The Best Shapewear for Big Hips

By Marcy Montgomery Jones
Naomi & Nicole®

All women have something about their bodies that vexes them.  We can slim down and tone up, but most of us will continue to have trouble spots that just won’t go away.  An extreme solution some choose is plastic surgery, but a more common, accessible move is to opt for targeted slimming using shapewear.  This post will direct its intimates advice to those among us with curvy hips; such women are often said to have a pear-shaped body.

Women with large hips may find it difficult to find slacks, dresses, or skirts that flatter their contours.  If a fashion is cut slimly in the thigh and hip area, it can cause wrinkles, reveal cellulite, or attract undesired attention.  Conversely, when a garment is cut full enough to accommodate the hips, its waist is often left undefined, and the fashion may look frumpy.  Wearing shapewear is an excellent way to don slim-fitted styles while feeling confident that your hips will look toned.

If you’re a pear, the key silhouettes you should be looking for have interchangeable names that may vary with the brand of the garment and the company that makes it.  For example, shapers that smooth and tone the hips can be called thigh slimmers or long legs.

Here are the “Top 6” styles that a woman concerned about hips should own or try on:

1. Waistline Long Leg or Thigh Slimmer – This style is a staple for every day.  Its length runs from the waist to a few inches above the knee.  This silhouette can be problematic if your midriff is full since a muffin top can form at the waistline.  To solve this problem, choose a light control garment that puts less pressure at the waistband, or choose the next option, a hi-waist thigh slimmer.

2. Hi-Waist Long Leg or Thigh Slimmer – This style begins just below the bra band, and ends a few inches above the knee.  It’s a great shaper that’s ideal for dresses.  However, if you hold a lot of weight on your back, it may create a muffin-top effect around your bra.  If this is a problem with which you’re all too familiar, I suggest trying the next style – a thigh slimming torsette.

3. Thigh Slimming Torsette – This is one of the newest styles on the market today.  A long leg torsette smoothes your body from the shoulder down to a few inches above the knee.  This silhouette has a deep, U-shape front at the chest which allows you to wear it with your own bra.  This garment offers full-body smoothing.

4. Long Leg Bodybriefer– This garment is very similar to the thigh slimming torsette, because it smoothes from the upper back to a few inches above the knee.  The difference between the two is that the bodybriefer includes bra cups.  If wearing your own bra is something you just don’t want to give up, stick with the thigh slimming torsette.

5. Pantliner – A pantliner is similar to a waistline long leg except that the garment ends lower on the leg, at the mid-calf.  This style is ideal for women who are concerned with cellulite, because it gives the entire hip and thigh area a toned appearance.

6. Body-Shaping Slip – Slips are available in waistline and hi-waist silhouettes, as well as those that begin at the bust.  In addition, slips may or may not have built-in panties.  Women will often choose a slip to simplify trips to the restroom, or because they want the modesty it provides when wearing a sheer fabric or light-colored fashion.

If hips represent your biggest obstacle to finding great-looking fashions that fit well, you should plan a trip to the fitting room of your favorite store and try on one of the garments mentioned above.  Then, slip on a slim-fitted fashion with, and without, the shaper to see if you’ve achieved your desired result.  Do you have any wardrobe tips for your fellow “hippies?”  If so, post them below.

 Loading ...