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Body Shaper Buying Tips: Losing Weight off the Rack
Smoothers. Body shapers. Shapewear. Control-top pantyhose. Support boxers. The Mirdle. Whatever you call it, these compression undergarments are designed to hold, lift, smooth, and recontour the body's bulges and sags, giving the illusion of a slimmer body and improving the way clothes look.
As men and women have become bigger, and clothes have become skimpier and sheerer, shapewear, made of combinations of nylon, Lycra, polyester, and elastane fibers, is replacing and augmenting underwear. "Everyone has lumps and divets that need smoothing out. Shapewear is not just for overweight people," says Amanda Sanders of New York Image Consultant in New York City.
Some versions promise to lift the butt, wick moisture from the skin, improve posture, and prevent skin wrinkles. But most women -- and men -- expect shapewear to make them look a few pounds thinner, or even a size smaller.
Invented in 2000 when Spanx introduced footless pantyhose, that company is to shapewear what Kleenex is to tissue. Gwenyth Paltrow talked about wearing two pairs of Spanx Power Panties after giving birth to Apple. The seamless looks of the red carpet and proliferation of magazines devoted to celebrities have made "average" women want to look better in clothes.
But with hundreds of shapes and styles available -- Spanx alone sells about 150 products -- how can you know which one to choose? Here's some advice from Sanders and Rita Watnick, a celebrity stylist and owner of Lily et Cie.
Shapewear: The Basic Pieces
Control-top panty hose, body-shaping pantyhose, and control briefs: Control-top panty hose holds in the tummy and may lift the rear a bit, but is considered "old- fashioned" by image consultants and fashion stylists as the barelegged look dominates. It can also lead to "spillage" or "muffin top," the unsightly gut roll that forms over the waistband. Body-shaping pantyhose, such as Spanx's All the Way Up! ($28) is a good, but potentially costly, option, as it smoothes the tummy and rear and eliminates VPL (visible panty line) while covering the leg. But if you snag a stocking, be prepared to throw them away!
Spanx's Slim Cognito Control Panty ($46) has a "soft" waistband and no center seam because it is made on a special machine. Maidenform's Control It! Waistnipper brief ($26), promises to pull in the waist.
Mid-thigh shapers: Perfect under pencil skirts and pants, this is what most people think of as shapewear. This style slims the thighs while also holding in the tummy and butt. These undergarments pull everything in and eliminate VPL. More expensive versions have a cotton double gusset or opening, so it's possible to go to the bathroom without removing them.
Made of hosiery fabric, Spanx's Power Panties Mid-Thigh Shaper ($30) and its lower-priced Assets' Sensational Shaper ($20), provide tummy control and eliminate bulges.
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