Which shapewear to wear with which outfit
Which shapewear goes with which outfit: when to choose a faja bodysuit, an overbust faja or a high-waist shaping short for dresses, skirts and pants.
Shapewear is not one thing. A faja bodysuit, an overbust faja and a high-waist short each solve a different problem, and the right one depends on what you are wearing on top. Here is a simple way to match them, based on how established shapewear brands explain it.
The three styles, in plain words
- Faja bodysuit: covers your torso and ends mid-thigh, held up by shoulder straps. Our Smoothing Faja Bodysuit has wide adjustable straps, a 3-level hook-and-eye front and silicone lace bands at the leg.
- Overbust faja: like a bodysuit, but it goes up over the bust. Our Full Coverage Overbust Faja adds 11 flexible steel bones through the middle and closes with inner hooks under a front zipper.
- High-waist shaping short: no straps, no top. Our High Waist Shaping Short is seamless, rises high at the waist and has mid-thigh legs with a cotton gusset.
What should I wear under a fitted dress?
Look at the top of the dress first. If it has sleeves or wide straps and covers your back, a bodysuit is a natural match. Commando describes bodysuits as best for dresses and for looks with longer or tucked-in tops, and Leonisa points to mid-thigh bodysuits for long gowns with short or long sleeves.
If you want the most coverage from bust to thigh in one piece, that is the job of the overbust faja. Its wide straps and flexible bones make it a good fit for dresses with a closed back and a higher neckline.
What about a strapless or low-back dress?
Choose the short. Leonisa notes that bodysuit straps can show under strapless dresses, which is why shorts work better there. The same logic applies to open backs: a piece with no straps and no back has nothing to peek out. Pair the short with whatever you already wear for the bust, or with nipple covers if the dress allows.
What shapewear works under skirts?
For skirts, think about length and fabric. Under a knee-length or longer skirt, a high-waist short smooths from the waist to mid-thigh and keeps your thighs from rubbing as you walk. Under a short skirt, check the hem. Leonisa warns that shapewear can peek out under short or knee-length skirts and dresses, so do a sit-and-bend test in front of a mirror.
If the skirt is fitted and you are tucking in a top, a bodysuit is the classic match. Commando names tucked-in tops as one of the looks bodysuits suit best.
Which shapewear is best under pants and jeans?
Leonisa says full-coverage bodysuits pair well with long pants, and shorter shapers work under pants and jeans as long as they do not show. The deciding question is your top. A tucked-in or fitted top looks smoothest over a bodysuit. A looser top that covers the waistband is easy with a short.
A quick match list
- Fitted dress with sleeves or straps: faja bodysuit, or overbust faja for more coverage.
- Strapless or low-back dress: high-waist shaping short.
- Light summer dress or flowy skirt: high-waist shaping short, which also helps with thigh rubbing.
- Pencil skirt with a tucked-in top: faja bodysuit.
- Jeans or trousers with a fitted top: faja bodysuit. With a loose top: shaping short.
Do I need more than one?
Not right away. Start with the outfit you wear most. If you live in dresses that change from strapped to strapless, two pieces cover most days, which is the idea behind The Smooth Day Kit: the faja, the high-waist shaping short and a 100 pack of nipple covers.
Whatever you choose, it should smooth and hold, not hurt. If a piece digs in or rolls, the fix is usually the size or the style, not toughing it out.
Keep going: Shapewear compression levels explained: light vs firm and Comfortable shapewear for all-day wear at work: how to choose.
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Questions
What shapewear should I wear under a strapless dress?
Shorts. Leonisa notes that bodysuit straps can show under strapless dresses, so a high-waist short is usually the easier match.
Can I wear shapewear under pants?
Yes. Leonisa says full-coverage bodysuits pair well with long pants, and shorter shapers work under pants and jeans as long as nothing shows at the waist or hem.
Is a shaping short or a bodysuit better under a dress?
It depends on the neckline and the back. A bodysuit suits dresses that cover your shoulders and back. A short suits strapless, low-back and lighter dresses, and it also keeps thighs from rubbing.
How do I keep shapewear from showing under a short skirt?
Check where the hem lands. Mid-thigh shapers can peek out under short or knee-length skirts, so sit and bend in front of a mirror before you go.
Keep reading
Sources: Leonisa: which shapewear styles work with dresses, skirts and pants · Commando: types of shapewear, a beginner guide