What to wear under a low backed dress?

[AmyBride]

I know this is sort of personal, but if you have a low-backed dress, what are you doing for a bra?

I think the options are:

1. Going without
2. Stick on
3. Bustier
4. Convertible
5. Sewn in cups
6. Other?

I am researching this because the cap-sleeved shoulders of my dress use illusion netting and are wide set, so it would be hard to wear a bra with shoulder straps. In addition, the back of my dress is too low for a strapless bra. Going free is out of the question too.

I had my seamstress pin in bra cups. They did not add much support. My seamstress recommended a bustier because she said that the stick-on bras provide coverage but not support. I went to a specialty bra shop and forked over $110 to special-order one, which arrived a couple of days ago. It doesn’t seem very comfy but I could probably get used to it. The thing that concerns me is that the back of my dress also uses illusion netting, and the bustier (which is nude-colored) is visible from up close.

I need to decide whether to keep the bustier or return it. If I return it, I need to have some other solution in mind. I am interested to know how other brides with low-backed dresses are handling this issue, or if there are solutions that I’m not aware of.

 

[Pandora II]

It depends really how much support you need.

I'm a B, and have worn those stick-on paper things with backless evening dresses. They work amazingly well - but I did find I developed tiny blisters at the edges on the side where the skin was obviously pulling after 8 hours or so. I don't think they'd work well on anything bigger though.

There must be some solution though...

 

[blueyes157]

I am in a similar boat and going with the sewn in cups. Although I am not well endowed (a full B, small C). My dress also has a lot of support in the upper part of the dress as well as around the tummy, so its almost a corset.

 

[Dutchgirlll]

They do seem to sell backless bra''s and corsets with a deep v back shape. If it''s enough for your dress, I dunno!

But here I got some links:

corset

another (like this one)

or go for the one with plastic straps like this one

And I tried the adhesive ones too and for a C cup they don''t offer any support at all...

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I also found that adhesive didn''t do much for my C cups.
Here are a few clear backed and straped bras which really might be the way to go
http://www.lingerienewstyle.com/allproduct.asp?idProduct=27
http://braexperience.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BE&Product_Code=3258LeMy&Category_Code=Backless
http://www.allaboutdance.com/s.nl/it.A/id.17962/.f?category=101
http://www.figleaves.com/us/product.asp?product_id=DAK-359563&osrc=lsuspu20012008&siteid=xQQmVvpWHuA-jjE1G_oyRmuzVNQDhIQ9MQ&cookied=20%2F01%2F2008+18%3A32%3A02

 

[Independent Gal]

Check out figleaves and barenecessities.com They have lots of options so you can try many and see which one fits best. I tried on, literally, 9 different styles before I found one that was both comfy and had adequate engineering.

If the one you have isn''t comfy, don''t stop there! keep looking!

 

[surfgirl]

If you live near a Nordstrom''s, they have the best bra fitters around. take your dress with you and let them help you find something that will work. Alternatively, I''ve had similarly good luck with Bloomingdale''s bra dept. It all depends on how small/large you are and how "perky" the girls are on their own...

 

[Haven]

I swear by Victoria's Secret adhesives, they are amazing. I'm a full D, and I wear them whenever a regular bra won't suffice (they work far better than a strapless for me.) I have to wear two kinds of adhesives at once to get the support I need--the pushups and the lifts. I highly recommend them, they don't hurt when you pull them off, they don't leave any marks, and I've worn them for up to 12 hours before.

Here's a picture I posted the last time someone asked about this issue. I was the MOH at my best friend's wedding and got to wear this GORGEOUS dress. The back was so low that there was no way I'd be able to wear anyundergarments with it.
(I'm the tall one, in case that isn't obvious!)

 

[AmyBride]

I guess I should have mentioned it originally, but my bra size is a bit of a mystery. I've been a 34C for years, but the bra shop I went to measured me at a "full" 32DD--almost a 32F.

So yeah, I need good support...

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Date: 1/20/2008 5:02:53 PM
Author: AmyBride
I guess I should have mentioned it originally, but my bra size is a bit of a mystery. I''ve been a 34C for years, but the bra shop I went to measured me at a ''full'' 32DD--almost a 32F.

So yeah, I need good support...

That happened to my mom. She was always a 34B she thought and then she went to this local store for a bra and she turns out to be a 32c almost a D. This bra shop has been fetuared on notional TV because they do such good fittings and I have made one of my BMs go there to get something that fits right.
I am glad you got a remeasure because nothing is going to give you the support you need if it doesn''t fit.

 

[AmyBride]

Date: 1/20/2008 8:08:01 PM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy

Date: 1/20/2008 5:02:53 PM
Author: AmyBride
I guess I should have mentioned it originally, but my bra size is a bit of a mystery. I''ve been a 34C for years, but the bra shop I went to measured me at a ''full'' 32DD--almost a 32F.

