I need to be wearing a suit for some interviews coming up in another 1-2 months. I own a suit from a couple years ago that I can get on, but is definitely too small to wear.

(The jacket is too snug. The pants I can technically stuff myself into and button/zip, but just barely, it's very uncomfortable and super awful to look at. I'm not talking camel toe here, I'm talking full-lower-abdomen toe!)

I'm a poor student and as such would like to avoid buying a new suit. Obviously best case scenario is that I lose/tone enough in the next month that I can pull it off, but I'm really not sure that's going to happen.

So what about Spanx? Could they actually smoosh me enough that my pants hang properly, or do they just even out bumps etc rather than actually decreasing the needed dress size?

Thanks in advance!!

I bought a dress this summer, before I started dieting and exercising. The woman in the fitting room next to me was trying on a pair of jeans in a 20, didn't fit. Went to the lingerie department and got some Spanx, came back into the dressing room with the same jeans in a 14, put them on the with Spanx and they looked great. I didn't have the heart to try the same thing with the dress, though the fitting room attendant and the woman next to me were really encouraging it.

Now, I've never worn them myself, but I watched that happen and was amazed. Don't know if it would work that way for everyone or not.

Can the suit be altered to fit?

Spanx does shrink you, but it can be very warm. It is also quite expensive. You might be able to lose enough weight to fit into your suit, but you could find a nice one on sale, or at a consignment shop, or borrow one from a friend.

I love my Spanx as well as the next one but when you use them to shrink down instead of smoothing you are really squished in there. I recently bought a new suit at Ross for $24.99 and it is Liz Claiborne. You may want to try a store such as Ross, Marshall's or TJ Maxx. Even the Goodwill often times has great suits.

I agree spanx are expensive. You could probably find a suit on sale for cheaper then the spanx. Also, try checking out thrift stores in the nicer part of town. I've seen many nice suits in thrift shops. Even if you needed to have one altered, it'd be inexpensive.

I must be doing something wrong. Spanx only smoothes me out and can be very uncomfortable. I buy them at Nordstrom Rack for half price.

Thanks for the quick replies, guys!

Shannon, that dressing room story is amazing!! (I don't know if it can be altered, I'm assuming since it's lined it would be an expensive alteration. I've had stuff altered to be smaller but never larger...)

Kofarq, unfortunately I've looked into the friend thing. All my friends are much taller and/or skinnier, and since it wouldn't be my suit I couldn't have it altered.

Ophelia & Zenor, I didn't realize Spanx were expensive. Online the Target version is only like 20-something. Of course, if for $30 I can get a new suit and not squish myself, that's even better.

I'll try to take a look around at Ross-type places, that's a good idea. (I briefly perused at some outlets and was unimpressed with the discounts!) I'm 5'2" so I either need a petite or else I'm going to need to have it altered, so it would have to be cheap enough that that + alterations is still cheaper.

I have spanx and they dont get you from a 20 to a 14. That girl in the dressing room must have been pulling your leg. Did you look at the tags? Spanx only smooths you out, you might be able to get into one smaller size... but nothing like a 20 to a 14.
I think I paid $20 or so for mine. Definately go for the new suit if you can find a deal.

There is NO WAY a pair of Spanx will get you from a 20 to a 14. It's simply not humanly or physically possible. All that fat and skin has to go somewhere - it doesn't just compress.

I have been able to squish into about 1/2 a size down with a pair of Spanx - like if my pants were just a hair too tight to properly button/zip, I could make them do so with my Spanx, but it's NOT comfortable. Seriously. At all.

And, the other thing I've found out is that the cheap Target knockoffs are NOT as good as the real thing - the actual Spanx brand. And the actual Spanx brand is FREAKING EXPENSIVE.

You'd be better off buying a new, well fitted suit on clearance or at Ross or someplace like that.

.

Anything that can squish you from a 20 to a 14 or even down one whole dress size (let alone three) is going to be so uncomfortable, you're going to be walking like you have a stick up your butt, and you'll probably need help getting in and out of any chair you sit in (if you can actually sit in the first place). You're going to look and act uncomfortable, and it likely would leave bruises.

This isn't conducive to you giving the positive impression you want to give in an interview. A good thrift store or clearance rack suit that fits you comfortably, is going to be a much wiser investment.

I love my Spanx! They keep everything smoothed out and makes the clothing fit more flattering. I practically live in the footless tights when I wear skirts.

But the definitely don't make clothing that's a lot smaller fit right.

For me they just smoothed out the rolls and lumps and made me look better in a dress (actually a 2 pc outfit) that already fit fairly well.

It has been my experience that other brands are not nearly as good at smoothing or as comfortable. I've never seen a Spanx brand body briefer for under $50.

That being said, they aren't going to make you that much smaller, they are mainly for smoothing purposes.

Yeah, they might have been more than I remember paying. Their site has the body shaper I have for $84 bucks. I don't remember paying that though. I think I got it at Macy's (?). You might be able to find a sale.
But they are BY FAR the most comfortable "body shapers" around. I don't ever have to adjust it like cheaper ones.

UPDATE:

I stopped at Ross and looked through their suits. They had a GORGEOUS suit that I totally loved and they had the jacket in a size that totally fit, but they didn't have any pants in my size!!!! (The options were, as tight as my old ones or falling off me.) I really wanted to buy it anyway, so I could *eventually* fit into it, but I had to remind myself that a. I am poor and b. I already have a too-small suit at home.

All the other suits were icky, cheap fabrics.

This whole shopping trip made me feel very disproportionate, as the pants that were too tight were 2 sizes bigger than the jacket that fit, so I think that means my pants size is really 3 sizes bigger.... (I looked on ebay to see if I could find the pants in another size. It wasn't there. But also I noticed that most people selling suits either have the same size on both or only 1 size difference between top and bottom.

I find shopping depressing...