Just like when a home is built, the foundation for your clothing is important.
When your home was built, the foundation was laid first. It is the unseen structure that provides stability and support for everything else. If it's not built well, it will not be able to handle the weight and external forces that will come. If your house was built with a weak foundation, you may experience cracks in the walls or uneven floors.
Similarly, when you build the foundation for your outfits, having well-fitting bras and underwear provide the right support and comfort throughout the day. Every outfit may have differeing needs when it comes to undergarments, so as you construct your outfit, you have to consider what will go on top, just like a foundation for a home.
When you think about Foundational pieces for your wardrobe, we are talking about bras, underwear, and shapewear. You will have several different types of foundational pieces for your wardrobe.
You want to feel confident and fabulous in your clothes, and that means starting with great basics!
80% of women are wearing the wrong size bra
Did you know that it's important to get fitted for a bra every couple of years?! The truth is that our bodies change over-time, so things may have shifted since you had your last bra fitting.
I recently had my bra fitted and it has been a game-changer in how my outfits look on my body. My waist was buried underneath the drooping girls. They are so lifted now, it's incredible what it does for my silhouette.
I STRONGLY recommend that you be fitted for a bra by a professional. In fact, I recently brought it a bra fitting expert to my Style Studio for my clients to come have a private fitting. Bra fitting specialists understand HOW to measure. When we take it upon ourselves to do this, we may use the wrong tension when measuring or, despite our best efforts, measure at the wrong location on our body. Typically, the fitting is free, you will just need to be ready to make a purchase.
You need to replace your bra every 6 to 12 months
This is another one that shakes women. The fact that time seems to go by faster and faster with each year does not help with this one, but the truth is that this is just as important as being fitted every 2 years.
Our bras do a lot of work and we don't treat them well. Now, if you rotate your bra every other day, you can go a year before replacing it. If you wear the same bra day-in and day-out, 6 months is your replacement window. The fibers in the bra break down with sweat and constant wear. The band of your bra should sit parallel to the ground and does the brunt of the work. If it is riding up, it's time to replace your bra. The straps help to distribute the weight of the cups equally.
Bra Care
Because your bras are in heavy contact with sweat, oils, and dead skin cells, you are supposed to wash them after only one or two wears.
Now, to be honest, not many of us do this, but it's something to keep in-mind.
When you rotate wearing your bras, this will help the elastic in your bra to last longer, therefore giving you more time before you need to replace it.
Handwashing is ideal, but another truth is that not many of us do this. Make sure that you place your bras in a mesh bag and wash on gentle cycle. NEVER put them in the dryer. Allow them to air dry on a rack over the center gore.
Lay your bras flat when storing them and allow the cups (if molded) to sit intact as if they are on your body.
Consider what types of bras you need
If you wear a lot of sleeveless styles, you need to have a well-fitting strapless bra.
Do you love racerback tops? You need either a racerback bra or a convertible bra to handle this. I also love these little bra clips that can easily attach to the straps of your normal bra if this is a style of top or dress that you wear rarely.
If you exercise, you need a good supportive sports bra.
If you have larger breasts, you may want to consider a great sleep bra to give a little bit of support to the girls while you sleep or are wearing your loungewear.
If you have some lower cut tops or love to show a little pretty lace, look for a great bralette with a fancy back to show off!
Make sure you have at least one nude-toned bra in your repertoire. It will be your absolute everyday go-to!
When I had my bra fitting, I asked a few questions. Watch the video below!
Let's Talk Underwear
There are so many types of underwear to consider. In this section, I am going to specifically talk about regular underwear, not shaping underwear (we will discuss that in the shapewear section).
Much about underwear choice will come down to your body type and personal preference. From my personal stylist lens, I do not want underwear that is going to create any sort of lumps and bumps, we want smoothness under your clothes.
Thongs: These have minimal coverage to them and ensure that you don't have VPL (visible panty lines). I mostly recommend these for younger people because as we age, most of us need more support on our backside than these provide. You also see more backside jiggle if you are wearing these, so if you are wearing a bodycon dress, they may be a good option, but you need to understand that.
Boy Shorts: These are a fitted short style that allow for no panty lines. I love these for under short dresses in particular because if a breeze happens to whip up your dress, you will have great coverage. They are very comfortable, but I do not recommend them for everyday wear.
