A few years ago, I made a solemn vow never again to wear shapewear. It came after an uncomfortable evening wearing shapewear underneath a dress that, although perfectly fitting, was made from a clingy fabric, and I thought said shapewear would be me a seamless silhouette. How wrong I was. Instead of the no VPL look I was hoping for, I found the areas where the shapewear stopped, and my body began now boasted bulges that weren’t there in the first place, thus making me insecure about things I wasn’t insecure about previously. The experience was enough to wear me off the stuff for life. That was until I started hearing the growing buzz around Skims shapewear.
The brainchild of Kim Kardashian, Skims is the star’s very own brand of shapewear, which offers nine different colours that include bodysuits, shorts, bras, bralettes, push-up bras, and more. And although I’m constantly seeing snaps of influencers in their Skims loungewear (which is the epitome of chic), it’s the range’s shapewear that commands the most hype. You need only Google the term “Skims shapewear” to see thousands upon thousands of rave reviews, proclaiming it to be the most inclusive, most varied, and most effective shapewear out there. So much so, it’s enough to pique my interest and shelf my cynicism.
Here’s how Skims describes the impetus behind the brand on its website: “Searching for the best shapewear and underwear over the years, Kim became frustrated with the lack of options available and couldn’t find anything that offered the right support, coverage or shade. This led her to cut up and dye pieces at home, sewing them together to get the solutions and results she wanted. Skims is Kim’s answer to shapewear that actually works. Designed to smooth, enhance, lift, and tone—each piece has a solution for every body.” Sounds good, right?
Editors from Who What Wear’s US arm were some of the first to try Skims shapewear when it launched. Their verdict? “At first glance, they looked really intimidating and so tiny, so I was really nervous about trying them on—however, they were surprisingly easy (for shapewear) to put on,” says beauty editor Sarah Yang. “I thought there was going to be a lot of yanking and pulling and contorting my body, but nope! After putting them on, I did feel like I had to catch my breath for a bit because they were so tight. They definitely got the job done, though—smoothing everything out and sucking everything in. I don’t know if I’d be able to wear them for the whole day (I can’t wear any kind of shapewear for the whole day), but for a few hours to an event or a party? I can handle that.”
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