I was really looking forward to a chance to dress up for the Sip & Savor Soiree event at Shelburne Museum.
I used this event as an excuse to buy a new pair of silver shoes since my old ones had finally fallen completely apart. I combed through the back of my closet where all of my neglected fancy dresses reside and picked out a beautiful blue, velvety halter dress. I tried it on and I realized that it is very clingy. While I have been working very hard at accepting that my body is different after having children, I still don’t like the fact that my stomach is just never going to be flat again. I exercise regularly and eat a relatively healthy diet, but my stomach just hasn’t gotten the message to shape up after my two pregnancies. Most of the time, I’m too busy running around after my children to worry about what I look like, but my fancy dress makes me feel a bit self-conscious about my stomach. Should I go on a diet, try some shapewear, or just try my best to ignore my stomach?
I’m not about to go on some crash diet, so I decided that I should take the easy solution and try out some shapewear!
When I got to the department store, I was astounded at the sheer volume of shapewear available. It seems like if you can imagine it, then someone out there is making it! I hadn’t done any online research before heading out to the store, so I was rather overwhelmed by all the choices. There are things that look like slips and things that look like underwear and things that look like corsets. Shapewear also comes in varying levels of control and targets different parts of the body, such as the stomach, thighs, or rear end. I knew I wanted stomach control and I figured I should just go all in and get firm control, but I had a tough time deciding on which style and which brand I should buy. Luckily, my husband was over in the men’s department having his own problems deciding which belt to buy, so he didn’t seem to notice how long it took me to decide on my shapewear.
In the end, I went with my usual strategy and just bought what was on sale.
Trying on the shapewear when I got home was quite a process. At first, I was convinced that I must have bought the wrong size because there just didn’t seem to be any way that I would be able to fit into those things. After much wrestling and grumbling, I did manage to get the shapewear into place and it magically did fit, once I managed to get it up over my hips. I was actually surprised by how comfortable it was. I found that I actually liked the feeling of support. I did think it was a bit strange that the shapewear had a pee hole in it, similar to a pair of men’s underwear. I guess it’s probably a good thing so that I can avoid the struggling and grunting of pulling them up in a public bathroom.
Shapewear can’t perform miracles, so it can’t give me a completely flat stomach, but it does support me enough to give me more confidence.
In the end, no shapewear can magically transform my body. I need to learn how to accept and love my body for what it is, not what it used to be or what I wish it would be. I’m willing to use shapewear to give my confidence a boost for special occasions, but I’m still not willing to wear them every day. Most of the time, I am too busy living my life to worry too much about what I look like. I also enjoy dressing comfortably and simply most of the time, which doesn’t involve struggling to put on undergarments. When do you rock some shapewear?
