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Choose Your Ideal Shapewear

The shapewear market has exploded in recent years and that’s for good reason—it can be an amazing fashion tool. Think of shapewear as the foundation for your clothes.

Whether you’re plus-sized and you want to tame your curves a bit or you just want to smooth your body and give yourself a more streamlined look, shapewear can do the trick.

While having lots of options can be a great thing, it can also be a bit confusing to find the right shapewear for you, so we put together a few of our favorite basic tips for the shapewear selection process.

  1. Don’t choose shapewear that’s too small. You may think going down a size or two will nip and tuck you even more, but actually it’s generally the opposite with shapewear. When you go with something that’s too tight and too small it can make you look lumpy and bumpy and it can squeeze you in unflattering areas. Plus, it’s just plain uncomfortable. You may need to try shapewear on to find the perfect size for you. When you’re trying it on you should also try to walk around and sit down in the garment so you’ll get a feel of the comfort level in a variety of positions.
  2. If you’re most concerned with shaping your middle and you want a really sleek, streamlined mid-section look you may want to choose shapewear that extends all the way up to right under your chest. That means it won’t be as likely to fall down while you’re wearing it, and it also keeps your mid-section looking tight in all areas, rather than just around your hips and lower tummy.
  3. We often think of shapewear as being for the lower body and midsection but it’s also made for the upper body so you can smooth out those back rolls that bother so many of us women. If you choose a camisole-style shaper it can make your back around your bra band look roll-free and it can also smooth out your lower back and even your stomach.
  4. Minimizing the size of your chest is a good way to look instantly thinner—think about how you look when you wear a sports bra. I have a large bust line that I like to make look smaller, particularly when I’m wearing a flowy top or dress, so you may want to opt for either a camisole top or an all-over shaper.
  5. Did you know you can even shape your booty? There’s even a piece from Spanx called the booty bra. This shorts-style shaper lets you boost the shape of your butt, lift it and it also works to keep your stomach and love handles in-line so it’s really the best of all worlds.
  6. Just like our first tip was to avoid shapewear that’s too small, it can’t be too big either. If you go too big you’re going to be uncomfortable and have things falling down all day, plus it will have little to no impact on your shape.