okay I've had a **** of a lot of experience with body shapers, I used to wear them when I was a 20-22, and started again when I hit a 14. There are a lot of different kinds which shape different parts, depending on what you need most. They can be an absolute life saver, and really make you look so much better because aside from smaller they smooth out your rolls which really makes you look a lot slimmer.
I know a lot of people find them uncomfortable, but I really love mine. It is hard to explain why I find them so comfortable but I think "contained" is the word, it can be a very comfortable feeling to feel all zipped up and tight and like nothing is going anywhere.
When I was a 22 I swore by these ones from Macy's which were for the upper body (not like Spanx which are mainly from the waist to thigh area, although they have expanded to other parts). They had a bra attached and a snap crotch (which was terribly helpful as it is a nightmare to go to the bathroom if you are wearing a body shaper! it takes like 15 minutes to unroll!). But what I loved most about them was that they were made of lacy material (but still with elastic running through it) rather than the usual slick, thick lycra. I sweated a lot at that size so it made a huge difference, plus with my big hips when I wore the slick ones my shirt would just ride up and everyone would see it.
When I became a 14 I bought generic-version spanx, also from Macy's for about $30, which went from my waist to my thighs. I struggled a lot with the rolling down thing as mxgirl mentioned, it was very uncomfortable, and would also make a weird line in my clothes. But it really depends on your body type, I am short-waisted and kind of hourglassy with a little fat bulge on my back between my waist and breasts which would push down the body shaper when I moved.
I would not recommend Wal-Mart or K-Mart for your body shaper if you can avoid it, the quality of the materials they use is very cheap and the result is itchy and uncomfortable. I bought one at Wal-Mart for $20 which was so uncomfortable I returned it the next day and sprang for the $45 one at Macy's.
These days I am a size 8, but due to the loose skin from the weight I still need body shapers (although they can be a real help to most figures!), I wear them every day. What I've got now is a slick type one which is quite thick from Mervyn's, it was about $35. I step into it like underwear and it goes up to right below my bra. Or, it is supposed to, but since I bought it when I was a 10 it's a bit big now and I've got a weird fat roll in between my bra and my body shaper, you do have to watch out for that! I disagree about buying too large, if you are having the rolling problem I would suggest getting a body shaper that goes over a different part of your body. Do not buy too large - then it will just bunch up and not "spank" you properly because it is not tight enough and you'll end up feeling more fat. I would suggest buying a little on the small side if you want it for every day use (that way you can 'shrink into it'), but if you plan to use it just for this event I would say get the correct size that makes you feel comfortably tucked in but not like a sausage (because if you feel like that, you will be sticking out in other places and it's not pretty!).
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