Is Shape wear Comfortable?
Is Shape wear comfortable? What a question!! For most of us, shape wear & comfortable are two words that don't go together. Shape wear is a word that implies discomfort to just about all of us women. To most of us fashion shoppers, it means that we are trying to 'smooth bulges' or 'squeeze into' a favorite outfit...
So how do you buy shape wear comfortable enough to wear on a daily basis?
Well there are several key questions to ask yourself :
*What is the fabric content of the control garment that you want to buy? *What part of your figure are you trying to correct or enhance? *What you are going to wear over your new body shape?
Lets start with fabric content. Fabric content is probably the most important aspect of any garment. In the case of shape wear comfortable enough to wear daily, the garment must shape your body, but still allow you to breathe. The secret to comfortable shape wear is an intricate balance between Lycra in combination with another fabric that is knit and stretches like nylon or even cotton. Lycra will give you the smoothing effect while the stretch fabric will allow you to breathe. Look for reasonably high Lycra content - 10% or more if you are searching for a bottom, anything less is simply not going to do the job. If you are searching for a top like a control camisole, for instance, as little as 5% Lycra can do wonders.
The part of the body you are trying to correct or enhance is also key in finding shape wear comfortable enough for daily wear.
What you want to enhance or camouflage is really quite related to what we just learned about fabric. Ideally if you are searching for a control camisole, you will most probably have the most comfort with cotton/Lycra knit blend of 90-95% cotton & 5 - 10% Lycra. A shoulder pad camisole can in cotton/Lycra is very comfortable and can correct a number of figure flaws - it can even make you look a little bit taller!
A shoulder pad bra is the perfect comfortable shape wear solution for the pear-shaped body type. Most of us have to wear a bra every day anyway -- you might as well solve a figure issue at the same time. Did you know that wearing shoulder pads can make you look up to 1 inch taller and up to 10 pounds thinner? Well they can -- the eye reads from left to right, just the way we read a book. The 'illusion' of broader shoulders that balance the hip 'trick' the eye into seeing a taller, thinner silhouette. Fabulous!
For control bottoms, Nylon/Lycra usually is the preferred fabric for the bottom half the body. Nylon gives the bottom half the 'oomph' & 'lift' that it needs. Once again remember to look for 10% Lycra for your bottoms to give you support and comfort.
What you are going to wear your new body shape with is key to your purchase. If you are wearing your shaping camisole under a dress, keep the neckline of the dress in mind. It sounds so simple, but getting comfort that controls and works for your outfit can be challenging. If you are searching for a body-shaping bottom to wear under a skirt, you may be interested in the purchase of a control half-slip. If you are a very active person or have the habit of fidgeting with your clothes, a better choice would be a control short. Both panty styles and long leg briefs are available. Both styles can work wonders for you depending on what you are wearing. For longer leg briefs, a leg length of at least half way down the thigh is a good choice, perhaps with a stretch lace trim for comfort (and of course prettiness) would work well. Shape wear can be pretty so don't settle for a battle-ax corset!
