What to Wear Underneath Plunging Necklines

Dec 26, 2016 | Hurray for Lingerie, Outside, Puerto Rico Vacay, Style Solutions, Underneath | 17 comments

I can see it now: it’s almost New Year’s Eve (or a birthday, or girl’s night out, or insert another fun, festive event) and you are looking for something hot to wear. And you think: “I would love to wear that top, but the neckline is way too low-cut”, or “That kind of deep v-neck is NOT made for a woman with a full bust” or “what the heck am I supposed to wear underneath a plunging neckline like that?!” I hear it all the time. Please don’t let the undergarment confusion or your bust stop you from wearing that sassy, gorgeous outfit. There are options. In fact, there are more options than just undergarments. Whether you want to show off your cleavage or cover it up, wear a bra or go without – I present these eight different options (bras and more!) to wear underneath deep v-neck or plunging necklines.

Hurray holiday parties, here we come!

Push Up or Deep Plunge bra

If you’d like for your bra to stay hidden, go with a deep plunging bra that matches (or can be concealed by) the silhouette of your outfit. Some bras that are front closure tend to have a very low, small center gore (where it tacks against your body, in between your breasts). Other bras simply have a nice deep plunge and thin center gore. Push up bras often have this shape.

Push up bras are great to wear for many occasions, and especially fun to wear with a deep, plunging neckline. This striped romper has a wrap front that plunges deep. If I wore a bra without pushup, the front could easily glide between my bust and cover up my breasts. But I chose to wear a push up bra this time, and show off a little extra volume. I love the final result! To me, breasts are often like an accessory. Just like I may change the way I wear my hair that day, I can decide to show shape and decorate my breasts. On this day, I went for a full, cleavage bearing look thanks to the padding in the push up bra.

Alternatively, you can wear a dramatically deep front bra, intended specifically for very deep front dresses and tops. The “Seamless U-Plunge Bra” from Fashion Forms is a great example of this.

Style notes: This push up bra from Adore Me (size 32DD) has a deep plunging front and a front closure. The back is actually strappy and fun to show off (if you like to show off the back of your bras), and the cups are smooth. The graduated push up padding gives a round, full, voluminous shape! Romper and Sunglasses from Marshall’s, Shoes from H&M, Hat from Gap, Belt was my Grandma’s. {Photo by Becky Yee during the #HurrayVacay in Puerto Rico.}

Suggested reading: 

kimmay in plunging neckline wearing camisole underneath

Camisole

One of the most popular options for underneath a plunging neckline is a camisole. Many women choose to cover their bra or breasts with a simple tank top. Some even wear a camisole with a built-in shelf bra in replacement of a bra entirely. While there’s nothing wrong about a simple tank top doing the job, there’s something quite casual about that style choice.

If you want a more luxe or stylish way to cover up, try a lace camisole, like the one I’m wearing here. It’s high neck, slightly sheer, and totally gorgeous. Plus, the sleeveless silhouette and black color matches with the cut of this dress – making it appear as if it was part of the outfit the whole time. That gives the impression that wearing the camisole was a desired choice, not just a desperate move to cover something up. That makes me say hurray!

Style (and style history) notes: I’m wearing the same push-up bra as seen above, from Adore Me. This lace camisole is by Natori (size XS). I bought it many years ago Saks Fifth Avenue when I was working there as an employee, and then as the in-store merchandiser for La Perla. The dress was bought at Express as gift from my Mom when I was 18. I actually wore this very same dress when I went in for my interview at Saks Fifth Avenue when I was 20. It has a keyhole back and low front, and I wasn’t sure what bra to wear with it at the time, so I went braless. Since I didn’t know the best options for nipple covers at the time, I wore band-aids over mine to keep them covered. Oh, how things have changed since then – and yet, I still say hurray for wearing this dress! Glasses from Warby Parker. {Photo by Corinne Louie.}

Suggested reading: 

Kimmay in jumpsuit and no bra with nipple covers-Hurray Kimmay blog

Nipple Covers

Speaking of nipple covers, I now have quite a few that I love to wear and recommend. If you want to go braless, or your outfit has a built in shelf bra or support, and you just need to cover your “headlights”, this could be a great option for you. There is a large variety of sticky or non-adhesive nipple cover options out there, including basic, skin tone varieties, and decorative styles. Hurray!

Styles notes: No bra here, just nipple covers. I’m wearing the non-adhesive style from DIMRS. They are super invisible under clothing. And, using your body’s warmth, they do stay in place well enough (I was in Puerto Rico here, so I was hot and sweaty) especially if the cut of your clothing helps them stay in place. DIMRS also makes an adhesive style called “Nipsticks“. This halter jumpsuit from Forever 21 did the trick! {Photo by Becky Yee during the #HurrayVacay in Puerto Rico.}

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kimmay in plunging necklines with high neck bra

High neck bra

A high neck, lace or decorative front bra is a relatively new trend. You’ll be seeing more and more of these as the trend trickles through the lingerie and fashion industry. Often, these high neck styles tie at the neck (like the bralette in the photo here) as a halter. Other times, it’s a basic bra with a detachable, decorative element. Or, it’s a typical bra with a lace overlay over the front, that almost looks like a camisole peeking out. There are several options to choose from! They can be simple or complex, but they’re usually stylish on purpose so that you can show off the front panel or adornment. The next time you see one of these styles in a shop or online, give it a try. See if it can enhance your personal wardrobe.

