Great racks and low backs...

Hello ESB,

So.... I have the boy (6’3’ beard, glasses), the venue (English country house), the menu (cucumber sandwiches, cake and sloe gin.) and a truly amazing dress.

However the dress at the heart of my current quandary: It is beautiful, a 1920s champagne silk crepe, which lands just below the knee and make me very very happy. I don’t have a picture as its shut in my mum’s closet, 100 miles away at the moment, but the shape is a bit like this.

The problem is that it has a lovely low V back and I have what one of your other readers referred to as a sweet rack. The rack in question is a UK 32E/F (US 32DD/E) and I am a British 10 (US 6). As the crepe is clingy I wanted to wear some kind all in one underneath to create a smooth line. So since November I have been searching for a body or corselette in my size that isn’t eye achingly hideous and that I can wear stockings with.

The first thing that comes up is always ultimo’s backless body which aside from being a quite exceptionally unpleaseant colour is padded and really I do not need help that department. The only remotely decent thing I’ve found is this.

It's ok but I was hoping to find some thing a bit more special seeing as it’s my wedding day. Budget £200?

Thanks
Ms. Knickers

*****

You can have "special," or you can have a smooth line, but you can't have them both at the same time.

Yes, that backless body thing is hideous, but the unpleasant color is meant to be NUDE (i.e. invisible under your crepe dress), and it looks to me like the padding you describe is not so much padding as "secret support," which is designed to do some lifting.

Your boy will barely take an instant to register what you've got on under the dress, trust me. What you look like in the dress is much more important.