And even though it may be counterintuitive to how you put on normal tops, when wearing any shaping tank, remember: Step into the garment and shimmy it up. Find everyday staples that ensure you feel and look good wearing with our Spanx leggings range, from seamless and camo print styles to leather leggings for a chic look. Consider an open-bust bodysuit if you’d rather wear your own bra — this one offers the same torso and thigh sculpting as the full Spanx bodysuit above, without the one-size cups.

So I rounded up a panel of experts — including boutique owners, plus-size bloggers, and Hollywood costume designers — and asked them about their go-to styles.

I had to play around with the cups and straps to get the right fit over my chest when Spanx sent me this style for review, but once those were adjusted, I was properly lifted up top.

But for those interested in something a little more heavy-duty, we also heard about these different thong-style pieces from Spanx, one of which is conveniently much less expensive.Really, they resemble the minimalist, navel-high panties popular right now (think of the offerings from Arq and Cuup). There were well-established (and highly recommended) brands that scored points on the comfort scale but fell short on having an inclusive enough size range.

They are so comfortable, in fact, that she can wear them for an entire day and not be impatient to take them off at the end of it: “This is an easy shapewear item that gives me drastic results with little effort. These briefs from Rago are made from a mesh with a subtle floral pattern that’s breezier than most options, and it goes up to a size 46.The briefs have not-so-noticeable panels throughout that “help draw everything in,” explains Ball, and they’re made from a stretchy, soft, and smooth microfiber fabric that earns them a 3 on our comfort scale.

You should keep in mind that you can’t select your cup size for this bodysuit, which might be a deal-breaker for some. Whether you want a bit of a boost, a hint of a lift, or just a little tuck, you’re much more likely to find shapewear in a variety of styles with different functions — from straightforward all-over smoothing to more complicated cuts made for dresses that have thigh-high slits. They’re recommended by Freer because the “firm-hold granny panty has special V-shaped leg openings that allow it to expand around the thigh,” giving you the freedom to walk, sit, and dance in total comfort. Our objective was to focus on the brands that offer more of a variety, including different cup sizes for pieces that have a built-in bra.Proper sizing can make all the difference for shapewear; however, lots of brands offer a very limited size range. You select your size based on your bra size instead of what would best fit your torso, with the bodysuit available in sizes 32B to 40C. One of shapewear start-up Shapermint’s best sellers is this camisole, so I asked the brand to send me one to try.