Why 2022 is the year of the wedding and how brides can avoid fitting room tears. Plus! Key bridal trends and their lingerie solutions…
Ah, February! The month of love and romance, Valentine’s Day and the start of National Wedding Month. For most, this cold and wintry time of the year doesn’t seem synonymous with weddings, but with a lot of proposals traditionally falling around Christmas and New Year celebrations, followed by February 14th, it’s the month where a lot of activity ramps up around planning for the big day.
As experienced planners ourselves – who doesn’t love a well thought out plan of action? – we’d be the first to tell you how important it is to build a solid foundation to ensure success, especially when it comes to foundation wear!
All too often we’ve seen brides excitedly bring in the dress of their dreams and see it turn in to the garment of nightmares when they realize that the strapless bra they’ve created in their mind that will give them the lift, shape and support needed for their bust and dress type cannot also be invisible, seam free, backless or have an ultra-low V shape. It doesn’t exist for an A cup, and definitely doesn’t for a HH cup.
We’re not giving any shade to our colleagues in the bridal industry here. We know how magical it is to try on THE dress, to see your customer light up and have that moment. What we would say to any bridal (or even any formal wear) boutique is to work with us and ensure your bride’s foundation is sorted, especially if they’re the proud owner of a fuller bust or figure.
Ensuring that you are properly fitted in the correct size and style for your bust and shape is essential, especially if you’re looking for strapless options.
We’ve written in our blogs before how firm support from the under bust is key to ensuring you don’t have a strapless bra that constantly falls down. To do that on a fuller figure or larger bust, the depth of the strapless bra must be enough to contain the bust cups and fit parallel around the body. Therefore, an ultra-low back when you’re a HH cup is going to be extremely difficult to find a suitable bra for.
If you’re a long-time reader, you’ll know our key points on how to achieve a great fit:
- The band should fit snugly around the rib cage on the loosest hook; no movement if you lift your arms up.
- The cup and underwires should contain the bust completely; no wire sitting on breast tissue.
- There should be no over-spill or gaping in the cup; no extra boobs coming out the sides or front of your bra.
- If using straps, they will be two fingers width tight, sitting in proportion within the body frame: not slipping off the shoulders or taking all the weight of the bust.
2022 is going to be a HUGE events year!
We expect 2022 is going to be a big year for weddings and events in general, and the data shown in a recent article by the NYT agrees with predictive data showing over 2.5 million weddings in 2022, the most since 1984.
With the past two years having delayed many bridal plans for dream weddings we think there’s going to be a big rush to get events sorted this year, but especially so in the warmer (and relatively, COVID safer) months.
After two long years of being cooped up, apart or putting big celebrations off until a better time, we can understand the feeling of looking forward to something wonderful ahead and can’t wait for all the fabulous invitations for weddings, garden parties, proms and all the other excuses for us to get dressed up.
However, with logistic and shipping issues affecting manufacturers and retailers globally right now and for the foreseeable future, this could be a perfect storm. What used to take a couple of weeks to arrive now takes months. Shipping rates have skyrocketed, labor shortages are rife and like a stack of dominoes it affects everything down the line. Dyes, lace, fabrics are all being affected.
At Bra~vo intimates we’re already starting to see the demand for certain items exceed the stock we have and some styles and popular sizes are selling out as quickly as we can fit them, even with adjusted quantities of stock.
Our advice is… BEAT THE RUSH!
Brides, guests and all other formal wearers, get prepared and plan ahead so you can avoid disappointment and the horrible, panicked feeling of needing to get something at the last minute.
Book in now for a fitting appointment at our Metro Detroit boutique and get yourself in the right size and shape for you. Ask us about bridal bras and give us an idea of what you’re hoping to get as a wedding dress and we can show you the best options for your true size and shape, ensuring you’re fully empowered with the knowledge of what works best for you and your bust, and what doesn’t.
This way you can go to your bridal dress appointment fully confident in the knowledge that your bra solution is giving you the very best support and shape ensuring all eyes are on you, the glowing bride, and not the strapless bra that keeps needing to be pulled back up as you walk down the aisle!
2022 trending Bridal dresses and the best bras to wear with them
There’s a reason why the strapless bra or basque is usually offered as a bridal range. It adapts and accommodates so many different styles of traditional wedding wear, that it’s usually the most versatile and most common option to go for.
However, with modern couples often going for a more unique approach to wedding dress styles, there’s a host of strapless bra alternatives available – especially for the fuller figured or fuller busted bride. In the era of sustainability and with wedding outfits costing more and more, are we happy with buying a set of lingerie for the one day and never wearing it again? A more justifiable and cost-effective way to get the best out of your wedding day underwear is to make sure it’s well worn.
Current bridal trends seem to crash from one end of the spectrum to the other – simple chic to voluminous gowns and all the stops in between. They’re still being influenced by the effects of COVID with those who have had to delay and those who are more recently engaged. Both may feel like they want to pare things back and have a simpler, contemporary twist to their wedding day or those who really go full out, maximalist and as grand as can be with days of celebrating.
The key trends for 2022 are…
Showing some skin – ultra low backs, or deep plunging necklines
This is one of the trickiest styles to wear if you have a fuller bust, simply because there is so little fabric to accommodate a larger bust. All the principles that ensure your bust can be well supported are taken away when you remove the central gore of a bra (where the two wires meet in the middle) or a deep underband sitting parallel around the body.
