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Big-day Lingerie
Forget the fuss. Picking out intimates for the wedding day and night may be a lot simpler than you think
By Nola Sarkisian-Miller
CTW Features
Even with eternal model Kate Moss vamping it up for Agent Provocateur’s new bridal lingerie line, spanning virginal white lacy demi-bras to thongs, the prevailing mood among brides is to still keep their wedding-day undergarments simple and frills-free.
Many choose magnificent gowns that can be semi-sheer or form-fitting or even bare at the neckline, leaving little recourse for opulent bras and panties.
“A lot of people come in with the intention of buying something beautiful to wear underneath the gown, but they soon realize they need a plain bustier or a panty with no ruffle to avoid panty lines,” says Alison Rubke, co-owner of Faire Frou Frou, a lingerie boutique in the affluent Studio City community in Los Angeles.
Foregoing lingerie bells and whistles, brides often shop her store for the clean-cut Commando thongs, which lay flat and smooth on the body and are constructed without elastic or trim. For bras, brides will select strapless options or buy Fashion Forms U-Plunge Bra, which scoops very low in the front and in the back, ideal for accentuating décolletage and bosom-revealing styles. It also lifts with pockets for silicone pads and comes with adjustable straps for halter and strapless dress styles.
After the wedding, brides are more apt to turn up the volume for their nocturnal boudoir choices. Honeymoons are about bold, playful selections with a sophisticated edge. That means intimates sans acrylic mules and marabou trim, or even quarter-cup bras.
Matching bra-and-panty sets worn with garter belts and stockings are the key accessories for honeymoon nights, says Rubke, in fun seasonal colors, such as orange and yellow instead of white and powder blue. Boy shorts are emerging as the new favorite bottom in place of thongs, often made of lace with side slits and ribbon ties.
“Brides like the idea of being like a pinup girl,” she says.
They also appreciate the wallet-stretching appeal of sets that can be worn again post-honeymoon. One popular line is Mimi Holliday (Rubke says Ashlee Simpson’s May 17 nuptials the wedding party received Mimi Holliday sets), featuring silk chiffon looks, some with back bows.
Perhaps modesty is a geographical trait. At French Secrets Lingerie in Staten Island, N.Y., peignoir sets with robes in white and off-white represent 25 percent of lingerie sales, says owner Joan Correale. Customers are buying them in charmeuse, chiffon and stretch lace. Babydolls also are popular, especially as shower gifts.
“We have a large Italian-American contingent here and mothers are holding on to the tradition of the peignoir,” Correale says.
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