SPANX Women's Suit Your Fancy Strapless Cupped Mid-Thigh Bodysuit

Product Information

The brand offers one of the widest size ranges going up to 4XL, as well as a petite and regular fit, which rivals Skims. We appreciate that it has multiple adjustable elements, too, to almost give you a customized fit: the shoulder straps and gusset can both be fixed to fit you how you’d like. Instead of buttons, the gusset actually has clasps similar to a bra band, making it significantly more secure, too. The shorts claim to have a 400 percent stretch to them that adapts to your body, and therefore only comes in one size that covers bodies from zero to twelve in regular and petite. When we tested this on different body types, we did find this claim to be quite true, but we could imagine some sizes at the end of the spectrum (double zero and twelve and up) might not find it to fit like a glove. The support through the stomach band was an ideal amount—it had a nice smoothing appearance without feeling like we were wrapped in a sausage casing. The rip-resistant fabric also earned a 4.9/5 for durability. We tried nails, velcro, and jewelry and there wasn’t a tear in sight. A pair of these will last you many seasons, making the price tag worth it. The size chart is a little confusing at first but we found that it was accurate if you follow the height and weight guidelines. Unfortunately, trips to the restroom will require some extra effort because there are no clasps or openings at the gusset for easy access. You will be required to undress from the top down to use the bathroom. Shapewear is more snug than wearing a slip undergarment, because it serves a different purpose. Sapna Palep, CEO of lingerie brand Journelle, explains that shapewear should “hold you in, add coverage and support or smooth you out. It is not really designed to make you several sizes smaller, but it can make you appear smoother.” For this reason, shapewear should never feel too tight, cut off your circulation, or feel highly uncomfortable. We wrote out the compression level on each of the options, but even with a high compression level of three, like the Spanx Ahhh-llelujah 'Fit to You' Everyday Short, you should still be able to move around and sit down easily. The aim of shapewear is to “make you feel more confident in whatever you wear,” says Palep, not restrict you in any way.

With anything strapless, you tend to be advised to size down so it doesn't slip during the day. However, you don't want it to be so tight that it's uncomfortable. Striking a balance is key. Lingerie brand, Leonisa, has some strapless bodysuit shapewear style tips to help. We’ve discussed this sculpting bodysuit many times in the past, even naming it the best shapewear that Skims has to offer, which, for a shapewear-heavy brand, that’s a tough feat. Not only was the cup size correct, but the extra strong compression made her figure look more toned. The tightness makes it a little difficult to slip in and out of at first, though, which initially turned us off a bit to the piece, but once we had it on, though, we found it to be surprisingly comfortable. It also stays in place all day, and we didn’t tug at it constantly. We also liked the elastic around the leg holes to keep the hemline in place, which helped the briefs fit to not ride up as we wore it. The bottom is held together through three hook-and-eye closures. They make trips to the bathroom much easier, but they do require a bit of time and fidgeting to manage each time. On occasion, we found that one hook would undo itself by the time we got to the second hook, which left us attempting to hook all three at once. This left us awkwardly wiggling around in the bathroom stall before we could finally exit. The brand advises, 'Take your measurements, then look at the size chart of the strapless bodysuit shapewear that interests you'. As well as this, they advise that 'if you’re between sizes, choose the larger one.' The best strapless shapewear should feel comfortable while also being supportive. What brands are best for shapewear?

