Most of us would agree that Spanx is great. They iron out all sorts of pesky bumps and bumps, go well with our clothes, and give us a little more confidence in our clothes.
However, many of us feel that the Spanx shapewear can roll down with high waists. How do I know? Well I've been selling Spanx for over 13 years and you told me so! I also use it a lot and have experienced it myself.
So what makes the Spanx styler roll down?
1. It's too small!
It's so tempting to choose shapewear in a size a little smaller than you should. You want to look smaller in it, so why not try a really tiny size? Is that safe?
Yes, it will work on parts of you. But when it comes to the curling iron tips, you will encounter problems. You may find yourself generating NPV in your thighs or your butt. And it WILL roll over you.
**Actually, the only shapewear you can choose if you choose too small a size is the Slim Waist Trainer. You must be made of sturdy material to use in a tiny size as it REALLY compresses!
2. It's too big
It can be very difficult to get shapewear that is the right size. Boundary sizes are the worst for this. You've read all of my warnings about not choosing a size too small for shapewear. And then go to the slightly larger size that is a little big for you.
This will make your high-waisted shapewear roll down. The high waist shapewear is a tricky beast. It needs to fit snugly in your rib cage to stay upright.
3. Your chest is out of proportion
This is not a criticism of your body. But not all of us are made of an identical mold. You could be a size 8 with a very wide chest, or you could be a size 16 with a very narrow chest. The size of the rib cage can also change over time. Pregnancy, lung sports, and health issues can drastically change the size of your rib cage. After having 2 babies, my chest is much bigger than it was when I was 20 - although I'm actually lighter than I was then!
If your Spanx isn't snug against your rib cage, it will roll all the way down!
4. Lots of washing
Some Spanx say go ahead, machine wash me. However, we always say no. Spanx fabric is full of spandex and lycra, the material that makes it stretchy and strong. If you bump it and it gets too hot, the elastic material won't work as well as it did when it was new.
And PLEASE, don't even think about putting your Spanx in the dryer.
This will cause your Spanx to start rolling downhill.
5. Your Spanx is a bit old
I found a pair of Original Spanx in my drawer a few months ago. These bad boys are over 10 years old. They still work well, but they're not as springy or strong as they used to be. Like nowhere near - unless Spanx used to be really bad!?
Well, they were always great. Age will make your spanx roll (the spanx, not you!)
My tricks to prevent your Spanx from rolling down
I have a few tricks to keep your Spanx from tipping over.
1. Place them correctly
This might seem a little obvious, but how you place your Spanx really makes a difference. You need to wrap your legs like you are wearing pantyhose. Enter them and work them into your body. Make sure your butt is okay (this is the most important part). If your butt doesn't "sit" in your Spanx, the fabric will begin to drag down your body as the night progresses.
After you have your butt down, wrap it around your body and legs.
Then do the shaper shuffle - wiggle and wiggle wildly to get your spanx in the right spot on your body. This will REALLY help them stay in place and not tip over.
2. Put them under your bra
Put your spanx on BEFORE you put on your bra. If they're long enough (and I'll be honest, they're NOT long enough for me at 5'11"), you can tuck the top of the waistband under the bra. This helps give it some traction and can help keep it from scrolling down.
3. Treat them well
If you're reading this and holding a pair of baggy, sagging Spanx, you've washed the life out of the laundry, sorry, but the horse has already bolted!
If you have a new pair of Spanx, treat them WELL! It will last much longer and work much better.
What do I mean by good? Well, do not pull them across the body as this will overstretch the fabric. Do not machine wash and never tumble dry. It doesn't matter what's on the label. Dry them away from direct heat, too — so don't toss them on a scorching heater to dry. It will destroy all their elasticity and THEY WILL ROLL ON YOU!
It's time for some more belts and braces, so let me introduce you to shapewear hold ups!
What the heck are shapewear lags?
Shapewear Hold Ups are my easy fix to the dreaded shapewear roll down. These are small strips that you wrap around the sides of your bra and attach to your shapewear. They help keep everything in place so you don't have to worry about your curling iron suddenly rolling off when you least expect it!
They are basically suspenders for your shapewear!
What kind of modeler are they working on?
Hold-up shapewear works best on high-waisted shapewear. This shaper can be ANY brand - trendy Spanx, vintage Rago, or even cheap Chinese knockoffs (yes, we know you exist, you cheeky little rip-offs!).
How do you work?
You roll your shapewear bras around the sides, back, or front of the bra and attach them to the shapewear. They work with any regular bra style - it can be strapless or regular.
How many strips should I use?
Most people use 3 straps. They usually wear them on either side of their bra under their arms. This creates a decent hold and keeps your styler from going south.
If your outfit is a bit skimpy and shows a lot, I would recommend using only 2 straps on the sides. They will go under your arms and not be visible - contrary to what is on the front.
What size do you need to be?
Modeling supports are suitable for everyone. They don't go well with sports bras or bras with a very low waistband. They fit all regular shaped bras, no matter the size.
die Clips
Braces stick to your shapewear like braces stick to socks. We use similar attachments for braces that are reasonably gentle on most materials. Occasionally this can damage the fabric of your curling iron, especially if the clips are pulled hard. Clips are great, but they're not magic. Holes can occasionally occur - this hasn't happened in any of our tests, but we just wanted to make it clear that this can happen (yes, we protect our funds as there's always one where this can happen!).
Won't they show through my clothes?
We try to make Shapewear Hold Ups as invisible as possible. The clasps are all turned inwards to make them unobtrusive and as smooth as possible.
They CAN show through very tight and thin fabric, but if you wear them under your arms the chances of them showing are slim. Unless you're wearing something outrageous like a tight-fitting jumpsuit. But when you're sporting something this revealing, you probably don't need to use a curling iron!