The Guide to Shapewear

Imagine heading into your favorite clothing store, selecting the most figure-hugging dress you can find (here’s a detailed dress guide that can help), and knowing it will look fantastic on you. Sounds like a pipe dream, doesn’t it? Then it’s time you learned of the body-sculpting power of modern shapewear.

Forget about focusing on ‘flaws,’ worrying about VPL, or being concerned about squishy areas. From muffin tops to bra bulges bodily shapers today can smooth away almost any body flaw you can think of. Thanks to some impressive inventive features and new fabrics, you also don’t have to worry about overheating or squashing any internal organs.

The best shapewear makes you feel and look confident in any clothing. However, you will need to make a few selections before enjoying complete fashion freedom.

Should you wear belly control pants or a waist cincher to achieve the pencil midi? Would an all-in-one control slip or thigh shaper shorts complement your bodycon dress best? And what should you go for if you want to smooth out your silhouette rather than completely remodel your body?

Fortunately, our ultimate guide to figure-shaping underwear is now here. It will not only guide you through the incredible assortment of firm control shapewear, but it will also assist you in finding the correct piece to match both your body-shaping and your wardrobe requirements. We’ll even show you how to put them on. 

So get ready to fall in love with your body form once and for all.

Styles of Shapewear

When shapewear isn’t required for proper clothing, if you’re not feeling as firm as you’d like or bloated, a decent pair of control trousers or a good bodysuit can improve your confidence and help you feel better wearing your favorite dress. Here’s a quick rundown of some different shapewear styles that can end up in your closet:

Arm Shapers

Shapewear isn’t just for lifting bottoms and slimming tums; other pieces help with your arms. If you’re wearing a dress or a tight top with long sleeves, a back and arm shaper may be appropriate. These can even help with bad posture, which is a typical complaint among office workers and people who spend a lot of time sitting at a desk.

Arm shapers that stretch across the back can assist in uncurling your body if you’re slumped over after a long day at work by pulling your shoulders into a more natural position. What’s not to love about this?

Bodysuits

Bodysuits and body shapers are the way to go for a rapid lift. They may resemble a swimsuit, but they are very different! Bodies help smooth out your tummy, perk up your bum, elevate your bosom, and produce a sleek silhouette all at the same time!

They go well with practically every ensemble, from tops and trousers to dresses and skirts to shorts and tanks. Many bodies come with an integrated underwire bra to provide support, but if you want to wear your own, cupless varieties are available, and they frequently come with matching separates. There are so many beautiful designs out there that you can find yourself wearing bodysuits as outerwear!

Body Briefers / Corselettes

a woman wearing a black and white corselette
vintage brunette i- white corselette black background

Corselettes, also known as garter dresses, are essential pieces of shapewear that should be in almost every woman’s collection. When worn under skirts and dresses, corselettes help produce a sleek silhouette. Most corselettes arrive with stocking clips to secure them in place, and many styles are beautiful enough to wear as part of a sexy boudoir photoshoot or on their own in the bedroom.

Body Control Dresses

A decent body control dress (also called shaping slip) embraces your contours, giving them a toned and smooth appearance. A control dress under your party dress is the way to go if you desire a defined waist, shapely thighs, and a lifted bust. Get your shaping dress professionally tailored and be reasonable about what it can achieve for you if feasible.

An excellent shapewear dress will give you a sleek, flawless silhouette, but it will not reduce your dress size by a full size smaller. Trying to fit into a too-small-shaping dress will have the opposite effect, giving you bulges in areas you shouldn’t have them.

Bustiers and Longline Bras

A slight bra bulge can sometimes throw off the lines of an otherwise fantastic outfit. Longline bras smooth your back and support your chest, minimizing a visible bra line.

Longline bras are designed to be a few inches lower in the band than standard underwire bras and can also function as a shaping bustier. These bras not only contour your figure, but they can also be more pleasant to wear than bras with narrower bands since the wider band area provides greater support over a bigger region.

Control Briefs

You want to feel and look your best all day (or night) long, whether you’re throwing on your favorite pair of jeans or getting prepared to hit the town with your buddies. Boy shorts and control briefs are ideal for shaping your derriere by rounding and raising your bum.

Control briefs provide firm to light support and are ideal for folks new to shapewear because they are less scary than their full-body competitors. Many control briefs also provide modest stomach support and some thigh slimming, making them an ideal all-around shaping garment that you can wear for almost anything.

Shaping Camisoles

Camisoles help to smooth your upper body and flatten your tummy. They’re more comfortable to use than a full-body control dress and a good option if you’re wearing a flared at the bottom and fitted at the top dress. They also look great with a statement shirt and a pair of jeans, trousers, or a skirt.

Shaping Leggings and Shorts

 

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Mid-thigh shapers and shaping shorts are a wonderful choice for creating a smooth line under skinny jeans or a slim-fitting skirt. They smooth out your thighs while also lifting your rear.

You can even have shaping pants that keep your skin cool so you don’t get hot and irritated on the dance floor. Who doesn’t want to look at ease and confident in their party attire?

Waist Cinchers

Many women still aspire to have hourglass proportions and nipped-in waists. A waist cincher, often known as a “waspie,” will be your new best friend if you wish to add a little added definition to your waist.

A waist cincher is a wide belt worn around the waist to strengthen your back and smooth out your tummy while creating a more defined hourglass shape. They come in a variety of forms, including pull-on types and front closing, hook-and-eye closures, and they range from more basic, everyday wear to lacy pieces that you’ll struggle to hide under your clothes!

