The five mistakes women make in the shapewear department.

By MAMAMIA STYLE

Let’s play a quick game of word association. What are the first three things that come to mind when you think of the word shapewear?

Go on, it’s okay I’ll wait.

How’d you go?

Did your list look something like this?

1. Bridget Jones.

2. Uncomfortable.

3. Beige.

Shapewear gets a bad (beige) wrap, thanks in part to Bridget Jones. The first book in the series was written in 1996 and the shapewear industry has evolved in the last 17 years yet that cringe-worthy moment Daniel (Hugh Grant) attempted to take off Bridget’s (Renee Zellweger) “absolutely enormous panties” still remains in our collective consciousness.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Nancy Ganz. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.

It’s time to scrap everything you thought you knew about shapewear, as we bust the five myths that will change your mind about suckerinerer pants forever.

1. It’s going to hurt more than ripping off a Band-Aid.

Are you already wincing in that rip-off-a-Band-Aid kind of way just thinking about controlling beige undergarments? Is the thought of getting stuck in a cubicle, busting to go to the toilet and not being able to rip them off, enough to give you a panic attack?

What you might have previously experienced is not the case anymore because that tight-can’t-breathe-pulling-in-at-the-ribs feeling might’ve been how shapewear first started out but the industry has progressed. Thanks to new improvements in technology, innovations in fabric, and differing levels of support it’s now comfortable enough to wear every day. For example, Nancy Ganz has new Dream Fit cotton-stretch shapewear that’s breathable enough to wear in summer.

And for those cubicle moments: the best way to put on and take off shapewear is to roll it first, step into it, and then unroll it into place.  The real challenge is trying to remember this after a few wines.

2. It’s only for curvy women.  

Adele admitted to wearing four pairs of shapewear under her dress at the 2012 Emmy’s and there’s no denying that it is a confidence booster but it’s not only for the curvier girls. Nancy Ganz reports that their bestselling sizes are in the 10-12 size range.

3. It’s not sexy.

Sure, no one has ever planned to hook-up with a potential mate while wearing major control grundies but things happen and inevitably you could find yourself in a situation where you need to either excuse yourself to the bathroom or (quite, literally) roll with it.
Thankfully, shapewear companies are using new fabrications like mesh support and control lace and have introduced colours and prints in swimwear so there’s no need to resort to beige (unless it suits the dress you’re wearing).

The bottom line is if you’re wearing something that gives you confidence, there is nothing sexier than that.

4. It’s meant to be tighter than glad-wrap.

Many customers think they need to squeeze into smaller sizes to get the ideal silhouette but it is recommend you buy shapewear garments in your regular underwear size.

Shapewear is designed to slim and smooth your body, so it is made to be tight fitting but if your circulation is being cut off… go up a size.

5. It’s only for special events. 

A recent study found that 85% of women have clothes in their wardrobe that don’t fit. Why we even hang on to these clothes is a different story but shapewear is really just modern wardrobe solutions to feel confident in those tight jeans, body con dresses or pencil skirts that you’ve got hanging in the back of your wardrobe.

Nancy Ganz is the original shapewear brand, founded in 1990 in the USA by Nancy herself. Today, Nancy Ganz is the number one shapewear brand in Australasia, designed in Australia for Australian & New Zealand women. You can shop online for Nancy Ganz shapewear and swimwear with free shipping Australia-wide, and at Myer, David Jones & leading retailers. In NZ, Nancy Ganz is available at Farmers. We don’t mind if you refer to your Nancy Ganz as your ‘suckerinerer’, ‘tummytucker’, or any other language you’ve developed!

Nancy Ganz are offering Mamamia readers an exclusive offer of 30% off sitewide! Just use coupon code MIA30 at checkout. Offer ends 11.59pm Sunday 24^th November.  See the Nancy Ganz website here for all the T&Cs.