What to wear under your backless wedding dress

Congratulations! After months of searching for your dream wedding dress you’ve finally found a fantastic backless work of art by your favourite designer that you absolutely LOVE. It fits your budget, looks stunning and best of all, everyone - from your best friend to your hard-to-please mother - loves it too! 

There’s just one small problem… The model used to showcase ‘your’ dream dress is a B-cup and you’re, well…. a little 'fuller’. Just how are you going to manage that backless look without proper support for your bust? 

At first you’ll hope that everything will sort itself out during the fittings. The boutique has already offered to sew cups into your dress and even if that fails, you still have the option of stick-on-bras or 'boob tape', right? 

Or maybe not... You’ve read the stories about 'boob tape' irritating or blistering sensitive skin. You’ve also read about silicone stick-on-bras coming unstuck after an hour of wear. But most of all, you worry that sewn in cups might not give you the support you need. All of a sudden the idea of going backless without bust support seems just that little bit more daunting! 

After more than 20 years in the industry as a tailor, I can honestly say that I’ve pretty much seen it all. The doubts, the tears, the frustration, the panic…

Luckily, there is a solution. All it takes is an understanding of the importance of choosing the correct underpinning that can both support your body shape and compliment the cut of your chosen dress at the same time.

As Christian Dior once said: 'Without foundations, there can be no fashion’. 

So what should you look for in a foundation undergarment to wear on your wedding day? Here are my tips to help ensure you have the best day of your life!

Support 

If you’ve chosen a super low back/ backless dress, start here. You’re going to need structured support for your bust. Even if you’re a relatively small cup, remember that a well made undergarment will act just like your favourite bra and give you all the support, lift and comfort you need, without compromising the look of your dress. And by ‘structured support’ I mean a garment with underwired soft or padded cups (depending on your preference), an underband to keep the cups close to your chest and shoulder straps to help fight gravity. By their very nature, stick-on or sewn-in cups or worse yet, ‘boob tape' offer none of this and at best will do little more than offer a (very temporary) illusion of support. The web is full of horror stories written by brides who made this mistake. There’s no need to join them!

Comfort 

You’ll most likely be wearing your wedding outfit for up to 12 hours on your big day starting with your morning preparation right through to the end of your reception. Choose your undergarment wisely. The fabric should be breathable and lightweight with just enough Lycra to offer a firm fit without feeling constricted. Avoid anything made of nylon. The last thing you’ll want is to feel hot and sweaty under your wedding dress on your big day.

Convenience 

One of those small details often overlooked, but oh so important! Just think of those 12 hours during which you’ll be wearing your wedding dress and consider how many times you’re likely to want to answer nature’s call! A well-made underpinning garment should include a standard hook and eye closure in the gusset for convenience. A practical solution to a simple, yet universal need.

Confidence 

Your wedding day is likely to be one of the most important days of your life. Feeling secure and supported under you dress will give you the confidence to walk down the isle or take that first dance with your new husband without worrying about the possibility of that dreaded ‘garment malfunction’ moment.

Remember, this is your big day. How you look and feel in your wedding dress will largely be down to how comfortable you feel under your wedding dress. Don’t compromise and whatever you do, don’t leave it to your final fitting to discover you need more than stick-on cups or boob tape to make your look work. Take the experiences of other brides on-board and choose wisely. You’ll be so glad you did.

- Asia Smaga (Founder, Creative Director at ENDER LEGARD)