So, you're choosing a basque to wear for your boudoir portraits and frankly, have no idea where to start?
Firstly, good choice! If a bra and knicker set is dragging you miles away from your comfort zone (you still need one, mind), a basque can suddenly seem like a very safe option. It's not so much that they give a lot of coverage, but, well, everything's relative!
The benefit of a basque, and I can't stress this enough, is that they have cups. If you have a chest that requires any support whatsoever, absolutely everything you bring needs to have support. Corsets may give good boost, but lie down in one and you can quickly be wondering where your breasts disappeared to. (In my case, they'll be drifting gently towards my armpits <sigh>).
Because they do have cups though, when you're choosing a basque you really need to make sure the cups are fitting you well. In many cases basques will be sized to a dress size, not a cup size. I well remember going into battle to get my e-cups into a size 14 basque for my own session. Needless to say, the basque won.
It may be best to look around for a cup sized basque, there are plenty about, once you start to look.
Style-wise, many basques will have sheer side panels. When you're trying on, don't just stand straight - bend. If you don't like any bulges that are showing through the sheer panels, go for a basque with opaque panels instead (yes, yes, I know bulges don't magically disappear, but trust me, they're much less likely to be visible in your images).
As far as colour goes, I'd stick to black or strong, jewel colours and avoid pastels, white, ivory and nude (unless you're getting married, in which case you definitely want to bring your wedding lingerie).
Think too about stockings - some basques will have detachable suspender straps, so that they can be worn with or without. Don't leave them dangling if they're fixed in place!
Often basques will be paired with things in shops - I'd still recommend bringing along some Brazilian cut knickers as these tend to be more flattering (not to mention more comfortable for most of us!).
Size up if you need to - fit is much more important that what a label says. Have fun when you're choosing a basque and try on lots of options - it can be really tempting to go for the fabric you like the most. No matter how much you love it, if it doesn't fit perfectly, leave it behind and find something else.
Much love
Anna
xx
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