Support Solutions, with Marianne

Hi Ladies,

While most of my bridal posts address brides themselves - or their bridesmaids - I would like to devote this note to the dear mothers out there!  Here are a few tips to help two of the most important wedding guests - the mother of the bride, and of the groom - look their very best on their loved one’s big day:

1. Make sure to select a foundation with supportive bra cups.  It must fit nice and tight.  We don’t want mom pulling on the neckline of her dress throughout the evening.

2. Consider bodysuits or control briefs with double - or triple - paneled front sections.  This will cinch the midsection effectively.

3. Do not size down in firm control styles!  While it may be tempting to size down to cinch an extra inch, this will only result in bulging around the seams and discomfort.

Here’s a Va Bien style that is quite popular among mothers of the bride - it offers great bust support and firm-but-comfortable slimming:

Love you Mom!

Best,

Marianne

6 Responses »

Hi Ladies,

How about another bridal post?  I received this note recently from “KL” in Miami:

Dear Marianne,

This May I am getting married in a low plunge dress.  I don’t have a picture of my dress itself, but I found this one online that has the same cut:

See how low it is in the front, and how it nips in around the waist?  I am not full figured, but I am not as perfect as the girl in the picture.  How can I slim down a bit around the waist while not showing anything beneath the low plunge cut of the dress??

Thanks so much

I love the cut of that dress.  Traditionally, it was only possible for very slim, small busted women to wear something like that.  Sure, we all lose weight heading into our big day, but sometimes there’s only so much we can do!  Today there is a the perfect solution:  a low plunge body briefer.  They tuck in the tummy and the waist like a traditional body briefer, but feature a “u-wire” in the middle of the neckline that forms a deep “U” - hence the name - allowing the garment to hide under a low cut dress.

Now, there are different low plunge body briefers out there.  You must make sure to shop wisely, because if you find one without the right features, you might be facing a serious impending wardrobe malfunction!  (Think when you throw up the bouquet, or when you’re on the dancefloor)  Here are two features that your low plunge bodysuit must have:

1) An adjustable u-wire.  This is critical because not all women have the same width torso, or the same bust size.  That means that if you buy a style with an in-flexible, non-adjustable u-wire, there’s no guarantee that the “U” will hit you in the right place, and hold you securely.

2) Supportive bra cups.  For obvious reasons, you want the Girls to be held in securely by some extra supportive bra cups.

There is an example from Va Bien that hits both points HERE.

Good luck to you “KL”!

Best,

Marianne

No Responses »

Hi Ladies,

I received this note from “J” last week who is getting ready for a party and needs the right support under her cute new dress:

Dear Marianne,

I picked up the Alexander Wang dress below from Net a Porter to wear at my girlfriend’s upcoming cocktail party:

There is good news and bad news.  The good: the dress cost only $95!  The bad: it’s very form fitting on me and even though it’s black it’s rather unforgiving… and I’m not exactly as flawless as the gal in the picture!  So I need something that will shape my body to wear under the dress.  As you can see it is one-shoulder so whatever you pick needs to accomodate that.  I am fairly tall (5″8), in case that helps.  Thanks for anything you can suggest!

First off, how about an Alexander Wang dress at $95!  Could it be an AW sub-brand?  Anyhow, down to business.  It’s quite helpful that J volunteered her height, because now I know whether to recommend a bodysuit or a convertible bra / control brief combo.  As I’ve gone through in previous posts, bodysuits work best for taller ladies, whereas bras paired with control briefs generally work best for those who are more petite.

So, a bodysuit it will be for J.  As she mentioned it needs to accomodate her one-shoulder dress, which rules out all bodysuits that are not convertible or not strapless - that does not leave many left on the market.  I should also note that a dress slip would not work in this case because strapless ”mini” dress slips on the market will not be nearly as effective in controlling the body.   Here’s a suggested bodysuit from Va Bien:

It’s pictured strapless but it comes with straps that are fully convertible.  J could wear the garment strapless, though it’s nice to know that for extra security the one-shoulder strap can be attached.  Additionally the garment features patented ultra-Lift cups to lift and shape the bust, and a firm front panel to tuck in the tummy - along with light boning to keep the garment in place, and sheer panels for a sexy touch.

J: Have fun at the party and cheers to your new outfit!

Marianne

No Responses »

Hi Ladies,

I recently received an email from “Jane”, who is shopping for some strapless shapewear to slim down on her son’s wedding day!  (Exciting!!)  Here is an excerpt from her note:

I am long-waisted and need strapless shapewear and can’t tell if one piece would be right; or if a combination of a bustier and body shaper would be better.  I wear a size 12-14 and measure a full bra size 38D by your site instructions.

 Just as I advised Lorie back in March, petite ladies should go for 2-piece shapewear - a bra or bustier and a brief - whereas taller ladies may opt for one-piece bodysuits.  Since Jane is long-waisted, I advised her to go for the bodysuit.

Now, she also needs her foundation to be strapless.  Although she didn’t mention it in her email, I’m sure that she - like all of us - is concerned about her bust when going sans straps at a special event.  There is a litany of potential issues, particularly since she is a full 38D, ranging from simple slippage to the dreaded pop-out!  Her son’s wedding is a day when she is supposed to be standing proud, not worrying about pulling her dress up every 5 minutes.

In turn, I recommended our Style 1570 which will securely hold her D’s high all night thanks to ultra-Lift technology inside the cups.  The bodysuit also features a firm control front panel to tuck the tummy, and cute sheer paneling on the sides for a fashion look.

Hope you enjoy your son’s big day, Jane!

Best,

Marianne

2 Responses »

Hi Ladies,

First off I would like to apologize for my absence lately!  Things have been just wild (in a good way) in the office, and I have not had a moment to make any posts!

Last week however I received a call from Lorie, who is getting married this summer (I’m so excited that we’re getting into bridal season!) and I just had to make a post about her lesson learned.

Let’s take a step back first.  Lorie started shopping for a foundation (a bodysuit, bustier, etc to wear under your dress) back in January.  She gave me her measurements, described her dress, and pointed out the specific bodyparts that she wanted to control.  Her primary concerns were her tummy, her bottom, and her thighs - and she wanted extra firm control, no sissy stuff!  She described her dress as lightweight, clingy, and strapless.

My recommendation to her was Va Bien Style 1294, which will shape her perfectly in all those areas, and is strapless.  It also features a light touch of lace for a cute fashion look.

Now, back to Lorie’s phone call.  She sounded a bit unhappy on the phone, and told me that although her bust fit perfectly into the bodysuit, the material was bunching up around her tummy.

It turns out that she is 4′11 tall!  Ladies, bodysuits come in bra sizes, and although the length (the “stride” in industry speak) is graded as sizes increase, there is no way for brands to accommodate everyone.  Those of us who are not very tall should stay away from bodysuits and opt to combine a control brief with a supportive bra.  Some control briefs are high waist and can run all the way up to the bra, for the same effect as a bodysuit on a shorter woman.

So, I advised Lorie accordingly - she picked up the control brief and bra - and now she’s happy again and off to her dress fitting.  Good luck to you Lorie!

Best,

Marianne

No Responses »