Bridal Lingerie Options

Is it a Corset, is it a Basque, and what the devil is a Torsolette ???

Choosing your bridal lingerie can be a daunting task, so I have put together this guide to try and help you  decide what works best for you.  I would always advise having a chat with the person who is making / selling you your wedding dress as the combination of fantastic lingerie and  a great wedding dress will give you a look you will remember forever.

There is a lot of confusion about the terms used to describe different types of lingerie, mainly because it comes in so many varieties. I thought it might be useful to put together a summary of the main terms and how they are different.

The first area is the difference between bridal corsets and basques. The basic difference here is that a corset has laces at the back which are used to tighten the garment after it is put on. A basque uses hook and eye fastening (just like a bra) to fasten at the back.

As a result a corset can have a more dramatic result on body shaping, and tend to be stiffer in nature as a result. They really can shrink your waist by 3" to 4" almost instantly. Basques give a more gentle shape and restrict your movement far less.

Corsets also tend not to have a fully defined cup with an underwire. You can get "basque style corsets" which do have a cup and underwire but these are the exception rather than the rule. As a result, basques tend to give more support and shaping to the breasts, whereas corsets push them up a little more "Nell Gywnn" style.

It is hard to describe the impact a corset can have on your body shape, it almost needs to be seen to be believed.  However, I would not recommend a corset to a bride in the following circumstances.

Bridal Basques come in many shapes and sizes. I find it easiest to think of them in terms of the body length, shortest to longest.

First we have the Bustier. This is the shortest of the basques, generally only coming down the torso to the bottom of the ribcage. These are great for light support.

Next is the Brasselette. This comes down as far as the waist, and is great for shaping a slimmer body. I would not generally recommend them for the fuller figured woman as they can tend to "bulge" a little below the waist, and can dig in a bit when seated.

Then comes the Torsolette. This comes down all the way to the top of the hips, and provides shaping of the chest, waist and hips (this is my personal favourite). These provide great shaping and can be really attractive.

Finally, there is the Corsolette (or sometimes called a girdle) which comes all the way from the breast, and down over the hips. This provides great body shaping, but can be a bit much if you are looking for something sexy.

I hope that helps, and if you ever ask me my first recommendation for bridal basques will always be a torsolette style basque.  These have the best overall balance of shaping, comfort and beauty.