky. Was it worth it to look hot in your little black dress? Yes. And this was the most uncomfortable out of all of this stuff? Yes. Be encouraged soon-to-be-frumpless brides.
You thought I was gonna say the corset, right? The corset actually isn’t that bad. It’s not like wearing sweats, but it’s not bad. It doesn’t dig in the way a cheap bustier does (or if you have a big chest, the way most bustiers do). It feels more like a tight hug offering support through your torso as long as you don’t lace it too tight. Minor problem, you can’t bend over and fold yourself in 1/2. But you are bride in a big wedding gown, so it’s not like you are going gardening or getting stuffed into a locker before your wedding anyway. Additional perk - its functional bridal lingerie. Oh la la!
Bustiers offer good support for most brides. The lift your bust and trim your waist. Plus size brides may find that they do not offer enough support. You can tell this is happening if your bustier boning bends under the weight of your chest. You can find a better made bustier or look into a corset. Bustiers are about as comfy as a bra with an underwire when it fits correctly. Don’t guess what size you are - ask the consultant. Most women are wearing the wrong bra size anway, so it’s normal if don’t know what size you wear.
Petticoats are comfy imho. They are soft, fluffy, and fun. It’s like having a little portable pillow tied to your butt all night - that makes you look skinny! Make sure its lined, and you’ll be fine. And if you need a custom petticoat, we can do that for you too. We have some customers who order hoop petticoats. That is where the shape is being held by boning rather than layers of fluff. A hoop petticoat is a light and easy way to get the volume of multiple petticoats without the weight.
And how much is all this stuff? The average bride can escape the frumpy funk for around $100. Considering how much you are putting into your wedding, isn’t $100 so worth ensuring you look perfect?
