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

The collection features a three-panel system created by Heather Thomson, the creative mind behind Diddy’s Sean Jean line, Beyonce’s House of Dereon and J.Lo’s Sweetface. “It was a selfish initiative,” Thomson told StyleList. “I created things because I needed them in my wardrobe.”

The new collection includes embellished shirts, a corset, knit leggings and button-downs and will be available online in mid-June and at Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and specialty retailers nationwide.

This is a new trend I’m certainly hoping other brands will tap into!

Photos: StyleList via Yummie Tummie

To choose the dancers, Thompson held pole dancing competitions at Manhattan’s swankiest gentlemen’s clubs. The dancers performed their routines on brass poles, and the top eight dancers won the modeling spots. On Thursday, the West End Cafe near Times Square had its lower level transformed into a strip club as four dancers at a time took to the poles and performed their routines in Yummie Tummie tank tops and camisoles.

The models had quite different body types, with varying skin colors and cup sizes (from AA on up!) Thompson said of this decision, “Every woman of every size deserves sexy lingerie that can be worn underneath her clothes or that’s meant to be seen.”

You can find Yummie Tummie yourself at Bare Necessities.

Why else should you own a Yummie Tummie tank? Well, the tank is made of a slick, soft cotton, so is naturally comfortable and won’t cling to your clothes. The fabric also features moisture-wicking so you will stay cool and dry. The longer silhouette means you won’t have to deal with that annoying roll up that often plagues us all when wearing tanks.

The Yummie Tummie Tank featured on Oprah is available in both a hip length and a long length style. Other styles include a Basic T, Strappy T, and Basic V (with a Nursing T on the way – preorder at Bare Necessities!). Sizes range from XS – XL. Yummie Tummie tanks and tees retail from $62 – $82 and are available at over 600 retailers in the U.S. including Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus. Select international locations also carry Yummie Tummie. For online ordering, Bare Necessities has you covered.

Already purchased Yummie Tummie? Let us know all about it in our forums. Haven’t purchased yet? What are you waiting for?!

Either way, enjoy this clip of Yummie Tummie from the Today show :

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. Spanx Power Panties

Spanx of course is the hottest brand in shapewear right now, and their Power Panties have been a best seller for us for the past year. Spanx offers 2 styles of Power Panties; the original style, which sits right at your waist and shapes you down to your upper thigh, and the Higher Power, which hits right below your bra line and stretches down to your upper thigh. (They even offer a third style, a maternity shaper called the Mama Power Panty!), My own personal preference is for the Higher Power style, because it eliminates “muffin top” and shapes your thighs without riding up. It also eliminates panty lines and is not binding on the leg. These styles are great to wear everyday in place of your regular underwear.

2. Slimming layers.

Layering will be a popular trend again this Spring, and there are several new shaper camisoles that will allow you to layer AND slim. This trend really works for us because you get to show off layers of Spring color while keeping the muffin-top at bay. My favorite shaping tank this season is by Yummie Tummie. Designer Heather Thomson started with an everyday comfy cotton tank and added moderate control microfiber fabric in the midsection. It’s available in an assortment of colors to serve as a perfect bottom-layer to any layering camisole.

Another great option is the TC Fine Shapewear’s Seamless Firm Control Camsiole. It has adjustable straps for extra support and firm shaping material to smooth out love handles. The bottom of the tank has a comfortable silicone lining that keeps your tank from riding up so you are not tugging all day long. Perfect under any top.

3. No VPL

This season there are several good solutions to the dilemma of, “I want a smooth, slim-looking waistline, but if I wear shapewear, the bulk will create panty lines or worse, even peek through the bottom of my skirt!” The shapewear thong solves that dilemma; smooth control where you need it, and only where you need it. Two of my favorites for getting rid of VPL and still achieving a smooth, slim looking waist are the High-waist control thong from Bodywrap, and the ‘No Show Thru’ shapewear thong from TC Fine shapewear. These shapewear thongs are seamless and made of a soft microfiber that will keep you feeling comfortable yet supported all day long. And best of all, they are on sale at BareNecessities.com this week only (through 3/27) for 25% off!

4. Shape me all over.

Of course, regardless of season, customers are always looking for their go-to I-feel-like-looking-fabulous-tonight all-over body shaper. For me, that would be the Seamless Body Toning shaper from The Body Wrap’s Lites collection. This light control bodybriefer is great under skirts and dresses. It comes with both traditional and clear adjustable straps that makes it easy to wear under this seasons hottest trends.

That’s it for now!

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!