So yeah, I need good support...

That happened to my mom. She was always a 34B she thought and then she went to this local store for a bra and she turns out to be a 32c almost a D. This bra shop has been fetuared on notional TV because they do such good fittings and I have made one of my BMs go there to get something that fits right.
I am glad you got a remeasure because nothing is going to give you the support you need if it doesn''t fit.

Maybe the worst part about it is that it''s really difficult to find ANYTHING in my "new" size. The bra shop had to special-order a bustier for me. When I went there, I was suspecting that I might need a D cup, but I never imagined that I would need something even larger than that. I''ve never viewed myself as overly "endowed."

 

[Gwyn]

I think i have found nothing too personal for Pricescope lol

im a C but my dress has a corset like top so im just going without. I have tried the stickies on other occasions and hate them. i have a strapless bra meant for low cut dresses (band around the stomach to hold it down) and that has worked in the past. but I would not call it the most comfortable item i own. not sure i woudl want to spend a whole day in it

 

[enbcfsobe]

what about one of those nubra things that is stick-on but has more of a cup to it than the paper stickies? i agree that the paper stickies from VS are more supportive than you''d expect, but my gripe with them is that it is difficult to get them to lay smoothly.

 

[~*Snow*~]

The bridal store i was at this weekend told me that semestress now are using this foam to fill in the cups between the material to make it "harder" to give women more support and to create cleavage with out stuffing the bra/bustier full of culets.. i don't know if this is new new but it was new to be! and i love the idea!

 

[AmyBride]

Date: 1/21/2008 9:05:28 AM
Author: enbcfsobe
what about one of those nubra things that is stick-on but has more of a cup to it than the paper stickies? i agree that the paper stickies from VS are more supportive than you''d expect, but my gripe with them is that it is difficult to get them to lay smoothly.

I''ve read that nubras work well for smaller cup sizes, but don''t provide support for larger sizes. Is that right? Also, I don''t think they even make them above a C or D cup.

 

[enbcfsobe]

Date: 1/21/2008 3:06:20 PM
Author: AmyBride

Date: 1/21/2008 9:05:28 AM
Author: enbcfsobe
what about one of those nubra things that is stick-on but has more of a cup to it than the paper stickies? i agree that the paper stickies from VS are more supportive than you''d expect, but my gripe with them is that it is difficult to get them to lay smoothly.

I''ve read that nubras work well for smaller cup sizes, but don''t provide support for larger sizes. Is that right? Also, I don''t think they even make them above a C or D cup.

hmmm...i''m not sure about size range or how they would work for larger cup sizes. i have personally had pretty good luck with sewn-in cups, but again, no experience with larger cup sizes.
if you are unhappy with the bustier/corset you ordered (I''m not sure I''d be comfortable wearing an even slightly-visible bra for my wedding!), i would talk to them about other options, including the low-back styles discussed above. also, have you considered trying one of the low-back/backless bra converters? It is a thing that attaches to a regular bra and it does this wrapping-around thing that pulls the band down and around. it is a little hard to explain, but places like barenecessities carry them. this might give you the option to have a more supportive bra (with clear straps maybe?). they aren''t expensive (under $10 from what I recall) so it might be worth a shot. The downside is that for those of us that are less than stick thin it has the potential to create some lumps. whether that is an issue depends on the fit of your dress and how tight you would want to wear it.

 

[Dutchgirlll]

Tried the silicon adhesive cups (are those the nubra''s people are referring to?), and they don''t do anything for my C-cup. I guess they would only help if I''d silicons inside my breasts too lol, because they don''t support anything. They say it gives you a push up effect, but nope.... ended up with still slightly hanging breast, just with 2 silicon chicken breast attached to them (that''s how my loving FI calls them

).

 

[Jas12]

You might want to get a good strapless bra that you know fits/support and go to a good seamstress--see if he/she can sew it right into the dress with some sort of attachment that falls below the fabric.
My dress wasn''t overly low but my bra did show when I moved around so I sewed it in and that did the trick--you''d be surprised at what a good seamstress can come up with

 

[aprilcait]

VS has a strapless bra that has a partial band that sticks to the side of your ribcage. If you go onto the VS website and look under "strapless bras" I believe it under there. I would give you a link but I''m at work right now and that site is blocked for me.

 

[gtn]

don''t laugh at me for mentioning this, but what happened to Elaine Cato''s Backless Bra from American Inventor Season 2? Here''s some video I found about it

I can''t seem to find it online.

 

[pjean]

Be careful with the Nubra thing if you''re planning a destination wedding. I just got back from a friend''s wedding, and although she had a few "bra rehearsals" ahead of time, the southern climate resulted in ... well, a fashion emergency.

4 foot bandaids and some packing tape (all I could find!) fixed the situation, and now we''re laughing about it. At the time, not so funny. So if you think you might sweat at all, don''t count on adhesive.

