NULAYER › Fit guide › Shapewear for a velvet dress
Yes, wear itVelvet is a pile fabric: thousands of short fibres standing up from a base cloth, which is what gives it depth and also what makes it record pressure. Sit on it for an hour and the pile lies down where you sat. Anything with a hard edge underneath, a stitched waistband or the elastic of a short, presses the pile into a ridge that stays visible after you stand up.
That is why the bodysuit under velvet has to have no edge to press. The NULAYER bodysuit's edges are bonded, not stitched, so there is no ridge to print; the thong cut has no edge across the seat; and the medium-firm panel smooths the midsection and waist without a band. Velvet hides small things well and large things badly, and a waistband is a large thing.
Most party velvet is stretch velvet: knit base, some give, cut close through the body. It clings below the hip, so the thong is the cut, in Black under the wine, emerald, navy and black that velvet comes in. Woven velvet is heavier and usually cut with a fuller skirt; under that, the mid-thigh cut can smooth the upper thigh with its hem hidden by the skirt.
Velvet necklines are a V or a square more often than not. The bodysuit's deep V sits under a V-neck when the straps are set so its point is lower than the dress's, and under a square neck with room to spare. The built-in bra has no compression on the bust, so your own bra goes underneath, straps inside the bodysuit's.
Because pile records pressure, the fitting for a velvet dress is a sit test, not a mirror check: dress on over the bodysuit, ten minutes in a chair, stand, and look at the seat and the waist from behind. The thong back leaves nothing to see; if the straps have pulled the waist panel up, lengthen them.
The bathroom step is the same as under any dress: lift the velvet, open the hook-and-eye crotch closure, hook it back, and the dress stays on and zipped. Afterwards the bodysuit is machine washed cold and hung to dry; the velvet dress follows its own label, and the two should not share a machine.
Which size: Size by bust and waist. Stretch velvet is forgiving of the body and unforgiving of edges, so between sizes take the larger band and let the bonded edges do the work.
| Band | US | Bust (in) | Waist (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| XXS–XS | 0–2 | 30–33.5 | 23–26 |
| S–M | 4–10 | 34–38.5 | 26.5–31 |
| L–XL | 12–14 | 39–41 | 31.5–34.5 |
| 2XL–3XL | 16–20 | 41.5–48 | 35–41.5 |
True to size for most wearers.
Between sizes: the smaller band for maximum smoothing, the larger for all-evening comfort.
Yes. Stretch velvet clings below the hip, so wear the thong. Woven velvet with a full skirt hides the thigh, so the mid-thigh works there and smooths the upper thigh when you sit.
No. The closure sits at the crotch, under you, not across the seat where pile records pressure, and the edges around it are bonded and flat.
Beige, and check it in daylight first. Our Beige is a light beige, and pale velvet is usually lined, so it rarely shadows through; the daylight check takes a minute and settles it.
Written by the NULAYER team and checked against the garment's tech pack. Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Facts on this page: 78% nylon, 22% spandex; machine wash cold, hang dry; designed and made in our own factory in zhejiang, china.