Styles notes: This fun and decorative bralette is the Bisou Agnes Lace Bralette from Cosabella (size Medium). It features a hook & eye back, adjustable straps, and a tie at the neck. And this sassy/sophisticated romper is The Fifth Label Face to Face Playsuit available at The Style Theory Collective. {Photo by Corinne Louie.}

kimmay in plunging neckline wearing bralette

Lace bralette

Bralettes are ALL the rage right now! They can be worn on their own as an easy, and free alternative to your molded or underwear bra. Or, they can be worn in place of a camisole. Some have pretty lace edges, or higher front or wider side coverage. This makes letting them show a pretty alternative to your basic, bland bra poking out to say hello. Play around with a few and see what works for you! I love to match them to my outfit, and let them show.

Styles notes: I’m wearing a simple, purple, racerback, lace bralette from Adore Me (size small). Top, Yumi Kim. Necklace, Fossil. {Photo by Corinne Louie.}

Suggested reading: 

kimmay in plunging neckline wearing bandeau

Bandeau 

A bandeau bra is typically a very simple, stretchy, non underwire, tube shape bra that goes around the body. In most cases, it goes on over the head and stays in place thanks to elastic stretch. The front covers the bust, with a straight across shape. This is a great option to cover that v-neck that is just a little too deep for comfort. It can be especially attractive when it peeks out if it’s a bright color or pretty lace. Or, you can try a smooth, t-shirt like material – similar to a tube top. Just like a bralette, the big complaint about the non underwire, stretchy styles is the lack of shape and support. In that case, you can also wear the bandeau over a basic strapless (or other) bra. You’re basically using it as a cover up! It’s a great alternative to wearing an entire camisole, and lets you cover up just the front and sides of a bra – especially awesome if your bra underneath offers great shape, and less style.

Styles notes: This lace bandeau bra is from Adore me (size small). It’s a stretchy, non underwire strapless style with a little bit of ruching in the front, in between the breasts. I found it in their sleepwear section, and it came with a matching pair of underwear and a very low armhole tank top in gray. I wore this LOFT dress for my 26th birthday – the same night that my husband proposed. {Photo by Corinne Louie.}

Suggested reading: 

kimmay in plunging neckline wearing strappy bra

Strappy bra

These super cool straps are ALL the rage right now. A few brands started with a couple of decorative straps over the cups or across the bodice of the bra – most notably, Marlies Dekerrs. And now, crazy cool (sometimes removable) straps can be found from several brands, for many sizes.

Styles notes: This strappy front bra from Adore Me (in a 30F) functions like a regular bra, with adjustable shoulder straps, a hook and eye back, and everything. The criss-cross elastic on the front is purely decorative. Ivory Brushstroke Mini Dress available at The Style Theory Collective. {Photo by Corinne Louie.}

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kimmay in plunging neckline wearing body chain

Bling  

Play up that deep v, girl. You can showcase your breasts, your bra, your skin, or even a little bling! Try a dangling necklace, a body chain (like the one I’m wearing here), or even a metallic flash tattoo! Get creative. Have fun. Say hurray. PS: If you’re worried about your neckline shifting, you may want to use a little fashion tape or flash tape to keep your it in place.

Styles notes: I got this body chain on Amazon. It came in a set of two. I LOVE to wear these layered over a bralette or under a deep v-neck like this. The vest dress is from approximately 1 million years ago (I seriously can not remember when I bought it) from Urban Outfitters. {Photo by Corinne Louie.}

***

Your turn: Do you struggle to find the right bra or undergarment solution for a low cut, plunging, deep-V neckline? Give some of these styles a try! Or, try something new that you wouldn’t have before. Experiment with your style. Add in something to a typical outfit and play around. Let me know what works, or if you have questions! Send me photos or tag me @hurraykimmay in your captions so I can see your awesome outfits! And if you want to dive deeper and finally understand how to find a comfortable bra without wasting money on those you dread wearing, check out my Bra Confidence & Comfort Course! You’ll get all the information you need (in an easy, fun way) to say hurray.

xoxo kimmay

PS: As always, there’s zero photo shopping or airbrushing to my face and body. These images are ME wearing these lovely items. This is not a sponsored post and all items were purchased by me, with the exception of one which was a gift from the brand. Sponsored or not, I always share my honest opinion and heartfelt advice for you xo

 

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