Alison Huff is passionate about body positivity. She loves helping others to look and feel their absolute best on their wedding day (or any day, for that matter).

Top Wedding Shapewear Brands:

Honeylove: Hands-down, this brand offers the best range of shapewear styles (XS to 4X) but one of the best parts is their fitting guide: a short interactive quiz that provides incredibly accurate results based on your body. I love that!
Shapermint: A close second choice, Shapermint carries an array of styles, cuts, and support levels for sizes XS through 4XL (including maternity support) at a pretty decent price.
Spanx: This is a classic brand for a reason, and they’ve even got an entire section dedicated to wedding attire (with solutions for each style), and sizing from XS to 3X.
Miraclesuit: If you thought this brand was only about swimwear, you might be surprised to discover they offer a full line of body-contouring shapewear ranging from small to 3X.
Skims: With a sizing from XXS to 4X, this brand is best if you’re seeking shapewear without boning or super aggressive control.

What To Understand Before You Buy Shapewear:

Although most shapewear is designed with seamlessness in mind, you also need to consider the:

Cut/Style: The most important thing to think about when you begin shopping for shapewear is the cut and style of the undergarment, and whether any part of it will be visible beyond the lines of your dress.
Color: For the most seamless look beneath your dress (or any clothing, for that matter), select a color that’s as close to your own skin tone as possible.
Sizing: Shapewear sizing isn’t necessarily uniform from brand to brand. To get the right fit, follow the brand’s sizing guidelines and have a trusted someone else take your measurements for optimal accuracy. Some brands, like Honeylove, go a step further with an interactive sizing guide to help you achieve your perfect fit. (Pro tip: If you’re tempted to size down one size for extra compression, be careful. That can affect its seamlessness beneath your dress, but it can also affect your ability to breathe.)
Breathability: While we’re on the subject of breathing, wedding gowns are often heavy, so you’ll want to think about the breathability of your shaping undergarments. Some are designed to be lightweight and breathable, while others are less so. If your dress bodice is thick, heavy, or beaded, you’ll likely want to find a lightweight shapewear option.
Boning: Ah, the age old question: To bone, or not to bone? A lot of shapers feature boning on the sides, front, and/or back that helps to prevent roll-down during wear. While effective, it can be uncomfortable for some. In my experience, side-boning (only) is the most comfortable. On the flip side, shapers that rely on silicone strips to prevent roll-down can potentially irritate the skin, especially after hours of wear.
Bathroom: While you’ll likely have someone helping you in the restroom, you definitely need to think about what bathroom breaks might look like while you’re wearing your shapewear and your dress. Many options (including bodysuits and some shorts styles) have a crotch that separates at the center (known as an “open” or “double” gusset) so you can use the bathroom without taking your shapewear off.

After you buy your shapewear, don’t forget to take it with you to any fittings before and after alterations.

Shapewear Styles For Every Gown

Not sure what kind of shapewear will even work with your particular dress? Let’s take a quick look at the most common styles and what types of dress silhouettes they accommodate.

Dress Silhouette	Best Shapewear
A-Line	Waist cincher, brief
Ball Gown	Waist cincher, brief
Trumpet	High-waist shorts, thong, bodysuit
Mermaid	High-waist shorts, thong, bodysuit
Column	High-waist shorts, thong, bodysuit
Tea Length	Waist cincher, brief, shorts

Waist cincher: This is a waist-only style that primarily focuses on creating an hourglass effect for a rockin’ A-line, tea length, or ball gown silhouette. This type of shapewear can also work with just about any other formal dress, aside from open-back gowns, if the fabric isn’t thin; most waist cinchers have boning that may be visible through thinner material.

Brief: Similar to underwear, brief style shapewear cuts around or above the hip and is often available in high-waist styles that end just under the bust. This style can work with most formal wear, barring open-back dresses, however, form-fitting gowns may show a panty line at the hip if the material is especially clingy. These are best paired with A-line, ball gown, or tea-length silhouettes.

Thong: Available in mid- to high-waist designs, thongs offer similar support with less risk of a visible panty line compared to briefs, and they can accommodate most dress silhouettes, aside from those with an open-back. These are ideal for mermaid, trumpet, or column designs that are more form-fitting around the hips and butt.

Shorts: With smoothing that extends down the thigh, shorts are available in mid- to high-waist styles that reach just below the bust. These are perfect for form-fitting dresses that cling to the hips and thighs, like trumpet, mermaid, or column designs, but also work with just about any dress style.

Bodysuit: Offering full-body sculpting, a bodysuit offers maximum shaping through the waist, tummy, butt, and often the thighs as well. Some feature a built-in bra while others are open bust so you can wear your own. Bodysuits are available in several styles (strapless, plunge, low-back, tank, thong) to accommodate just about any type of dress, but are especially effective with clingy silhouettes (trumpet, mermaid, or column).

Best Shapewear For Weddings

These brands are the star players when it comes to making your dress look its best on the Big Day.

Honeylove

Honeylove is one of the most trusted shapewear brands for a reason and they carry a full range of shapewear, bras, underwear, and other shaping garments for formal and not-so-formal events.

No matter the cut or style of your dress, you’ll find a shapewear option that’ll work, with the compression level you want.

The one thing that really makes this brand rise above the rest—beyond the product line, of course—is their sizing tool. There’s an interactive quiz on every shapewear product page that will lead you to the perfect size based on your exact body.

