3 Shapewear Essentials for Petite Women

I’ve always been a fan of shapewear.  I mean how could you not when you can wear something that will make you look slimmer and hides your lumps and rolls?  

I didn’t realize just how many types of shapewear there was until after I had my daughter and I was a bit more self conscious about my new post pregnancy body.

For petite ladies like me, I find that we have to find pieces that fit our shorter torsos and also where it fits us in the hips and waist can be quite different.

My advice is to try on or order a few types as well as sizes just to see what fits your body best as it’s not just a simple size fit (you may be a size small in clothes, but the XS fits best for shapewear).

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Best for everyday wear: Shapewear tank

The shapewear tank top is a favorite because I get the most use out of it.  

Anytime I’m wearing a slim fitting shirt, I always wear a shaping tank underneath.  

These tanks aren’t super constricting so it’s comfortable to wear all day.

Wearing one of these keeps everything smooth so you great to wear with a more fitted sweater or top and jeans. 

I like style like these as you can wear it two ways as a v-neck or scoopneck, so it can be worn with all your tops.  

As you can see below, it’s perfect to layer under a knit sweater like this that tends to hug the body a bit tighter and there’s no pattern or print to distract away from it.

3 shapewear essentials for petite women

Shapewear tank tops to shop:

Waist cincher for dresses and special occasions

The waist cincher is AMAZING for dresses.  I love wearing this under any of my fancier dresses where I want to keep my tummy in check and know that it will be comfortable to wear for the night.  

This is definitely a bit more constricting and you don’t want to eat a huge dinner when you are wearing it but for events where I mainly just have nibbles and drinks, it’s perfect for that occasion.  

It’s great for a dress like I’m wearing below because the dress won’t show the texture of the waist cincher underneath (unlike a more smoother/bodycon kind of dress) so it stays hidden.

These are different than the post partum belly wraps as those specifically target the postpartum belly.

The ones below, I recommend for both postpartum and non postpartum bodies. They are great for when you are wearing dresses and just want to slim the belly down a bit.

3 shapewear essentials for petite women

Waist Cinchers to shop:

Shaping brief for jeans or skirts

The shaping brief is something that I’m just trying out but I’m finding that it is so great to wear underneath slim trouser or jeans!  

Of course you’ll want to wear a longer top so that you won’t be able to see the briefs.  

I either wear this with tops that I can tuck into my pants and it helps keep the whole stomach area smooth with no lumps or bumps!  

It’s also great for tops like I’m wearing below where it’s a thinner lightweight quality and picks up on your body shape when you move.  

You know how sometimes you look fine standing still but then as you move, the top kind of clings to your midsection?  Yeah, I think we all don’t love that.  

So this is a great garment to wear underneath and it keeps everything looking smooth even when you are moving around.

Shop Shaping brief for tummy control

I hope you found this helpful!  I think shapewear is great for any body type and for petite women, it’s just about finding the right fit to make it work for us.

If you liked this post, don’t miss my other posts for petite style!

The best places to buy petite loungewear

Petite Loungewear sets

Tips for finding swimsuits that hide your tummy

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