Lingerie

"I have a style and jeweled panties aren’t it." - CARRIE BRADSHAW

LINGERIE

Did you know that they used to call ladies undergarments them FOUNDATIONS? That does not sound flattering. It makes me think of concrete.

Whatever you call it, unless you like to go commando (and even if you do), you will probably need to wear something under your wedding clothes and with your trousseau. (Your honeymoon clothes.)

We will mainly focus on the Bride’s needs, but some of the discussions are equally applicable to the Bridesmaids and the Mothers. For discussion purposes, we have divided lingerie into 2 sections. One for undergarments to wear with your wedding dress. The other section is Lingerie for your honeymoon.

The style, cut and fit of your wedding dress, and the fabric will determine what undergarments you will need. You will want to be comfortable, be able to move freely, make sure private parts remain private, and set off your dress to greatest advantage. You may need a strapless bra, a bustier, a convertible bra, a camisole, an overall body slimmer, or body suit such as SPANKS. You can purchase a slip with build in bra, with or without support.

Or a full-length slip or petticoat with netting. There are even slips with flexible metal hoops to hold the skit out all the way around.

You may or may not want to wear hose since they are not much in vogue. But if you do, be sure to wear sheer toe hosiery with open toe shoes. And be sure to select a color that goes well with your dress and shoes and doesn’t make you look like you are wearing hose from the 1950s. Not too suntan. Not too shiny. Several companies make hose that provide “control” from waste to below the knee for people who want to wear open toe sandals, want to look slimmer, but don’t want to wear a full-fledged body slimmer.

If your dress is a sleek white satin number, you will probably want to be careful that no panty-line is visible. If the fabric is sheer, make sure that your undergarments are neutral and do not show through (unless this is part of your fashion statement.) With sheer fabric, you may need a camisole or a full length slip. If you are going to be married outdoors in bright sunlight, consider whether people will be able to see through your dress which will depend upon how heavy or dense the fabric is.

If you purchase your dress from a bridal salon, they will often have the specialty undergarments that will look best with your dress. Other items you can purchase at nearly any department store or specialty shop or on-line store. You can even purchase lingerie at some consignment stores. There is even a wide selection of lingerie on Etsy. Lots of it is handmade and some items are vintage.

Whatever the cut of your dress, you will need to try on undergarments with the dress well in advance of your wedding. We have known Brides that had to special order bras or other undergarments so that the top of their dress fit properly without gaping open or leaving bra straps showing. You may also want to consider bra cups sewn into the top of your dress if it is a halter or strapless gown. You can also get adhesive patches or cups to wear in lieu of a bra. Some dresses will require double sided tape to hold the dress in place.

Since strapless dresses are the rage, we wanted to tell you something to watch out for. We worked with a Bride who had a nasty surprise after she had put on her strapless bra and her dress. Everything was fine, as it had been during fittings. Until the Bride started to move around to finish getting ready. Only then did she realize that the long embellished dress was heavy. Heavy enough that it began sliding down. It quickly became clear that the bride would be showing more than just the strapless bra underneath her dress.

Luckily we were able to solve the problem. Her bra was already hooked on the smallest, tightest setting. But it was too loose. Instead of closing it with the hooks I pulled the bra closed tightly. I used a needle and thread to sew the strapless bra closed so that it fit snugly. Next, while the Bride was in her dress, I sewed the back of her zipped dress to the back of the bra. She had to get a friend to snip out the stitches when she got ready to change out of her dress. But the Bride danced the night away without any “wardrobe malfunction.”

The moral to this story is to try on all undergarments with your dress well in advance. Spend some time moving around to test whether everything fits well, stays in place, and functions properly. It is easy to forget about something like the weight of the dress since the weight of everyday clothing is not usually a factor when you get dressed.

Some Bridal salons have in-house tailors and consultants who are expert at helping you make sure your dress will fit just right. Often, they can suggest the best solution to a gaping neckline. Or a skirt with a scalloped edge that cannot be hemmed, but is too long. We have seen problems like this solved by the proper use of a special undergarment, a slight alteration, or a little creativity. The lace skirt is too long? You might trade your straight slip for a petticoat with netting which will hold your skirt out just a bit. Giving you a beautiful, slightly different loo. And raising the skirt just a bit off the floor. They can also give you tips on everything from lacing up your dress to suggestions on the best way to bustle the skirt of the gown. Take advantage of their expertise.   

HONEYMOON LINGERIE

EMBED PHOTO BUT DISABLE LINK

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/in-bloom-by-jonquil-retro-chemise/3264786?origin=category&resultback=5741

Brides used to wear a long silky Peignoir Set on their wedding night and on their honeymoons. You can still easily find beautiful gown and robe sets of every color and description. Silk, satin, lace, nylon, cotton. For sleepwear you can choose from Baby Doll PJs, Camisoles and shorts, chemises, nightgowns, nightshirts, pajamas, robes, rompers, T-Shirts and teddies.    

EMBED PHOTO BUT DISABLE LINK

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/flora-nikrooz-gown-robe-garnet-bridal?ID=608718&CategoryID=55767#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D46%26ruleId%3D28%26slotId%3D27

PENIOR SET

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/flora-nikrooz-chemise-gem?ID=596943&CategoryID=55767#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D46%26ruleId%3D28%26slotId%3D7

BABY DOLL

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/Neiman-Marcus-Classic-Silk-Pajamas-Light-Silver-Lingerie/prod134730024/?ecid=NMCIGoogleBaseFeed&003=5840816&010=I072F&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=prod134730024skuLIGHTSILVER

SILK PAJAMAS

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/product.jsp?isEditorial=false&index=7&masterId=cat8330731&itemId=prod132640020&cmCat=cat000000cat000001cat17740747cat13750752cat8330731cat42180743&parentId=cat42180743

SLEEP SHIRT

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/product.jsp?isEditorial=false&index=16&masterId=cat8330731&itemId=prod140830058&cmCat=cat000000cat000001cat17740747cat13750752cat8330731cat9860746&parentId=cat9860746

BODYDRESS

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/product.jsp?isEditorial=false&index=2&masterId=cat8330731&itemId=prod141090005&cmCat=cat000000cat000001cat17740747cat13750752cat8330731cat10360734&parentId=cat10360734

CHEMISE

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/shimera-racerback-nightgown/3289081?origin=keywordsearch&resultback=6810

NIGHTGOWN

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/la-fee-verte-ruffle-front-romper/3248401?origin=keywordsearch&resultback=4304

ROMPER

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72415800/linen-boxer-shorts-with-wrap-around

LINNEN BOXERS

You can find everything from G-strings to actual “grannie panties” still in the 1950s wrapper. You will find lingerie made from organic cotton and bamboo and Vintage patterns to make your own retro style baby doll nightie with bloomers. You can choose playful nightwear sporting your favorite sports teams and personalized matching camis and panties. Hand dyed romantic lacy chemises. Handmade tie dyed corsets. There are even lacy Marie Antoinette style bloomers. Whether you want sexy, flirty and playful or old-fashioned, it is out there. In every fabric, style, color and price you might want.

Honeymoon Lingerie, as with everything else, can be found a gillion places. Boutiques, department stores, on-line shops and on etsy. Naturally, we have provided you with a variety of local resources.