Best Underwear for Bridesmaid Dress and Satin Gowns

You did not pick the dress. The bride did, or the group voted, and now you own a dusty rose satin gown or a sage chiffon maxi that has to look good in eight hours of photos, from hair and makeup at 9 a.m. to the last song. Bridesmaid dresses are cut for the group, not for you, so the underwear has to do the adjusting.

The good news is that a bridesmaid kit is small and cheap. Below is what we would pick from our own range for each common bridesmaid silhouette, what it costs, and what to leave at home.

Quick picks by bridesmaid dress

For most bridesmaids that comes down to two seamless thongs in your shade and one strapless bra, which is $69 with free US shipping.

What underwear should I wear under my bridesmaid dress?

Wear seamless underwear with bonded edges in a shade close to your skin. A seamless thong is the safest choice under satin and fitted dresses, while a seamless hipster or high-rise brief works under flowy chiffon. Skip lace, bows and sewn elastic, which show as bumps under smooth fabric in photos.

Our seamless styles are laser-cut microfiber, 76 percent nylon and 24 percent elastane, with a 100 percent cotton gusset. The high elastane content is what lets the edges lie flat when you sit, dance and stand for an hour of group photos. Every one of them is $12, and any 3 are $32 in your bag.

What color underwear to wear under a bridesmaid dress?

Choose a shade close to your own skin tone, not the color of the dress. Pastel, blush, champagne and sage bridesmaid dresses are thin and often unlined, and white or black underwear shows through them as an outline. A skin shade blends into the shadow of the fabric and stays invisible in flash photos.

Our seamless pieces come in Nude Deep, a warm caramel brown that suits medium, tan and deep skin, and the seamless thong also comes in Blush for fair skin. Between two shades, take the deeper one. Under a black or navy bridesmaid dress, black seamless underwear works just as well.

What is the best underwear for a satin bridesmaid dress?

A seamless thong with bonded edges is the best underwear for a satin bridesmaid dress. Satin has a sheen that highlights anything underneath, and bias-cut satin clings to the hip as you move. A thong removes the back edge entirely, and bonded side edges lie flat instead of leaving a ridge.

If you really dislike thongs, the Seamless High-Rise Brief is the next best option. Its waistband sits above the hip, where satin usually falls more loosely, and the leg edges are bonded. Try it with the dress in daylight before the wedding. Our full guide to the best underwear for a slip dress covers satin in more detail.

What bra do you wear with a strapless bridesmaid dress?

Wear a strapless bra with molded cups and a silicone-lined band, sized so the band is snug on the loosest hook. Molded cups keep a smooth line under satin and chiffon bodices, and the silicone grip keeps the bra from sliding down through hugs, dancing and the bouquet toss.

The Smooth Strapless Bra is $45 in Nude Deep and Black and has removable straps, so the same bra works for a halter or one-shoulder dress if the group changes plans. Many bridesmaid dresses have a built-in cup or boning. If yours does, try it without a bra at the fitting first, and bring the strapless bra as a backup.

Do bridesmaids wear shapewear?

Some do, mainly under fitted mermaid and sheath dresses in stretch fabric. A light smoothing layer removes the line between underwear and skin and makes the dress hang more evenly. Under flowy chiffon or A-line dresses, shapewear usually is not needed, and seamless underwear is more comfortable over a long day.

If you want one smoothing piece, the Smoothing Bodysuit has a double-layer front, a thong back and a snap gusset, which matters on a day with a lot of bathroom trips in a long dress. It is $54 in Nude Deep and Black. Its square neckline works under strapless and sweetheart dresses only if it sits below the bodice, so check that at the fitting.

Should I bring underwear to my bridesmaid dress fitting?

Yes. Bring the exact underwear and bra you will wear on the wedding day, plus the shoes. Hems are set to your shoe height, and a strapless bra or smoothing layer can change how the bodice and waist fit by a size. A seamstress cannot fix a line that only shows up on the day.

That means ordering early. US orders ship in 3 to 7 business days in a plain mailer, free on orders over $50. If the final fitting is three weeks before the wedding, order a month out. Measure your hips first and check the panty size chart, because a pair one size too small cuts in and makes a line under any fabric.

A simple bridesmaid underwear kit

Here is what we would pack for the day, with prices from our range:

• Two No-Show Seamless Thongs in your shade, one to wear and one for the bag, $12 each
• One Smooth Strapless Bra if the dress is strapless, one-shoulder or convertible, $45
• A Seamless High-Rise Brief for the rehearsal dinner or the morning in robes, $12
• The Smoothing Bodysuit only if the dress is fitted through the hip, $54

Bridesmaids who shop together can split one order: any 5 panties are $45, mixed across sizes, shades and cuts, so a group of five gets a seamless thong each for $9 a pair and free shipping. Put the rest of the morning on the calendar early too, since the hair and makeup slots fill up first, and many stylists let you book the hair appointment online for the whole party.

If you are the bride rather than a bridesmaid, the bridal underwear collection covers white and ivory pieces, and the guide to underwear for a high slit dress helps if your gown, or the bridesmaid dresses you chose, have a thigh slit.