Most of the brides that come into the fitting room stating they have a low back usually find that once they’re in the right size and no longer have their bra strap racing up past their shoulder blades they can get away with either a regular bra adjusted to fit ever so slightly lower (simply extend the straps to a longer length and either tack in or use lingerie tape to ensure the wings remain below the line of the dress). This trick only works with styles that sit just along the natural waistline, unfortunately anything lower can end up showing at the sides if they’re particularly cut away.
Try these solutions for this style:
Braza THE LOW DOWN 80605 Low Back converter
Fashion Forms VOLUPTUOUS 16541 Adhesive Cups
Mock or high necks – often in lace overlay, or with a modest look and cap sleeves
The royals have been supporters of this trend for some time. It lends itself to a timeless elegance, as well as being suitable for those brides wanting to show modesty in more religious services. Princess Diana’s niece, Lady Kitty Spencer, pulled off the Dolce and Gabbana Victoriana look at her July wedding and Emily in Paris star Lily Collins joined in the revival of a higher neck in September at her nuptials with her Ralph Lauren designed gown.
This style is usually created by having a sheer lace overlay, which can still require a strapless bra underneath, but straps can sometimes be hidden if required, either by wearing a nude tone bra with very simple straps or having the lace lined with a nude fabric. Lace overlays can often hide seams so don’t be afraid to try a seamed bra – they give better lift, shape and support than seam free styles due to their cut’n’sew style.
Try these solutions for this style:
Regency/Bridgerton inspired dresses - big sleeves, visible corsetry
This is the princess vibe for the post COVID era. From bishop sleeves that gather at the wrist in gauzy lace or chiffon, to modern corsets with the structural boning showing amongst sheer panels. This style demands to be looked at and has a heavy dose of the historical about it.
For the puff sleeves option, if the body of the dress is opaque you could wear your favorite plunge bra and pin the straps or wear with a J hook to ensure they don’t show. With visible corsetry you may even find that it gives enough support if you are firm as the boning helps to lift the bust.
Try these solutions for this style:
Curvy Kate Super Plunge Multi-Way CK022107
Modern Separates – jumpsuits, suits, everyday styles that can be worn again
The perfect outfit choice for the bride that doesn’t want a big dress, the couple that get married at town hall or an elopement. This is probably one of the most sustainable bridal trends as it means that you can wear your wedding outfit again and again.
Think Bianca Jagger at the St Tropez courthouse in a white skirt suit or Olivia Palermo’s white cashmere sweater with shorts and an overlaid tulle skirt. The possibilities are endless with the separates trend and means you don’t have to shoehorn your body into a traditional shape, thus getting to wear whatever you want underneath! You can even make your lingerie part of the outfit, with the lace or strappy detailing showing under a suit jacket.
Try these solutions for this style:
Colorful gowns – because not everyone wants to get married in white
Gone are the days of brides needing to wear white to a wedding. Modern views are more accepting that Ivory, Cream and Blush tones may be better suited. With ceremonies taking place in different settings the traditional white dress isn’t always the right choice for the 2022 bride. Plus, there are plenty of Asian cultures where wearing bright colors such as red is seen as the tradition.
Pandemic era brides might want to inject even more fun and personality into their big day wearing alternative bridal colors – what if your something blue was your dress? Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn turned heads with her Gothic inspired black wedding dress and it’s sure to have an impact at any wedding, especially if there’s a theme.
A colorful wedding dress also means you can wear any tone underneath that you might like – why not wear a secret something blue or a scandalous red underneath to surprise your partner with?!
Try these solutions for this style:
Scantilly SHEER CHIC BALCONY ST013100
Just like bras, bridal wear isn’t one size fits all
A lot of the time, figure and bust size may affect what you choose or will suit you best, however all is not lost if you have your eye set on a particular style. Speak to your dressmaker and ask if, for example, a modesty panel could be put in to raise the height of a deep V style to make it that little bit more practical to wear the right bra with. Alternatively, perhaps they can pin in your bra to the dress itself or put in dress cups to give the smallest amount of support – a great compromise if you have a high, firm bust but are a fuller size. A nude toned inlay can hide thicker straps on lace shoulders.
Also, certain fabrics work better at giving support - a gossamer thin silk slip of a dress will show EVERYTHING underneath, but a duchess satin is thicker and sturdier and holds its shape better. Add a thicker lining and you have a supportive fabric that can cover all the foundation garments!
Top Tip: many brides see their wedding as the perfect time to change shape, but any bridal boutique will tell you what a nightmare it can be. If you are actively working to change your shape, bear in mind that things may no longer fit and costly alterations may need to be done. The same goes for your wedding lingerie – it must always fit snugly around you. If you’re losing weight but staying in the same size bra, it’s going to hang off you and potentially fall down or gape in the cups. If you are changing shape, make sure to get refitted every 2-3 months instead of the usual 6-8. And don’t forget to wear a proper sports bra!
Ultimately, don’t stress… easier said than done when planning a wedding! But if you start early and get your wedding foundation sorted, it’s one less thing to think about.
Bra~vo intimates are here for all your bridal and special event needs. Book your appointment with us here or call us on 248-582-7286 and have the Bra~vo Experience before your big day!
