I bought a pair of lower half Spanx and told the sales lady, "I'm a size 10 and want to be a 5, what size Spanx should I get?" She looked at me like you poor dumb thing. LOL I told her I was kidding. I got a medium and it was a workout getting that on. They look like bicycle shorts.

I didn't see a remarkable difference but it made the pants slide on. They were not uncomfortable, or roll down and probably a psychological comfort. I would wear them on top of pantyhose. Have fun at the gala.

I wear spanx for a tight skirt I have, and I could never wear it without it.

Getting it on is the hard part - don't let DH see you do this! AND - be absolutely certain you have emptied your bladder beforehand, because you won't want to go to the ladies room the rest of the evening.

Try it out before the event, you want to make sure you can actually get it on. And I have tried the 'knock-off' spanx, and recommend the real thing.

I put my pantyhose on top (I may be wrong in doing this) because I couldn't imagine pulling these on over stretchy hose. Just getting them on over my legs are hard enough! :)

Once they're on, you'll love them. I know women that wear them every day! I personally could never do this, but I remember my mother pulling on her girdle every day, and it's basically the same thing.

Hope you feel like a million bucks at your event.

If you are wearing a dress you could wear one of the Spanx slips or demi slips instead of the panty girdles.

Personally I would not torture myself wearing something that I had to do Yoga to get on and off but that's just me.

Also, before I would invest a hundred bucks for new underwear in order to wear a dress for one night, I would just go out and buy a new dress in my size.

Have you seen the Spanx up close? I saw them in the stores and they looked cheap and definately not worth the price they were asking.

Here is a link that might be useful: Spanx Slips

I had to attend a wedding back in June that I was less than thrilled about. I bought control wear off ebay and sent it right back. It wasn't Spanx but was another brand with decent ratings. I can't for the life of me think what it was at the moment. If I saw the name I'd recognize it. It went over the mid section right under the chest and the bottom was like biker shorts. It was very uncomfortable and dug into the skin at the top and made a dent if you can picture what I'm saying. When I'd sit down it pushed out funny in the front and I would've had to watch how I sat and moved all night. I should mention I'm short waisted (short in general at 5' 1") so maybe that had something to do with it. It was the right size according to the charts. Spanx might be better but this so wasn't worth it. If you're going to buy something I'd make sure it's either just the bottoms or a whole piece so you're all packed in.

Spanx are worth every penny of their cost :) But don't buy the body suit stuff, buy spanx hose in the high rise (they come up to just below the bra so you have no jiggles in any area).

The hose are high quality and look nice. If you're not a hose girl, just get the body suit (biker shorts with high rise waist) and the hose do have an opening to allow you to go potty :)

Pay attention to the size guidelines. If they're too tight they will be hell to get on, but if they're the right size they'll do just fine, and still help you lose five invisable pounds easily. You'll fall in love with them!

Don't buy knockoffs....I have and they don't work worth crap. They roll and pinch in the wrong places, making you look worse rather than better.

There's a reason movie stars wear these things....they're worth every penny of the price they're asking.

See, I knew I was coming to the right place. ;)

I didn't even know they had Spanx hose! That may be just what I need. Thanks, Igloo, and everyone else.

Dilly, the dress fits, it's just one of those slinky-ish fabrics that I fear will show every little, uh, bulge. And it's not even that slinky... just slinky for ME. Since I usually wear jeans and t-shirts.

FWIW, I need to say that this is the first wrap-style dress I've bought and in general it is very flattering! I have a relatively small waist and it really accentuates that. It also has some ruffly stuff around the neck which I hope will draw attention upwards... I am a real pear shape so I try to draw the most attention to my upper body!

Needless to say, I only dress up about 1-2 times a year so every time, it's a little stressful.

Heh. Spanx. I think I'm the only woman in the world that hates these things. I got the "burst sausage effect" - all it did was push the flesh above and below the Spanx so I ended up with an obvious bulge above each knee and at the top (I got the one that was bike shorts on the bottom and goes up to the bottom of the bra, and yes the top did try to roll and slip down on me - I had to keep hiking it up, oh so attractive and classy). Unless I sat very, very straight the crease in the fabric felt like it was cutting me in half at the waist. I returned the d@mn thing, got rid of the dress I wore it with (swearing never to let a salesperson twenty years younger than I am talk me into anything again) and bought a slightly more structured dress that flattered me as I am without cramming myself into confining "foundation garments". (Thankfully, I pretty much can't go wrong with princess seams. Since I rarely need to dress up, I have one dress-up dress for warm weather and one for cold, in simple styles that don't scream "oh, that's so 2007".)

Back a zillion years ago, panty girdles and their ilk were made with snap crotches so you could go to the loo without trying to wriggle back into the thing (which was a real bear in a cramped bathroom stall!).

Target does carry a cheaper line of Spanx. It is made by the same gal but has a different name. I have bought the pants slimmer thing with the capri length hose attached. This line is stocked in the hosiery section. I don't know if they have the longline items or not. The price is definitely more reasonable. HTH

I too am a pear and love wrap dresses. Helps balance out the body and shows off great cleavage! Have fun!

There is no substitute for real Spanx! I've tried them all and none compare to the real thing. Also, don't go smaller than your real size. You might get away with one size smaller but that's it. You really shouldn't have to be a contortionist to get into them, they should slide on with just a couple tugs and adjustments. Spanx is more about smoothing out than sucking in. Bumps and bulges disappear leaving a beautiful silhouette. I feel so comfortable and confident wearing these miracle undergarments underneath snug-fitting clothing. Make sure you go to the Spanx website to see the full range of products.

