On The Quest For Shapewear

The lady at the shop where I'm making my dress suggested that I get a push up bra and girdle for my next fitting. "You want this *pokes boobs* to stick out and this *pokes belly* to go in." 

Okaaaay. 

So I shop around. Marks & Spencers have a decent range and the salesperson at the shop was really helpful. She picked out one that looked like a swimsuit. "Convenient," I thought. "No need to buy separate pieces."

I pop into the fitting room and strip to my undies. "Pull it down from your top," was the instruction I was given. The piece fit over my head but got stuck at my shoulders. After much yanking and contortion, I finally manage to get it on. I button the clasps at the crotch and put on my clothes. 

No wonder people wear shapewear. My body is noticeably tighter and although difficult to put on, it was fairly comfortable. Feeling pleased, I strip off my clothes and unbutton the clasps and attempt to pry this tight fitting thing off my not-so-tight body. 

If it was hard to put on, it was even harder to take off! I yank and I twist and I sit on the floor, on the verge of tears. I consider buying the thing on the spot and heading home to ask +3 to pull it off for me. 

I channel my inner yogi (from that one yoga session I did seven years ago) and try again. Eventually I manage to extract my left arm, which is now red from all that rubbing, and finally remove the darned piece. 

Plus ten points for shaping my body as advertised, minus a billion points for being so effing hard to put on and off. 

A few days later, undeterred, I pop into another M&S shop. I spied a waist-cincher which looked relatively easy to put on - just wrap around your waist and hook it up. 

I have to say M&S have really decent shapewear. I managed to do up all the buttons and have my waist squeezed by probably and inch or more but all that squeezing meant that my fats had to go someplace - up (back fats, not boobs) and down (reverse muffin top). I looked like I was going burst. 

After having squeezed myself into two M&S shapewear, I thought I'd try out another popular brand, Spanx.Unfortunately, the pieces I tried didn't feel like they had very much control and really just felt like I was wearing something fitting. 

Sigh.

The search continues but I only have a few more days before my fitting. Need to find something soon!