And that means jeans, sweaters, and scarfs are replaced with shorts, t-shirts, and tank tops.

And summer dresses.

It’s only been within the last four years that this 40-year old has started to embrace and wear summer dresses. In the past, I’ve avoided summer dresses like the plague because they either had dainty straps, halter straps or no straps and it was hard to find a bra that FIT, SUPPORTED and was CUSTOMIZABLE for my size 36 DD boobs (yes, they are boobs. If you need to understand why, check out my post on why your bra is making you look fat).

So it was either wear an ill-fitting strapless bra, no bra (I did that once – it was scary because who knew where the girls would end up), or have my bra strap showing the entire time…ruining a perfectly good outfit.

And then, I was introduced strapless bras with silicone backing and it changed my fashion-loving life.

Best Strapless Bra For Summer Dresses

I’ve owned two really great strapless bras in my life.

The first one came from Victoria’s Secret. It was a strapless/convertible bra with silicone gel inserts and silicone backing and it was $80.00. (No, you read right. It was $80.) It was a great bra, but it was insanely expensive.

The second great strapless bra is from Vanity Fair – the Beauty Back Strapless Bra.

I’ve been a fan of Vanity Fair Bras for over 20 years, but I’ve never found a strapless bra from their brand I liked. Until now.

The Vanity Fair Beauty Back Strapless Bra features double-knit fabric for back smoothing with stay-in-place silicone backings. Plus, for under $30, it is an amazing value.

Silicone backing is SO IMPORTANT because it helps your bra stay in place, allowing for lift and separation. Most strapless bras don’t have silicone, so they can slip and fall (and pretty soon your bra is around your stomach – not that I know about that first hand or anything) instead of holding the girls. This is especially true if your girls are bigger than a B cup. So lift your arms up in confidence, ladies. Your bra will stay in place.

Plus, the Vanity Fair Beauty Back Strapless Bra is also convertible – so you can change the straps for off-the-shoulder, halter, criss-cross or classic style. This guarantees that no matter what “strap” your summer dress has, you are covered.

And it’s comfortable. Remember the Victoria’s Secret strapless bra I mentioned? Well, that bra has a three-hour lifespan. If I wore it longer than three hours, the top of my rib cage would ache because of the underwire digging in due to the uneven weight distribution. The Vanity Fair Beauty Back Strapless Bra I could wear all night long.

And that’s a good thing, because I’m wearing this dress to my brother-in-laws wedding reception in a month or so and I plan on dancing all night long.

Best Shape Wear for Summer Dresses

Since I’m already discussing bras, I thought I’d throw out my favorite shape wear for summer dresses.

Shape wear and summer dresses are tricky. You usually choose to wear a dress to escape the heat of the summer and the last thing you want to do is cinch yourself up in spandex and trap the heat. But unfortunately, some summer dresses require wearing shape wear.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when you choosing the best shape wear for summer dresses:

• Find a piece that extends past your waist. There is nothing more unappealing than have an extra “fat roll” at your waist where your boy short shape wear ends. Choose a piece that can extend to your lower rib cage for a more flattering silhouette.
• Find multi-tasking shape wear. You are already wearing one more layer, so try to find a piece that can be a bra, underwear and shape wear all in one.
• Make sure you still have a booty. Some shape wear smooths too much and you end up with a flat booty. The goals is to slim out your imperfections and curves, not get rid of them entirely.

For the money, I really like the Vassarette Full Slip Convertible Smoothing Chemise.

It does a great job of smoothing out imperfections, without erasing curves. Plus, it has a built in shelf with convertible straps, so you can choose to wear it without a bra. I struggle with this grey maxi dress making my tummy more pronounced than I want. But the Vassarette Full Slip Convertible Smoothing Chemise does a great job of smoothing things without losing my curves. Added bonus, because it has the shelf, I didn’t wear an extra bra and it did a great job of holding up the girls.

So, are you convinced? With the best strapless bra for summer dresses and the best shape wear for summer dresses, there is no reason to not embrace the summer dress this season regardless of your girls’ size.

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Disclosure: Vanity Fair provided the bra and slip, but I was not compensated in any other way. The written remarks are entirely my own. Want more information – check out my full disclosure statement.