Tips for Choosing Comfortable Shapewear
Wearing shapewear underneath your clothes is an effective way to shape your figure to create a smooth finish under virtually any outfit. Shapewear has become much more common in recent years, with many popular models and celebrities openly admitting that they wear shapewear on a regular basis to enhance their figures.
That being said, there still exists a common misconception that shapewear has to be uncomfortable. Shapewear is often associated with the age-old saying of “Beauty is pain”, which implies that you have to sacrifice all comfort in order to achieve the appearance you want. However, the truth is that shapewear does not have to be uncomfortable. In fact, there are many shapewear styles that are extremely comfortable–even for all-day wear. If you want to try shapewear but are worried about the comfort factor–or if you already wear shapewear and find it to be uncomfortable–keep reading to discover 7 top tips for choosing comfortable shapewear.
1. Take Your Measurements
Wearing shapewear in the right size for your figure is very important if you want your shapewear to be as comfortable as possible.
Many women are tempted to buy shapewear that is too small for them because they think that it will have a more intense smoothing and shaping effect on their figure. This is not the case. In fact–in addition to being extremely uncomfortable while you wear it–shapewear that is too small for you can have serious health consequences and lead to UTIs, back problems, acid reflux, and more if you wear it on a regular basis.
Wearing shapewear that is too big for you is likely to be uncomfortable as well because it will feel bulky underneath your clothes. It is also less likely to look as natural as shapewear in your correct size that fits you more snugly.
Make sure to take your current body measurements before ordering shapewear. Don’t use outdated measurements and take care to ensure that the measurements you take are accurate–don’t estimate or round up or down.
2. Go With a Lighter Level
Shapewear styles are available in multiple different compression levels. Shapewear that is advertised as offering light compression tends to be more comfortable than shapewear that provides firm compression because these styles with a lighter compression level are not as tight or rigid.
Many women start out with high-compression shapewear because they want to get the strongest shaping effect for their figure out of their shapewear styles. Although firm-compression shapewear might be more effective at smoothing and shaping your figure than shapewear styles that offer light compression, that doesn’t mean high-compression shapewear is worth it for you–especially if you’re fairly new to wearing shapewear and your body has not yet adjusted to the feeling of wearing it on a regular basis.
Wearing high-compression shapewear can be very unsustainable. If you currently wear high-compression shapewear and find it to be uncomfortable, there’s nothing wrong with dropping down to a shapewear style that offers a lighter level of compression. Chances are good that trying out light-compression shapewear will keep you more comfortable throughout the day, which will help you maintain the habit of wearing shapewear rather than giving up quickly after trying only high-compression shaping styles.
3. Choose the Right Shapewear Style
Different shapewear styles are right for different occasions. When choosing which shapewear style to wear, keep in mind how long you will have to wear the shapewear. If you’re wearing shapewear to work and will be wearing it from morning until nighttime, it’s important to choose a shapewear style that is more comfortable for long-term wear.
Save the shapewear styles that become less comfortable the longer you wear them–such as many full-body shapers–for occasions when you won’t have to wear your shapewear for more than a few hours.
4. Target One Area
Don’t go overboard when it comes to choosing which areas of your figure you want to target with the shapewear you choose. Full-body shapers are the shapewear styles that smooth and shape virtually every area of your body at one time–but they are also some of the most uncomfortable shapewear styles on the market.
You should reserve wearing full-body shapers for very special occasions, and choose less intense shapewear styles that target only one area of your figure for all-day wear. Shapewear styles like high-waisted shaping underwear, shaping shorts, waist shapers, etc. that only target one area of your figure tend to be much more comfortable and practical for regular all-day wear.
5. Wear Pieces with Built-In Shapewear
Many women report that one thing that makes many shapewear styles uncomfortable is the feeling of wearing an extra layer of material underneath your clothes. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily have to add that extra foundational layer under your clothes to get the benefits of shapewear for your figure.
Some clothing pieces are designed with built-in shaping properties that smooth and shape your figure without forcing you to wear an extra layer underneath your other clothing pieces. These pieces combine clothing and shapewear into one comfortable, breathable style to increase your comfort all day long. There are many different clothing styles that are available with built-in shapewear, including tops, jeans, dresses, skirts, and more.
6. Look for Cotton-Blend Materials
If you’re in the market for the most comfortable shapewear possible, stay on the lookout for shapewear that is crafted from cotton-blend materials–especially if you are someone who has sensitive skin or lives in a hot or humid climate.
Shapewear pieces that are made from a blend of materials that includes a high percentage of cotton tend to be much more breathable and comfortable than shapewear styles that don’t include any cotton. These cotton-blend styles may be a bit more expensive than other shapewear pieces that don’t include cotton, but they will keep you cool and comfortable all day long.
7. Be Realistic
One of the most important things to keep in mind when shopping for comfortable shapewear is that you need to be realistic about your needs and preferences for shapewear. Just like how some women barely notice the feeling of wearing a bra all day long while other women can barely stand to put one on at all, every woman has different comfort needs when it comes to wearing shapewear.
If you are a person who feels easily irritated by tight fabric, high-compression shapewear might not be for you–even if you know other women who are able to wear the same shapewear styles all day without complaint.