We are so excited to have Jenny Altman, of BareNecessities.com (and all around fashion expert!), as our guest blogger today!  She’s here to let you know her tips and suggestions for what to wear underneath it all for your upcoming occasions!  See below for her fabulous advice.  Thanks, Jenny!

Here are a few key tips:

1- Buy the dress in your right size.  That means the size you are now, not the size you are hoping to be.  You always look slimmer wearing a dress that fits.

2- Keep it simple.  Including jewelry and hair/makeup.  You don’t want to look back at this big event 10 years from now and wonder what you were thinking.  Classic never goes out of style.

3- Dress appropriately for your age.  Whether you are 16 and going to a prom, or the mother of the bride, think what style suits your age best.  You can still be a hot mama in a dress with sleeves.  Nobody needs to see your entire back and all of your cleavage on this special day!

4- Dress appropriately for your body.  Play-up your best features and play-down your least appealing.  For example, if your breasts are just too big for wedding photos, don’t feel the need to go strapless just because you thought Kate Middleton might (FYI – she didn’t). You look best in styles made for your body, whether it’s mini, mermaid, or full-length.

The under-arsenal:

It’s very important to pick the proper underpinnings that suit your dress and you.  I find all my favorite underpinnings at BareNecessities.com.  If you have a chance to match undergarments to the dress before any final fittings, that is key!  Buy a few key undergarments to take with you to your fitting.  If you aren’t having fittings, buy a few undergarments items and try them on with the dress at least a week before the event.  Stand in the dress, move around in it, and most importantly, look at yourself from the back.  Don’t forget to look at yourself in the daylight.  You may realize your dress is more sheer than it looked in the fitting room; which may call for a slip!

It’s very important to buy the right size for all my suggested underpinnings below.  If a bra isn’t fitting right, you’ll have spillage.  Even worse, the bra will be falling down on you all night. For shapewear, go bigger.  It’s best that the shapewear holds you in to give you a smooth, slim look.  Lastly, always go nude or black.  Nude is best everything that isn’t black, even a crisp white wedding dress.

#1- The Bra

Choose strapless or convertible unless you are 100% sure your bra and bra straps will be concealed by the dress.

#2- The Panty

Seamless and nude are the best way to go.  I would suggest a girl short if you’re looking for the seamless look with more coverage.

Other Suggested Panties: Calvin Klein Naked Thong, Hanky Panky Original Signature Lace Thong, Commando Low Rise Thong, Cosabella Aire Mesh Low Rise Hot Pants

#3- The shaping garment

For this one you really need to match it to your dress and your specific needs. What area are you trying to conceal or smooth?  Something specific like the waist or tummy?  Or, are you looking for an overall shaper that helps everything?  Pick the problem area and then look for a piece that will work for you.  If your dress is navy or chocolate, choose black shaping pieces.  Also, if you’re getting married on the beach in Mexico, please don’t pick something too heavy.  Pick something appropriate for the weather.  There are lighter weight shaping garments with mesh and other breathable fabrics.

Waist: Look for something that’s high-waisted to cinch in the waist area

Other Suggested Shapers: TC Fine Intimates Pull on Waist Cincher, Dr. Rey Shapewear Hi-Waist Brief

Tummy: Look for something with high compression in the tummy

Other Suggested Shapers: Spanx Undie-tectable Hi-Waist Shapewear Pany, Flexees Easy Up Easy Down Firm Control Brief, Cass Luxury Shapewear Invisibellas Shaper Boyshorts

Wear your own bra: If you can’t part with your own bra, or need the support of a serious bra, pick one of these to pair with it. These give you the freedom of mixing and matching.

Other Suggested Shapers: Spanx Slimplicity Open Bust Mid-Thigh Bodysuit, Sassybax Bottom Boosting All-in-One Shaper, Dr. Rey Shapewear All-in-One Step-in Body Briefer,

Butt/thighs: Look for something that lifts the rear while still giving separation.  Make sure the shaping continues through the thigh and choose mid-thigh if you need it all the way down.

