Attire & Accessories Forum

Advice for Body Shapers Dilemma?

edited September 2014 in Attire & Accessories Forum
I would like to wear a Spanx-type body shaper, but I can't figure out a type that will work with my dress.  In the past, I've had the kind that has legs through the thigh and goes up to the underwire of my bra.  I was happy with it, but I can't figure out a way to make it work with my dress so I can go to the bathroom without taking my dress off.  The dress has a corset-back, and I'd end up spending the entire night in the bathroom having to take my dress off to pull down the Spanx.  And my venue only has one female bathroom, so even if I was willing to spend so much time in there, which I'm not, no one else would get to use it, which would cause a huge problem.

It is a strapless, tight dress, so nothing with straps will work, and I don't see anything that covers my crotch working.  Those corset-style ones with boning are just so thick, I don't have the space in the dress, and the thickness defeats the purpose of wearing it.

The only things I can think of are 

(A) Finding a legless one (I actually want the legs on them to keep my thighs from rubbing together. Or I guess I could just wear cut some tights/nylons into footless thigh highs for that purpose, as I can't wear regular tights/nylons I'm wearing thong sandals.) that has uncomfortable snaps at the crotch (if they even still make those). Though I probably wouldn't be able to snap them with my big dress on.

OR (B) Ruining a ~$60 body shaper by cutting a big hole in the crotch, and even then I'd still probably end up peeing on it.

Are there any midsection body shapers that works like Spanx (not boned, no hook and eyes or laces) that don't slip or roll down/up that you've tried? Or any other solution to this dilemma?

Note: I have tried bustiers, which never seem to offer any tummy control.  And I'm not even wearing any kind of bra because I've been searching for many years, and I still l haven't found anything that fits.  I'm about a 30L, but even if I find that size, I've never been happy enough with the fit, style, shape, and print (why bras have prints, I have yet to figure out) to keep one for $60-80.  So I've just been wearing cheap 36DDDs, which fit terribly.

Re: Advice for Body Shapers Dilemma?

  • I think your best bet may be to just go to your local department store (Macy's, Nordstrom or whatever you have nearby) and peruse the shapewear section. Try on the ones that look like they may work, narrow it down to a few options, then take them home to try on with your dress. If you find one that works, keep it and return the rest. That was my strategy.


    Wedding Countdown Ticker



  • Every time I've worn spanx that go from thigh to bust they've come with a crotch split for peeing. Like this:

    http://m.spanx.com/products/38-916

    I'd practice beforehand because it takes some careful attention but it works pretty well.

    Id be more concerned about the lack of bathrooms. I hope this is a small event? If the men's and women's bathrooms are both single occupancy I'd consider changing the signs and making them both unisex for the evening.
  • You can pee without taking the spanx off.  And honestly, even with a corset back, you'll be able to pull the dress up over your head, and then pull it back down in place, if you want to remove the spanx to go to the bathroom. 
  • I purchased this shaper for my wedding dress and tested it out last night during my bachelorette party. It has three hooks at the gusset that can be released so you can use the bathroom. I had zero issue getting the hooks hooked and unhooked last night without being able to see them and also while being absolutely smashed. Its not a solution for your thighs but I did find it to be a good shaper for my midsection and also really comfy to wear! Maybe you could try some sort of bodyglide for your inner thighs?

    Its the Star Power Thin Vogue Tunic.




  • Every time I've worn spanx that go from thigh to bust they've come with a crotch split for peeing. Like this: http://m.spanx.com/products/38-916 I'd practice beforehand because it takes some careful attention but it works pretty well. Id be more concerned about the lack of bathrooms. I hope this is a small event? If the men's and women's bathrooms are both single occupancy I'd consider changing the signs and making them both unisex for the evening.
    Yes, I am highly concerned about the lack of bathrooms, especially since I'll be in there probably half the night dealing with trying to pee. The men's bathroom is disgusting and desperately needs renovating (which I thought they'd do since they just partnered with a caterer and there was a year and a half until my wedding. They didn't though). I'd rather have everyone hold it and stand in line than ever SEE the men's bathroom.  I have about 100 plus all the staff/vendors, so that's like 115 or so.  They didn't seem to think it's an issue (of course not, they're selling it), but when there were only 20 people in the building for my last appointment, I had to wait for the bathroom. -__- I really hate my venue and wish I picked another location.  The guy running it has lied to us more than once and gives off the vibe of "sleazy used car salesman."  It's the only venue we found that's too small, lacking in bathrooms, a bar in a far off room, cake cutting in a separate room, with a rude maitre d'.  Why did I choose this one?  Oh yeah, it was under $35 per person. The place I wanted was about $75 per person.

    Anyway, I've purchased body shapers before, so I've seen them all, I believe.  Last time I went to JC Penney for body shapers, it was as organized as a clearance rack, so I gave up before I even found the ones I found online that I wanted to try on.  I can't imagine any of them working.  And I REALLY don't think I can manage peeing through an overlapped split while holding my dress up (my bridesmaids won't help me). I'm disabled so multitasking isn't going to happen if I can even manage to reach beyond my dress and 30L bust. I usually can't manage to pee without it...getting everywhere. It will be worse with a narrow slit. :/
  • You can pee without taking the spanx off.  And honestly, even with a corset back, you'll be able to pull the dress up over your head, and then pull it back down in place, if you want to remove the spanx to go to the bathroom. 
    Ummm, I can barely get the dress off when it's unlaced....  It's a wedding gown, not a muumuu.  It's TIGHT.  I'd have to unlace the entire thing to pull it over my head; trust me. And I can't pee neat enough without spanx on, I don't think it will be any neater with one on. Do all other women have penises I'm unaware of that allow them to control where their pee flows?
  • I purchased this shaper for my wedding dress and tested it out last night during my bachelorette party. It has three hooks at the gusset that can be released so you can use the bathroom. I had zero issue getting the hooks hooked and unhooked last night without being able to see them and also while being absolutely smashed. Its not a solution for your thighs but I did find it to be a good shaper for my midsection and also really comfy to wear! Maybe you could try some sort of bodyglide for your inner thighs? Its the Star Power Thin Vogue Tunic.
    Hook and eyes with a huge gown on, really? I can't even do my bra hooks without having them in the front (which means I can't wear a bra band tight enough to fit properly--unless I have someone else dress me--because I'm not strong enough to hook them behind me, and if it's the proper tightness, it's almost impossible to twist to the front). That also sounds terribly uncomfortable. Did you feel the hooks down there?
  • The spanx with the crotch opening...it's a pretty big opening. And the fabric overlaps when you're not peeing, so when you go to pee you just, kinda, open it up and it stays to the sidew. So, ummmm, the slit of the spanks is open almost the length of, but wider than, the length of, ummmm, you're slit. lol. The opening just kinda sits to the sides, like where the edges of your panties normally are, while you pee. You THINK it's going to get pee on it, but it doesn't. 


    And as for shopping for shapewear, this is a situation where i find the higher-end the store the better. Even the same store just in a better neighborhood sometimes makes a difference (i.e. there's 2 Macy's near me. One I was shopping at had a totally disorganized rack of shapers. The other had multiple nice neat racks. Nordstroms was even better). 
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards