Dresses and tops with low-hanging fronts require shapewear with an open bust, if you plan to wear it underneath. With the bust portion uncovered on this piece, you have some more freedom to show a little cleavage, should you wish to do so. 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. When worn underneath a dress, it successfully blurs out any dimples, while also forming a clean line from our hips to our thighs, with nothing hinting at any garments underneath. It reached down to our mid-thigh level, but on petite women, this can feel a little longer. The silky-feeling fabric even feels great on the skin and doesn’t leave us ready to tear it off our bodies after a long day’s wear. And in the process of removing it, we found that the shorts roll off like butter in one swift movement. Once off, we did however notice some markings on the skin around the waist where the band was.

Shapewear should be an invisible layer that helps you feel like your best self, which is why we recommend adding a seamless piece to your collection. These shaping shorts from Commando focus on the lower half of your body by smoothing out the stomach, hips, butt, and thighs so that tighter-fitting garments feel more comfortable. From waist to thighs, you’ll find no seams closing out the ends, but rather raw-cut edges without elastic, trim, or taping to deliver a smooth finish.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. At a compression level of one, these high-waisted shorts are an excellent choice for smoothing, rather than tightening, and evening out the body to create one sleek line from waist to legs. Made of lightweight and breathable materials, like nylon and spandex, we felt comfortable keeping them on for an entire day without ever feeling restricted (or overheated, for that matter). They slide on like any other shorts, then remain in place throughout the whole day. The anti-slip silicone strip around the waist also helps the material stay put, but we noticed that it never rubbed or tugged at our skin. It did, however, leave a few creases on the waist after removal. This option comes with side and front panels for a more cinched-in look, but other than that, the compression level remains between a comfortable one and two. It provides some smoothing and a light hold but without any of the constricting feelings. We particularly love how thin the material is on the shorts as they never cause any chafing or the feeling of being sausaged. The only thing to note here is that it requires you to have a strapless bra, otherwise the straps on the bodysuit with bra straps and whatever shirt you are wearing become a little too much and can be seen from underneath your clothes. The support through the stomach band was an ideal amount—it had a nice smoothing appearance without feeling like we were wrapped in a sausage casing. The rip-resistant fabric also earned a 4.9/5 for durability. We tried nails, velcro, and jewelry and there wasn’t a tear in sight. A pair of these will last you many seasons, making the price tag worth it. The size chart is a little confusing at first but we found that it was accurate if you follow the height and weight guidelines.

Because you select your size based on your bust, anyone with a fuller bottom will notice the fabric feels a bit too constrictive around the thigh openings. It left marks on our thighs and felt less comfortable than other bodysuits we tried. On the other hand, the lace portion never seemed to bother us and looked rather chic as a going-out shirt when combined with a nude bra. Otherwise, the bra portion is completely sheer, and while it does have an underwire for support, it does not provide coverage to the nipples.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. What We Don’t Love: You can definitely see it from underneath your clothes, so you can’t wear it with form-fitting pieces.

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. 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. 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.There are a few reasons why you might be in need of strapless shapewear. If we're going down the obvious route, it's that you're planning on wearing an off-the-shoulder number and the appearance of straps would ruin your outfit. However, you might just find straps uncomfortable so instead you're looking for a strapless alternative. Either way, this type of shapewear is versatile enough to be worn under so many different outfits. 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.