Other Suggested Shapers: Spanx Slimplicity High Waist Girl Short Panty, Shatobu High Waist-to-Knee Calorie Burning Shaper

Everything: I love an all-in-one shaper that combines the bra and shaper. You get less lines and have less pieces to match up.

Other Suggested Shapers: Va Bien Seamless Underwire Comfort Strap Firm Control Body Briefer, TC Fine Intimates Strapless Convertible Bra Slip, Sassybax Pretty Slip with Underwire Bra, Va Bien Ultra Lift Low Plunge Body Briefer

#4-Hosiery

Do you need hosiery? In warm weather, I prefer a footless hose that covers the thigh and leg. This way you can show off your gorgeous shoe and pedicure without having webbed feet. If you feel you need hosiery all the way to the feet, then try to stick with a closed or closed-front shoe. Go for a black sheer in the warmer months.

Other Suggested Hosiery: Spanx In Power Line High Waisted Footless Panythose, Calvin Klein Hosiery Zero Waistband Control Top Pantyhose, Wolford Satin Touch Evening Thigh Highs

#5- Extras

Make a little emergency kit to keep in your purse.  Be sure it includes nipple covers, fashion tape, Bandaids and a small sewing kit.  And don’t forget the mints!

Other Suggested Extras: Pure Style Girlfriends Stay Put Double Sided Fashion Tape, Fashion Forms Magic Sponge, Foot Petals Tip Toes Cushions 3 pack

Now go and have a fabulous night! Put on a smile and know that you are prepped and ready to take center stage.

Xo,

Jenny

Cami Too by Fashion Forms

There are plenty of times when you might not want to show off your cleavage like in the office, meeting your new boyfriend’s parents, or your grandma’s 90th birthday party. Most women either opt not to wear their favorite plunging tops, or they cover up with a camisole. These extra layers can be unwanted and unnecessary in summer’s heat, but Cami Too by Fashion Forms solves that problem!

Cami Too is a detachable lace piece that gives you additional coverage and the illusion of a camisole. You put it on over your head (like a regular camisole) and then attach it to your bra straps with the incorporated hooks. There are other similar produts on the market (click here to view the Winkee) but this is my personal favorite. I have several and reach for them often when a top seems a bit too low. It’s also very easy to go from day to night with the Cami Too – just slip it off at the end of a work day and stash it in your bag before meeting friends for drinks!

You can find Cami Too at Bare Necessities. It is available in sizes S/M, L, and XL and colors Black, White, and Ivory.

Ivanka Trump and Kirstie Alley like the Elle Macpherson Intimates Coranto Contour bra, a demi bra with delicate lace and molded underwire cups. Beyonce was also featured in Blender Magazine wearing this bra.

Eva Longoria included Elle Macpherson Intimate’s Dentelle Countour Bra in her wedding trousseau, and Katherine McPhee wore it in Stuff magazine.

Katherine Zeta Jones wears Sassybax’s Torso Trim Camisole while filming movies to smooth her figure and whittle her waist on the big screen. You thought that stunning figure was natural, but she actually has a little help!

Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpon, and Rebecca Romijn all love Honeydew. Paris goes for the Rumba Panty while Jessica and Rebecca prefer the Mesh Boyshorts. They had better stock up; the style is being discontinued and it’s on final sale!

Even Jessica Alba welcomed some help from Spanx in “The Fabulous Four” to look her best in her costume.

Nicole Kidman is reportedly a big fan of Hanro panties, and even personally chose the Simply Satin V Camisole and the Simply Satin Hi-Cut Briefs to wear in “Eyes Wide Shut.”

The absolutely gorgeous Chantelle Africa collection is a favorite of both Hillary Swank and Emmy Award winner Mariska Hargitay. Hargitay’s favorite color is Ebony, which definitely shows off the delicate detailing.

Dolly Parton, who is notoriously unashamed of her assets, still knows that sometimes you don’t need to advertise everything. She has reportedly bought hundreds of Fashion Forms Satin Breast Petals.

To see more (like the women who love Hanky Panky and all the Chantelle fans), visit the HerRoom.com website.

Bridal underpinnings can be a daunting task for many women because it is outside of their realm of knowledge of lingerie. Generally, we know the size we should wear and what style is more appropriate for our bodies, taste and outfit. For instance, the padded plunge bra has been warmly welcomed with the popularity of low cut tops.

