<p>I’m figuring this isn’t of much interested to our CC men. :)</p>
<p>I am someone who can be totally out of the loop in terms of options outside of getting up and dressing decent. I enjoy shopping and dressing current (but for my age) in a cute, upbeat way. But am not usually one for the extras - scarves, makeup, tons of jewelry - that kind of thing.</p>
<p>I was watching an episode of What Not To Wear last week when Clinton mentioned “shapewear”. Hmmm…I thought - shapewear - is that something I might use from time to time??? My weight is fine, but of course, like many 50 decade women there are a couple of areas that could use less “jiggle”. I really had no idea what shapewear entailed, but was buying a casual t-shirt dress this weekend for a “two person class reunion” dinner tonight and I thought that a little something underneath might really help the shape of the dress on my figure smooth out. </p>
<p>So, I looked at TJMaxx (where I was buying the dress) and ended up buying a shapewear top that extends to just below the tummy. Actually bought two - the same one, but one beige, one black (at TJ prices I could afford to do it!)</p>
<p>It was interesting to see the variety of pieces to choose from. Some were panties, but with legs. Some were just a middle piece - kind of like armor!!! - no straps. I saw one whole piece - almost like a bodysuit, no legs. I choose a cami like piece - simple thin straps, scoop in front and back. When I first put it on, I was like “omg, so tight!” But after a minute or two it actually felt good and did just what I was looking for - smoothed out the look of the clothes and the body underneath. WHO KNEW??!!!</p>
<p>So, now I’m curious - if you use shapewear, how/when do you like to use it? What type of pieces have been most helpful/comfortable for you???</p>
<p>I am one that has completely resisted it. I am normal weight too, but with plenty of places that could be improved on. I can’t get past the “I can’t breathe or move in this” part- that you said goes away after a few minutes. They all feel like torture devices to me- but many women swear by them. I can’t stand control top hose for that reason too.</p>
<p>It’s getting harder to find just regular wear these days. I was looking for a slip- the plain old fashioned kind- for DD who needs no “help” from shapewear, but there was tons of shapewear and hardly any slips.</p>
<p>Actually this is an interesting thread that I will read as I had planned to ignore shapewear, but who knows?</p>
<p>I have one piece of shapewear that I wear under dresses only, when I don’t want a panty line. Sort of combo bra/girdle (when was the last time anyone used the word “girdle”?), snaps under my crotch. It is reasonably comfortable, but I wear it at most, three or four times a year. </p>
<p>I’ve tried other shapewear, and find that it rolls up or down, is uncomfortable, and makes me look more like a punctured sausage with bits oozing out above and below. certainly, it wasn’t fooling anyone into thinking I looked 10 pounds lighhter.</p>
<p>My solution has been to lose the weight that had crept up over the years and do what I can to eliminate the extra jiggly parts. I feel and look much better, and my clothes fit appropriately.</p>
<p>I wasn’t ever technically “overweight”, but had crept from the low end of the BMI normal weight index, to the very top of normal.</p>
<p>Yes, I have no intend to wear my shapewear daily! One thing that did help me was while I am normally a medium when buying things, I bought my pieces one size larger - it fits close but there are no bulges popping out! </p>
<p>I don’t think you have to be overweight to consider it. I just think it can smooth out the appearance in certain garments. I’ll let you know how I feel after wearing it for a few hours tonight!</p>
<p>I was just reading an article in the paper yesterday about fathers who hire trainers, etc. to lose weight before their son or daughter’s wedding. One guy admitted to wearing a shapeware undershirt for the wedding.</p>
<p>No, no, no! When I left behind panty girdles after high school, I left behind that sort of thing forever. I accept my shape as it is, and don’t buy clothing that doesn’t flatter me. Life is too short to spend any part of it squished into restrictive undergarments. Every now and then I think of how dressing properly, regardless of the weather, used to mean a panty girdle with garters, stockings, and a full slip, and thank my lucky stars those days have passed–I’m not bringing any of it back under the name “shapewear” or anything else.</p>
<p>I did get some spanxs and a slip, to wear with a close fitting cocktail dress, that wasn’t really tight, but through an oddity of the material you could see my navel.</p>
<p>But generally I don’t wear clothes that require it. They are a bear to get on.</p>
<p>Maybe the style I bought is somewhere in-between - doesn’t seem like the nightmare you guys speak of!!! </p>
<p>I don’t wear pantyhose, I despise control tops, but for some reason this didn’t seem so bad on the top half of me - again, we’ll see when I actually wear it for a few hours!!!</p>
<p>I wear the exact tank tops you described under shirts…the ones I buy are actually in a trendy teen store nearby with the Sugarlips brand…not too tight but tight enough so I don’t feel like I’m jiggling…not really shapewear but achieve the same purpose; sounds like what you purchased…</p>
<p>Funny thing is, they actually make my posture better as well…added benefit…</p>
<p>I like to be comfortable. I am much older than you are I do not care about smoothing out certain parts of my body. Nobody is paying attention to me any way. The most I can do (no absolutely have to do on requests from my H.) is to color my hair. Sorry, I have no plans buying anything like this, i will continue bulging out and everybody around me will continue having no notice of it. As you can tell, I lost interest, I do not even like to shop at all, just too much, the minute I am in a store, I want to get out as soon as possible. In addition, I cannot wear several layers of clothes, it has to be one layer, unless I am cold, which does not happen often.</p>
<p>Well I am not yet at my goal weight and wear this; it is great in that it doesn’t roll down, you can wear your own bra and it smoothes out back bulge from bra, and flattens tummy (as much as possible)…but I wear it only with some dresses and tops and almost always at night…my daywear doesn’t need it or I don’t care.</p>
<p>Most camisole types usually have a sort of “rubberized” interior band at the bottom that grips the underwear and doesn’t roll up or ride up. Don’t ask me how I know ;)</p>
<p>I have a one piece body shaper that is so darn comfortable I wish I could wear it everyday. I have two dresses that are not tight but are stretchy and it just smooths out the lines in the summer.</p>
<p>If I were jiggly and wanted to wear a T-shirt sort of dress or something else that’s clingy, I would definitely buy something like this. Today’s stuff isn’t anything like the girdles of our (well, at least my) youth.</p>