Women's Travel Clothes and Comfortable Shapewear
Can Body Shapers be Comfy Enough to Wear on a Plane for Hours?
Aug 6, 2009
Women’s travel clothes sometimes need to be worn with comfortable shapewear to help smooth out the bulges. Well, can body shapers be comfy enough to wear on a plane for hours? Well, that's the ultimate test, isn't it?
Women’s Travel Clothes and Shapewear
The good thing about travel clothes is that the clothing stretches with the wearer. Unfortunately, that also means the clothes stretch around bulges of fat, which can highlight problem areas and give boomers that granny look.
Well, it’s hard to feel sexy and fun on a trip while looking lumpy and flabby. Fortunately, this is one problem that's easy to fix.
Not everyone needs body shapers, but most Baby Boomer chicks do. There’s no shame in admitting it. Even the skinny celebrities in LA wear body shapers.
Comfortable Body Shapers and Lycra (Elastane)
Good underwear will shape a woman’s body but still allow her to breath and move. Lycra is in charge of the smoothing effect. A control camisole should have at least 5%, and bottom pieces should have over 10% to control the hips and tush.
A good shaper camisole has:
- 90-95% knit
- 5-10% Lycra
Good Control Bottoms have:
- Nylon /Lycra
- 90% Nylon
- 10% Lycra
This combination should be comfy enough to wear all day, yet still give lift. The important fact to notice is that the upper torso doesn't need to be as constricting.
Body Wrap for Back Fat, Belly Bulge, and Jiggling Hips
Many women love Body Wrap for it's comfort. Once a woman finds the right size, the Body Wrap brand can be worn all day, or on a long flight to China or Europe. And, here are two great styles to try:
- Body Wrap: Long Tank. This style is a dream. It uses microfiber fabric to sweetly hold those bulges in. Even ugly back fat seems to disappear.
- Body Wrap: Body Wrap Lites Long-Leg Panty. This body shaper will tame that tummy. Wear this panty with the Body Wrap Tank for overall sleekness. (A fitter in Malta suggested that the author of this article go up a size from the package's suggestion, and the fitter was so right.)
Other Recommended Styles
Shapewear companies come out with new innovations all the time to keep up with huge demands from the Baby Boomer women. Charla Krupp, the author of the book, How Not to Look Old (2008), gives Boomers lots of hints about looking younger and hipper.
Every woman needs to experiment to find the best products for her own unique body, however, there are some pieces which have been recommended by Krupp and other women in her book. Notice that some of the style names have changed since the printing:
- Flexees: One Fabulous Body Everyday Control Camisole (with or without bra). This is said to be comfortable and will smooth out back fat, plus front bulges.
- Lipo in a Box: High Waist Brief with Legs. This will smooth out Buddha belly and everything else down to mid-thigh.
- Spanx: High-Falutin Footless. This garment goes all the way up to the bra band and down to mid-thigh. A style like this is perfect to wear under pants when wearing open toed shoes.
- Maidenform: Control It! Sexy Waistnipper Brief. This is for a woman’s middle section, and though it’s great, it might be a bit too much control for a very long flight.
- Donna Karan: Body Perfect Level 1 Mid-Thigh. This garment slims the hips and lower tummy, and also lifts the derriere.
- Donna Karan: Control Brief. These slim a gal’s lower tummy and are quite comfortable.
Comfortable Control Undies for Travel Dresses
- Spanx: Hide & Sleek Full Slip or Half Slip. These are perfect under travel dresses or skirts.
- Lipo in a Box: Capri Bodysuit. This bodysuit comes with or without underwire.
The difficulty with choosing shapewear is that more control means less comfort and vice versa. Every woman should seek out the combination that works for her. Yet, remember that pieces with light control can go a long way towards taming those ugly back fat bulges and other signs of age.
Charla Krupp recognizes that the shapewear styles which she, and other women, love are not going to be the answer for every woman.
The best way to get the right fit is to spend several hours in a store with a fitter, however, busy women don’t always have time for that. The next best thing is to order from an online lingerie store. Gals should check that the store has a good return policy. Then, women can be free to give some of these body shaping styles a whirl, in the comfort of their own home.
Read more articles about women's fashion.
Resources:
- Krupp, Charla. How Not to Look Old: Fast and Effortless Ways to Look 10 Years Younger, 10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better. 2008.
- Pucillo, Nina. "Is Shapewear Comfortable?" (6-21-2006)
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