It’s that time of the year with parties and weddings and all sorts of functions to attend!

Quick Tip!

Don’t forget the secret weapon every celebrity and fashionista knows about!

Plus size shapewear, especially the bodysuit or the slipdress are perfect shapers to wear under your favorite dress as it transforms your silhouette!

A twist on the old favorite is the boxer body shaper which resembles a bodysuit but covers like a slip!

Remember, shapewear should fit snugly in order for it to do its job, so you can do yours–and look absolutely fabulous!

Also, check out the week’s Fashion Flash from Une Femme!

Either one you choose, we have you covered!

Well, always on the lookout for new shapewear items, when I was contacted by Squeem I was a bit skeptical.

So, I took the vest out of the package and was surprised at how lightweight it felt. Put my arms into the shoulder straps pulled the two ends together and began fastening from the bottom up to the top.

I wore Squeem’s Miracle Vest on a few different occasions.   Yup!  True to form! It lifted, flattened and reduced just as their ads proclaim.  My 101 year old grandmother looked at the vest and talked about by-gone days with corsets and how this vest looked and felt so different.  And she wore a corset every day til she turned 100!

While I am not a fan of having shapewear as “every day wear” I must say that when I wore this vest out to lunch friends asked if I had lost weight.  The manufacturer is correct, after having the vest on all day and then wearing it to an evening function, it was a bit too long of a time, at first.  You must ease into wearing the shapewear until you get used to it-one hour, then two, then three and so on.

The most important things that I was reminded about shapewear:

1. It made me stand up straighter–my posture was better.
2. I did not overeat
3. I just felt better!

So, check out Squeem’s Magical Lingerie and take a look at what they have.  Their Miracle Vest and Perfect Waist both go up to a 5XL sizes 22W-24W.

More as it happens! Jodell

This Spring you’ll want to put your best foot forward and take advantage of comfortable, functional, well-made, seamless shapewear garments that  smooths and defines your curves in all of the right places.

When considering shapewear:

Decide first what you want it  to do.

Do you want full body support?

Or, do you want  to smooth and shape a particular area?

Next, determine the amount of control you want: from firm to light control, depending upon the occasion and what you need it to do.  Take a look at Rago’s long leg shapers to see the difference between light, medium and firm control.

For full body support, consider a full body shaper that slims your waist, tummy and back and provides a seamless, contoured look to your garments such as this Boxer Body Shaper from Julie France.  The experts at Julie France say to look for garments that lift, support and smooth while allowing your true shape to come through.  With a full body shaper, and its all-over contouring, it is easy to show off your curves.

Let’s say you want to minimize one area.  This season, you will see a lot of styles that hit just under the bust such as Julie France’s  high waist panty shaper which slims your torso and sculpts your waist-line.  It will be your little secret which area you are minimizing and smoothing.

Our every day favorite shapewear item is the bralet, such as this V-neck bralet from N-fini. You can wear them to work out, for every day and even for special occasions.  The bralet is a must-have item and you won’t want just one!

Seamless, smoothing shapewear that does not roll or show through and in flattering styles and fabrics is your perfect spring time accessory! If you have not tried shapewear, now’s the time!

Full figure shapewear can complete your look from that special party dress to your favorite pencil skirt to your jeans. Today’s technological advances make for a perfect compliment for plus size women when it comes to choosing and wearing their shapewear. Gone are those bulging seams and heavy boning with yesterday’s shapewear garments that can produce unnatural contours as well as thick nylon and power mesh layers that move unflattering inches to other parts of the body. Seamless, heat sealed technologies along with fabrics that feature feather light, breathable control panels that move with your body and feels like a second skin, is a welcome addition to any outfit.

It is possible to find full figure shapewear garments to flatter and show off your curves. After all, it is no one’s business but your own what parts of your body you don’t want to advertise! There are a variety of plus size shapewear garments that look and feel wonderful and go with your curves providing a flattering silhouette underneath dresses, skirts and jeans!

Some tips to keep in mind when selecting the shapewear garment of your choice:

• Measure: Make sure you know which areas you want to target and get accurate measurements of those areas so you can find the right size based on manufacturer specs. As with apparel, each shapewear manufacturer’s sizing is different, so do pay close attention to their size charts.

• Fit: Getting shapewear that is too big or too tight will negate the affect you are trying to create. Ever have your shapewear twisted? To ensure that your shapewear will stay in place and that the seams and panels will be straight. Step into the legs of the garment, pull up until you reach the point where you would like your shaper to begin. As you pull the garment up and over your torso, simply un-gather the shapewear. Once you have your shapewear on, sit down, bend and stretch. If you feel a binding area, readjust. Your shapewear must be comfortable while sitting as standing. And whatever you do, do not buy your shapewear one size too small. A smaller garment will not hold you in MORE or give you more control it will just make you unnecessarily uncomfortable. Instead, go up to the next level of control. (If you have moderate control go to a firm control garment). Shapewear make you hot? Look for pieces that have a cotton blend so that the garment can breathe and you can feel more comfortable. Make sure that your waist stays in place and does not move or roll over, as it may be an indication that you will need another size or that your shapewear has been broken down and needs to be replaced. Your shapewear should not have any wrinkles or bulges and make sure that you have a proper fit in the crotch as well.

• Control Level: Shapewear comes in a variety of control levels: from light to very firm. These control levels allow you to choose the amount of support that’s right for you. In some instances, control top pantyhose or a full or just a half slip can provide about the same support as light control shapewear garments. Moderate control provides extra smoothness with light control panels. You should be able to move around comfortably for the day or evening activities when wearing moderate control shapewear garments. Using current technological advances, firm and extra firm shapewear garments are comfortable and provide the most support and control. However, in some instances you may not be able to wear them all day long.

• Desired Target Area: Not all shapewear is created equal. Each shapewear piece is designed to target a specific area or areas: tummy, thigh, waist, buttocks, or all over coverage. Choosing the right garment depends upon how much control you desire and which area you want to focus on.

• Below is a synopsis of each target body area along with the corresponding shapewear pieces you can choose from. Note: Each shapewear piece depends upon what you are wearing over it and what area (s) you want support and control.
  1. Tummy- If you want to focus on your tummy and midriff area and give the illusion of flat stomach and rock hard abs, choose from a cami shaper,  panty shaper or tummy shaper.  

1. Thighs, Waist and Buttocks-If you wish to shape the thigh area, lift the buttock area, narrow your hips and minimize your waist, choose froma boxer shaper, high waist boxer shaper or legging shaper. If you are a pear shape, make sure your shapewear piece has extra support in outer thighs and buttocks.

   

1. All Over Coverage When you need all over trimming and toning consider a boxer body shaper or high waist boxer shaper if you want to or need to wear your own bra.

Finding the right full figure shapewear garment will provide the “foundation” for every item in your wardrobe and give you the opportunity to improve the way your clothes fit and feel! Shapewear gives you the option to wear your garments in the most flattering way possible! Shapewear gives you the option to wear your garments in the most flattering way possible! After all, it’s not about what size you wear it’s how you wear your size!