Dear Shapewear Diary: Thoughts about the Shapewear Experience III

By Eva Ceinture
Miraclesuit® Shapewear

 This is the third in a series of blog posts conveying one woman’s thoughts about shapewear.

Step-In Waist Cincher / Extra Firm Control

Dear Shapewear Diary,

Yesterday, I wore a dress that had a fitted bodice and an A-line skirt.  After putting it on, I realized I wanted to smooth out its waist, so I decided to try on a waist cincher.  The garment I selected had flexible bones sewn into it and was made of a smooth, shiny, knitted fabric.  It had elastic sewn onto both of its edges.  I chose the step-in variety (as opposed to the type with a hook-and-eye closure) because I didn’t want the hooks to show through my clothes. 

Putting on a waist cincher is easy – simply step into it and pull it up.  Getting it on over my head would’ve been much more difficult.  Even if I had chosen a waist cincher with a hook-and-eye closure, I could’ve stepped into it and pulled it up as long as it would’ve been sufficiently stretchy (it’s much easier putting them on this way; women often don’t believe this until they try putting them on using both methods).  When a waist cincher has silicone edges it can be difficult to pull on, but I’ve discovered an easy solution.  I turn it inside out and upside down before sliding it up (the larger side of the cincher will therefore be on top).  I then flip it right-side out once I get to my waist.  At that point, voila, it’s on the right way and I don’t have to fight with the silicone!  This might sound a little confusing, but it’s really very simple.

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My cincher didn’t roll, and it held in my tummy and waist.  I knew it wasn’t too small for me since it didn’t create bulges of flesh that spilled out from its top.  Wearing the correct size allows the shapewear to do its job and avoids creating additional problems.  Cinchers may be good choices for those who like clothes with fitted waists.  And I’ve heard that some people like the back support they get from them and, therefore, wear them on a regular basis.  The garment I wore was reasonably comfortable all morning long.  I think, next time, I’ll try wearing a control panty with the cincher to see if that makes it more comfortable for all-day wear.

Today, I wore the cincher again, this time with a light control brief.  The combination of the two created a shapewear solution that was easy for me to wear.  By donning a brief that provided some control, I felt more balanced.  Wearing the cincher with a control brief allowed me to customize the level of control I received in different areas.  Though I experienced smoothing across my upper hips and tummy, my waist was nicely shaped.  I think the combination of a cincher and a bottom would be a good option for anyone who has tried extra-firm control shapewear and thought the overall firmness to be uncomfortable.  Such a customized solution would also work well using a light control thigh slimmer or bike short.  Overall, I preferred wearing the waist cincher with a control brief to wearing it without one.  This experience reminded me that if I don’t initially like wearing a piece of shapewear, I should try it on again in a different way – especially if I already own it!

CC Image courtesy ZapTheDingbat on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/zapthedingbat/ / CC BY 2.0

CC Image courtesy kevinspencer on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/vek/ / CC BY 2.0