Wedding night lingerie may not be as high up on your shopping list as your wedding dress is, but it’s definitely an important item to remember when preparing for your wedding day — and night.
To help you look your very best, we’ve put together a guide of the best bridal lingerie based on body type so you can feel confident and sexy as you kick off your honeymoon. Whether you like ultra sultry undies, sweet and simple pieces or something in between, our guide will walk you through how to play up all of your best features for an unforgettable wedding night.
In This Article
How to Figure Out Your Body Type and Find Sexy Wedding Night Lingerie
When deciding on what type of wedding night lingerie to purchase, there are three key things to keep in mind. They are:
- Your body type
- Your bust size
- Your torso length
While there is no such thing as a perfect body type, there is a way to look amazing in your wedding night lingerie. The key is finding the lingerie that will best flatter your figure.
Many ladies fall into one particular body type category, but not all. If you are a mixture of two body types, it can make finding the right lingerie more challenging, but it is possible. If you focus on finding lingerie that shows off your best features while camouflaging areas you are less enthusiastic about, you’ll be able to strut your stuff with confidence on your wedding night.
To help you in your search for the perfect wedding night lingerie, let’s dive into what the different body types are and the characteristics of each.
Rectangle
If you’re a rectangle, your shoulders and hips will be proportional, but you won’t have as much waist definition. The rectangle is generally seen as an athletic body type and, if weight is gained, it will be evenly distributed.
Celebrity examples: Gwen Stefani, Kate Moss and Sandra Bullock.
Pear
A wider bottom, fuller thighs and a smaller upper body are all signs that you have a curvy pear shape. Your shoulders and bust will be smaller than your hips and, if you do gain weight it won’t be as noticeable in your torso. Instead, you’ll be more prone to gaining weight in the hips, bum and thighs.
Celebrity examples: Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera and Kristin Davis.
Inverted Triangle
As an inverted triangle, your upper half is larger than your lower half. You’ll have broad shoulders, a wider back, little waist definition and narrow hips. This body type is often, but not always, accompanied by a fuller bust line and long, trim legs and may also have a flatter bottom. If you gain weight, it will likely be in your belly and upper body.
Celebrity examples: Jessica Biel, Naomi Campbell and Shay Mitchell.
Apple
If you have a full bust and a wider torso with an undefined waist accompanied by slim hips, legs and arms, you’re a delicious apple. Contrary to popular belief, this body type can be quite slim but, if weight is gained, it will typically appear around your midsection.
Celebrity examples: Jessica Simpson, Elizabeth Hurley and Jennifer Hudson.
Hourglass
Hourglass shapes boast hip and bust measurements that are equal, or nearly equal, in size accompanied by a small waist. Hourglass shapes can be trim like Scarlett Johansson (36-26-36) or fuller like curve model Candice Huffine (42-33-43), but will never stray from the proportional hips and bust with a smaller waist.
With this body type, weight gain will be noticeable in the chest, arms, hips and bum rather than your waist or tummy.
Celebrity examples: Blake Lively, Salma Hayek and Marisa Miller.
Other Physical Attributes to Consider
While knowing your body type is important when choosing wedding night lingerie, it’s not the only thing to think about once you start shopping. The length of your torso, your bust size or being full-figured should also be considered when choosing lingerie. Let’s discuss the five additional physical attributes you may need to consider for finding your perfect wedding night look.
Long torso
A long torso simply means you have a lower hip-line and your legs are shorter than average. While not a body type, an elongated torso could be the most important part of your figure to consider when choosing lingerie.
Celebrity examples: Olivia Wilde, Rachel Bilson and Jessica Alba.
Short torso
Having a short torso, also known as being short-waisted, means you’ll have less space between your shoulders and waistline and have a long leg line. Having a shorter torso could mean some pieces of lingerie won’t fit you as well as others.
Celebrity examples: Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz and Liv Tyler.
Full-figured
If you’re a full-figured gal, you’ve probably been labeled plus size a time or two. But what size is plus size, anyway? Figuring out if you’re plus size isn’t always easy because fashion lines are not always consistent with their sizing. While some consider size 12 and up plus size, others start at size 14 while yet others say it starts at size 16 or 18.
Regardless of dress size, a full-figured gal can be described as fuller and rounder than average and may have large breasts, fuller hips and a thicker waistline.
Celebrity examples: Melissa McCarthy, Danielle Brooks and Precious Lee.
Full bust
A full busted woman has a small band size compared to their cup size, for instance a 32D or a 34DD. If, however, you have both a large band size and cup size — for instance a 40 F — you’d be considered full figured rather than full busted.
Celebrity examples: Katy Perry, Alexandra Daddario and Nicki Minaj.
Small bust
To be considered small busted, your breasts would need to be smaller than the average B cup and you’d also wear a band size of 36 or smaller.
Celebrity examples: Claire Danes, Debra Messing and Kiera Knightley.
How to Choose Wedding Night Lingerie for Your Body Type
Picking out the right sexy lingerie for your wedding night is just as easy as choosing the perfect wedding dress or any other article of clothing — but only if you know your body type. Identifying and playing up your best assets means you’ll be able to choose undergarments and nightwear that makes you look drop dead sexy.
To help you on your wedding night lingerie journey, let’s take a look at the right lingerie for each of the different body types.
Rectangle
Being a rectangle doesn’t mean you don’t have any curves, it just means your waist is not as defined as the pear or hourglass body shapes.
