If you love glitz and glamour, celeb royalty and fashion, then you'll be looking forward to the red carpet action at the Oscars this week. This night-of-nights in Hollywood is when the best films of the year are celebrated, but it's often the fabulous (and not so fabulous) gowns and fashion which is talked about for days afterwards. Which got us thinking... how do you choose the perfect lingerie for a red carpet look? Often we choose an outfit before considering the lingerie we'll wear to a special occasion, but the right bra or shapewear can truly make or break your outfit (and evening!). So it's worthwhile putting thought into how your underwear will support you and complement your outfit.

So here are our bra fitter recommendations for some of our favourite fuller-busted women on the red carpet:

Jennifer Hudson: This is an underwear as outerwear look, which is highly popular in the celebrity and fashion world. You'd need to pick the perfect shapewear to flaunt the sexy sheer panels in this dress, so we'd recommend the Panache Envy Shaping Brief. These shaping briefs are mid-waist and black, with a sophisticated houndstooth pattern. The sheer panels would also look perfect matched with the strappy look of the  Marlies Dekkers Dame de Paris Balconette Bra in black.

 

 

Katy Perry: Katy's killer curves are rocking this body con dress, and we'd recommend her lingerie be smoothing yet soft. To recreate this sexy style, we suggest wearing the Body Wrap High Waist Panty in nude, matched with an equally-soft bra like the Fantasie Rebecca Moulded Bra or Fantasie Echo Lace Moulded Bra.

 

 

 

 

Ariel Winters: This stunning fishtail dress sits tight against the thigh, so you'd want lingerie that ensures you don't have a visible panty line - a long leg shaper is the best way to do this. We recommend trying the Prima Donna Couture Body Shaper Brief, as the soft stretch lace on the leg gives a smooth line under fitted dresses. The plunging neckline would look best with a plunge bra style such as the Freya Deco Moulded Plunge Bra. Another option for creating smooth curves under a gown like this would be the Prima Donna Couture Control Dress.

 

 

Melissa McCarthy: Melissa's bra is the most essential piece of underwear for this outfit - we'd recommend something lifting and with great side support to bring the bust forward like the Elomi Caitlyn Bra. Matched with the Elomi Curve Shaper Brief, for a smooth line and confident support.

 

 

 

 

Our top 5 tips for buying the perfect lingerie for a red carpet look:

1. Enlist the help of a professional bra fitter, and if possible take your outfit with you when you go bra or shapewear shopping.
2. When trying on shapewear, don't try to squeeze into a smaller size in an effort to look slimmer. Shapewear will not reshape entirely, but it can smooth any bumps. You may also need to try a few styles of shapewear before finding one that's right for your body type.
3. If you find that your shapewear tends to roll down, consider trying a shaping dress or a shapewear style with hooks that connects to your bra.
4. When trying on shapewear, always work from the bottom up instead of trying to pull it up over your hips from the top. Roll the top down and step into the garment then roll up against your body. If your shapewear has some silicon that isn't adhering to the body correctly, rubbing a small amount of cold water into the silicon can help it stick better so it doesn't move.
5. Above all else, your lingerie must be COMFORTABLE! There is nothing worse than not going near the dance floor because you're so worried that your strapless bra will slip down, or feeling self-conscious about your visible panty line, or just feeling unsupported and dowdy!

 

Whether you're heading to the Oscars or any special occasion, you deserve your red carpet moment to be as supportive and flattering as possible. Enjoy yourself!