When buying lingerie for the wedding day, the bride needs to take the dress into account. There are different necklines or strapless dresses or low back styles that come into the picture. The bra options can seem overwhelming to some brides. Here is a breakdown of bra options for different dress styles.

Bustiers work well for strapless, low back dresses. A bustier is a one-piece garment that uses flexible boning to give a desired shape. Its length varies, going from the bust to anywhere between the rib cage and the hips. A bustier is an ideal option for low back dresses as well as for full bust women. The boning and structure offer the much needed support. There are two popular styles of bustiers, a seamless version and non-seamless.

Felina’s Essentials Bustier is wildly popular seamless, smoothing bustier. The essentials bustier is such a “go to” garment that giant wedding gown store David’s Bridal brought the garment into stores for resale. Sizing is from a 32A thru 42D, but next season Felina will be offering DD cup sizes.

Goddess, renowned for their commitment to providing bras and bustiers for the fuller figured, has some great options with bustiers. The Smooth Merry Widow and the Lace Bustier both provide support, are strapless and have a low back. The Merry widow, which is longer hitting at the hit, has detachable garters and is available in white and ivory. Sizes available 32DD to 48DDD. The Lace Bustier will come in handy long after your wedding day, with strapless dresses and flirtatious tops. Size range here is a little better with 34D thru 48FF.

Good Strapless Bras can help make you feel secure in strapless gown. Have you seen the blooper of the bride throwing her bouquet up and exposing entire chest? Well with the right bra, that won’t happen to you because it will move with you. There are many options out there, but some of the features you should look for in a strapless dress are a silicone lining around the top and bottom of the band. Once again, Felina’s Hint of Skin is great staple that will prove useful not just on your wedding day. For Fuller Busts you can’t go wrong with a Goddess Strapless because they offer secure support.

Convertible Bras have straps that are detachable in the front and the back of the band of the bra. The strap itself is also adjustable so that it can accommodate the style that is needed. Convertible bras are perfect for dresses with a halter neckline or dresses that have an asymmetric sleeve.

Some dresses are just too tricky to try and work with a conventional bra. That is where the innovative bra accessories become very useful. First, I have to tell you about Fashion Forms Low Back Strap. This is a band that connects to the hooks on your favorite bra and then you wrap the band around your waist. It makes your bra into a low back bra. You may be able to use this with a convertible bra and really customize your bra to work with your dress.

Next, there are the adhesive bras from Fashion Forms which offer support but are completely backless. I hear all kinds of feedback both positive and negative. Personally, I like them and I think they work great. My first time using them was as a bridesmaid and I danced all night and they stayed put. Here is how they work, there is a bra cup and the inside has adhesive on it. You take the cup and place it on your breast and you are literally stuck in place. There are several variations, the NuBra Featherlite, NuBras Divine Body, Extreme Silicone Adhesive bras, Silicone Cleavage clasp bra. Many of these variations are reusable (like for cute tops on your honeymoon).

There are also clear bra straps that you can attach to your bra. While they are clear, they will leave an indent in the skin. I think these would work best as the strap used for a halter, it is discreet while being covered. Lingerie tape has long been a fashion secret for the famous. It is double sided tape that has so many uses, from fixing a hem to keeping a flimsy dress in place.

Now that we have the support part of the underpinnings taken care of, lets discuss some of the fun stuff. Garters are a tradition and a fun place to put your “something blue”. If you are going to have the garter toss, remember that you use a “dummy” garter to toss and you save the garter as a keepsake. So that means you need to buy 2. GigisCloset.com has a number of beautiful garters that are definitely keepers. This is the Rigby & Peller Opulence garter that is available in Diamond (white) and Pearl (Ivory), included is a keepsake pouch.

Kristina Haas – Gigi’s Closet
Kristina Haas is co-owner of GigisCloset.com, an online lingerie boutique specializing in fashion lingerie. Armed with a passion for beautiful intimates and a desire to share it with the world, Gigi’s Closet captured the boutique feel to be enjoyed by all on the internet.

Read all posts by Kristina Haas right here!