Where Fit Begins
Sarah and her team have worked on thousands of dresses over multiple seasons to bring together exactly what every bride has asked for—foundations designed to make your body feel incredibly comfortable and sit beautifully beneath your dress, so you feel like your absolute best self before alterations even begin.
Born in the Fitting Room.
FOUNDATION is not just another shapewear brand—it is a vital extension of the celebrated Sarah Stoute Bespoke wedding dress brand and vision.
Born from working hands-on with over 400 brides every year in our bespoke fitting rooms, Sarah witnessed firsthand the deep-seated pain and frustration of her brides wearing shapewear that pinches, digs into the skin, and painfully rolls up in the very places you want it to remain perfectly smooth.
We set out to change that. We are launching a collection of high-prestige, weightless bridal and luxury shapewear specifically engineered to stay flat, lock comfortably to your curves, and sit beautifully beneath even the finest couture dress shapes.
Experience support designed by a dressmaker—created so you feel incredible, completely supported, and effortlessly shaped.
A Dressmaker's Resolve.
"In my Christchurch Studio, I guide over 400 brides through fittings every year. I saw a heartbreaking trend: beautiful women apologizing for their bodies, pinched and restricted by shapewear designed by corporate manufacturers who have never stood in a fitting room."
"I engineered FOUNDATION to be invisible architecture. Support that moves, breathes, and locks comfortably to your natural contours, so you are entirely free to live your most memorable day."
The Signature Foundations
Our three most-requested bridal sculpting solutions, engineered to sit beneath your gown and mould your body in all types of dresses; the backless, the sheer, the princess.
Low Back Shapewear
Bridal Essentials | Sculpting
Seamless Panties
Bridal Essentials | Smoothing
High Waist Shapewear Short
Bridal Essentials | Sculpting
As Worn by Real Brides
"I wore the Low Back Shapewear under my silk sheath wedding gown. It was completely invisible, didn't roll down even once, and let me eat, dance, and breathe comfortably for 12 hours!"
"The High Waist Shapewear Short was exactly what I needed. I felt cinched, comfortable and held the entire night."
"As someone who struggles with shapewear slipping, I was skeptical. Sarah's design stayed perfectly locked to my waist and hips. Absolute game-changer for wedding day comfort."
Frequently Asked Questions
Our sizing is based on regular NZ sizing (S, M, L, XL). We recommend keeping in mind the dress that is going over the shapewear to work out which size you need. For example: if you are between sizes but don't want bulging or pulling, size up — but if you are wanting cinch and structure, size down.
Not all of the shapewear is made to be invisible — some pieces are designed to shape and mould rather than to be seamless. That being said, our range of seamless panties and scalloped side panties are designed and made to be invisible under these pieces. Please refer to the item description to understand what will work under your dress best.
On some of the garments, like the Low Back Shapewear, we do have silicone skin-grip strips. We also have boned silicone strips in places like the in-leg for better grip and no rolling. Many of our designs are also single layer and laser-cut to help them grip and stick to your body.
We ship via overnight courier post across New Zealand, ensuring your bridal pieces arrive quickly and safely. Shipping is complimentary on orders over $100 NZD; below that, a flat rate applies — $5 for small accessories and $12 for larger boxed pieces. All orders are discreetly packaged in our signature luxury boxes.
We want you to feel 100% confident! Because your purchase is protected by the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA), we have a clear policy that puts your mind at ease:
Change of Mind: Due to the intimate nature of our garments, we are unable to accept change-of-mind returns or exchanges — please choose carefully before ordering. This does not affect your rights under the NZ Consumer Guarantees Act: if an item is faulty, we will always make it right.
Faulty/Incorrect Item: If your item is faulty or not what you ordered, you are fully covered by the CGA. Contact us immediately, and we will arrange a return and remedy (refund, repair, or replacement) at no cost to you—we cover the return shipping in this instance.