How to choose the right shapewear for you
What are you wearing? - When choosing your shapewear, consider the style of outfit you are planning to wear. All-in-one bodysuits and slips are ideal for under dresses, particularly ones that allow you to wear your own bra. If you’re wearing something particularly fitted, pay attention to any visible seams or waistband support that will prevent them from rolling down.
How much control do you need? - From light to firm control, how much shaping and smoothing are you trying to achieve? Medium control pants will provide a smooth silhouette but may be less effective at flattening tummy fat. Firm control can feel quite fitted if you’re not used to them, so consider how long you intend to wear them.
What areas do you want to focus on? - Is it your muffin tops, tummy overhang or thigh chafing that you’re aiming to support? Some shapewear is better suited to overall shaping and smoothing, whilst others specifically target the tummy or lower abdomen.
Consider the fabrics - The fabrics will not only determine how stretchy, elastic and comfortable the shapewear will be, but also how breathable and moisture-wicking it is too. Look at the fabric make-up when making your choice – some feel significantly softer than others.
Size up, not down - Whilst it may be tempting to buy a size smaller to achieve maximum compression – don’t do it. Buying shapewear that is too small will simply make you feel uncomfortable and at its worst or squash and squeeze your body to the outer edges of the pants. Not a great look. Whilst most shapewear brands recommend buying your usual size, some specify sizing up if you’re not used to firm control.
Colours - Consider the colour of your shapewear which you could match to compliment either the outfit or your skin tone. Some shapewear brands offer more variety of skin tone shades than others.
Price tag - Finally, how much do you want to spend? Whilst quite often you get what you pay for, you can still pick up some medium control shapewear at a relatively reasonable price. If you are someone who socialises regularly, enjoys dressing up and is confident they can get regular wear, you may be willing to justify a higher price tag when you consider the cost per wear.
How we chose our recommendations
Recommendations from real Mumsnet users
Mumsnetters have certainly put shapewear brands through their paces when dressing up for nights out and special events, with many Mumsnet users sharing experiences (both good and bad) of the shapewear they’ve personally tried and tested.
First up, we sought out the trusted opinions of Mumsnet users to get their feedback on their favourite shapewear, as well as the brands that they have tried, rated, and would recommend to their friends.
We also looked out for any negative reviews, where Mumsetters highlighted products that they felt were poor quality, ineffective, rolled down or simply failed to create a smoothing effect.
Expert opinions
We then cross-checked our recommendations with the shapewear praised by top stylists, fashion industry experts, and tastemakers, to ensure we were bringing you the best products that are rated across the board.
Authentic consumer reviews
Finally, to bring you our definitive list of the best shapewear, we thoroughly investigated genuine, in-depth customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon, John Lewis, Next and independent sites to get broader consumer experiences regarding the products on our shortlist.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust and we spend hours scouring the Mumsnet forums and online bestseller lists to find products that real parents rate.
Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family.
About the author
Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help parents make confident purchases that they enjoy and benefit their families.