How to Choose Your Shapewear. A Beginner Guide for Real Body Types.

Shapewear is having a serious moment. From celebrities flaunting it on the red carpet to openly talking about wearing it to achieve the perfect look - it does it all. It smooths, shapes and lifts, and is not a taboo topic anymore. There’s an air of super power around it. When you effortlessly can slipp on a dress or pair of jeans over a bodysuit and instantly get a flattering look, you can’t turn back.

Shapewear can be the miracle in your closet because it does what you need it to do. But, it’s not a one size fits all situation.So, how do you find your perfect shapewear? Worry not, we’ve got your back.

1.Choose the right size of Shapewear - it’s tempting to go down a size. But, a size smaller will show trough with cutting visible lines as well as leave you gasping for air. Instead, go for your actual size, and you’ll be moving with the grace of a gazelle with your dress fitting you perfectly, without giving away any shaping secrets.

2.Start with your shaping goal in mind. Do you want to smooth out and flatten an area or do you need to lift it? Are you looking to sinch your waist? Or, do you want to control the stomach area? Does your back need support and smoothing? Or maybe you’re after something that’ll stop your thighs from rubbing together. Having this answer will not only help you choose the right shapewear, but will make your search a breeze.

3.Choose Quality - it will keep its elasticity through washes, sweating and stand multiple wear & tear tests, especially when you need it to stretch and do its job every single time you put it on.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, there is one more step in line, to nail your best shapewear choice. Choose the shapewear that works well for your body type.

So, how do you choose the right shapewear for your body type?

There's a lot more than four categories when it comes down to figuring out if you're curvy or athletic. We’ve mapped out the (real) body types that go beyond the apple, pear and triangle shape. So, you can easily find what type is closer to yours. Let’s dive into it.

Pear or Triangle：

Characteristics: This figure has a smaller bust and shoulders, with fuller hips.
It’s generally slim from shoulder to waist, with an hourglass shape below that area. This body type is so slender in certain areas that it's important when looking for shapewear to balance the hips & thighs with the rest of the body.
Pear-shaped women generally carry weight on their hips rather than stomachs. So, we recommend going for shapewear that sculpts and tightens the extra weight carried in the hips.

Shapewear Recommendation: go for shapewear that will also help you level out your hip dips and hide your muffin top:
CoreSculpt™ High Waist Shaper Shorts With Front Hooks 

Round or Oval, also Apple:

Characteristics: This figure has a fuller middle with great legs.
It generally features a round or oval body type with a fuller bust, abdomen and hips.
This body type curves outward at both ends. We recommend going for shapewear that will help you sinch your waist and sculpt your abdomen to create an hourglass and give more definition to your figure.

Shapewear Recommendation: go for shapewear with the kind of compression that will cover all the jiggly insecurities:
CoreSculpt™ Extra Pop Ultra Body Shaper
Or
CoreSculpt™ Firm Tummy Compression Shaper Shorts

Hourglass:

Characteristics: This figure has a defined waist and a balanced bust to hip ratio.
It’s naturally a perfect balance between a slim waist and larger hips. This figure has two main features: defined waist with thicker upper legs, and rounded buttocks. We recommend going for shapewear that will highlight your curves, and add structure to the well-defined waist, while also giving some love to the narrow hips compared to the bust.
The prominent curves, slightly rounded shoulders and the ample buttocks will gain extrashaping from bodysuits and enhancing shapewear.

Shapewear Recommendation: go for the shapewear designed with the hourglass figure in mind:
AirSlim® Lace Smooth Bodysuit

Rectangle:

Characteristics: This figure has a flat bottom with little waist definition.
If we keep the summer vibes going and the fruit analogy, this is a “banana” body type. Worry not, there is also the perfect shapewear for your body that’ll help create fluid lines to highlight your beautiful shape.
We recommend waist sculpting shapewear that will help balance your shape for an hourglass look.

Shapewear Recommendation - go for shapewear that’ll help you achieve an overall polished look:
CoreSculpt™ Butt Lifter Hip Enhancer Pads Shapewear

Top hourglass:

Characteristics: As a top hourglass, you have the general shape described earlier under the hourglass figure. However your bust is slightly larger than your hips and this may affect how clothes fit on you. We recommend shapewear that compliments your curves in the front while hiding those at the back.

Shapewear Recommendation: go for shapewear that will snatch and balance out your figure, so you can reclaim your confidence.
CoreSculpt™ Hourglass Full Body Shaper

Bottom Hourglass:

Characteristics: As a bottom hourglass, you have the general hourglass shape but your hip measurements are slightly larger than your bust. It might be difficult to find clothes that fit well as
it can be tricky finding bottoms to hug around the hips without being too tight in front.
Shapewear will help you balance out your hips, and offer compression and shaping exactly where you need it.

Shapewear Recommendation: go for shapewear that’ll help conceal the love handles and highlight your full, feminine hourglass shape.
AirSlim® Open Bust Seamless Smoothing Body Shaper

Inverted apple/pear:

Characteristics: The inverted triangle body shape is also quite popular. This figure needs liftingin the bust area to accentuate it and help draw the attention away from the hips to balance it out. If you have this figure you may want to hide your legs, but with the right shapewear, you may change your mind.

Shapewear Recommendation: go for for a shapewear that will tuck your tummy to hit your very own jackpot:
AirSlim® Full Body Tummy Control Shapewear
Or
PowerConceal™ Lycra Cami Seamless Bodysuit

Diamond:

Characteristics: This figure is one of the most popular body types. Women with this figure have a broad back, hips wider than their shoulders and waistline that curves in towards the middle. It also has some extra weight on the upper legs. This figure can be found in both taller or shorter
women. Show off your shoulders and arms and shape and contour the other parts of your body, for that ultimate confidence shot.
We recommend shapewear that will accentuate your midsection and keep you looking sleek without constricting your bust.

Shapewear Recommendation: go for shapewear that’ll fit your proportions and enhance your diamond figure comfortably, without it leaving bulges above nor below it.
CoreSculpt™ Advanced Body Sculptor
Or
PowerConceal™ Seamless Power Mesh Full Bodysuit

Athletic:

Characteristics: This figure is muscular but not curvy. The waist is narrow, and has the same size as shoulders and hips, with all of them having similar proportions to each other. We recommend looking for shapewear that will help you contour the areas where you’d like to see more contrast.
Open back or strapless outfits will show off your sculpted back, while the shapewear will do its magic to sinch and shape an hourglass looking figure, to allow for fluid, sexy lines.

Shapewear Recommendation: go for shapewear that won’t be too loose on your waist or too tight on your hips either:
PowerConceal™ Low-Back Hourglass