Should you invest in shapewear?

JULY’S STYLE CONUNDRUM

”Should I invest in shapewear?” - Annie

I am firmly in the camp of: you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable. You’re always going to shine the brightest when you feel comfortable, and I am not here to tell you what that looks like for you. But as a stylist, I do not put my clients in shapewear, I don’t agree with it.

We do not have to adjust our bodies to fit our clothes, and you also end up with a load of clothes that only fit you when you’re wearing shapewear. Plus - it’s up to brands to make clothes better for women’s bodies, and it’s up to us to shop in brands that cut clothes properly for our shapes. Those brands are hardly ever on our high streets, so you’ve got to shop outside the box. I am never going to take you to a shapewear section unless you really want to, but there are plenty of stylists who will, so this is not my area of expertise! However, I do recommend investing in some decent bras, and will happily help you there.

However, there are definitely occasions when shapewear is useful - like for thigh rub, or when clothes are see-through. It’s a pet hate of mine that so many clothes are unlined nowadays - it’s a cost saving exercise and it drives me mad. I have a vintage slip that I bought from a charity shop for £2 that I wear under my light dresses, but I also have a shapewear short suit from ASOS design that I wore recently at a wedding for an unlined cream dress, which was pretty damn comfy I have to say! The best brand for inclusivity across skin tones is Skims.

For thigh rub - try Thigh Society thighsociety.com

So, the answer is, it’s up to you my lovely! X