body shaping?

[keryx]

The Kiyonna peeps sent me an email advertising those Spanx things (which is, I have to admit, cute in an almost-kinky way). And I was thinking, you know, I used to wear "control-top" stockings/tights all the time, yet the "body shaper" idea squicks me for some reason.

Why is that?
[Poll #1043396]

Random extra credit question - if you do wear anything that changes the shape of your body, how does that change the way you perceive your body when wearing or not wearing that thing? You could include bras in that, I suppose. Does it make a difference?

I used to be all "OMG you can see my tummy" if I wasn't wearing The Great Control Top. But bra vs. no-bra isn't a huge issue. So, I wonder.

Comments

[vaspider]

I like them (on the very rare occasion when I wear them) because they make my suits fit more comfortably. There's that whole 'loss of muscle in the abdominal cavity' thing that comes specifically with having had a child that makes some formal skirts fit weird, or bind funny, and sometimes it's just really nice to have a garment support my stomach the way my bra supports my breasts. (I cannot stand, for reasons of comfort, not to wear a bra. The whole 'augh, my breasts are touching my other skin' sensation is just uncomfortable to me, leaving aside issues of gravity.)

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I hadn't thought about the support thing. I can imagine that would be nice (certainly the breast support of a bra rocks when I want it - and even when I go braless, it tends to be in something with some support).

[snidegrrl.livejournal.com]

Worst stupid bodyshaper side-effect: bladder squishing & having to pee frequently. I gave up on control top several years ago when I had to make Jack stop in the middle of DC somewhere in between parties we were attending so I could pee because a half a glass of beer DID NOT HAVE ANYWHERE ELSE TO GO. Which was mortifying and I never want to do it again.

More recently, under my bridesmaid dress at G's wedding I was wearing a foundational undergarment, but it was mostly because I hate hosiery and didn't want my legs rubbing against each other. Like today I am wearing a skirt and just wearing boxer-briefs to achieve this. It doesn't have to slim.

[arovd.livejournal.com]

boxer-brief LOOOOOOOOOVE!!

[anysia.livejournal.com]

The good thing about certain styles of SPANX, they have a nifty built in 'trap door' so you don't have to wrestle them down when you have to go pee! Don't know how to put this delicately, so here goes. THey are designed so if you are sitting on a toilet, the trap door opens, but stays close when sitting on chair or walking.

[snidegrrl.livejournal.com]

I went to their website to check this out, but I guess they don't advertise that particular feature! I suspect it still wouldn't convince me to wear them, because I just don't want to have to pee more frequently due to actually crushing my bladder!

To keryx: It will not surprise you that my mom is a big Spanx advocate.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

We should ask your mom if spanx crush your bladder!

And no, I am not shocked she's a fan.

[anysia.livejournal.com]

I can answer this: Spanx do not crush the bladder.

Corsetry?

[mirvana.livejournal.com]

What if you wear corsets as part of historical costume? Or, for fetish reasons? Does that count?

Otherwise, I absolutely hate those spandex body shaper things. I tried them when I was a lot heavier, and I didn't think they gave me a flattering shape at all. If they contained cheap plastic boning, the heat of your body would cause it to warp, and, well what's the point? Gimme an historically accurate corset with steel boning anyday...

Re: Corsetry?

[keryx.livejournal.com]

Sure, corsets count. I like old-school lingerie with boning, too - different feel, but kinda the same idea.

[moongirli.livejournal.com]

I'm not a fan of Spanx, per se, because their D size still isn't -quite- large enough for me.

However, I do wear the Avenue seamless bike shorts with skirts, and, lemme tell ya, whether I paid $10 or $20 for them, they were worth every cent. I didn't have to wear hose, and they double as a great thing to wear in bed in the blasting heat of August to avoid nighttime chub rub.

[chubbyninja.livejournal.com]

i dunno if it counts or not, but i often like to wear those stretchy underarmor shirts under my button up stuff. Mostly because i like the way they feel, but i suppose they do have a constraining aspect to them. They also make some of my shirts fit better, not that most of my clothes fit well at all.

[arovd.livejournal.com]

I think that totally counts - I'd forgotten how foundational (hee!) undershirts are for some guys/styles of dress.

and YOU. get my fat pretty icon. *thppt*

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I loooooove me some underarmour. They keep me from having the whole breasts up my nose thing for yoga and rolling around. They pretty much rule.

I hadn't thought about them as support garments, but yeah, I guess they are. So I do wear such things.

[suzy-hendrix.livejournal.com]

I have lame body image issues (that probably have a lot more to do with how I perceive myself and not how I actually loook and etc. and so on) and just a few hours ago I was about to buy some spanx to go under the jersey dresses that show off my stomach and that line between my stomach and hips that's created by any pair of underwear I choose or just that overhang of belly at my belt line.

I can't stand not wearing a bra. Yeah, it looks better. But it also makes running up a flight of stairs MUCH more comfortable. Also, less under boob sweat and no sticking to my ribcage.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I've always thought of bras as more under boob sweat-making. But I feel you on the bra thing; I really only go truly unsupported at night (or I guess at Pennsic), not for the look but for the COMFORT. For the longest time, I'd wear bras to bed - avoiding the breasts in two different directions thing, which is frankly painful. I've gotten comfortable with those little shelf-bra cami things, though, which are a nice combination of the good things about bra & no-bra.

[snidegrrl.livejournal.com]

The bra soaks up the sweat, whereas if the bra is not there, it just sort of hangs out between your boob and your torso making you sticky. At least, that is my perception!

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I feel like the sweat evaporates more quickly if there aren't the fabric & underwire layers keeping it there. But we probably have different bras & different breats.

[snidegrrl.livejournal.com]

& different sweat!

[dreamalynn.livejournal.com]

The only time I wear anything special as a foundation garment is if I'm wearing something special as an outer garment. Some dresses demand a bit of... control, I guess? So I'll give in. But generally, ew, the less restrictive my clothes, especially my underthings, the happier a Dreama I be.

[anysia.livejournal.com]

I wear them for specific outfits, mostly skirts or dresses. Spanx are comfortable (for me at least) and don't bind or hinder. They are what they are advertised "Made by women, FOR women".

I also wear a corset with certain dresses because they are 'off the shoulder' and strapless bras just don't cut it when you are above a D cup.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I just don't do off the shoulder - I can't move like me in a corset, and you are so right about strapless bras. I think if I moved and sat differently, corsets would work, so maybe that's part of my issue with supporty clothes in general.

[anysia.livejournal.com]

The other reason I wear a corset is I have a problem with over tight muscles from the 12th rib, down to the piraformus muscle in the hip. It pulls the ribs down towards the hip. Wearing the corset stretches out the trouble area, and supports the torso.

[catchstars.livejournal.com]

I wear control top hose mostly because I have problems with the tops of other hose being too big on my waist if they fit my legs. The control top is tight enough to fit nicely and stay up. Sometimes I wear silicone falsies in my bra, because I don't have the sewing skills to alter jackets to fit my chest, so filling my bra a bit keeps the fabric along the bustline from looking sunken. Most of my body shaper/shape altering pieces are to help clothes fit as intended, and if I had more than rudimentary tailoring skills, I'd probably abandon them.