SAY YES TO THE SHAPEWEAR
How to choose the best wedding shapewear for your body and outfit
May 13, 2026
Spring flowers are in bloom, the days are getting longer, and love is in the air. Yes, wedding season is nearly upon us. It’s time for flowing dresses, styled tresses, and picture-perfect dates. Let the fun begin!
For many, wedding season comes with an important purchase: wedding shapewear. Shapewear is a type of garment worn under clothes to smooth, shape, and sculpt the body. Women who love shapewear find that it boosts their confidence and helps them feel better in their clothes, particularly formalwear. For brides and guests, the best wedding shapewear can give you the silhouette you’re looking for beneath a dress, jumpsuit, or other outfit.
Shapewear is typically compressive — compression levels can range from light smoothing to firm control — and delivers contouring to certain areas of the body, including the tummy, waist, thighs, and bum. You can find high- and mid-waisted shorts, underwear, bodysuits, and other garments that offer shaping effects.
CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING SHAPEWEAR
Whether guest or bride, feeling confident in your formalwear is essential. The right shapewear can help give you the sculpted, controlled feeling you desire.
Shapewear runs the compression gamut, so you’ll want to consider a few things when choosing the best wedding shapewear for your needs and body:
What are you wearing? Your dress or outfit may help determine what kind of shapewear will work best. Consider bringing your wedding outfit when you shop for your shapewear
How much control are you looking for? Some light shaping and hold? Total control through your core? Or something in between?
How much coverage do you want? Just the tummy, please? Or the whole kit and kaboodle, from mid-thighs to breasts?
Which areas do you want to target? You might want a smooth tummy or back, cinched waist, or lifted bum — look for shapewear that’s made to support your target area(s)
What kind of shapewear will feel most comfortable for you? Think about levels of compression as well as where on your body the garment will sit. For example, do you want a panty only, a pair of shorts, a tank top, a bodysuit, or something else?
"The right shapewear will depend on a host of factors, but ultimately it should make the wearer feel her best. Think about the fit and shape of your dress: Is it flowing? Fitted? Tailored? You’ll want shapewear that makes sense with the style — something that’s invisible beneath your outfit, holds you where and how you want it, and doesn’t shift around while you dance the night away."
Molly Fulin
Product category director, knits
The LYCRA Company
LYCRA® TECHNOLOGY POWERS GREAT SHAPEWEAR
We’re pioneers in fit and stretch, so of course we’re proud to be an ingredient in some of the world’s best shapewear garments. Brands like Honeylove and SPANX have adopted products from across our range to enhance comfort, fit, and contouring.
Among the technologies you’ll find in top shapewear are LYCRA® ADAPTIV fiber, a unique spandex fiber that makes shapewear easier to put on and take off and fit better no matter your shape or size, and LYCRA FitSense® print technology, a screen-printable form of the LYCRA® polymer that adds targeted support, control, sculpting, and lift to shapewear without extra fabric, panels, or bulk.
The best wedding shapewear is ultimately what feels right for you — if it gives you confidence and helps you enjoy the party, then you’ve nailed it. If a shapewear garment feels too compressive, too tight, slips or rolls down, or digs into your body, keep looking. It doesn’t have to be that way! With the right style, construction, and stretch technologies, especially from the LYCRA® brand, your shapewear can be wear-all-day comfortable and hold your body in a way that satisfies.
Happy wedding season!