TIME:
10 minutes
YOU’LL NEED:
Your REHOME, REFUSE, REPAIR bags
A mirror
Your shopping list
A little patience
ACTION:
If you have a collection of shapewear already, its time to try them on and evaluate whether you wish to keep, REFUSE or REHOME. If your garments have lost their elasticity (often you can tell by looking at it and if it has broken, stretchy, fine rubber tufts the elastic has broken down and you need to put these in your REFUSE bag.
Check for any repairs to clasps, straps etc and place those in the REPAIR bag.
Return any pieces you wish to keep to your wardrobe.
When returning items to your wardrobe, don’t fret about how and where as this is one for another day!
Add to your shopping list any pieces you’d like to hunt down.
STYLIST’S TIPS: Shapewear comes in a seemingly endless array of options, solutions, shapes and forms…hallelujah! If you have a part of your body, you’re not 100% in love with (and we all have those!) there’s likely a solution out there to discipline it. My friend and styling colleague, Lucy Hendriks of The Fashion Workshop, refers to them as our weapons of mass reduction that will have you looking 10 pounds thinner by dinner! If it’s good enough for Kate Middleton, Taylor Swift and any other celeb you care to name (they’re ALL wearing them), it’s good enough for us! Keep in mind you’re not going to feel like wearing these every day, but for special occasions they’re little miracle workers.
Tummy control
Waist shapers
Hip control
Thigh control
Butt lifting
Leg defining
Bust lifting
Bust minimising
Back fat control
They’re available from a range of stores from budget department stores through to specialist boutiques and to suit a range of budgets, though I’ve found you generally get what your pay for; or as my husband often reminds me…you buy cheap, you buy twice!
When you’ve found your piece, after the choir sings in your head, you’ll need to choose your colour – skin tone or black…start with the skin tone and when budget permits, go for black if you’re not buying for a specific dark coloured garment, at this stage.
Once again, do a full 360 in the mirror once you’re dressed to make sure your shapewear isn’t creating lumps and bumps where they're not wanted.
Also, when you’re shopping for your pieces, in the same department you’ll find adhesive body tape which is fabulous for securing fabric of your garments to your skin to prevent revealing what we don’t want to reveal. I can’t speak highly enough of this gear!
PS – Don’t wear shapewear to a buffet if you can avoid it. It just hurts.
FOLLOW UP ACTION REQUIRED:
Discard, with glee, those items not giving you love.
Keep your eyes open for shapewear sales to pick up your most wanted on sale.
Tend to any repairs yourself or hold them in your REPAIR bag to take to a professional on July 1!
Catch you tomorrow!
Gold Coast, Brisbane & Northern New South Wales Stylist, Louise Chambers is available for personal styling, photo shoot & media styling, style workshops, fashion event MC bookings and media bookings.
Instagram: @stylechambers