What Underwear Should I Choose For My Wedding Dress?

Frilly knickers and lacy bras, balconettes and Brazilian briefs, thongs and French knickers, garters and bustiers...the list goes on. But we all know for your actual wedding day, you need something a little more sensible and supportive than colourful, super pretty lacy numbers. You want a set of bridal lingerie that offers support in all the right places for the big day, but not so robust that your guests can see every piece of wiring and boning underneath. It needs to be comfortable too... not a lot to ask then! Today we're bringing you some expert advice from Lingerie specialists, Rigby & Peller, whose knowledge and service is unrivalled, with over 75 years at the top of their game and a Royal Warrant to boot. The sheer choice of bridal lingerie available to brides can be overwhelming, but that doesn't mean that every style of bra or brief will be compatible with your chosen wedding dress design. Where to start? Which style will be suitable for your bridal gown? Rest assured, along with Rigby & Peller, we're here to help with our handy guide and top tips below.

Wedding Bras

It's so important to get your wedding day underwear right. The right fit, the right style, the right colour. Your underwear has a huge role to play in how you look and feel in your frock on the day itself. We've provided you with a handy guide to the ten most popular styles of wedding dress designs and the recommended bridal lingerie that is compatible with the gown in question.

Strapless: A classic balcony shape strapless bra is most suitable for this particular style. Once you have your underwear and dress on, move around in all manner of positions to check the fit is comfortable and correct and that the bra isn't visible over the top or sides of the dress.

Illusion: Although this style technically covers the shoulders, current fashions for a sheer layer at the top of the dress mean that any bra straps will still be visible. Avoid wearing clear straps as they can still be seen; instead, opt for a well-fitting strapless style.

Halter Strap: Much like the strapless dress, a halter strap design requires a strapless bra usually in the classic balcony shape. If you're after a bit more support then it's worth looking for a multi-strap bra where you can attach and detach the straps in a myriad of different combinations to suit your dress shape.

Grecian: A classic balcony shape strapless bra is most suitable for this particular style. Avoid choosing a bra that has any embellishments incorporated into its design as they may be visible underneath the dress.

Low Cut: V-neck and low cut necklines require serious plunging styles. Typically the shoulder straps of these dress designs err on the thin side so choose a plunge that has thinner straps so they can hide comfortably beneath the dress.

Backless: For backless dresses, it's all about the adhesive bra for support. These types of bras consist of simply two cups - often joined in the middle that are fixed around the breasts using essentially very strong sticky tape. The lack of a strap around the back means that your backless frock will be shown off to perfection.

Queen Anne: Dresses with a Queen Anne neckline provide good coverage of the chest and shoulder area, giving the wearer a greater amount of choice when it comes to selecting lingerie. Those with larger busts may prefer a full-cup style to give them additional support, whilst others may opt for less coverage wearing a balconette style.

One Shoulder: The same advice applies to the one-shoulder style frock as mentioned above for the halter neck dress. Just remember that if the fabric of your dress is fine, choose a smoother style with fewer seams.

Scoop Neck: Given that many scoop neck dresses are designed using finer materials, a fitted seamless bra such as a t-shirt bra is most suitable for this type of gown. The smooth cup will ensure that your silhouette is shown off to perfection. It's also worth bearing in mind that if that neck falls low on the dress then opt for a plunge t-shirt bra design to prevent any exposure of the lingerie itself. 

Off The Shoulder: Much like the strapless frock, the classic strapless bra is the best option for an off the shoulder dress. It's worth mentioning however that if your gown is cut quite low at the front, make sure you choose a strapless plunge style rather than the more traditional balcony shape. Equally an adhesive style is suitable too.

Briefs

Pay attention to what you're wearing on your bottom half too. Regardless of the design of your wedding dress, it's possible to wear briefs - both bikini and full designs - with them. However, with the more fitted styles, such as fishtail and column gowns, seam-free options will work best i.e. avoiding the chance of any VPL. If your frock is more ethereal, made for example from very fine or floaty fabric such as chiffon or even closely fitting lace, then a well-fitting g-string with wide sides is your best friend. Again this will reduce the likelihood of any visible lines appearing. 

Rigby & Peller

If you're still feeling a bit unsure about your lingerie options then do book an appointment with specialist fitters Rigby & Peller. They offer complimentary bridal appointments with expert stylists who will be able to guide you through the process offering help and support in a fun and relaxing way. This service is available for your whole wedding party, so why not make a day of it? If you want more lingerie chat you can check out this episode of our podcast where we're joined by chief lingerie stylist Kelly who answers more questions about your wedding underwear. Listen on your iPhone here or if you have Spotify you can listen here. Ensuring that your lingerie fits well and does the job is an essential part of making sure you feel your most beautiful on your wedding day. Trust Rigby & Peller to help make this happen and you'll be walking on cloud nine for your whole wedding day.