Looking for the best shapewear for dresses (both casual and formal)? These are some of my favorite options!

I have thoughts about shapewear.  A lot of them.  For the longest time, I have to admit….I was VERY antishapewear.  I had zero interest in shrinking my body and to be honest, the few pieces of shapewear for dresses or skirts that I'd tried had been incredibly uncomfortable.

After seeing so many new to me shapewear brands raved about for the last year or so, I decided to order some pieces and try shapewear slips, bodysuits, and shaping underwear for myself.  Well, call me a convert.  Some? As uncomfortable as I remembered.  But some pieces? Smoothed my curves and gave a bit of support but felt incredibly comfortable.

A few takeaways for finding the best Shapewear for Dresses and Skirts:

1. Try multiple brands and pieces.  One famous shapewear brand just….didn't work for me.  No matter how many pieces I tried, it felt incredibly uncomfortable.  Others? Every item fit like a dream.  It was worth spending some time REALLY testing out different pieces.
2. TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS.  Every brand and piece fits differently, and measurements will help you determine sizing and fit.
3. You get what you pay for.  The bargain shapewear brands I tried were SUPER uncomfortable.  The compression was too much, they felt almost impossible to wear.  The investment pieces? I can't believe how much more comfortable they were.

Shapewear for Dresses: The Best Options

Full Body Suit:  Now, I have to be honest…..this was the shapewear option I was the most apprehensive about.  Would I really find one that gives great support up top and compression around the hips and stomach without being TOO MUCH? I tried a few, and ended up feeling like Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  Some were too long, some were too short.  Some had too much compression.  This was a huge reminder that TRYING ON pieces makes a difference.  For me? I love love love this body suit from Knix.  It has just enough support up top without being too much.  There is enough compression to smooth my curves without feeling like I'm being SMOOSHED.  HIGHLY recommend.

Shop Body Suit:

Shorts: When it came to shorts on their own, I was looking for antichafing more than compression.  I'd tried a few options for under skirts or dresses, and I definitely have my favorites.  Listen….if you're a person with a pear shaped body? These shorts will change your LIFE.  I use them under dresses or skirts for day wear.  My favorites? From Knix and Skims (Knix has multiple options for length which I love).

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Shaping Underwear: If you are looking for the most useful shapewear for dresses or skirts, I would say a pair of shaping underwear is your way to go.  They'll work under just about anything, you don't need to worry about length, necklines, etc.  I tried a NUMBER of pairs (trust me, the cheap ones I bought at Target were AWFUL).  And my favorites? Knix and Skims (noticing a pattern here?……I found certain brands definitely worked better for me than others).  These both offered light compression that smoothed nicely without being uncomfortable.  Highly recommend for holiday dresses or fancier dress outfits.

Shop Underwear:

Do you wear shapewear? What are your favorite options in terms of shapewear for dresses or skirts?