If you’re looking for a contouring effect, however, we recommend going for an option with a little more tightness around the stomach. This one simply guides the natural curve of your body but doesn’t do much tugging around your waist. The number one rule in choosing the right shapewear for you, as Palep explains it, is to “not go tighter than your size in hope of ‘extra shaping.’” Shapewear will already come with sculpting effects, and sizing down will only cause discomfort. Instead, consider the occasion you hope to wear this to and choose whether you are in need of shorts, a bodysuit, or a bodysuit with shorts attached. Denise advises to consider the compression level, as you want to “be sure it’s holding you in at the right spots and letting you breathe everywhere else.” Not everyone wants the same level of compression, she continues, so decide whether you want to be cinched in or simply smoothed over, and shop accordingly. For shapewear with level three compression, this open-bust shaper feels surprisingly buttery soft and comfortable. It glides on like any other shorts, then can be pulled over the shoulders with adjustable straps. We never had to perform a wiggle dance to get these on — an appreciated detail for something so sculpting. We loved how this shapewear evened out our bodies to create a smooth figure, but more than that, we adored how near-invisible it felt once on. We practically forgot we had it on thanks to the extremely comfortable fabric. The only reminder of its existence was that the shorts tended to show from underneath a mini dress as they are a bit long. And going to the bathroom requires a bit of patience with this one; the crotch does have two flaps that can be pushed aside when you have to go. But unless you are extremely skilled at maneuvering through this opening, you will be required to take the whole piece off to use the toilet, which can be a major hassle. We had rather mixed feelings about this, as it took some patience and practice to use the opening flaps. We almost preferred taking the whole thing off, however time-consuming, just to not ruin the shapewear in the process of using the toilet. The bottom is held together through three hook-and-eye closures. They make trips to the bathroom much easier, but they do require a bit of time and fidgeting to manage each time. On occasion, we found that one hook would undo itself by the time we got to the second hook, which left us attempting to hook all three at once. This left us awkwardly wiggling around in the bathroom stall before we could finally exit.

This budget-friendly body shaper works double duty in smoothing out any bumps and acting as a cute lace top. While this bodysuit is not the least expensive piece of shapewear on this list, we wanted to highlight a bodysuit that can be an alternative to our more pricey best overall and best splurge pieces, rather than shorts. Structurally, this bodysuit works similarly to Skims and Wolford’s options, offering full torso, bust, and booty compression, but at a much lower price. As a corset, this option functions more as a waist-trainer than shapewear, but it effectively cinches your body into an hourglass figure. Getting through the many tiny clasps at the front is a bit of a hassle, but once accomplished, we found the corset to sit snug along our stomachs and work exceptionally well in highlighting our waist and hips. We found that even our girls get a gentle push-up effect when combined with a bra. Pulling the shapewear on and off also felt like a breeze. We snapped ourselves in with the crotch closure (which never rode up uncomfortably), and at the end of the day, it simply rolled right off once we unsnapped the bottom. For our small chests, we noticed that the straps created a bit of a lift, giving our girls a nice look without the need to turn to push-up bras. The brand offers one of the widest size ranges going up to 4XL, as well as a petite and regular fit, which rivals Skims. We appreciate that it has multiple adjustable elements, too, to almost give you a customized fit: the shoulder straps and gusset can both be fixed to fit you how you’d like. Instead of buttons, the gusset actually has clasps similar to a bra band, making it significantly more secure, too.

The best strapless shapewear shortlist:

Spanx: Get up to70% off Undie-tectable Thong, Suit Your Fancy Strapless Cupped Panty Bodysuit, and more shapewear at spanx.com What We Love: The fabric feels extremely comfortable and can easily be kept on an entire day without discomfort. Contributing writer Sophie Mooreis a former fashion editor at Brides and is an expert in all things bridal attire, from couture wedding gowns to the perfect "something blue" accessory. She researches and sources the best fashion items for brides, grooms, wedding guests, bridal parties, and more. Additional research was done by commerce writer Theresa Holland.

Often, finding the best shapewear for you means suiting your needs. Consider what outfit you might wear it under, what colour you want to go for, and what purpose it serves. Maybe you're after the best tummy control shapewear if you're wanting to smooth out areas around your midriff.Not only was the cup size correct, but the extra strong compression made her figure look more toned. The tightness makes it a little difficult to slip in and out of at first, though, which initially turned us off a bit to the piece, but once we had it on, though, we found it to be surprisingly comfortable. It also stays in place all day, and we didn’t tug at it constantly. We also liked the elastic around the leg holes to keep the hemline in place, which helped the briefs fit to not ride up as we wore it. The brand advises, 'Take your measurements, then look at the size chart of the strapless bodysuit shapewear that interests you'. As well as this, they advise that 'if you’re between sizes, choose the larger one.' The best strapless shapewear should feel comfortable while also being supportive. What brands are best for shapewear? This piece is designed for bigger busts, but not for bigger butts. If you have a particularly large chest, then the supportive cups feel like a dream, making them look perky while they feel completely supported. We noticed how from the waist up, this bodysuit created a smooth silhouette that allowed for your jeans to be fastened easier. Unfortunately, those with wider hips and a bigger butt will struggle to fit into this bodysuit. Shapewear should stretch and mold along your body, so the two common materials you will find are nylon and elastane (sometimes referred to as spandex). These help to create a more “contoured or streamlined shape,” explains stylist Lara Betiku. Some brands add a little cotton into the fabrication for some additional softness, or replace the nylon with it completely, which you can see in the Wolford 3W Stretch-Cotton Bodysuit and the Commando Classic Control Short.