 

[AmyBride]

I apologize for my absence from the board. I had a work-related trip this week (which doesn’t exactly help wedding planning) and am just getting caught up.

I’m SO grateful for the input and recommendations!! Thank you!!!

I’ve been spending the last two hours trying to sort this out.

In terms of corsets/bustiers/longline bras, the Va Bien 513 linked by Dutchgirlll doesn’t seem to have a very low back (it wasn''t easy to find a picture). The Carnival Bridal Splendor 203 she linked has a much lower back but doesn’t come in 32DD.

I’m pretty sure that clear-strapped bras won’t work unless the strap goes below the normal bra line—otherwise the clear strap will be visible. Shoulder straps might be a problem too. That said, the one that looks like the best choice is the Donna Karan one that brazen irish hussy linked to. Except, of course, it doesn’t come in 32DD.

I don’t think a clear bra converter strap will work unless the bra to which it attaches has a clear back.

Today I called my seamstress, who recommended against sewing in a bra. She told me to look online and gave me the name of a website, but an hour of web-surfing hasn’t surfaced anything that meets all of the criteria (size, low back, etc.).

Tonight I tried my dress again with the previously-purchased bustier, and I’m sure I would be wondering if people were noticing it through the netting. The same might be true with clear plastic straps, but I haven''t tested that.

So that leaves me with the choice of:
1. Ordering a lower back bustier in a size other than 32DD and hoping that it works.
2. Ordering a clear-strapped convertible bra in a size other than 32DD and hoping that it works.
3. Adhesives

Did I miss anything?

Suggestions?

 

[Harleigh]

Date: 1/25/2008 9:52:32 PM
Author: AmyBride



I apologize for my absence from the board. I had a work-related trip this week (which doesn’t exactly help wedding planning) and am just getting caught up.

I’m SO grateful for the input and recommendations!! Thank you!!!

I’ve been spending the last two hours trying to sort this out.

In terms of corsets/bustiers/longline bras, the Va Bien 513 linked by Dutchgirlll doesn’t seem to have a very low back (it wasn't easy to find a picture). The Carnival Bridal Splendor 203 she linked has a much lower back but doesn’t come in 32DD.

I’m pretty sure that clear-strapped bras won’t work unless the strap goes below the normal bra line—otherwise the clear strap will be visible. Shoulder straps might be a problem too. That said, the one that looks like the best choice is the Donna Karan one that brazen irish hussy linked to. Except, of course, it doesn’t come in 32DD.

I don’t think a clear bra converter strap will work unless the bra to which it attaches has a clear back.

Today I called my seamstress, who recommended against sewing in a bra. She told me to look online and gave me the name of a website, but an hour of web-surfing hasn’t surfaced anything that meets all of the criteria (size, low back, etc.).

Tonight I tried my dress again with the previously-purchased bustier, and I’m sure I would be wondering if people were noticing it through the netting. The same might be true with clear plastic straps, but I haven't tested that.

So that leaves me with the choice of:
1. Ordering a lower back bustier in a size other than 32DD and hoping that it works.
2. Ordering a clear-strapped convertible bra in a size other than 32DD and hoping that it works.
3. Adhesives

Did I miss anything?

Suggestions?

Hi Amy,

Who knew there were so many 32DD girls here on PS??? You, me, Haven & Indy! I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting, but no wonder I can never find my bra size anywhere...we're all scooping them up online!

I have one very similar to the Donna Karan one brazen listed...I think it is by LeMystere? I'll look for it if you want me to. It may only be a 32D, but I'm pretty sure I remember being super excited about being able to order it in a 32DD. For your wedding, you may be able to pull off a 34C/D, which I often find to be too loose, but they work in a pinch when I HAVE to have coverage. I also have these little gel stick-on thingies that give complete nipple coverage, which might help you if you can go without the support. I think am also going to recommend that last DK bra to my BM's as one style of their dresses has a very low back, but I don't think the strapless corsets would work under their chiffon gown, but wowsers, that sucker is pricey! Good thing I bought their dresses for them!

Ok...just checked for you...the bra IS a 32DD!!! Woot woot! It is from the L'image Collection by LeMyste're! It says it is a "Dos Nu" (Nude Back) Convertible Bra. I could, um, model it for you, but I don't want to get booted off of PS! It has clear shoulder straps, a single nude band that goes across the stomach and a nude back/clasp. It is SUPER comfy!

Hope that helps!

 

[scarlet16]

I have the complete opposite problem as you but I wanted to recommend going to a specialty bra store. If you''re in NYC by any chance, there''s a place called BraTenders that specifically does fittings to determine what type of bra will work with dress, etc. Or another route might be to get a custom bra/bustier made...though it may be more expensive, it would solve the problem. Again, I know of a location in Manhattan but not sure how easily found they are elsewhere.