Short or Small, Shapewear Is for All

By Andrea D.
Cupid Intimates

Conventional wisdom says that only full-figured women need to wear shapewear.   I disagree.  With today’s fashions, it’s very hard to prevent personal imperfections from showing through clothes, and all women have something they don’t like about their bodies.    Regardless of size, we all want to look and feel good.  Shapewear can do wonders too for smaller women – those who wear sizes small and medium.

For example, shapewear can help small- and medium-sized new mothers feel as though they’ve regained their pre-pregnancy bodies.  Since having a child of my own, I’ve learned that only a select few of us are lucky enough to shrink back to pre-baby form, even after losing all the weight gained during pregnancy.  One day I dressed up for work and thought I looked pretty nice.  I felt confident about myself all day. Then, when I arrived home, my four-year-old daughter informed me that I looked like I had a baby in my belly!  My confidence was immediately shaken, while she sat thinking excitedly of her future, new sibling.

Since that day I’ve wanted to wear something that controls my tummy so that the world won’t see that bulge.  I’m happy to say that there are a variety of options out there for those like me who need a little extra help.  Two such options are waist cinchers and camisoles.  They both work well to hold me in, while still allowing me to feel sexy in my own style of panties.  I don’t necessarily want shaping and control all over, everyday.

Waist cinchers control my stomach bulge, yet I still feel very free to move around comfortably.  And I have friends that have worn cinchers after having had C-sections or tummy tucks to gain the extra compression their doctors have recommended in order to feel better during their recoveries.

I also love the tummy control that shapewear camisoles provide because they’re perfect to wear under tighter-fitting dresses or shirts.  They give that extra push “in” to create a smoother line in the waist area (unlike a non-shaping cami), while still being comfy. I really enjoy these options for everyday help.

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When it comes to gaining control and shaping all over, a bodybriefer is a great shapewear solution for larger-sized women.  For other, smaller women, separates can be a better answer.  As a smaller-busted woman, it’s difficult to find a bodybriefer that fits every part of my body correctly. My shorter height can also affect the fit.  As a result, in order to obtain the lift in the bust area, while gaining control in other areas, I wear a bra and a separate piece of shapewear.  This approach works better for me because the length of my torso, waist, and legs are much different than those of someone who’s taller than 5’ 2”.

I also like garments that can be adjusted to fit different body sizes. They tend to hit problems areas more precisely, regardless of the wearer’s height.  In my case, with a short torso, my problem area lies right where the top of a standard waistline garment rests.  So wearing a waistline garment actually makes my problem worse – the last thing I want.  To avoid the dreaded muffin-top, I look for the adjustable-rise and hi-waist garments designed more for my body type.

For special occasions, there seem to be endless possibilities for smaller women to gain curves and smoothing all over.  For example, I can benefit from a hi-waist brief, a slip, a hi-waist longleg, or even a boy-leg brief.   These garments smooth my whole waist area, giving me the great silhouette I want for such times. Longlegs are great to wear with dresses or form-fitting pants to help smooth the thighs and legs.  The boy-leg lengths work well under shorter skirts, especially when, like me, the wearer has short legs.

It’s nice to see that shapewear companies realize that women want to look good and feel confident, regardless of their ages and sizes.  After all, we all like to be able to feel good each day and get extra help for those special moments in our lives. Shapewear is an affordable option for smaller women looking to achieve these goals without having to turn to surgery to gain that smoother or shapelier look.