To make your waist look smaller and your hips curvier in comparison, finding lingerie that cinches at the waist is key. Bustier and corsets are a great way to do just that. Not only do they nip you in at the waist, they play up the curve of the hips and will make your breasts look amazing.
Teddies are also a great choice to add more curves to your lithe figure. Look for teddies that have cut-outs at the waist and hourglass piping — both will enhance curves and make your waist look smaller.
Another way to define the waist is with the classic push-up bra, panty and garter belt combo. The push-up bra will enhance your bust while the garter belt will define your waist. Just be sure to choose a garter belt that hits at the waist rather than at the hip.
Pear
As a curvy pear shape, finding lingerie that balances out your hips and accentuates your small waist is key to looking your best.
A lacy chemise that stretches taut at the breasts but flows gently over your hips is a great way to balance your proportions. You can also look for babydolls with padded cups to add curves to your bust while skimming over your hips and bum.
A bustier is also a good way to play up your breasts with a matching pair of panties. If you like your curvaceous backside, opt for a cheeky panty. It gives more coverage and support than a thong, but still shows off your assets. If you prefer fuller coverage, go for a lacy high-waist panty to de-emphasize the hips.
You can also opt for a ruffled bra or padded push-up bra with matching panties that hit just below the navel.
Inverted Triangle
As an inverted triangle, your strong, shapely shoulders are often an asset because it helps clothes to hang well on your frame. When it comes to lingerie, however, it’s all about balancing your broad shoulders and narrow hips.
Whether you want more coverage with a chemise or want to show off some skin with a teddy, look for pieces with halter necklines to support your full bust and de-emphasize your shoulders.
Having narrow hips means you can wear panties that curvier gals shy away from. Low-rise boycut undies will give your hips some extra curves as will cheeky panties and low-rise bikinis. Paired with a matching lacy halter bralette or a bralette with wider straps, you’ll look sleek and sexy.
Apple
Concealing an undefined waist and playing up your bust line and slim limbs is the best way for an apple shape to achieve a proportionate figure.
A chemise or negligee with empire seaming will enhance your bust and also nip you in at the narrowest part of your torso to make you look slimmer through the waist. You can also consider a corset and panty set to slim your waist while playing up your décolletage.
If you want to show more skin, look for a bra, panty and garter set that emphasizes your full bust while also making your waist appear smaller. Be sure to choose a higher-waisted garter belt to add definition to the waist.
Hourglass
If you have an hourglass frame, you can wear almost any type of lingerie and look sexy. Corsets will look great on you, although you don’t need to wear one to give you curves — you’ve already got ‘em!
Look for pieces that will flaunt your curves to the max from transparent lace chemises to silky teddies to bra and panty sets. If you want to go all out, opt for a lacy bra, thong and garter belt set to make your breasts look perky and your butt extra shapely.
When it comes to choosing the perfect panty, anything goes. From high-leg panties, to thongs to low-rise bikinis to G-strings, you can wear whichever cut is your favorite.
Long torso
If you have a long torso, look for pieces that will visually shorten your torso’s length. Camis paired with some sexy, booty-baring tap pants are a great choice. When choosing panties, opt for high cut legs and a high-rise rather than lower rise bottoms which will only elongate your torso further.
Bustiers are also great for longer bodied ladies because they will help to balance your proportions by concealing part of your torso. These can be worn with a thong or panty — but be sure the cut is high rather than low on your hips.
Short torso
One advantage of being short-waisted is having a nice, long legline. And that means you can wear virtually any type of panty without worrying about them making your legs look short.
To visually lengthen your torso, try pairing low rise panties with an eye-catching bra or a cropped cami with a pair of panties or cheeky tap pants.
Corsets that draw the eye up to your décolletage will also help elongate your torso, especially when paired with a low-rise bikini panty or a pair of cheeky panties.
Full-figured
The key to looking amazing as a full-figured woman is to celebrate your curves rather than hide them. Not just any lingerie will do, however. Choose pieces that support your ample chest by gravitating toward well-constructed bras with thicker straps and pair them with higher-waisted panties that aren’t too high-cut on the thigh.
An a-line shaped babydoll will gently skim the waist and hips while drawing the attention up to your breasts, collarbones, neck and face. A corset is a great way to nip in the waist and smooth the hips while supporting and enhancing the girls.
If you want to go all out, look for a bra, panty and garter belt set that offers solid support and a flattering cut. Look for a garterbelt that hits at or slightly above the waist and a bra with good support and adjustable straps.
Full bust
If you have large breasts and a smaller frame, support is key to keeping your curves under control. Look for bras with adjustable shoulder straps and molded cups or underwire to offer you the extra lift and support you need. The right bra paired with panties and a garter belt will have you looking like a bombshell.
If you’re tired of wearing a traditional bra, look for a bralette with full coverage cups or a corset with lots of bust support and pair it with a matching thong or panty.
Want something more low-key? A chemise is perfect, especially paired with a sexy g-string or thong.
Small bust
One of the advantages of not having a large bust is being able to wear virtually any style of bra or cami whether it offers support or not. You can wear low-cut chemises or camis without worrying about falling out as well as higher-necked bralettes or negligees without it making you look heavier than you are.
If, however, you are looking for lingerie that gives the illusion of a bigger bust, you should look for corsets and push-up bras with underwire, padding, ruffles and other types of embellishment at the bust.
You can also find chemises and babydolls with padded push-up cups and pair them with your favorite sexy panties.
