Jane Russell at the premiere of A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951).  

Original Photo Caption: 

Sundergarments and Shapewear Solutions.

Summer unders. I cannot overstate the value of a well-placed nipple cover or being able to sit (or stand) comfortably at a hot and humid wedding ceremony without sweat dripping in awkward crevices like your inner thigh. There are indeed quite simple and available solutions to ensure you feel perfect in your killer new dress.

This topic has been covered, to say the least, but I'm looking at it from our post-covid lens (you know the one where we actually just want to be comfortable.) The idea is less about squeezing in to an uncomfortable gown that is too small to begin with, that you didn't get altered (more on that next week), and not eating a single morsel for the entire evening just for the sake of pulling off a 12th century badge of suffocating your organs... 

but rather... 

pulling on a soft cooling pair of boy shorts under your skirt so you can sit comfortably without your legs sweating and having to peel yourself away from the chair. Even better - get this: the evolution of undergarments and shapewear is such that some of these particulars you can just wear around the house and fall asleep in. Yep. They are, like, comfortable and soft. 

After we finished all the design adjustments for our Emerson Jumpsuit - and there were many - we were suddenly intrigued by the versatility of the garment. You could dress this puppy way up or just normal spectactular, and you could wear it all day and into the night. There was something familiar about the one-piece jumpsuit fit and then I realized when I was packing my daughter's swim bag, the familiarity was from childhood when we just threw on our overalls or one piece terry jumpers. Aha moment!

So that all being said, when we design our collections, we take into account whether we would wear the pieces ourselves - two active, professional women with careers and mothers to a collective four kids. Some items are more forgiving than others, but strap and zipper placement, ease through the legs and loose jackets are all part of the mix.

Back to the aha moment, there is huge potential to increase the wearability of your closet just by wearing the right items underneath. Some benefits are obvious: compression and smoothing of your body under your clothes, slimming your figure and reducing wrinkles and folds in your ensemble. Less obvious might be how under-attire protects your prize wardrobe piece from the oils, lotions and perspiration of your skin. As it's the death valley of summer heat while I write this, i'm thinking primarily of dripping sweat and sticky skin mitigation, but I wore a super soft bodysuit in various styles from Everlane during a busy winter travel schedule to the Northeast and it was game-changing. 

Bottom line: there are many winner brands and undergarments in our research. The best, however, are the garments that fit YOUR body best. Try them all. Don't force yourself into something that is too small. Buy several styles in both light and dark colors. 

Specifics that we love & what to wear them with:

Honeylove "Super Powershort." $89

True shapewear but just the right amount of compression and ease with movement. Our more petite models raved about this fit. Pairs well with all dresses and skirts.

Commando "Classic Control High-Waisted Short." $72

Light compression, and we love the range of neutral colors. The raw edge hems are right up our style alley and these shorts stay put. Pairs well with all dresses and skirts.

Commando "Ballet One-Shoulder Bodysuit." $108

Light like a feather, slim and stretchy, not controlling. Great with the Burke Dress, Rhys Tank and Knox Tunic.

Thigh Society "The Staple." $39

One product wonder here, but we wore these all day in our office with a tee. Less compression here, this is for comfort and coverage under really any piece, pants to skirts and dresses. Several lengths available. We tried the staple in several lengths, but more options abound. Side note: I even wore the black pair on a run! Pairs well with all dresses and skirts.

Skims "Fits Everybody One Shoulder Cut-Out Bodysuit." $62

Found this as we were looking for just the right item for our asymmetric Burke Dress and Rhys Tank. Real good. As is the Seamless Sculpt Bandeau. And the Cotton Rib Onesie. No secret Skims is having a moment - yay - but drawback is many items sold out and colors are limited. Pairs well with the asym garments like the Burke Dress, Rhys Tank and Knox Tunic.

Everlane "Cutaway Tank Bodysuit." $40

Supima Cotton, sustainably sourced, soft. So versatile - under a blazer, under anything, visible or not, highly recommend, just wish they had more colors. Available in both bikini and thong. This is a favorite for sure and the item I wore all winter under ever darn thing. Pairs well with suiting sets under the Hollis Blazer with Sloane Pant, Livvy Pant. 

Lululemon Ribbed Nulu Asymmetrical Yoga Bra. $58

Smaller chested winner! Sizing is confusing with this item, helps to start with measuring your band size just below your breasts. Pairs well with the asym garments like the Burke Dress, Rhys Tank and Knox Tunic.

Emily Marie Apparel Power Bra. $28