Choosing the Appropriate Shapewear

a woman in high-waisted corrective panties on purple background
Woman in high-waisted corrective panties, female body in shapewear on purple background, studio shot, image is not body shape retouched

Shapewear has become so popular that it exists in an almost limitless variety of fabrics and styles. How do you know which is best for your body and wardrobe? Here’s how to pick the right shapewear for you:

Stick to Your Size

Women sometimes attempt to size down for added firmness. This simply adds to your discomfort and bulges and makes you appear larger. Visit a store and put on shapewear pieces (while wearing underwear for sanitary reasons) to determine what looks best on you. Sit down and walk about while wearing it to ensure that you are comfortable and that the garment is secure.

Pick Strong Constriction for Whole Body Transformation, Medium Constriction to Smooth Lines

Check the clothes label if there is no performance level mentioned on the tag. The higher the nylon content in a garment, the more it will alter your figure. Feeling the fabric can also give you an idea of the level of shaping.

If it’s lightweight and glides through your hands, it’s most likely designed to smooth out specific areas of your figure. Heavier garments are typically equipped with compression zones that suck and tuck your physique into shape.

High-waist It for Seamless Lines Through the Torso

Shorts and skirts with a high waist ensure a smooth line going up your torso. Look for models that go all the way up to the bra line. Items like mid-thigh body briefers hook onto your bra for increased stability and won’t slip down.

Tone the Legs With Tights With Built-in Shapewear

The first issue with wearing tights on shapewear is that you’re placing nylon blends close to each other, causing your tights to move to the side. Second, this adds an extra layer to the thigh area, which may allow seams to show through your garments. Choose shapewear with compression zones that contour the thighs, tummy, and back while providing the sleek and seamless sheerness of a standard pair of tights.

Go For a Full Bodysuit for All-over Shaping

 

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The bodysuit is popular because it produces a streamlined shape from head to toe, sparing you the hassle of locating separate bottom and top pieces that work. The all-over covering is beneficial for ladies who want to conceal a larger breast, yet it has the same chest-flattening effect as many sports bras. If this doesn’t work for you, there still are bodysuits that cut around the breast and allow your bra to support your chest.

Search for Cotton-blended Shapewear Maintain Coolness

Shapewear is usually made of spandex or nylon, which are synthetic textiles that do not breathe. That’s ideal in colder areas when you want to preserve as much body heat as you can, but it makes you more likely to sweat in hotter climates. Fortunately, numerous firms produce summer shapewear, which are lighter versions of their original goods that are engineered for breathability.

What Makes Modern Shapewear Effective?

Breakthroughs in lingerie design and fabric technology have resulted in slimming underwear that can mold figures better than before.

Lighter and finer fabrics guarantee that even firm control shapewear remains cool and pleasant. VPLs and bulges on top of shaping underpants are reduced to a minimum by undetectable bonded borders that make everything feel very smooth.

Targeted panels made of power mesh and tighter weaves can modify bodies in ways we’ve never seen before, creating a fantastically slimmed-down look, or in some cases, one dress size lower. Nowadays, you can obtain shapewear bodysuits made of a particular lace that isn’t visible under your clothes.

What Should Shapewear Fit Like?

a woman fastening a shapewear for figure correction
A woman fastens a corset for figure correction. A black belt that tightens the stomach and waist. The concept of excess weight .

Always purchase shapewear in your current size and not the size you wish for. On the contrary, wearing a size lower does not make you look slimmer. Getting a size too small may result in bulges where none previously existed! Your shapewear can also roll down, ride up, or stretch to the point of breaking because of this.

When it comes to waist cinchers, never force what doesn’t fit. While you want it to be snug, yanking it around puts it at risk of ruining the garment.

The Correct Way of Wearing Shapewear

While you can wear some ordinary shapewear pieces as simple as regular underwear, a firm control item requires specific care. They’re supposed to be tight, so take your time putting on your shapewear to get the most out of it. Here are some pointers that can help.

  • Instead of trying to pull your shapewear slips on over your head, always step into them.
  • You should wear shapewear shorts like tights, with the legs bunched up. Before adjusting the legs, make sure the bottom is in good shape.
  • You should not use shapewear on moisturized or damp skin; it should be bone dry; therefore, apply talc!
  • Wear some shapewear over your tights.
  • Take your time and have patience.

Preventing High-Waisted Shapewear From Going Down

When your shapewear doesn’t remain in place, it’s more than annoying. If the waistband of your belly control briefs begins to roll down, it will continue to do so until it feels like it’s about to sever you in half. Shapewear that crumples will be visible through your clothes and is uncomfortable; not a pleasant ensemble for your special occasion.

However, no design technology will prevent shapewear from rolling down if you are wearing the incorrect size. The waistband won’t keep you in place if you go too large. If you go too small, the material will be stretched too tightly and begin to roll.

If you’re certain you’re in the correct size, but it still rolls down, a high waist possibly isn’t the best fit for your body. Petite frames (5ft 3 and under), for example, may not be tall enough in the body for the waistline to sit correctly. You could also have a tiny rib cage.

If this is the case, but you still want to experiment with high-waisted shapewear, there’s also a trick you can attempt. Pull the waistband up and tuck it under the bra! Alternatively, if your dress is forgiving enough, you can fold the waistline down to produce a lower, tighter band.

Now that you’ve read the guide, it’s time to go shopping! Isn’t it time you gave it a shot? You can also include beautiful jewelry on your shopping list, which this comprehensive guide to necklaces for women can assist you with.