Geez, I just read my post and I sound like SPAM but I swear I'm not affiliated in any-way-shape-or-form!

I wear a size 8 pant and got the spanx in large, it was still hard to get in them.
Haven't worn them in years, but I have a few versions in my closet.
I noticed the pantyhose last time I was at the mall, seems ideal.

Go very easy on carbs from now till your event, it helps unbloating ; eat small meals more often, drink tons of water, green tea, etc....

I would buy a new dress in a bigger size before I'd wear Spanx. I swear they can be deadly when you can no longer breathe. If you do wear spanx, don't forget to put some emergency scissors in your purse to aid in your rescue.

If you do wear spanx, don't forget to put some emergency scissors in your purse to aid in your rescue.

Oh my goodness that line made me laugh!

Sorry, I don't have any spanx advice, never tried them. I'm in the group that would just buy something else. I drink a lot of liquids so I don't even wear pantyhose because of the readjusting needed after my many bathroom breaks. I think tights look so cute - on others - but you'll never find me wearing them.

I did see on TV that they even have spanx, or a similar brand, for upper arm flab control!

Doesn't the, ummm, excess skin just ooze out from the top & bottom of the spanx? Or would that situation mean you had a size to small since they should just smooth & control the jiggle? I'm intrigued by this even if I can't imagine ever wearing them.

Try Yummie Tummie. They're sold as tank tops that come down to the bottom of your torso, but don't cover your thighs. You can wear them with pants or a dress. They stretch quite a bit, so unless you're rather ample in girth I'd try a medium or large. The extra large would fit a 2x size, I think.
I prefer this brand over Spanx.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Spanx! I have never found them difficult to put on or uncomfortable. I agree with everyone above that say skip the knock-offs .... (even the Sara Blakely (owner of Spanx) brand at Target isn't as good, nor are the Donna Karan version, etc.). You will look 5 pounds lighter & tighter! :-

Went out this morning and bought the Spanx hose. My height/weight put me right in between sizes, so I went for the larger size so I can breathe. Also, somehow I managed to already lose 2 of the 3 lbs. I gained on vacation so I'm feeling better about the whole situation. I drank a ton of water yesterday (which I did not do on vacation) and I think that must have helped.

uh, sorry hon - you lost me with the **Ack, just returned from 10 days in Italy and brought back a few extra pounds with me** line! I'm finding it a little tough to muster much sympathy for you and the extra pounds! ;-)

(with apologies to Butterfly McQueen), I don't know nuthin' 'bout Spanx - sorry. But it sounds like you may not need them afterall.

sigh..... someday I will go back and see new places

Sue,

Almost called you out, but thought that might be rude.

How 'bout a trip report? Was Italy all that you had hoped it would be? Favorite foods, places, etc.

Bet you were shocked at what a $ could buy compared to the Â.

Dish!

This is not a spanx thing but travel involving flight always makes me retain a ton of water. I'm talking like 5-10 lbs worth depending on the length of the flight... and this causes major bloat as you can imagine. If I were you I'd drink as much water as I could stomach and eat a lot of grapefruit... I bet a lot of what you gained is water weight from travel and the bloat can't help either. I could lose 5 lbs in 5 days easy just drinking enough water and eating grapefruit (after travel that is, not any day I choose ;) ).

All us girls wore Spanx (the real deal) for DD's wedding. My dress was knit, so I knew I needed a smooth line. Nothing was going to make me look like a size 8, but I knew I would feel more confident being less jiggly and lumpy.

We all tried knockoffs, but spent the $$ for the real thing, especially because we knew we'd be in them all day & night and did not want to mess with rolls or such. They were open at the crotch, so using the ladies was not a problem...weird, but not bad.

Now, I will say that none of us can be considered thin...but we all felt attractive and confident that day. If nothing else, I think Spanx helps with that.

kgwlise, so funny you say this. Read on.

First I was going to report that I tried on the whole shebang yesterday -- dress with Spanx hose and shoes. I was pleased. As pesky said, no one's going to think I'm supermodel thin, but somehow that saddlebag bulge did not seem as evident. And, I could breathe! (I bought the Spanx on the larger side.)

Now here's the funny part. I got on the scale this morning and have lost 4 lbs. since Monday! Obviously I was retaining water, as kgwlisa suggested. But it normally takes me forever to lose one pound, so this was kinda thrilling. I am now one pound less than I was before the trip. Now, if I can keep this going...? I want to lose 8-9 more pounds!

So, in the end, maybe the Spanx, combined with my actual loss, will actually make it look like I lost 5 lbs. in 5 days!! LOL.

Yep, kgwlisa is correct.

Long haul air travel is a b*tch on the body. I always gain a ton because there's no way I'm going to be drinking 8ozs of water every hour and have to keep running to those tiny closet bathrooms.

What doesn't help is that DH is a hydrator (eyes rolling) and keeps pushing bottles of water in my face.

Here is a link that might be useful: flying

Ah, Donna Karan! Told you I'd know it if I saw it. Anyhow, don't buy that brand! Ha, thanks Jen!

I'm glad your outfit fit well !!

I agree that it takes a few days to get rid of the bloating after a trip and long air travel. ( why do I feel justified in eating junk in airports?)