Well, this is the final instalment of a three part feature that I pulled together for Andrew Jackson and his Viva Boudoir photography package. In the other two posts I talked about the importance of wearing the right underwear, and about how understanding your body shape and its proportions will help you make informed decisions about which underwear is going to be best for you.

Now I want to take this a step further and arm you with the information to go out there and choose underwear that will not only give you the support you need, but be flattering too.

For this you not only need to take into consideration your body shape, but also your bust shape. Everyone’s breasts are different in shape; some are closer together and some are fuller, so it’s really important that you choose the right shape bra to give you the best support and shape.

Bust shape

Full or heavy breasts that are full above and below the nipple.
Opt for a full cup, plunge or soft cup.  The key is to avoid styles that dig into the breasts and creating bulging.

Long/shallow breasts that are shallower on the top and fuller from the nipple down.
A full cup or firm balcony style will prevent wrinkling at the top of the cup due to it not being filled.

Body shape

Neat column shape with a small bust
Opt for styles that will add curves and softness to your shape.

Bra set Floozie by Frost French at Debenhams

Curvaceous hourglass shape with good sized bust
Opt for styles that enhance your fabulous curves and highlight your waist.

Ann Summers Ava bra and high-waisted brief

Broad apple shape with fab legs and good bust
Choose styles that enhance your waist and broaden your hips.

John Lewis Phoebe Lingerie

Pear shape with a tiny waist and small bust
Choose styles that highlight your waist and make your hips look narrower.

Presence longline bra Marks and Spencer

Accessories and enhancers

Don’t forget, there are plenty of bra accessories and breast enhancers that will help you to create the perfect fit and shape.

Accessories from Marks and spencer

Image thanks to Ambro. FreeDigital Photos.net

I’m sure you’ve heard the statistics: “around eighty percent of women are wearing the wrong size bra”, but how important is this?  Well, if you’re wearing the wrong bra you’ll not only get terrible back ache and appalling posture but you’ll not be making the most of your figure either.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lifted a clients bra straps to reveal a waist that’s been hiding for years!  Wearing the right underwear will not only be more comfortable but can make you look slimmer too.

So are you in the right bra?  How can you tell? 

• Do the cups of your bra ride up when you reach up?

• Do your bra straps constantly fall down?

• Does the strap across your back ride up?

• Does your bust bulge out of the cup?

• Does you bust fill the cup properly?

If any of the above sound familiar, then you’re not wearing the right size.  My advice is to get yourself booked into John Lewis or House of Fraser for a bra fit. Once you know what size bra you need you can start to think about which styles will work best for you but I’ll talk more about that in part 3!

As a personal stylist I’m always learning and I love sharing my newly discovered tips and knowledge with my readers.  So when I was approached by fantastic local photographer Andrew Jackson to come up with some styling hints and tips to feature on his blog and help his clients look their best for their Viva Boudoir portrait shoot, I couldn’t say no!

It's essential you wear the right underwear everyday as it ensures your clothes fit correctly, and are the most flattering they can be.  But when you’re being photographed in your underwear it’s even, more important that you look and feel you best!

Here's part one of a three part feature I pulled together for Andrews’s blog, to help his clients find the perfect underwear, best fit and most flattering style for their portrait shoot. 

Part 1

Choosing the right underwear.

Thanks to the likes of Gok and Trinny and Susannah, I’m sure you’ve all heard about dressing to suit your shape, and some of you will know how to do this, but if you’re not wearing the right underwear it all goes to waste.  You’re underwear forms the foundations of your outfit.  If you don’t get it right, your clothes will be ill fitting and unflattering.

Before you can start to address what underwear you should be wearing, you need to undress and take an honest look at your figure.  Don’t use this as an opportunity to point out all the parts of your body that you’re unhappy with, instead (and it’s not as hard as you might think) put on a more positive hat and acknowledge your best bits.  For example, you might have a great waist, or fabulous legs. 

Next, look at your proportions.  Are your shoulders narrower than your hips?  Do you have a long body or long legs?  What do you need to do to balance out your proportions and create the perfect hourglass shape?  Once you’re armed with this information, you can start to make an informed decision about what underwear is not only going to give you the support you need, but be flattering too.

I’ll be discussing what underwear is best suited to which shape in part 3, but for now here are some hints to help you determine your shape

Neat column shapeColumn figures are fairly straight up and down.  Shoulders are in proportion to the hips and they generally have a small bust.

Curvaceous hourglass shape Hourglass figures are curvaceous with a generous sized bust.  Shoulders are in proportion to the hips and they generally have a small waist.

Broad apple shape Apple shapes are broader on the top half than the bottom half.  The waist is less defined and they generally have fabulous legs.

Curvaceous Pear shape Pear shapes are smaller on the top half than the bottom half.  They will have a small bust and a tiny waist.

In Part 2, we’ll take this information and start to talk about the best fit and how to achieve it