(To find it, simply click on the “Sizing Help” button on any product page, and the quizlet will pop up in a new window.)

One thing that I really appreciate about Honeylove, beyond their shapewear, is the diversity of their models, who represent a range of body types and sizes for a truly realistic view of how the shapewear actually looks and fits.

That kind of inclusion is something I value highly, and a lot of others can relate, I’m sure.

My personal faves from Honeylove?

The Open-Bust Mid-Thigh Bodysuit smoothes and shapes everything while also giving a little boost to the girls when paired with my own bra, and the SuperPower Short provides maximum support with side-boning for a seamless look under clothing.

Honeylove Pros:

Full range of shapewear (bodysuits, shorts, briefs), with and without open gussets
Sizing from XS to 4X, with an interactive quiz and fit recommendations to help you find your perfect size
Support level is listed with each shapewear product
Free shipping on orders over $100
Free 30-day returns and exchanges (except for Final Sale products)
Product photographs feature models of all sizes

Honeylove Cons:

Can be pricey, depending on the product
No maternity support options, strapless bodysuits, or waist-only cinchers

Shapermint

Shapermint is a go-to brand for everyday shaping essentials because they’re all about comfort and feeling good.

(And you can never go wrong with that!)

That said, their shapewear is ideal for the Big Day when you’re looking for something that smoothes and supports your body in all the right ways, and usually without boning.

Most products are crafted from lightweight material so they’re more breathable beneath clothing, but they also tend to use silicone strips to prevent roll-down during wear.

That doesn’t personally bother me, but it can be a potential skin irritant for some.

I love their All Day Every Day High-Waisted Shaper Shorts for general wear under dresses (and even jeans). I can eat a full meal at dinner and still feel comfortable while wearing these.

Shapermint Pros

Wide range of shapewear options, including strapless bodysuits, maternity support, and waist trimmers
Sizing from XS to 4XL and a chart listed with every product
Very affordable
100% Fit Guarantee and hassle-free exchanges for 60 days
Product photographs feature models of all sizes

Shapermint Cons

Not every product is available in the entire size range
Carries other brands, whose sizing may not be consistent/interchangeable
Many shapers use silicone strips rather than boning to prevent roll-down, which can irritate skin after hours of wear

Spanx

Often considered as the OG of modern shapewear, Spanx has a reputation for offering a wide range of undergarments to cinch and smooth your body beneath any clothing.

They even have an entire suite dedicated to weddings.

Spanx provides five levels of smoothing so you can browse products based on the amount of support or shaping you need. With bodysuits, tanks/camis, shorts, and underwear available, you’re sure to find the perfect cut to accentuate your wedding gown comfortably.

I’m a huge fan of the Suit Your Fancy waist cincher because it nips me into a perfect hourglass shape and I can pair it with my own bra and underwear.

Spanx Pros:

Decent range of shapewear styles, including maternity support, strapless bodysuits, and a standalone waist cincher
Sizing options from XS to 3X
30-day return/exchange policy on non-final-sale products
Product photographs feature models of all sizes, although most are of the thinner variety

Spanx Cons:

Can be pricey, depending on the product
Smaller size range compared to other brands
Some products have limited skin tone variants available
The “Shop by Compression” tab on their website lists product lines, rather than what the amount of compression actually is, so it’s not very intuitive

Miraclesuit

Although Miraclesuit got its start in the swimwear biz, they carry a full line of shapewear as well.

If you’re trying to avoid shapewear with boning, Miraclesuit is a good brand to explore because their products rely on mesh, proprietary material designs, and silicone to stay in place.

The one drawback with this brand is the sizing, which only ranges from small to 3X.

Miraclesuit Pros:

Great range of styles, including strapless bodysuits and waist cinchers
Designs use mesh inserts or proprietary materials, rather than boning, to stay in place
30-day refund/exchange policy

Miraclesuit Cons:

No maternity support shapewear
Some products have limited skin tone variants available
Smallest size range compared to all other brands in this list
Most products are pictured being worn on thin models

Skims

Skims offers a nice variety of smoothing shapewear options for any occasion but they’re a great choice for formal wear too.

Although their product line is a bit limited in terms of heavy targeted support, they more than make up for that where color options are concerned. Out of every brand in this list, Skims carries the largest variety of fabric colors so you can match your shapewear to your skin tone as closely as possible.

I’m not a huge fan of the product photographs on their website, however, since they’re almost entirely displayed on thin models.

That said, the shapewear works, and that’s what matters most.

Skims Pros:

Biggest size range available, from XXS to 4X
Wide array of shapewear styles, including strapless bodysuits and waist trainers
Most products have a pretty impressive palette of skin tone options available
Free shipping on orders over $75 within the US
30-day return policy (except products marked Final Sale)

Skims Cons:

Few products offer aggressive or strong support compared to other brands in this list
Only products with boning are corsets
Most products are pictured being worn on very thin, borderline-waifish models

Closing Thoughts

You might need to try a few shapewear styles or sizes and that’s totally okay. All of the brands in this roundup offer exchanges and refunds ranging from 30 to 60 days so you have time to see how they fit, how you move in them, and how they’ll look beneath your dress.

Remember that the best shapewear for your wedding is whatever makes you feel beautiful, confident, and comfortable so you can dance the night away and focus on the celebration!