Leg Avenue Women's Bodysuit

Product Information

The evolution of the bodysuit continued into the 1870s, where French acrobat, Jules Léotard invented his very own snapsuit fit for gymnastics. Design is another factor worth considering. Ultimately, you don’t want to settle for a one-piece that’s hard to style. Instead, trendsetters should invest in a bodysuit that’s traditional in silhouette and monochrome in color. 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. While not for everybody, this bodysuit works exceptionally well for women with larger chests. Our editor, who finds it near-impossible to find shapewear that accommodates her DD+ breasts, loved this piece the most out of all the ones she tested. The cup and band measurements make it easier to find your exact fit, too. Shapewear is more snug than wearing a slip undergarment, because it serves a different purpose. Sapna Palep, CEO of lingerie brand Journelle, explains that shapewear should “hold you in, add coverage and support or smooth you out. It is not really designed to make you several sizes smaller, but it can make you appear smoother.” For this reason, shapewear should never feel too tight, cut off your circulation, or feel highly uncomfortable. We wrote out the compression level on each of the options, but even with a high compression level of three, like the Spanx Ahhh-llelujah 'Fit to You' Everyday Short, you should still be able to move around and sit down easily. The aim of shapewear is to “make you feel more confident in whatever you wear,” says Palep, not restrict you in any way.

Clothes like high-waisted jeans or flowy dresses with a band around the middle would function the best with this option. This option is far from seamless (consider the clasps and riffs) and would easily show when combined with form-fitting garments. On our short torso, we felt like the garment was half an inch too long, cutting into our butt and hips uncomfortably. At a compression level of three, it’s also quite tight and is not ideal for all-day wear. But if you want to show off your curves in all the best ways, this option helps you achieve that the best. Of course, which one you choose will heavily depend on your current aesthetic. For instance, clothing styles like maximalism and minimalism offer their own takes on the classic strap suit. How to Style a Bodysuit 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.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.

What We Love: The support around your chest is fantastic, and the crotch portion has a clasp closure, rather than a clip closure. 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. 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.

It’s easy to forget that these biker shorts are even on once you pull them on. They come with a minimal compression level — we couldn’t decide if they were more a level one or two —making them inviting for everyday use. The fabric itself feels lightweight and breathable. And while the brand describes the pair as “non-shaping”, we were pleasantly surprised to find it kindly molds our body shape and held in our thighs and midsection with gentle support. It worked its magic discreetly, though, disappearing underneath our clothes, and it never left a mark on our body after we took it off for the day. 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. One-pieces come in a variety of cuts, as trendsetters can find long-sleeved versions, those with pants, or the simple tank-top design for a more breathable option. History of Bodysuits Tight shapewear might not be comfortable enough for everyday wear, but shorts that simply work to smooth out bumps can be worn daily. Yummie’s smoothing shorts slip on like butter. Even with a mild compression level of one, we appreciate that the shorts still effectively flatten any bumps along the legs. The two-ply hem and waistband also keep them from rolling or moving around. Interestingly enough, we found the most compression around the thigh instead of on the waist or belly. If that’s your spot of concern, then these options are great for you. They don’t act unlike regular biker shorts, which are easy to slip on and off. Since they are shorts, you just pull them down when it’s time to visit the restroom. With so much comfort, we found it easy to turn to them for our daily activities. Boyshort undies: Bodysuits are best worn with thongs, Brazilian briefs, and bikini underwear. Anything that offers additional coverage will result in a bizarre silhouette when paired with one-pieces.

Disposable fashion is so last season. Bodysuits, like any other wardrobe staple, should be viewed with some sort of respect. Their level of versatility is often valued, especially when you consider the number of impractical garments on the market.

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The long bodysuit: Considered a great way to retain body heat, we highly recommend layering this one-piece under trousers and sweaters during winter. What We Don’t Love: While the top portion is impossible to spot under clothes, you can see the seams of the bottoms if worn with leggings or very tight pants. 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. Skirts: If you want to achieve that classic ballerina silhouette, we highly recommend wearing an accordion pleat skirt or a tutu-like petticoat. The bottom is held together through three hook-and-eye closures. They make trips to the bathroom much easier, but they do require a bit of time and fidgeting to manage each time. On occasion, we found that one hook would undo itself by the time we got to the second hook, which left us attempting to hook all three at once. This left us awkwardly wiggling around in the bathroom stall before we could finally exit.