Heels and shapewear are wonderful bedfellows! Indeed, heels could almost be thought of as a form of shapewear in themselves. While shapewear supports and refines your core silhouette, heels can encourage strong posture and form the basis of your sleek line. Together, they are a formidable force! So how should you best use heels and shapewear to project the figure you want, and how do you stay comfortable while doing it?
Creating Curves
Combine heels and shapewear to highlight your curves! Perhaps you want your look to accentuate your existing curves or create curves where they may be lacking. Shapewear is a great tool to combine with heels to create a look that will make a splash! Core focussed shapewear compresses around the waist and lifts at the behind. This highlights curves that are wonderfully set off with higher, slim heels. Go for a bodysuit or corselette for shoulder to hip hourglass precision. When you pair this look with slim stiletto heels, the curves of your body are reflected along your leg line.
Lengthened Lines
From kitten to platform, the main purpose of heeled shoes is to lengthen the line of your silhouette. The focus here is on the legs and lengthening this part of your body. Longer legs have a huge impact on the overall creation of a look. So team your heels with shaping shorts or a shaping slip. The compression around the hip and thigh that these pieces of shapewear offer is the perfect complement to lengthening heels.
Balancing your Body
For most of us, creating a streamlined silhouette means balancing the proportions of our body. For example, think about triangle and pear shapes, where specific dressing can balance out different extremes. Shapewear cannot change your natural shape, but it can bring tone and balance. Look for control briefs that are high waist, low leg to give you the maximum control around your waist and hips. A wide strapped and panelled bra gives wonderful uplift that complements your shoulders and highlights your waist. Mules and slingbacks are a great heel to bring balance to your body. These shoe styles avoid ankle straps, which segment your shape and interrupt the line.
Keeping Comfort
Wearing shapewear well is all tied into comfort. The same thing goes for heels. Looking great ultimately comes from within, which is why confidence is key. We can grow in confidence from feeling comfortable and natural in our look. So how do you make sure that your shapewear and your footwear are comfortable, not just for short periods but all day long? Both things rely on sizing and fit. If your shapewear is too small, you’ll feel constricted and even in pain. In addition, the garments will dig into your shape, creating lumps and bumps where you don’t want them. Badly fitting shapewear, whether too small or too large, is more inclined to move on your body as you move around, rolling down or up. Similarly, heels need to be the right foot size to avoid both short and long term foot or back pain. Higher heels must be sufficiently supportive around the foot, or they will work in detriment to your shape, forcing you into a bad posture.
Are there any dangers?
When comfort and fit is so central, then, are there any dangers to using these methods to change your figure?
Shapewear
Keep the highest compression garments to short term wear, since these can lead to discomfort and restriction in circulation over time. A far safer way to wear shapewear is to stick to well fitting garments that gently refine your shape and make you feel great!
Heels
Extreme heels worn long term can lead to back, ankle and foot pain. This is why it’s so important to vary the heel height that you wear, and buy quality items that are comfortable and support your foot. By pairing a less extreme heel height with well fitting shapewear, you’ll achieve a refined figure with added comfort and confidence!
Becky is an author and copywriter who has been writing about women’s issues and underwear for several years. She also writes blogs which cover a range of topics for local businesses.
