The Quest for Bridal Undergarments
Warning! If you’re not comfortable reading about my skivvy’s, then you may want to visit another day. :)
Tonight is my first dress fitting. I am so excited to see my gown again and also a bit nervous. I hope I still love it!
Leading up to this fitting, I’ve been running around town trying to find the perfect undergarments to wear with my dress. Unlike many gowns, my dress does not have much structure, boning or bodice built in, so I had to find something else to “suck me in.”
When anticipating what would be the hardest wardrobe piece to find for my wedding, I never would have thought about undergarments. But you would not believe how difficult it is to find the right ones! I needed something to shape my middle area and provide a “cinch” at the waist.
First I ordered some Yummie Tummie shape wear per a recommendation from a friend. She said they were great under clothes because they didn’t leave lines.
When it arrived, I was less than thrilled. It basically just laid on top of my stomach without make me look any smaller. Maybe I needed a smaller size?
I decided that the only way to get a good fit was to try some on in the store. I trekked down to Michigan Ave. on a Saturday and hit up Macy’s, Nordstrom AND Bloomingdales, all with no luck. I was surprised and frustrated that none of them had anything suitable for bridal undergarments!
As I was walking out of Bloomingdales feeling desperate, I spotted a small boutique called Intimacy-Bra Fit Stylists. A sign said they specialized in “helping women of all sizes find a fit that makes them look and feel sleeker, slimmer, and sexier,” which sounded promising.
As soon as I told them I was looking for undergarments to wear with my wedding dress, all the sales ladies directed me to a wall of bustiers, girdles and what looked like chastity belts. They then pulled out what is probably the least-sexy piece of underwear I have EVER seen!
Seriously, this thing looks like a lace cage or something! Lol. I tried it on while trying not to laughing to myself about how ugly it was. This thing requires some MAJOR pulling, tugging and adjusting before it fits.
Just as I was feeling thoroughly embarrassed to have three sales ladies yanking some granny undies onto me, I looked in the mirror and saw how TINY it made my waist look. It has boning within it that nips at the waist and smooths all over. And for all the pulling, it was pretty comfortable once in place.
So yes, I am not embarrassed to admit that I walked out of the store with this monster of an undergarment- the Rago High Waist Long Leg Shaper. It may be ugly underneath my dress, but my body is going to look bangin!
What undergarments do you guys swear by? Spanx? Hanky Panky? Victoria’s Secret?
I love Slimpressions. I’ve been hooked on these since I saw them on InStyle. I mix and match them with almost everything I wear. Love that they make me look pounds thinner and are comfortable to boot! Got mine at herroom.com (free shipping on some items).
Liz, I need that undergarmet! I am getting married in May and I have had the hardest time finding the perfect undergarmet to make me look slim and nice in my form-fitted dress. I live in Cleveland and cannot go to the store you talked about. I wonder if they would consult me over the phone, suggest a size and ship it to me?
For brides looking for other options….I purchased a nude “Spanx” undergrament. It does not provide a lot of tummy support but it works wonders for the bottom and thighs. I purchased mine at a bridal boutique in Cleveland, but I’m sure this item can be purchased at any department store that carries Spanx items.
Elin- I haven’t heard of Slimpressions before. I will check them out!
Nat- I heard you were getting hitched- congrats! I think the ladies at Intimacy would definitely let you shop over the phone or online. They were REALLY helpful and eager to work with me when I was there.
[...] general, I think that I err on the side of sharing vs. with-holding (like when I wrote about my underwear). I’ve seen people dealing with cancer, death, infertility and other life-alterning things, [...]