What to Wear Wedding Dress Shopping

Wedding dress shopping is often a fun and exciting experience for brides-to-be. You get to try on all the dresses and talk about necklines, hemlines, and veils. To boot, you do all this while sipping on bubbly with your best friends. That said, changing into different dresses can be exhausting. This is particularly true if the clothes that you wear when you’re wedding dress shopping aren’t right. In turn, that might affect your thoughts on which dresses do and don’t flatter your figure. With that in mind, we compiled a guide to help you figure out what to wear for a comfortable wedding dress shopping experience.

A quick note: I’m not married, so I’ve never had to go through the arduous process of wedding dress shopping for myself. I have, however, accompanied my friends while they look for their dream dress, and let me tell you… it’s no walk in the park. I’ve noticed that my friends who wear jeans and a T-shirt tend to feel less confident when shopping for wedding gowns. On the other hand, my friends who wear slip dresses or maxi skirts with a cute top? They usually don’t have this issue.

So that you feel your best when looking for the dress for your big day, we rounded up five must-have items. Find them all below.

What to Wear Wedding Dress Shopping

Skims Strapless Bra

Honestly, you should wear a strapless bra even if you’re not sure you’re going to buy a strapless dress. For instance, if you wear a bra with straps, you’ll likely have to imagine what that dress looks like without them. Or you’ll have to awkwardly roll the straps down so you can see what it’ll look like when you’re not wearing a bra. You can wear a strapped bra to start and then change into this Skims strapless bra if you decide to try on that kind of dress.

Available on Skims

A hair tie

This might seem a bit trivial, but think about it. Many brides opt for an updo on their wedding day to show off their décolleté. If you’re at a bridal shop looking at dresses with different necklines, it’s a good idea to bring a hair tie. This way, you can simulate the look of an updo and ensure that’s the look that’ll best complement your bridal dress.

Yitty Nearly Naked Ultra High-Waist Short

I’m aware that Skims is the name of the game when it comes to shapewear, but I really love these Yitty shorts. They’re perfect for slimming down your abs and hiding panty lines. And if you’re going to wear shapewear, you might as well support a brand that’s Black-owned.

Available on Amazon

A pair of heels

Every single bride I’ve known has gotten married in a pair of high heels. If that’s your plan, too, it’d be wise to bring some with you when you go wedding dress shopping. It’s possible that the bridal boutique you visit will have some heels for you to try on. But why risk it? Wear heels to your bridal appointment so that you know exactly how that dress will look when you walk down the aisle.

Makeup

Are you seeing the trend here? You want to get as close to wedding-day ready as you can. When you wear your wedding dress, you’ll likely have on a full beat. This means that you should try to do this when you’re at the bridal boutique, too. If you’re concerned about getting makeup on dresses, remember that you usually step into wedding dresses. Plus, you can always ask for assistance in the dressing room.

Also, there are a few things that you shouldn’t bring with you when you’re shopping for your perfect dress. First up? Jewelry. While you’ll certainly accessorize on your wedding day, it’s best to leave your jewels at home when you’re shopping for a wedding dress. Otherwise, it’s possible that you’ll distract from the stunning garment. Or worse, your jewelry might get stuck on the dress and maybe even tear it.

Remember, when it comes to your dress appointment, the most important thing is how you feel when you step into a garment. When you wear a wedding dress, you should feel comfortable, beautiful, and classy. If the dress doesn’t make you feel that way, perhaps it’s not the best fit for you. (Oh, and in case you’re looking for fall bridesmaid dresses, we got you covered there, too.)