Under there...Underwear?

Last post I was telling you about the dresses and other things I was looking at and getting them organized. I showed some of the dresses to my girlfriend and I think we have a good idea of what we both will like. Actually it started by me showing her the watch I wanted to get and she said, "Nobody wears watches anymore just get a bracelet." That led to other jewelry items and she said I need to pick the dress first and accessorize afterwards. Which made sense so we talked about and looked at dresses.

I will be meeting with the dressmaker this winter to discuss the plans for the dress but that got me thinking about wedding day lingerie. Specifically the foundation garment as I will probably want this available for the fittings with the dressmaker. I have a number of options to choose from here. A bustier, a torsolette, a basque, a longline bra, a corset, the list is endless and some of these items are probably just synonymous with the others. I'm no expert but here is my understanding.

A bustier is a bra, usually strapless, with a longer torso down to the natural waist or the belly button. A torsolette is similar to the bustier but longer still, down to the hips. A basque is a torsolette the UK version, in my mind this has garters. A long line bra doesn't have garters and is kind of between a bustier and a torsolette. A corset is far more traditional with a lace up back, steel boning to give you shape and very sturdy material to really cinch you in. The is also the option of a waist cincher which is corset like but not as high on the chest or as low on the hips. All of these, of course, can be interchangeable. I have seen plenty of corsets made of thin material and plastic boning.

For instance the Ultimate Satin Corset from Fredericks of Hollywood. The picture on the right shows it in black but this is the "corset" I wore under my Halloween wedding dress from a few years back. I think it is technically a torsolette but corset is a fancy buzz word in fashion. The nice thing about this design is that it does have a lace up back versus the hook and eye closures on some garments. You can pull it tighter in certain places that way. I don't quite have the D cup of the model in the picture but I could pull the top of the laces tight to pull the cups in tight to my chest. The problem with this design is that no matter how hard you try the material or the laces just don't have the strength to pull in your waist the way a real corset will.

Real corsets have their own benefits and problems. You can get them off the rack but I wouldn't suggest that, especially if you are a crossdresser. Corsets are usually designed for women whose anatomy is close but a little different than mens. The beauty of a custom made corset is that it is made to your exact specification cinching in the waist at just the right spot and not pinching a hip bone or your ribs. Real corsets do an amazing job of reshaping your waist to give you an hourglass figure and with the dress design I am thinking about that would really enhance the look. There are drawbacks though.

I have purchased custom corsets in the past so I am pretty familiar with them. They are hot, really, really hot. And not in the "Wow, you're so hot!" kind of way. More of the "Oh my God, could I be sweating any more" kind of way. I am already a sweaty person, when I jog I come back drenched, even if its a cool day. It's actually an additional reason I only dress in the Fall/Winter, so I can stay cool while doing it. Secondly, depending on how tight you lace it, even if it fits well it can be uncomfortable, especially for long periods of time.

I do have a couple of pieces of advice if you are wearing a corset for the first time. Pull on your stockings and strap on your shoes before you lace it up tight. You lose a lot range of motion once you are laced in properly. Secondly, note in the pictures how the panties are under the corset and garters, it looks very pretty that way. Be prepared for an adventure if you need to use the bathroom. With garters you are limited with how far you can pull down your panties and with a corset you might have to dig around to find the waistband. I know of wherefore I speak.

So that is the decision I will need to make, comfort vs control. I have been toying with the idea of a standard bra and garter belt set but adding a waistcincher. I think that might be a good solution, the waistcincher could go on at the last minute before the dress. And it could easily be removed.

The last option I am planning is the panty. As I stated earlier in the article panties can be difficult with corsetry. My idea is to find or modify a pair so the are side tie panties. Easy to remove, I hope. I might need to experiment, not sure how easy they would be to get back in place under a corset. I will try to modify a white gaff pair I have now. The gaff will hide the male buldge, good for those candid getting dressed shots, and I should be able to just add some side tie ribbons.

Naturally I will be wearing stockings and holding them in place with garters, thats just the kind of girl I am. Otherwise I think that just about covers my lingerie plans. Except for a cute nightie/robe combo I can wear while I am having my makeup and hair done. Oh and maybe a little something special to slip in to for our wedding night.

Woe is me. So much lingerie, so little time.