I have a love/hate relationship with shapewear. And I'm sure my husband feels similarly. Not because he wears it himself, but because shapewear isn't the sexiest thing I've ever worn. I've joked that, while on a date, shapewear is false advertising just like a push-up bra. Obviously my husband knows what I'm packing these days (see "plus-sized woman"). I'll be honest, I can't wear half the clothes in my closet without some type of shapewear on- It smooths out all of my lumps and bumps. But let's face it, there is no sexy way to put on or peel yourself out of something that looks and feels like a sausage casing cleverly disguised as the 1940-esque girdle your grandmother wore. My poor husband.
Needless to say I've been on the hunt for sexy shapewear for obvious reasons. So when I stumbled across this beautiful lace bodysuit in June's InStyle Magazine, only to find out it was also shapewear, I had to look into it. Others have tried to "dress up" shapewear, but none have mastered the balance of form and function quite like Mission Control. Their products are less shapewear and more performance lingerie. It's as beautiful as it is functional. And above all, affordable!
I put their products to the test on some of my friends and clients. And their overall reaction? W-O-W! Some of my skinniest clients (aka- furthest from actually needing shapewear) said they would even be willing to wear shapewear if it looked as cute as this. Now that's saying something. My beautiful and very brave friend Amanda has graciously agreed to let me post photos of her wearing the product (because we want to see the stuff on real people, not just a model). Pictured below are one piece from each of the Mission Control collections:
A-LIAS Sculpting Hi-Waist Brief. $38.
Notice how this "panty" easily pulls up towards her bra strap. These babies don't roll down like others I have tried. Only down side, and it's not necessarily a bad thing, is the they aren't exactly seamless. To get the pretty stripes of color, they had to include seams. However, when worn under this same black knit dress, you couldn't see them at all.
Exoskin Compression Tunic, $68
While this one is the prettiest of the three, it is really invaluable for those body con dresses. What's great about this one is it allows you to wear your own bra.
Body Boudoir Contour Cami, $52.
Isn't this lace beautiful? Who wouldn't want to undress with the lights on in this hot number? This cami comes from the same collection as the bodysuit I fell in love with in InStyle (see beginning of post). It's so cute I don't want to hide it under my other clothes! No one would guess that something this feminine and sexy is actually shapewear. That's because it's not... it's performance lingerie. A+
Big thanks to Mission Control for letting me review their product, and to Amanda for being my amazing model :)
Images courtesy of InStyle Magazine, Mission Control and Jennifer Axcell