Briefs Under Tight Dresses – Avoid Visible Lines

Short answer: Under a tight dress the brief has to be smooth, thin and free of thick seams so it does not draw edges through the fabric. Choose a model in smooth bamboo viscose with flat or cut edges, in a colour close to your skin if the dress is pale.

Why brief edges show under tight clothing

Thick seams and tight elastic press into the skin and create the edges you can see through close fitting fabric. The answer is flat edges, smooth fabric and the right size. A brief that is too small shows more. See models with clean edges in the range of bamboo briefs.

Size matters most

A brief that pinches presses the fabric into the skin and creates exactly the edge you are trying to avoid. A size larger therefore solves the problem more often than a size smaller. Look at the skin when you take the brief off: if there is a red line, it is too small.

Flat and cut edges

There are two solutions for the edge. One is a flat seam where two pieces of fabric are laid edge to edge rather than on top of each other. The other is a laser cut edge with no seam at all. Both remove the ridge a stitched on elastic creates.

Model and shape for tight dresses

High waisted, close fitting models without decoration show least, because the edge sits where the body is already narrowest. A model with a leg moves the edge down onto the thigh, where it is easier to hide under a dress that falls loosely below the hip.

The colour follows the skin, not the dress

Under pale fabric a skin toned brief disappears, while a white one creates a pale area. Choose the shade closest to your own skin on the stomach and hip. Under dark dresses the colour is irrelevant, and there you can choose by what you already own.

Lace always shows

Lace and patterns can be seen through close fitting fabric however thin they are, because the pattern creates differences in thickness. If the dress has to sit completely smooth, a plain model in an evenly knitted fabric is the only thing that works. It is not a question of quality.

When the brief is not enough

If the dress is both tight and thin, a slip or a bodysuit can solve it entirely, because then an even layer sits between the brief and the dress. See bamboo slip dress and bamboo bodysuit as alternatives to hunting for the perfect brief.

Try it seated in front of the mirror

A brief that does not show when you stand can easily show when you sit, because the fabric pulls differently. Try both in front of the mirror in the clothes you will be wearing. It takes a minute and is the only test that tells you anything. See also bamboo briefs: find the right style for you.