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

Marianne Gimble

Do you have a support or shapewear question? Wondering which bra is right for you? Can’t seem to create the right silhouette? Need advice for what to wear under your killer new dress? Va Bien is at your service! They are hosting weekly one-on-one web chats when you can discuss any questions you have with Va Bien’s co-founder and fit expert, Marianne Gimble.

The current schedule shows chats during July on Wednesdays and Fridays, perfect for your last-minute question before a big weekend event.

To chat, simply click this link. During scheduled chat hours, click the “Support Solutions” logo at the top of the page to launch the chat room.

Greg Gimble, Vice President of Va Bien, says of these products,

“Traditionally, Va Bien shapewear features firm control and is designed for wear under special occasion dresses. However, with today’s form-fitting fashions and the introduction of shapewear to the general public, everyday shapewear has become something quite common. It is with this in mind that we designed the ultra-Lift Cami and Slip. You don’t have to be going to a special event to wear shapewear anymore – new lightweight undergarments can be worn everyday for a nice smooth look, and now with the ultra-Lift Cami and Slip, women can shape their bustline perfectly at the same time.”

One thing I really like about these Va Bien styles as opposed to other similar products is that these actually come in real, honest-to-goodness bra sizes. You buy the Va Bien ultra-Lift Smooth Solutions products in 34B, 36D, 38E, etc. instead of Small, Medium, and Large. You guys know how picky I am about wearing bras that fit correctly, so it would be a definite deal-breaker for me if these didn’t come in defined bra sizes.

The camisole and slip are priced at $65 and $79, respectively. You can buy the camisole from the Va Bien website right now, and the slip will be available on June 1.

See below for just a few options from Va Bien, Wacoal, Miraclesuit, and SPANX.

Time is running out so start shopping!

1.  Flirty date bra

2.  Cleavage enhancing bra

3.  Strapless bra

4.  Elegant camisole

5.  Sexy panties

Purchase your top 5 and many more items at BareNecessities.com.  Don’t forget to sign up for the catalog while you are there!

Here are some of my favorites!

Best Wishes!

DD+

We wanted to make shopping our catalog fun for fuller busted women. So we filled the book with great DD+ bras, and put a little orange “DD+” icon to really highlight those styles. One highlight was the Aragon balconette bra and thong set from Harlequin, a new brand that understands full busted women want luxury too. Full busted shoppers looking for fun, flirty bras (without having to sacrifice any support!) really took to the Arabella plunge bra from Freya. And we’re getting great feedback from our DD+ customers on Ultra lift strapless bra from Va Bien. The patented boning constructed within the cups keeps the girls up and keeps you looking fabulous all day.

Your Summer Bag of Tricks

We devoted a half page of our catalog to Pure Style Girlfriends, so we could show off this new designer of fun wardrobe solutions. Plenty of ‘oh, I didn’t know they made that’ styles that are perfect for summer fashions. Such as Stay Put Double Sided Fashion Tape to keep everything in place (pre-cut in a cute dispenser that is small enough to fit in most purses), or the Haute Stuff Underarm Liner, to prevent unsightly stains on your clothes.

No matter what they say, I still haven’t found a black dress friendly deodorant, so the new underarm liners are key to dancing your summer nights away. Pure Style Girlfriends offers seven different wardrobe solutions in all.

Under Summer Whites

Want to look great in white pants this summer? It’s all about the foundation. Such as Spanx High Falutin’ footless styles, perfect for under long and Capri length pants. Or Spanx footless panty hose, to provide shape from your mid-riff to your thighs and rid you of VPL. Love your white shorts or skirt?? Try Commandos CYA Panty. This laser cut seamless panty is virtually invisible underneath clothes. And of course, summer whites evoke simple luxury. Our catalog features the newest collection from Hanro, Cotton Sensation. The combination of the finest fabrics and classic silhouettes makes this group truly irresistible.

You may view our entire premier catalog here.

