Bridal Lingerie and Hosiery
Once you've found the perfect gown, you'll want the lingerie to give it the perfect fit. Keep in mind that what you choose depends greatly on your body type and the style of the gown  you have chosen. The options include a bra or bustier, panties, a garter, hosiery, a slip, and a body slimmer.
The Best Bras
Before your first gown fitting make sure to go bra shopping. Pick out several different styles that fit well and leave the tags on! Verify the return policy before buying them so that you can test them with the gown. When selecting styles, make sure that the bra feels comfortable and that it offers enough coverage and support. Obviously, if you've ever bought a bra before, you'll know that. However, many women want their bridal lingerie to look sexy and seductive and forget that they'll be wearing that bra all day! If you want something sultry, but it doesn't suffice for an 18-hour bra, get it anyway and switch into it AFTER you take off your gown.
Don't forget to consider your dress. Many wedding dresses have boning, underwires, and other support structures built right into the dress, so that you don't really need much else to look good. In fact, wearing extra lingerie might just make you look overly padded and may be just downright uncomfortable. Further, if you're wearing a very slinky, sexy style of dress, every little detail of your lingerie is going to be visible; don't get something too bulky, because it will be visible right through your dress! Opt for barely-there seamless styles for a great wedding day fit.
Slimming Secrets
Sexy sheath and mermaid style gowns leave you and your shape out in the open. To cover up any minor flaws and to give a seamless line under your gown, try a body slimmer. A body slimmer, otherwise known as a girdle, is a great tool to smooth out your belly, hips, and thighs. Choose tummy control or lifting to target specific problem areas or a full-coverage model to get sleeker all over. Just make sure that the piece gives you enough coverage, but isn't so tight that it stifles your breathing. Try it on by sitting, bending over, dancing, and walking -- you'll be doing all that and more the day of the wedding. If it pinches anywhere or makes you feel uncomfortable, try a similar style but with lighter support.
A corset, sometimes called a bustier, gives a smooth, seamless line throughout the entire torso, but also plays the role of a bra. They are perfect for those with tiny imperfections that they want to camouflage. Plus, they look great under a gown or without anything on at all. Just be sure that you choose a satin or smooth finish material and nothing lace if you are wearing a sheath dress since the lace will grab the satin or silk and look very apparent. Rather, opt for seamless style corsets, bustiers, or slips. The same goes for bras and underwear.
If you're concerned about your thighs, or specifically about them rubbing against each other under a heavy dress all day, you might also want to consider a pair of seamless bicycle shorts, preferrably in nude or white. They'll help slim your thighs and keep you comfortable all day. If your worries go in the opposite direction -- that your bottom is not shapely enough to look good in your dress -- you can even get padded fanny panties to give your derriere a boost!
Panties
One of the biggest issues when you have a wedding gown on, especially the ballgown style gowns, is that if your underwear starts to shift, it's not that easy to get it back in place. Some women assume that getting a thong would then eliminate this problem, which for some it does. However, for those not accustomed to wearing a thong may feel like they have a permanent wedgie. The "bottom" line is that you should always test your lingerie ensemble out in advance. Another important thing is to try the underwear on with the dress in the company of a good friend. She can give you the honest truth about whether there are lines showing through.
When in doubt, opt for seamless underwear that gives a smooth look, especially under sheath dresses. Also, unless you are wearing a large skirt, avoid lace underwear as the pattern will show through easily. Choose the style that is most comfortable for you. If you're not sure what will look best, you might consider "tanga" (like a thong, but a little wider) or boy-short styles. Both of these tend to have a more seamless appearance under clothing. Stick with white, nude, or if you must, baby blue lingerie ; anything dark risks being seen through your dress! (Save the black lace teddy for the honeymoon.)
Hosiery
Not everyone needs hose, however, they offer warmth, a barrier between your feet and your shoes, and make your legs look nicer. They are also essential when it comes time to removing the garter, if you choose to do so. - Knee highs are ideal if you are wearing a big ballgown. They are also nice if you plan to kick off the shoes to run on the beach after the reception because they are so easy to take off.
- Silk stockings used with a garter belt (or a corset with garters ) can be very sexy and work great under sheath dresses or gowns with a dropped or basque waist. Nonetheless, they must also be functional. If you buy the wrong garter belt and your stockings are sagging around your knees all night, you will you be quite uncomfortable. Test out this style of hose before investing in a fancy getup.
- Stay-up thigh-high stockings give you the ease and comfort of stockings without worrying about a garter belt sagging. Avoid lace-top stay-up stockings if you're wearing a slinky gown; the lace will show right through!
- Regular pantyhose can transform your legs and even help hold in your tummy, lift your bottom, and smooth your thighs. Choose from light support to control top with built-in tummy support. Consider, however, how you will appear to your groom when you remove the wedding gown; brides of all shapes and sizes look sexy in a garter belt and stockings, while just about no one looks sexy in control-top hose!
- Footless pantyhose give you the support of a control top around your middle but allow your pedicure to shine through; great for summer brides and beach weddings!
- Fishnets can give a flirty look to shorter gowns when they are nude and worn over another pair of skin-tone pantyhose. If you're very daring, try a pair of retro seamed stockings. Just make sure to keep your seams straight!
Don't be afraid of color. Just because your dress is white, it doesn't mean that your stockings have to be white too. You can even stray from nude and ivory. Simply choose something sheer and not opaque, since it looks heavy and doesn't help flatter your lines. Don't wear black, though. It doesn't look right with a white/ivory dress. Pink, blue and lavender are all popular choices for daring brides.
Consider the shoes you are wearing. Will they be strappy sandals or closed-toe? Sandaltoe stockings are the choice when you are wearing open-toe shoes, but they are also the most prone to runs; buy several pairs to have extras on hand! Closed toe shoes, or intense barefoot dancing will probably need a more durable pair of hose, one with reinforced toes.
Finally, don't forget to buy several pairs of the hose you choose. You never know when you'll get a run, and it's better to have extras than be caught off guard.
Garters and Garter Belts
The garter toss is an old tradition for the groom to toss away his old bachelor ways and begin life as a married man. Nonetheless, like everything with weddings these days, the rules don't always hold. To the bride, the lack of the garter toss in the reception might be a relief, especially when you consider they cost $20 to $30, and she won't even get to use it again. Either way, it is only the couple who decide whether or not to include the event. If you do decide to play, you'll need a garter, which is often the item that brides use to cover their "something blue". Other than that, a garter can be of any design or color that you like. Just make sure that it stays on so that it doesn't slip down in the middle of the first dance. Also, don't confuse garters with garter belts ; the two have similar functions (or at least original functions) but are not at all similar!
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