I am a self confessed shapewear fan - for some folk it's not their thing and I do admit that it's a little like marmite to be honest.  Finding shapewear that isn't so restrictive that breathing becomes an issue is quite hard to come by and whilst good shapewear comes with advantages they unfortunately get their share of disadvantages too.

Today I'm gonna show you a slip dress from Yours Clothing.

Size wise I opted to size down to an 18 in attempt to pull everything in.  In my opinion, I wear shapewear to create a smooth silhouette around my hips and waist and to smooth the line of any visible dip created by my undies.  I don't necessarily wear shapewear to hide or remove my VBO (visible belly outline) I accept that I have "Mya" (Yes - I named my pouch after Small Child) so it's futile trying to eradicate it, it's part of who I am and it's not likely to go anywhere.   This is advertised as "firm control" which honestly could be a lot firmer.  I would probably class this as more of a medium control, it's not restrictive in any way but does smooth out the lines enough to create a somewhat smooth silhouette.  

Lengthwise this comes to about mid way down my thigh (about 3/4 inches above the knee) 

I am 5ft 4"  so for anyone taller than me they may struggle with the length of this.  The bottom of the slip doesn't have any silicone lining to help stop it rolling up, so unfortunately it does creep up throughout the day.  The slip has fully adjustable straps and the straps are thin enough and the back low enough to wear with a cami style top.

Rating:  Overall - 7/10

Would I recommend these?  Yes, totally. It's not perfect, but it is functional.  It holds me in enough to wear under a body con dress.  They retail up to a size 28 and you can size down comfortably. 

xXx

Disclaimer

Written in collaboration with Yours Clothing UK as part of #BETHEBLOGGER

xXx

I've never really been one to conform to rules, so when "they" say I should wear this and that to suit my body shape I very rarely listen.  This is mostly because, I feel that everyone's body shape differs as do people's tastes and styles.  Telling me to find clothing to "flatter" my figure (which usually means hide my curves) just doesn't work for me and I am a firm believer in wearing whatever the hell you want to if you like it.

All that being said, I understand that people who struggle with finding clothes to fit them look to us bloggers for advice on how to find clothes that allow us plus size girls to accentuate and compliment all our jiggly bits whilst keeping on trend.  So, I'm gonna show you some of the struggles I encounter when shopping instead and tell you how I shop with these things in mind.

Firstly...

My height

I am 5ft 4 so finding trousers that aren't too long and don't end up needing me to take a trip to the tailors to make them wearable is real chore.  I am too tall by one inch to be classed as "petite" and regular is usually still that little bit too long to wear without alteration. This often results in me sticking with trousers like harem pants or tapered legs. As they are gathered at the ankle I don't need to have them taken up and even if they are on the generous side it matters not as I prefer these types of trousers to have a little slack in them (I like the baggy leg look)

This usually extends to my choices for jeans too.  When I was younger, I often listened to what "they" had to say, followed trends in mags and on TV and opted for boot cut jeans. This only resulted in gross frayed and dirty edges to all my denim, I hadn't cottoned onto the wizardry of Wonderweb so all my jeans were ill fated. RIP bootcut jeans!

Nowadays - bootcut is a firm thumbs down for me. The wide bottom just does nothing for my short legs, just making them appear drowned in fabric and inches shorter than they actually are. When inches are so precious in the height department, I have none spare to give, so I have forged a firm alliance with the skinny jean and straight leg boyfriend jean.

One trend that I adore but with my legs being so short I struggle to pull it off - Culottes.

This literally makes me soo sad! I love this jumpsuit and would love to rock it with some flat sandals or converse type pumps but alas, inches say no!  Shorties like me - fear not, there is a saviour.  You may not need to rule out these bad boys if you can just accessorise with a pair of killer heels or even a wedge heel!  The ONLY way I can gracefully pull of culottes is by offering the illusion of longer legs by adding heels. I usually opt for a bold colour heel to really make the outfit pop!

I like to accentuate my waist so I add waist belts to relatively simple tops to nip it all in.

Dress wise, I often opt for a bodycon. I refuse to be ashamed of my tummy, so I never shy away from a tight fitting dress.  I do like to create to smooth silhouette so I choose good supportive underwear and shapewear to accompany these dresses.  I love the way skater dresses taper in at the waist and often chose these too.

I hope these picks will make you see that I very rarely stick to what the media says I should and should not wear.  I wear what I want and what I think looks good on me. The opinion of others about what I choose to wear doesn't phase me.  My Body My Rules!!

So do you know what that means for you?  You can do it too...when you shop, perhaps instead of looking for things to "flatter" your figure - why not decide if YOU like the item...if you do, into the basket it goes.  You will never know if you like something or not until you've tried it.  Just do it - if you don't love how it looks on, you can always return it.

Step out of your comfort zone - wear what makes YOU smile.

xXx