Love handles, muffin top, we have a number of names for those pesky lumps and bumps that appear around our midriff and hips, just where we least want them. An hourglass silhouette is the most coveted figure right now, thanks in no small part to the Kardashian-Jenner clan. So in order to maximise your figure, you’ll want to boost your bust and minimise your waist, while accentuating your hips and smoothing your thighs. Not many of us have that ideal hourglass shape, and this is where plus size shapewear comes into its own, honing those curves and giving you the confidence to step out with ultimate body confidence.
Boosting your bust is probably the most straightforward figure-fix for curvy ladies. This can be as simple as wearing a smoothing bra; these have additional panels of material under the arms and across the back, smoothing out any unwanted bulges that can appear around a fitted bra strap.
However, traditionally love handles appear around the waist and hips. If you’re fighting these unseemly bulges then you’ll need to follow these expert tips:
1. Get properly measured
Love handles can be created by poor-sitting shapewear that’s too small for you. How many of us get the dreaded muffin top due to jeans that are too tight? So always get properly measured, and check the size guides before ordering shapewear and clothing. If you don’t have a fabric tape measure, use some ribbon or string and check it against a ruler or flexible tape measure.
2. Dress for your shape
If you’re trying to hide love handles, then wear clothes that cinch in your waist. One of the reasons jeans are the main culprits for muffin tops is that they can be low-slung across the waist and hips. This creates love handles and a muffin top, as back fat also spills over the back of the jeans. So in order to hold and support your waist and hips, buy high-waisted trousers; the latest trend for ‘Mom’ jeans are great for us curvy girls. They’re not skin tight and are super high-waisted, creating an illusion of curves and an itty bitty waist; they’re also typically stone washed and ripped, so are great wardrobe staples as we move into summer. When it comes to dresses and tops, empire line and peplum styles that flare out at the bottom will also create the illusion of a smaller waist and hide any imperfections. Wrap styles are also great for maximising curves just where you need them. Body skimming dresses will definitely require seamless shapewear, to ensure your shapewear provides support that’s invisible. After all, those curves are all you!
3. Think colour
Illusion dresses utilise clever light and dark panelling to provide curves just where you want them, and conceal areas you don’t want to draw the eye to. You can use this optical trick to accentuate your best assets and hide problem areas. Wear dark colours where you’re widest to minimise these areas and light colours where you’re smaller, balancing everything out. This is a neat trick for minimising a wider waist and hips, drawing the eye away from where love handles can make an appearance.
4. Invest in the right shapewear
Shapewear can be expensive, and a mistake can be costly as well as uncomfortable, as some items might not be returnable. It’s therefore important to really think about the best type of shapewear for your needs, and buy from the best retailer, be that online or on the high street. Online shopping tends to be really popular for plus size shapewear, as you can try it on in the comfort of your own home. In order to tame your love handles, we recommend the following pieces for your underwear collection:
Control briefs – High waisted control briefs will have a tummy smoothing panel, and provide seam-free body control across the hips, giving you a smooth midriff and controlling excess weight from appearing around your shapewear.
Corsets – if you’re looking to minimise your waist and maximise your hips, then a plus size corset is the foundation garment for you! Corsets have come a long way from their Victorian origins, and are no longer all whale-boned asphyxiating garments, but modern materials ensure they’re comfortable enough to wear during the day. If you’re looking for a workout while you go about everyday life, then why not try a waist trainer? These can actually help to reshape your body, training your waist to become smaller over time.
Control slips – for full smoothing from your shoulders to your upper thighs, control slips help to elongate the figure and provide an excellent means to reduce your love handles and ensure the weight isn’t displaced elsewhere.
High-waisted panty girdles – these longer length garments combine control briefs with a corset, and tend to include shorts that smooth from the waist to the lower thighs. If your lower half is your problem area, then panty girdles are probably the best option for back, abdomen, tummy, hip and thigh control.
We hope this guide helps you control those love handles, carefully reshaping your silhouette to accentuate the areas you love and hide the areas you’re not so happy with. Check out our plus size shapewear collection for the best cinching, smoothing shapewear and take back control of your body shape.