Hipsters: These have a wider side and offer less coverage than the boy shorts. They sit lower on the hip and many find them very comfortable. Again, depending on if you hold weight in your stomach, these may not be the most optimal choice.
High-Cut or French Cut: These have a high cut leg opening on the side and visually elongate the leg. They are a very sexy look. These are a great option for everyday because that little bit of sexiness under your clothing will give you an extra confidence boost that only you know about!
Bikini: These are the most popular style to wear. They have a low rise and moderate coverage in the back. If you have more of an A-shape or X-shape, these may not be the best option to give you the best coverage.
Briefs: These will provide the most support for most women. They have full coverage in the front and the back. They are a classic choice for both comfort and versatility to go with most clothing items!
Once your underwear begin to lose elasticity and you start having to tug at them to keep them in-place, it's time to replace them STAT!
Once we hit a certain age, our weight shifts. Even if you are an ideal weight, our bodies as women shift weight to common areas like the stomach. It's one of the biggest frustrations that I hear from women. Make sure that you are wearing underwear that are giving you the best support and coverage and allow you to feel your most confident!
Shapewear isn't just for Special Events
It's a common misconception that you only need to wear shapewear for special occasions, but you can also wear certain items on the daily! Having a wardrobe of shapewear for the everyday is important, too.
When most women think of shapewear, they think of the VERY compressing shapewear garments of past. The truth is that shapewear comes in many styles and compression levels. It has come a long way from even 10 years ago!
Types of Shapewear
Body Shapers: These are full-body shapers that can come with a built in bra or that may scoop down and allow for you to wear your own bra. They can have straps of be strapless. The key with full-body is that they are going to cover your midsection, hips and full thighs. Most come with a gusset to make trips to the bathroom easy. This type of shapewear is great for a special occasion and likely has quite a bit of compression (which we will dive into later) so may be the least comfortable for extended wear.
Mid-Thigh Shapers: These will not have any straps attached and pull all the way up to underneath your bra and provide coverage of your waist, hips, and mid-thighs. The compression level is variable on these pieces and depending on the level of compression, may be worn under dresses on the day-to-day.
High-waisted Shorts: These are similar to the mid-thigh variety, but are shorter in length, so don't give coverage of the thighs. These work well under a fitted pant or short.
Control Panties: These can be an everyday wear panty because they are typically a light to medium compression level. They will provide shaping and coverage for your tummy and hips and typically just provide a smoothing out of things.
Waist cinchers: These focus on shaping your waist and midsection. They have high compression and are used mostly for special occasions and post-partum support.
Let's talk Compression
Compression matters when we talk about wearability. This is why you could have several types of the same shapewear in your wardrobe. What you want to wear for every day will be completely different than what you are willing to wear for a special occasion.
Light Compression: This provides a gentle smoothing out of bulges and provides light contouring. It is comfortable for every day and extended periods of time.
Moderate Compression: This provides more shaping and a more slimming effect on the body. You get a good balance of control and comfort.
High Compression: This provides the most slimming and shaping, but you will not want to wear it on an everyday basis. This is your special occasion shapewear.
The most popular brands for shapewear are: Spanx (the OG), Skims (known for it's skintone options), Yummie (great control options for the top half of the body like shapewear tanks), Shapermint, Honeylove, and Maidenform.
Fit is important with Shapewear
When it comes to sizing on shapewear, please err on the side of sizing UP. For one, if you go too small, even a moderate compression level will be uncomfortable. Second, our skin, our organs, our bones, our muscles are what they are. The goal of shapewear is SMOOTHING first and foremost. If you are trying to squeeze your body into a space that it is not meant to fit in, guess what? Your skin and fat HAS to go somewhere, so it will squeeze out on top or bottom causing rolls and completely defeating the purpose of the shapewear to begin with.
Size doesn't matter. Fit matters. Full Stop.
I hope that you found this post helpful. I know that spending money on the unseen items is a tough pill to swallow. Girl, I hear you. But without the right base, theclothes that you spend your hard-earned money on will not look as good on your body. It's worth the investment to make sure you are building your outfits from the ground-up.
Stylishly Yours,
Ready for a Style Reinvention? I would love to help you to discover the styles that look best on you! Snag my FREE guide with my Top 5 juiciest tips for an Elevated Style here!
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