Spanx? I keep hearing about this. Should I try it?
 

Okay, I'm 188lbs, I desperately want to wear this very cute juniors dress I got at a consignment shop with the tags still on it by Christmas. It's a juniors size 9/10, and I'm not sure if that's a medium or large.

I'm not a junior, I'm 22, but that dress appears as though it will fit WHEN I slim down.

I want to have lost 25 lbs by Christmas so I can wear that dress with a pair of heels.

Should I get the spanx to help? I know it won't slim you down a size but it makes you look nice under a dress, from what I was just reading in one of the other threads. What about cheaper versions?

I love spanx!!!! I wear them all the time. I carry alot of my weight on my tummy. It helps smooth all the lumps and bumps. Spank doesn't take me down a size but it does tighten everything up. I heard that Beyonce wears two pairs on the red carpet. Good luck. You can do it!

I love love love Spanx. They smooth you out, and are comfortable at the same time. I've tried other brands, and they're nowhere near as comfy as Spanx.

Love spanx. Lots of the stars wear then. Oprah talks about them all the time, says she wears them all the time. They aren't going to make you go down a size, but they make everything look better on you. Takes away all the lumps and bumps

Im another lover of spanx. Especially if i am wearing a dress. It smooths and makes everything less jiggly. Ive tried one other brand but it wasnt as comfortable. But i have heard that jcpennys has a good brand there. Maybe try looking around and thr them on?

I love my spanx...but, like everyone else said...they aren't going to put you in that 9/10, Mel ;)

You've done wonderfully, keep up the good work. You're going to rock that dress at x-mas.

Thanks guys. I figure if I've got some lumps and bumps as you guys call it, it'll make things appear more smoothly bwhahaha. A false illusion. That is, if I have lost enough weight by then to fit into it.

Does anyone recommend any cheaper versions?

I figure if I've lost around 25lbs, manage to make myself fit into the dress, and have the Spanx or something similar, it'll look that much nicer (especially if I've got a loose tummy from giving birth in January, and then the weight loss.)

I love Spanx too, haven't tried any other brands. They work great for smoothing as others have said. You just have to lay on your bed and flop around like a fish to get them on. Once on, they are very comfortable and don't give you any of those elastic lines, like regular girdles, but make sure you pee first because getting them on and off in a public rest room is... problematic.

:lol: Sounds like the way I have to struggle to get too-small jeans zipped up. And I'll definitely remember to pee ahead of time. :D

Well you guys have given Spanx some rave reviews so I'm going to just 'accidentally' leave a little birthday wishlist around for my boyfriend to see. Complete with the brandname of Spanx and website address and a list of stores to get it at once I google all of this.

I can't wait to try it. Very excited. :D

I've tried a few other versions of Spanx....none of them work as well.

Also, spanx are crotchless for the same reason that Schmoo suggested to pee first. Just slide your panties to one side and let it go. MUCH easier than taking them off in a public restroom.

What size are you now?

You have to keep in mind that "junior" isn't about age, it's about SHAPE.

"Junior" cut clothes are cut for ... well juniors. Girls who haven't developed a shape or curves yet. Some women who are very athletic can wear junior sizes quite easily. I personally cannot wear junior sizes even in the larger range, because I have boobs and hips. :)

It's the same reason you can have a "plus petite" - because petite isn't about being teeny-tiny skinny, it's about height and ratio from knee-to-hip, hip-to-waist, waist-to-shoulder, etc. You can be petite and still be a size 24.

So it's hard to say if the dress will fit you in 3 months or not because it's hard to know what your body will look like, not just weight-wise, but shape-wise.

Spanx will definitely help you if the dress is a little tight - but they won't help you reshape yourself or lose a size.

.

Spanx makes a version for target -- called Assets.

You can find them in the hosiery section -- just as good as spanx (they're made exactly the same, by the same people, afterall) and range from about $12-$20 depending on the style. I would not go out wearing a clingy dress without them... love love love!

Yes Target carries a cheaper version, Assets. And as Kukristen said they are made by the same woman who invented Spanx. But again, as everyone mentioned, they will not take you down a size, just make you look fantastic in the outfit you are wearing, no lumps or bumps !!!
Suzy

WAIT WAIT WAIT

They make crotchless spanx now???? That's my ONLY problem with them is that it's so hard to go pee!

I've found that the Assets aren't as good of quality. They tend to separate at the seams in just one or two wearings and run like pantyhose. They do essentially the same thing as Spanx...but mine have never lasted long.

Also, yes...crotchless spanx. When I told my DH about them being crotchless...he raised an eyebrow. ;)

Thanks for the recommendations guys. I'll pick up a pair of Assets for a trial run, and hint to my man for the real Spanx for my birthday since it seems the Assets will fall apart by then.