FAQs

Everything about the Wolford 3W Stretch-Cotton Bodysuit impressed us from the stretch to the feel to the aesthetics. The ultra-soft cotton and elastane blend truly feels like a second skin, so much so that we felt like we could easily sleep in it and wake up with no markings. Much like the Skims option, it doesn’t feel too restrictive, but it does come with stronger compression in the midsection accentuating our curves and smoothing our tummy a little more. We still consider this to be a level two compression, though, because it does not fully alter your shape, but it feels firmer than a level one. We loved how this shapewear evened out our bodies to create a smooth figure, but more than that, we adored how near-invisible it felt once on. We practically forgot we had it on thanks to the extremely comfortable fabric. The only reminder of its existence was that the shorts tended to show from underneath a mini dress as they are a bit long. And going to the bathroom requires a bit of patience with this one; the crotch does have two flaps that can be pushed aside when you have to go. But unless you are extremely skilled at maneuvering through this opening, you will be required to take the whole piece off to use the toilet, which can be a major hassle. We had rather mixed feelings about this, as it took some patience and practice to use the opening flaps. We almost preferred taking the whole thing off, however time-consuming, just to not ruin the shapewear in the process of using the toilet. At a compression level of two, which describes how compressive the garment is, and goes up to level three (so, basically, this one has mid-range compression), the bodysuit smoothes the skin, without feeling too tight or sacrificing comfort. We wouldn’t turn to this bodysuit for exaggerated effects — it won’t take inches off your waist — but it does lightly cinch in our waist, give our chests a gentle push, and our bottoms a sweet little plump. The fabric is so kind on our skin, due to its soft touch, that it’s easy to forget it’s even on. The extremely lightweight material disappears under any clothes, even form-fitting ones, so we never have to worry about panty lines peeking through any skinny jeans or bodycon dresses. What We Love: The fabric feels extremely comfortable and can easily be kept on an entire day without discomfort.

It feels much less firm than many other bodysuits on this list with only a compression level of one. But it did even out our skin enough to give us an overall sleek look, sans bumps and ripples. We found it very easy to slip in and out of, with a snap closure for easy access as well when going to the bathroom. Shapewear should stretch and mold along your body, so the two common materials you will find are nylon and elastane (sometimes referred to as spandex). These help to create a more “contoured or streamlined shape,” explains stylist Lara Betiku. Some brands add a little cotton into the fabrication for some additional softness, or replace the nylon with it completely, which you can see in the Wolford 3W Stretch-Cotton Bodysuit and the Commando Classic Control Short.

Best strapless shapewear UK

Dresses and tops with low-hanging fronts require shapewear with an open bust, if you plan to wear it underneath. With the bust portion uncovered on this piece, you have some more freedom to show a little cleavage, should you wish to do so. Shapewear should be an invisible layer that helps you feel like your best self, which is why we recommend adding a seamless piece to your collection. These shaping shorts from Commando focus on the lower half of your body by smoothing out the stomach, hips, butt, and thighs so that tighter-fitting garments feel more comfortable. From waist to thighs, you’ll find no seams closing out the ends, but rather raw-cut edges without elastic, trim, or taping to deliver a smooth finish. There are a few reasons why you might be in need of strapless shapewear. If we're going down the obvious route, it's that you're planning on wearing an off-the-shoulder number and the appearance of straps would ruin your outfit. However, you might just find straps uncomfortable so instead you're looking for a strapless alternative. Either way, this type of shapewear is versatile enough to be worn under so many different outfits. This budget-friendly body shaper works double duty in smoothing out any bumps and acting as a cute lace top. While this bodysuit is not the least expensive piece of shapewear on this list, we wanted to highlight a bodysuit that can be an alternative to our more pricey best overall and best splurge pieces, rather than shorts. Structurally, this bodysuit works similarly to Skims and Wolford’s options, offering full torso, bust, and booty compression, but at a much lower price. What We Love: They have very minimal contouring effect, and can be worn daily for some smoothing effect.

