U is for Undergarments

Underwear is the foundation of our wardrobes. Like a house, if we don’t have the proper foundation we will crumble. Not physically but our outfits will fail us. What could look flattering and divine with a proper fitting bra and underwear will fall flat if your bra is wrong and your underwear is wrong.
How should your bra fit?
90% of your support comes from the band, not the straps. The band of your bra should fit snug around your back just below your shoulder blades. This lifts your breasts to the top of your rib cage. With your arms down by your sides, your breasts should dead middle of your upper arm. That’s the line from the crease of the arm pit to the crook of the elbow. Now your straps should be in the middle of your should and snug enough to comfortably fit two fingers underneath.

Your underwear should be appropriate to the occasion and the outfit you are wearing, especially if you want to avoid the dreaded VPL (visible panty line). Normally cotton underwear is fine. However, if you’re wearing a skirt or dress that is a bit more form fitting, different underwear is required.
In these situations it is often best to use thin cut underwear or shapeware.

A note on shapewear. Shapewear is a fantastic piece of underwear that allows you to smooth out any unflattering body “imperfections.” What it WILL NOT do is take you from a size 16 to a size 10. Spanx is generally the most common brand associated with shapewear, but there are other brands out there: Yummy Tummy, Shapermint, and Mod Cloth; to name a few. Shapewear comes in a variety of different functions from shorts, underwear, tank tops, layering tees, girdles, and slips. Each designed to do something different.
Shapewear is not a mandatory undergarment, but is a nice added support structure to your style house.