Photochick, I'm wearing a 14 in jeans and they are loose. Not crazy obscenely loose but a bit loose as if I'm almost ready to go down a size. I've always had a shape, even when thin. I was not very chesty, but had hips. Now that I'm bigger, I have bigger hips and a bigger chest (the bigger chest part is the good part! yay!) I bought this one junior shirt a while back which will probably never fit me even when I get to goal weight, based on what you said. It doesn't have much room in the chest department or hip department. I'll have to count that shirt as a loss. :( (It was adorable. A lot of juniors stuff is very immature but I have found some really nice looking stuff as well!) The dress though, for some reason has room in the top (it even looks like it's made for busty chicks!) and gently flares out a bit to accomodate for hips. I didn't even realize it was a juniors dress at all until I posted here about its size and everyone told me it was a juniors size.

I hope it will fit. Of course, I won't know for sure how it will fit until then, you are exactly right- it's hard to say. I do hope so, though. Failing that, I'll go get a nice outfit for Christmas that will fit my more adult like proportions.

Thank you for explaining the size thing. It all confuses me to no end. Now I've got a better idea of it. :)

Does that really work for you? I peed all over myself. I even went commando so there was less to "slide" over. :?:

Prolly TMI...

A way to remember the difference between misses sizes and juniors sizes when you're shopping is this:

A juniors size is going to be more "athletically cut" (i.e. less boob and hip) and is usually sized in odd numbers: 9, 11, 13, 15, etc.

A misses size is going to be more accommodating of curves and are generally sized in even numbers: 10, 12, 14, etc.

.

Read "no boob or hip" ;)

Thanks guys!

I'm definitely a misses. Hips galore.

it works really well when I'm not drinking... ;)

I once forgot to slide the panties over....it was fun trying to explain that one to DH.

I love my Spanx too! I use a tube top like cami one to smooth the jiggly tummy. I wear it everyday, and it's been a year and it's still firm!

the key to them lasting is to HANDWASH and air dry. DO NOT put it in the washing machine or dryer!

I wash mine on "Extra Delicate" and it hang drys. Forgot to mention! ;)

Do you all wear the full body version? Just bottoms? I have a pair of bottoms (not Spanx, something from JCPenny that I picked up). I love the way they smooth out my little hip bumps, but then they cut into my stomach and I have a huge muffin top overflowing out of them. :(

I have the "shorts" style spanx and assets... and there's no muffin top :)

I know what you're talking about though, I've had several "smoothing" things that do cause a muffin top... ugh.. It's why I adore my spanx/assets!

Love spanx - especially with dresses - have the waist to thigh version as well as the top of rib cage to thigh version (depending on the dress and my shape at the time). I wash on delicate and line dry. I originally bought spanx to wear with skirts in summer to prevent chafing but don't need them for that anymore (yay!) but they still flatten by fibroid-pregnant tummy (yuk!)
I have tried the spanx panty hose and didn't like them at all - they ran right away and were expensive.
Haven't tried the Target brand but am going there tomorrow and will buy a pair to try.

I've got several different pairs of spanx with different "strengths", some with high waists, some with regular waists, some with shorts kind of legs, some panty or thong cut. All are marvelous. I've just bought two of the new camis that come with a removable underwire. Love them all. I even throw them in the washer and dryer and the oldest pair (about a year old) are still in great shape. I wear them almost every day.

And I agree about the Assets brand from Target. I had one pair and they ran like pantyhose the second time I wore them.

OK Where do you buy the SPANX brand? Obviously not at walmart,cuz Ive looked!! please help AND I'm in a 20 jeans so what size spanx do I need to get?

Shelbysmom- you can get them at major department stores (Macy's, Dillards, etc., also Lane Bryant sells them) in the hosiery section.

There is a sizing chart on the back of the package, similar to pantyhose - it goes by your height and weight, not by pant size.

ok; so what happened w/my spanx! 1 wear and there was a hole in it...

I hated it..because it was tooooo long in the torso and not long enough in the thigh area..and it was fitted to me by a loungerie specialist at a Bra shop..she measured me and said this is the size..I checked and yep..it was the size..plunked down money and now its worthless..and I am depressed yet again cause it rolled down on me etc..

ideas?? help!

Call the store, and if they won't take it back, call Spanx.

Thanks..the store won't take it back as it has been over 30 days (I live about 2 hrs away from them..I don't get down there too often)..

so maybe I'll call spanx..

I have spanx and a spanx cami and I love both, I wear the cami every day to smooth out the tummy and back fat lol, and the regular spanx for special occasions. The cami makes me much more comfy in my clothes

spanx are a god-send... i loose about two inches all over when i wear spanx

Yes...crotchless Spanx? Really?!? They need to advertise this! hehe

I've had spanx and assets - both work well. I actually bought a new pair of maternity spanx i wear under dresses. Since being pregnant I've gotten some rolls in places and these help.

If you are looking for something a little more hard core than spanx, then I'd recommend going to JC Penney, or even Wal-Mart and look at their shaping underwear. They definitely aren't as comfortable as Spanx, but do hold your junk in much moreso than Spanx. I used to wear these Flexees biker shorts and a corset when I went out (I weighed 124 lbs back then...what was I thinking???) and they really make a difference. Though they aren't nearly as comfortable as Spanx. And forget about going to the bathroom...that's a 10 minute job right there. :)

I hear Dr. Rey's Spanx like stuff is really good too. Somebody told me they like it better than they like their Spanx. Anyone else ever heard of it?