Shapewear or no shape wear for backless dress?

koms615

Hello,

I have been debating this for a few months now and need to have it figured out before my first alterations appointment.

I have a gorgeous backless wedding dress from DB. 

I also have a stomach pooch--it doesn't bother me with everyday clothing. But I am worried about it in my wedding dress.

I am having the cups sewn into my dress. So I guess I just have two options:

1. Find some sort of shape wear that offers tummy control but is strapless and backless (that doesn't cost a fortune)

OR

2. Ignore my stomach pooch and just buy a nice pair of underwear for underneath (any suggestions for this too?).

What are your suggestions????

Thanks in advance.

kvruns

My concern with shape wear would be that while it is slimming in one area it has to push it somewhere, right? So would that shapeware inadvertently create lower back fat at the place your dress is open in the back? I think it is worth a shot to try it but that would be my concern based on my body type

[Deleted User]

AFAIK, there is no such thing as backless shape wear. How low is the dress in the back? Any shape wear, including shaping underwear, will have to go up your back. The lowest kind usually end around your bottom rib. 

Does your dress have any ribbing or structure? That is one way to help with slimming--perhaps if it doesn't have any, and is the kind of dress and/or material that can support it, you may want to add some in.

Here are a few options I have seen used by Brides - 

http://www.spanx.com/shop/spanx/panties/hide-sleek-high-waisted-panty-new-slimproved--zid38-MS2509/cat-38-catid-tn_spx_pty;pgid=Q8xoKH.brkdSRp4tS5n5KSHu00007A0AvusZ;sid=z7ffeKGUl-PcePV0II7ufJOe7TZ_bYMVb6JqZhCo?CategoryDomainName=SPXNA-38&var_id=38-MS2509&_t=pfm=category

http://www.spanx.com/shop/spanx/panties/slimmer-shine-hip-nipper-panty-zid38-2132/cat-38-catid-tn_spx_pty?CategoryDomainName=SPXNA-38&var_id=38-2132&_t=pfm=category

These are fairly low, not sure how well they work

http://www.spanx.com/shop/spanx/panties/slimmer-shine-hip-nipper-panty-zid38-2132/cat-38-catid-tn_spx_pty?CategoryDomainName=SPXNA-38&var_id=38-2132&_t=pfm=category

Spanx, of course, are not your only option, just what I have seen and would recommend. 

porkchops926

I have the same issue, I want really low-back shapewear but I can't find anything. Problem is, I need strapless too since my neckline is illusion. 

I found this online in my search and was wondering if this might work for you? I don't know if you need strapless or not but if you don't this is the only shapewear I've found that has a low-enough back and isn't a thong.

http://www.journelle.com/shapewear/full-slips/dmondaine-rita-slip/DMO-1016.html

atlastmrsg

If someone finds backless Spanx that still make you look skinny, let me know.  That would be pretty amazing, but not sure it's possible.

STARMOON44

If it's just a lower belly pooch I'd go with a slimming panty brief. You can get them that stop where a normal panty line is, and hopefully your dress isn't so low that would be an issue!

Knottie02451815

Definitely agree with kvruns.

I just tried on about 20 different shapewear longline bras for my keyhole back dress. I normally never wear shapewear but I thought I would want to under my wedding dress....WRONG. Woahhh buddy, those low back long line bras seriously created back fat I never even knew was there! It was terrible! I ended up going with a sticky bra (because my dress already has a ton of shape and boning). I got a pair of spanks because i started to get hot at my fitting and there is zero circulation under a wedding dress so I had to get the ones that go all the way to the thigh to prevent chaffing, which I usually never have a problem with... Good luck!!

redheadbride15

I'm definitely having the same shapewear issues with my backless dress. I haven't tried many options yet but I'm curious to follow this thread. I am somewhat pear-shaped (problem areas are hips, butt, & thighs) so I'm really looking for something that will smooth there and not give panty-lines - don't really need something that comes up high to control the waist/tummy. BUT, the major problem I seem to be having is that the thigh-length underwear options are giving me a minor muffin-top effect. I wonder if I just haven't tried the right brand/model yet? Or maybe they're a size too small?

[Deleted User]

redheadbride15 said:

I'm definitely having the same shapewear issues with my backless dress. I haven't tried many options yet but I'm curious to follow this thread. I am somewhat pear-shaped (problem areas are hips, butt, & thighs) so I'm really looking for something that will smooth there and not give panty-lines - don't really need something that comes up high to control the waist/tummy. BUT, the major problem I seem to be having is that the thigh-length underwear options are giving me a minor muffin-top effect. I wonder if I just haven't tried the right brand/model yet? Or maybe they're a size too small?

Anything backless will be difficult to wear shape wear under, unless you purchase the low-rise kind (essentially underwear). If you are interested in slimming your thighs but want to avoid a "muffin-top" effect, the only thing you can really do (at least, that I know of) is get shape wear that comes up higher, under your ribs. With a backless dress, that isn't really helpful at all. Shapewear basically disperses bulging areas, so wherever the shape wear ends, you may see budging. Underwear options are usually not effective (unless you have very little belly fat), because they create a muffin-top look on practically anyone, as their shaping strength is doing all that redistribution and is tight. I have seem petite brides in shape wear just for "slimming" and it does more harm than good, sometimes.

The option @porkchops926 mentioned seems like your best bet, as it covers down to the thigh and has a low back strap option. 

If all else fails, just rock your dress without shape wear! If you don't wear it everyday (oh god, I hope no one does!), then don't stress about hiding things probably no one sees but you. You are beautiful without it! 

redheadbride15

Thanks @abcdevonn !
That's helpful. I suppose I may not actually need shapewear - just a really, really good pair of seamless, relatively high-cut undies. I'm really not much overweight but I am "soft" in the hips/buttocks and regular undies (even the seamless ones) always create a small bulge at the waist and also around the butt. I'd tried a pair of belly-button level garments that goes down the thighs and they worked well on the butt & thighs but dug in at the waist. I think I may just need to try a larger size and/or ones that are more "smoothing" and less "shaping" (the control was really more than I needed). I find the whole shapewear and underwear industry mighty confusing! I never thought about these things before but what you need under a form-fitting wedding dress is totally different from what you can get away with under jeans!

Going commando may also be an option for me (no bulges to worry about there!)... but it just feels... weird? Any of you ladies out there done this?