When to Start Wearing Shapewear

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I don’t think the age old question is when should you start wearing shapewear, but it’s definitely up there. When I think of shapewear, I think of looking thinner. Which is how I came to own my first pair of Spanx.

After coming home from Italy 30lbs heavier, I thought the shapewear would help wiggle me back into my size 4 pants (Instead, I looked like a beach whale laying on my bed almost in tears when none of my clothes fit).  I returned the shorts and have never picked up a pair since.

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As you may have read in the Benefits of Being in the Buff or Building Body Confidence, you know that I have high self-love for my body. However, sometimes I try on an outfit and think “If only I had on Spanx, then this dress would fit better“. Yet I can’t bring myself to swallow my pride and buy a pair (My thoughts are if you never put them on, then you’re still an 18 year old with a tight body, right?).

Sometimes though I think shapewear is a necessary evil. Here are some reasons to start wearing shapewear, regardless of your age or size:

Shapewear helps smooth and allow clothes to fit better.

Like when I was trying to squeeze myself into an unrealistic size, shapewear isn’t meant to be the cure-all for weight gain. But it will help to smooth over any rolls or lumps that you can visibly see under clothes (Something I need for a particular lycra dress that shows every indention on my butt no matter what panties I wear).

This creates a more seamless look and can create a better hang for your clothes.

A lot of the street wear we buy is ill-fitting because we’re all different shapes and sizes, so the standard 2 to 22 sizing doesn’t fit most of us. However, when you put on shapewear, it allows the cloth to sit on the body where it’s supposed to hang. This is great for skirts that hike up or pants that dig into your stomach after lunch.

Shapewear may boost body confidence.

I’ve read many self-help dating books that say “The most alluring thing a woman can have is confidence.” After reading many articles, even the shapewear skeptics said that wearing the undergarments made them feel better in their clothes. It wasn’t because the shapewear made them thinner, rather it was because the shapewear helped make the clothes fit better.

After I learned that you could see every misgiving in my lycra dress, I borrowed my roommate’s slip. It changed the way the whole dress looked without changing my size.

Shapewear could be the right accessory.

When I’m putting on an outfit, sometimes the length of a jacket or necklace can make or break a look. It’s the same for shapewear. There are some dresses (Especially for wedding and special occasions) that need something to lay on top of because of the material or cut of the dress.

Having a pair of Spanx in your closet for these kinds of dresses, doesn’t make you insecure or fat or anything. It’s just you having the right accessory to complete an outfit.

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Feel free to wear the shapewear if you want, regardless of your age and size. Or don’t wear it, regardless of your age and size. Like with any clothes we buy, not all styles are for everyone. But don’t feel bad about yourself if you’d like to wear a pair Spanx under a dress. Remember: it’s not about the size you wear, but the way you wear your size.