Shapewear: The prettiest practical lingerie

I remember accompanying my mom on shopping trips to Sears when I was a little girl. Rounding the corner to the lingerie section caused great confusion, as grown-up ladies’ undergarments looked nothing like mine. They had enough fabric to reach the ribcage and only came in two boring colours: nude and black. How bland! A blink of an eye later and I’m old enough to start shopping for that special underwear myself; the type that changes the way your body looks beneath clothing.

Good for me, shapewear has come a long way since sulking in my mom’s shadow. Modern tummy-control intimates are way more appealing, with a wider variety of pieces available and plenty of pretty patterns (and laces) to choose from.

Gallery: 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

Dolce Gabbana, for example, has designed a beautiful one piece that looks good enough to eat, with oversized onions, lemons and daffodils painted upon it in bright, artistic detail. Even the less fashionable, more practical body slimmers – by brands like Spanx, Skinnygirl, Wolford and YummyTummie - are seriously appealing and well-worth wearing if you care how you feel in your clothes.

The unexpected find was pieces you could wear without clothing overtop. As in, shapewear that is beautiful enough to expose and wear as a garment on its own – the best ‘two birds, one stone’ arrangement we’ve come across yet!

The degrees of “slimming” have widened, too. Shapewear is no longer reserved for the most curvaceous – they’re now designed to smooth and shape even slim figures striving for perfection. Just as we’ve discussed in previous posts, a woman’s size doesn’t really matter these days, so long as she looks her best.

Shapewear helps us look our best, so we went shopping! Check out our favourite pieces we’d love to have in our top drawer:

Shop the look:
1. Dolce Gabbana Onion and Floral-print brocade bodysuit
2. The Sculpt and Shape bodysuit in ‘Romantica’ by Body Shape
3. Wolford Mystery Forming stretch-mesh bodysuit
4. Bodywrap Control Body with shimmer
5. The Must Brief-it Dark Romance by Body Shape
6. The Skinnygirl lace shaping thong
7. The Slim-Fit boy short by Body Shape
8. Nancy Ganz Firm Control Betty High-Waist Brief with Lace
9. ‘The Grace Slip’ by Resultwear
10. SPANX Haute Contour Chantilly Couture Cami
11. SPANX Haute Contour Captivating Full Slip
12. SPANX Assets Chic Peek Camisol

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