Spanx: Friend or Foe?

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This year for Halloween, my family wanted to dress up like superheroes. I have always been a person that has been very into the celebration of Halloween and the fun that goes along with dressing up. As much as I pushed for the Wizard of Oz theme, I was outvoted by the males and superheroes were the costume of choice. Instead of the forgiving A-line Dorothy skirt, I was going to be wearing a bright colored body suit with a short skirt that would call attention to every bulge that I hoped to disguise. Time to bring out the Spanx.

I first discovered Spanx years ago. Spanx is a body shaping product that provides a slimming effect under clothing. There is a wide variety of shapewear to choose from depending upon your needs. At first glance, I declared this a miracle product. It hugged in all the right places and gave me a smooth look under dresses and even jeans and blouses. It seemed to almost transform me down a size. Magically, when I first put it on, I easily slid into a pair of jeans that I was reluctant to wear before. I called my friend, “You have to buy these Spanx! My skinny jeans fit!” But as I would discover, there was a price to pay for “beauty.”

First, it is hard to put on. Give yourself about ten extra minutes of struggling with the tight elastic product. Think control-top pantyhose times four. After the time you spend time pulling and twisting this skin tight helper on, you are likely to be sweating so avoid putting your top on until after the Spanx. Once you have it on and adjusted to fit, enjoy the look of your clothes but be prepared, you may not want to wear this for any extended period of time.

Second, this product lacks comfort! It goes on tight and fits tight, that is what you are in for. If you live in a warmer climate, prepare to be hot when wearing these skin huggers. I thought this product would be great for my cute summer sundress except I forgot for a moment that I live in Phoenix where the summer days hit triple digits. UHH! Who needs an extra layer of skin in that kind of heat? And the sundress gets benched for lightweight cargo pants to satisfy my comfort.

And third and most important, limit your liquid intake while wearing this product. Perhaps you are planning a special night out and can’t wait to wear your sexy new outfit. You will definitely achieve the sleek look if you wear a Spanx but beware, any bathroom trips will leave people wondering, ”what IS she doing in there?” Because if the Spanx takes a long time to put on, you can only imagine the time requirements needed to peel it off and then try to twist that sweaty thing back into place. (And yes, it does have an opening to suggest easy access but I am not going to get into why that doesn’t work.)

So to conclude my feelings on Spanx, I do think it will do the job if you want to avoid the dreaded “muffin top” or any other bulges that you are trying to smooth out under your clothes. I prefer to go without but like the comfort of knowing that it is waiting in my drawer if the time comes that I need it.

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Anonymous

Great to read an HONEST appraisal of Spanx and not just the GLORY of how they make you look! Thank you

November 4, 2010 - 1:37pm

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.