Shapewear guide: finding the best shapewear for your body

Wear shapewear and get all the benefits

More and more women are wearing shapewear - from the local town to Hollywood. And we understand that! There are plenty of good reasons to wear shapewear. It helps shape your body. It hides lines from the underwear. It makes clothes fit better. It can improve posture. And most importantly, the right shapewear will improve your confidence and radiance.

What shapewear is not about is cheating or hiding. We don't recommend wearing shapewear to hide anything - quite the opposite! Your shapewear should accentuate your best features and beautiful curves and, most importantly, make you feel comfortable.

But it can be difficult to know what kind of shapewear to go for. We'll help you with tips on how to wear and choose shapewear and show you the best shapewear for different body parts and figures.

4 tips: Getting the most out of your shapewear

If you're not used to buying shapewear, it can be confusing to navigate. We'll help you find the shapewear you need, but whatever shapewear you choose, there are some tips you should always keep in mind.

1. Avoid wearing your shapewear too tightly. Shapewear should fit snugly, but not so tight that it feels uncomfortable. Never compromise on comfort.

2. Choose the right color. To get the most out of your shapewear, use shades as close to your skin tone as possible.

3. Find the right balance. Choose to focus on one or a few body parts for good balance. This way, the body parts can have a little counterbalance, which makes the whole look more coherent.

4. Build a shapewear wardrobe. Just as you've probably built up your other wardrobe, it's also worth building up a small shapewear wardrobe. There are some situations where one type of shapewear is the most optimal and other situations where another type of Shapewear is the best option.

The best shapewear for your needs

As mentioned, the shapewear universe can be a bit tricky to navigate. Some people already know which areas of the body they want to accentuate or tighten, while others need guidance on which shapewear suits their body.

Below you'll find our recommendations for the best shapewear for your buttocks, tummy, hips and thighs. And we'll help you decide which type of shapewear to look for if your body type is hourglass, teardrop or circle.

Best shapewear for the tummy

The tummy is the area most people want help shaping or tightening. Especially if you have an hourglass figure with a narrow waist, you can complement your shape with shapewear that focuses on the waist. If your body type is circular, you can also use shapewear for your tummy to shape your upper body.

• High-waisted shapewear panties are a firming panty that holds the tummy in and defines the waist.
• A shapewear bodysuit or torsette provides support for the entire upper body and hips without cutting into the tummy.
• The shaping dress gives a beautiful silhouette. It defines the waist and is great to wear under a body-hugging dress.
• Wear a shapewear top if you want to shape your tummy and back. The top is versatile and can be worn as part of most outfits.
• Shapewear leggings are great if you want to support both your tummy and your bottom. You can wear them like any other tights or leggings under a dress or skirt.

Best shapewear for hips and thighs

Most people are familiar with bulging and uneven skin around the thighs and hips. Shapewear can help smooth out the skin and define the curves. If you have a teardrop-shaped figure with a smaller chest and wider hips, you can accentuate your natural shape by supporting your lower body with these types of shapewear:

• Shapewear shorts remove the skin's natural bulges and give you great lines. At the same time, they shape the whole area from thigh to waist.
• The high-waisted shapewear shorts, or tightening shorts as they are also known, have the same function as shapewear shorts, but with a higher waist and support all the way up to the bust.
• If shorts aren't your thing, you can wear a pair of shape-effect tights. They also tighten and shape the hips and buttocks, while covering the legs.

Best shapewear for the behind

Many people would like to lift their behind a little or shape it more. For that, shapewear is ideal. Shapewear for the buttocks is also ideal if you have a teardrop or hourglass figure.

• A pair of shapewear shorts tightens up the back of the body, while ensuring that any panty lines are invisible.
• The shapewear suit provides support on both the buttocks and the upper body. As well as lifting the buttocks, it also has a smoothing effect on the tummy.

Don't hide your shapewear away

Although many people wear their shapewear under their clothes, you can also wear shapewear as a visible part of your outfit. Shapewear underwear doesn't always have to be hidden away.

For example, you can wear a black Shapewear bodystocking with a pair of jeans. This way you get a top that fits well and shows off your shape at the same time. You can also pair a white shapewear top with a pair of black suit pants and wear a blazer over it. It gives an elegant and simple look that can be worn for both everyday and festive occasions.

Some shapewear has details such as lace and distinct weaves. These are details that can help give your outfit personality and add a little something extra.

If you're wearing a short dress, a pair of lace-trimmed shapewear shorts can make it more feminine, and if you're wearing a shapewear top with nothing on top, the weaves can make it more than just a plain, basic top.

Shapewear can be shown off and worn like much of your other clothing, with the added benefit of helping to shape the body and add beautiful radiance.

Shapewear gives a beautiful look

As we have explained, shapewear helps to smooth the skin and shape the body. But that's just one good reason to wear shapewear. You may also want to wear shapewear because it simply makes clothes fit better.

Because shapewear gives a uniform look, it is also ideal to wear under close-fitting clothes such as a tight-fitting dress or a pair of slim-fit jeans. It reduces any (unwanted) creases and bulges on the body and gives a smoother look.

At the same time, the right shapewear will also complement your clothes, making them fit better. Your dress will drape better on top of shapewear because shapewear is often made of a smooth material that allows the garment to glide better against it.

In general, shapewear helps your clothes fit better. And when your clothes fit well, it shows on you and your charisma.

Quality and fit are paramount

You want to make sure that you can wear your shapewear for a long time and that you can use it many times. For this to be possible, both the quality and the fit have to be right.

The quality and fit is reflected in the materials and weaves. The fabric needs to be woven in three directions for the best effect. The fewer directions it is woven in, the worse the material is at holding in the figure and therefore the worse the fit.

Of course, it is also important that the material is breathable. Therefore, look for shapewear made from microfiber materials that allow the skin to breathe and get rid of any perspiration.

To keep the good quality, it is also important that you wash your shapewear correctly. You can machine wash, but do it on the delicate cycle at a maximum of 40 degrees. It is also best to avoid using fabric softener and to wait until your shapewear is completely dry before putting it on.