You can absolutely wear shapewear whilst pregnant. Content creator Caralyn Mirang Koch, who frequently wore shapewear throughout her pregnancy, explains that “shapewear while pregnant is a personal preference, just like it is while not pregnant.” The mild compression will not harm you or your child in any way, although you may find it to become uncomfortable the more the baby grows. Skims, for example, offers a maternity sculpting short, if you want shapewear specifically made for pregnancy. How do you choose the right shapewear for you? It feels much less firm than many other bodysuits on this list with only a compression level of one. But it did even out our skin enough to give us an overall sleek look, sans bumps and ripples. We found it very easy to slip in and out of, with a snap closure for easy access as well when going to the bathroom. The shorts claim to have a 400 percent stretch to them that adapts to your body, and therefore only comes in one size that covers bodies from zero to twelve in regular and petite. When we tested this on different body types, we did find this claim to be quite true, but we could imagine some sizes at the end of the spectrum (double zero and twelve and up) might not find it to fit like a glove.

From the exterior, this bodysuit looks like any other seamless bodysuit. But while wearing it, you notice just how compressing it is. One look in the mirror will reveal a cinched-in waist and accented hips, thanks to the high-leg cut-outs. The girls are also supported through the built-in, wire-free power mesh bra to give you more of an hourglass figure. While the straps can’t be adjusted in length, the stretchy seamless material molds to your body and doesn’t dig into your shoulders — basically, you don’t have to worry about too-tight straps. With a luxe finish, the bodysuit successfully elevates your look, and can easily be worn as a top for evenings out as well. What We Love: They have very minimal contouring effect, and can be worn daily for some smoothing effect. However, we did notice that it doesn’t fit plus-size women particularly well. The straight sizes fit true-to-size, but it runs small once it reaches past an XL, especially for plus-size folks with particularly wide hips. Of course, it is supposed to fit tightly, due to the compression, it wouldn’t even slide on the plus-size editor who tested it out. Keep this in mind when choosing what size you think would fit you best. Clothes like high-waisted jeans or flowy dresses with a band around the middle would function the best with this option. This option is far from seamless (consider the clasps and riffs) and would easily show when combined with form-fitting garments. On our short torso, we felt like the garment was half an inch too long, cutting into our butt and hips uncomfortably. At a compression level of three, it’s also quite tight and is not ideal for all-day wear. But if you want to show off your curves in all the best ways, this option helps you achieve that the best.

It’s easy to forget that these biker shorts are even on once you pull them on. They come with a minimal compression level — we couldn’t decide if they were more a level one or two —making them inviting for everyday use. The fabric itself feels lightweight and breathable. And while the brand describes the pair as “non-shaping”, we were pleasantly surprised to find it kindly molds our body shape and held in our thighs and midsection with gentle support. It worked its magic discreetly, though, disappearing underneath our clothes, and it never left a mark on our body after we took it off for the day. At a compression level of two, which describes how compressive the garment is, and goes up to level three (so, basically, this one has mid-range compression), the bodysuit smoothes the skin, without feeling too tight or sacrificing comfort. We wouldn’t turn to this bodysuit for exaggerated effects — it won’t take inches off your waist — but it does lightly cinch in our waist, give our chests a gentle push, and our bottoms a sweet little plump. The fabric is so kind on our skin, due to its soft touch, that it’s easy to forget it’s even on. The extremely lightweight material disappears under any clothes, even form-fitting ones, so we never have to worry about panty lines peeking through any skinny jeans or bodycon dresses. Once on, we were delighted to see what a remarkable job it did of smoothing our legs and waist. We tried on many shapewear, but this one provided one of the most noticeable visual changes to our bodies. We found no lumps or bumps while in this, and it really improved the way our clothing looked over it. As an added bonus, the opening under the chest worked hand-in-hand with our favorite bra to gently push the ladies up. The only thing we would change here is to add an opening around the bottom to make trips to the bathroom a little easier. While the garment doesn’t take a lot of work to slide off and on, it’s simply a hassle to first have to remove our top to get the straps down and perform our business. What We Don’t Love: You can definitely see it from underneath your clothes, so you can’t wear it with form-fitting pieces.Shapewear is more snug than wearing a slip undergarment, because it serves a different purpose. Sapna Palep, CEO of lingerie brand Journelle, explains that shapewear should “hold you in, add coverage and support or smooth you out. It is not really designed to make you several sizes smaller, but it can make you appear smoother.” For this reason, shapewear should never feel too tight, cut off your circulation, or feel highly uncomfortable. We wrote out the compression level on each of the options, but even with a high compression level of three, like the Spanx Ahhh-llelujah 'Fit to You' Everyday Short, you should still be able to move around and sit down easily. The aim of shapewear is to “make you feel more confident in whatever you wear,” says Palep, not restrict you in any way. When browsing options, consider the type and style of shapewear you are looking for. What body part(s) do you want to cinch or smooth? You'll also want to consider your ideal level of compression, how easily you want to get in or out of the garment, what size you need, and your preferred color.