Heather – BareNecessities.com
Heather is the assistant buyer over at Bare Necessities. She buys shapewear and the luxury & designer bras (like Chantelle, La Perla, etc.), so she knows her lingerie.

Read all posts by Heather right here!

This sexy and functional line of women’s intimates rescues women from dreaded sag anxiety with a patented bra cup innovation that provides a degree of support that is superior to that of traditional foam cup bras.

The body-sculpting benefits of The Va Bien ultra-Lift™ Collection, available at better department stores and specialty retailers nationwide, will be embraced by women who desire shapewear that delivers on the promise of a curvy silhouette that is perennially in high demand.

Plastic surgery statistics show that breast enhancement remains the top cosmetic procedure among women in the United States, and statuesque starlets and reality TV personalities are omnipresent in celebrity news and online blogs, keeping the voluptuous body type high on the cultural radar. Women who are uncomfortable with permanently altering their bodies with painful and expensive surgery yet desire the sexy curves of today’s stars will find a painless solution in ultra-Lift™.

Determined to create the ultimate bra construction for the perfect bustline, the veteran design team at Va Bien, led by lingerie expert Madame Marianne Gimble, came upon an idea that literally put a finger on the ideal solution. Va Bien patented a design featuring three fingerlike plastic strips placed strategically between the inner and outer layers of foam in each bra cup to shape the bustline and prevent the sagging encountered in standard strapless bras. Aptly named the ultra-Lift™ Perfect Strapless, this amazing new bra offers women unlimited wearing options with removable clear straps that can be converted to traditional, halter and criss-cross silhouettes.

“Fashion designers today are more creative with their silhouettes and, as shaping experts, we in the lingerie field must remain innovative to enhance women’s bodies while they’re wearing the latest trends,” says Mme. Gimble. “With this in mind, we at Va Bien took our signature corsetry designs to the next level and created these patented finger supports that are undetectable under the fabric yet act like a sculptor’s hands, shaping a woman’s silhouette with a comfortable support that looks and feels like a work of art.”

Although versatility makes the Perfect Strapless the star player of the ultra-Lift™ Collection, the line includes six other equally ingenious undergarments with unique features that satisfy women’s diverse shaping needs. Accordingly, the ultra-Lift™ finger supports are strategically placed in different positions that complement each garment’s specific styling goal.

Two styles that provide daring décolletage and low backs perfect for backless dresses — the Low Plunge Convertible and the Low Plunge Body Briefer — position the ultra-Lift™ finger supports horizontally to produce a sexy inward push showcased by the styles’ low plunge cut. The Strapless Backless Body Briefer, meanwhile, provides allover body-toning with a back control panel and spiral boning that delivers knockout results under backless dresses without straps.

For an enviable hourglass figure, the Seamless Bustier is impossible to beat. This sleek garment is made of soft microdenier fabric with a hidden inner frame that flattens the tummy, cinches the waist, and lines the back with power net for extra support. La Balconette, a seamless, low-cut style with wide-set straps, is perfect for wearing under t-shirts and trendy form-fitting outfits. Rounding out Va Bien’s ultimate shaping collection, literally, is Fanny Fabulous, a modern control brief that provides a firm yet gentle lift to minimize sagging in the derriere.

All ultra-Lift™ garments are made of the latest fabrics and technical features that enhance women’s physiques with quality construction and attention to detail. Colors include white, black and nude and retail prices range from $47 to $90. For more information, visit www.vabienlingerie.com.

“With Christmas fast approaching and the weather starting to warm up it’s time to start thinking about presents for the loved ones and new bathers for the beach. Here at Bella Forma we were all very excited to see the new seasons swimwear arriving particularly new brand Ballet Swimwear which features cup sized swimwear up to a back size 18 and a G cup. We are hoping to get more stock of the Antigua range in as it’s already proving very popular plus we have more new ranges coming soon. Other new arrivals include Freya Swimwear, Triumph, Fayreform and another new brand Va Bien so remember to check New Arrivals section for more details.”

Isn’t this excellent? Have fun, Aussie friends — summer’s coming!