Clothes like high-waisted jeans or flowy dresses with a band around the middle would function the best with this option. This option is far from seamless (consider the clasps and riffs) and would easily show when combined with form-fitting garments. On our short torso, we felt like the garment was half an inch too long, cutting into our butt and hips uncomfortably. At a compression level of three, it’s also quite tight and is not ideal for all-day wear. But if you want to show off your curves in all the best ways, this option helps you achieve that the best. Tight shapewear might not be comfortable enough for everyday wear, but shorts that simply work to smooth out bumps can be worn daily. Yummie’s smoothing shorts slip on like butter. Even with a mild compression level of one, we appreciate that the shorts still effectively flatten any bumps along the legs. The two-ply hem and waistband also keep them from rolling or moving around. Interestingly enough, we found the most compression around the thigh instead of on the waist or belly. If that’s your spot of concern, then these options are great for you. They don’t act unlike regular biker shorts, which are easy to slip on and off. Since they are shorts, you just pull them down when it’s time to visit the restroom. With so much comfort, we found it easy to turn to them for our daily activities.This option comes with side and front panels for a more cinched-in look, but other than that, the compression level remains between a comfortable one and two. It provides some smoothing and a light hold but without any of the constricting feelings. We particularly love how thin the material is on the shorts as they never cause any chafing or the feeling of being sausaged. The only thing to note here is that it requires you to have a strapless bra, otherwise the straps on the bodysuit with bra straps and whatever shirt you are wearing become a little too much and can be seen from underneath your clothes. For shapewear with level three compression, this open-bust shaper feels surprisingly buttery soft and comfortable. It glides on like any other shorts, then can be pulled over the shoulders with adjustable straps. We never had to perform a wiggle dance to get these on — an appreciated detail for something so sculpting. If you’re looking for a contouring effect, however, we recommend going for an option with a little more tightness around the stomach. This one simply guides the natural curve of your body but doesn’t do much tugging around your waist. From SKIMS to Spanx and more - we've found the best shapewear without straps so that you feel confident, supported and secure. We've even included a guide on what to look for when searching for the best shapewear for you, along with how to get correctly fitting strapless shapewear for your comfort. Here are some of our favourites to shop now. The best strapless shapewear shortlist: What We Don’t Love: You can definitely see it from underneath your clothes, so you can’t wear it with form-fitting pieces.

When worn underneath a dress, it successfully blurs out any dimples, while also forming a clean line from our hips to our thighs, with nothing hinting at any garments underneath. It reached down to our mid-thigh level, but on petite women, this can feel a little longer. The silky-feeling fabric even feels great on the skin and doesn’t leave us ready to tear it off our bodies after a long day’s wear. And in the process of removing it, we found that the shorts roll off like butter in one swift movement. Once off, we did however notice some markings on the skin around the waist where the band was. When we want something with a little more contouring power, we turn to the SuperPower Short from Honeylove. With targeted, level three compression around the waist , these tummy control shorts provide some intense shaping on the body. While wearing these shorts, we noticed suctioning just about everywhere, but the tummy-controlling properties were particularly brought to life through the criss-cross bandaging around our midsection. Combined with the side boning, it really created an hourglass figure and cinched in the waist. The mesh is also very strong on the legs, despite looking deceivingly sheer, and helped smooth out our hip dips impressively. Our entire torso, hips, and butt area were expertly sculpted.

The best strapless shapewear shortlist:

Pulling the shapewear on and off also felt like a breeze. We snapped ourselves in with the crotch closure (which never rode up uncomfortably), and at the end of the day, it simply rolled right off once we unsnapped the bottom. For our small chests, we noticed that the straps created a bit of a lift, giving our girls a nice look without the need to turn to push-up bras. Contributing writer Sophie Mooreis a former fashion editor at Brides and is an expert in all things bridal attire, from couture wedding gowns to the perfect "something blue" accessory. She researches and sources the best fashion items for brides, grooms, wedding guests, bridal parties, and more. Additional research was done by commerce writer Theresa Holland. The number one rule in choosing the right shapewear for you, as Palep explains it, is to “not go tighter than your size in hope of ‘extra shaping.’” Shapewear will already come with sculpting effects, and sizing down will only cause discomfort. Instead, consider the occasion you hope to wear this to and choose whether you are in need of shorts, a bodysuit, or a bodysuit with shorts attached. Denise advises to consider the compression level, as you want to “be sure it’s holding you in at the right spots and letting you breathe everywhere else.” Not everyone wants the same level of compression, she continues, so decide whether you want to be cinched in or simply smoothed over, and shop accordingly. When it comes to the best shapewear often what we're looking for is comfort, support and shape. Although it might not seem like a lot to ask, finding shapewear can feel like a total nightmare. Whether you want something to wear under a strapless dress to your next event, or you want to create a seamless silhouette in your day-to-day, we've done the work by finding the best strapless shapewear for all occasions.