Recently I've been surprised by some of our data - lots of people come to us looking for suspender belts but buy a girdle, and plenty of you say you would be greatly cheered to get shapewear from us in your Christmas presents!

I'm not sure what I'd make of it if someone bought me a girdle for a holiday that mainly consists of eating in our household (OK, and the Doctor Who special. And feeding the cats catnip) but then again, our shapewear is lovely to look at ,and having tested it thoroughly, absolutely wearable even with a large meal.

So which item should you go for?

A Corselette or Girdle Dress

All in one bra and girdle. Upsides?

Gorgeous, rare, economical compared to a bra, girdle and knicker.

Smooth everything out, and allow for bigger bums!

No bones - comfortable all day.

Choice of retro lined lace or for more support, the purple Sirena and the blue Divine are padded.

Downsides?

Bra sizing. Yes, bra sizing makes life difficult, especially if you are buying for someone else!

Length: the lengths are standard. For example, I need a size 36 and it's a touch long on my 5'1ish frame. The garter tabs are on elastic but don't have extenders, so similarly if you're very tall and very slender, can be too short.

Also, because I am mean, the bright blue one isn't available until January. For those of you with hypersensivity like me, that elastic reinforced waist can be a problem after a while. For the vast majority of people, it's a super comfy way of cinching in!

Waist Cinchers

Plus points:

More shaping than girdles or corselettes, and doesn't need a bra size

Boned, shaped panels, powernet, none stretch centre panels and elastic reinforcement provide the shaping power to cinch waists and hold in tummies

Adjustable suspender straps and hook and eye fastenings to change the fit.

Pink Alouette cincher straps are detachable so you can wear it as outerwear too.

The Tempest is very 50's couture style, with velvet ribbon detailing.

Match with black bra and briefs if we don't do your size.

Downsides:

Why did I make two cinchers in similar colourways, both of which are impossible to photograph accurately?! Anyway, ignore my stupidity; one is classic pale pink and black and the tempest is a gorgeous peach pink.

Not as long as the girdles and dresses, so more of a waist puller in than a holding your lower tummy in thing!

Longine Girdle

We do LOTS of these. They are super popular.

Sized S-XL, they tend to run at the tight end of our size scale.

Double layer of power net down the front, elastic waist for cinching, and a very high cut at the back which allows for both easier loo procedures and very flexible on the large posterior score!

Usually made in the UK if that's an issue for you, often from upcycled fabrics. For the Purple one, even the fabric was made and dyed in the UK.

Trimmed in black usuall to mix and match with anything else black!

Downsides:

Because they come up past the waist, if you have a very narrow ribcage they can bag at the top.

Height! Again if you are petite they may be too long, very tall and the garter tabs may not pull down far enough,

Hypersensitive types might want to go for a roll on instead to avoid the elastic waist.

Oh, and you do have to colour in your own if you get the Paradise. But that could be a great excuse for ignoring difficult relatives!

Pantygirdles

A suspender/girdle/knicker combo, these are definitely the most economical option. Just add a bra (or pasties if you are feeling more outrageous). Watch out for ones that match a Miss Mandalay full bust style later in the year!

Sized S-XL, they tend to run at the tight end of our size scale - made in the UK.

The tightest shapewear without bones

No side seams, no bows - all semi sheer powernet and one none stretch panel over your tummy.

Detachable, adjustable suspender straps

High cut leg and full cut rear, good for making legs look longer and bums look pert!

Downsides:

Rolling them on and off for the loo can be a bit of a trial.

Because they come up past the waist, if you have a very narrow ribcage they can bag at the top.

Girdles

These are girdles that sit on the waist instead. At the moment we just have two, the simple roll on girdle and the luxurious Divine girdle.

Upsides:

Just fit to your waist, it's by far the easiest!

With the roll on, if you are petite, you can easily pull itup and wear as a longline - I do this all the time and recommend it.

For me these are the most comfortable and flexible shapwear we do.

The roll ons are made in the UK.

The Divine is a limited edition, fast running out, will have matching stockings and is FABULOUS. It's also very stretchy at the back and has hooks and eyes, so we know it goes up to a size 20.

Downsides

We only do black, ivory or the violet this year.

That stitch detailing on the Divine? It has to be done individually, on panel at a time - hence the price is higher.

The roll ons are probably the least pulling in shapwear we do.

Boned Belts

The boned belt is much beloved of stylists, who I think are looking for something bit more conventionally sexy than our usual styles.

Made in the UK, it runs towards the tighter end of our size range, and has both boning and a double layer of powernet.

It's perfect for petites due to the short length (just shorten the adjustable straps) or all day wear, and in all black or all ivory is a handy mix and match item.

We do a version with the word "Virgin" woven into the lace overlay, which is clearly one of the best lingerie jokes ever!

Downsides:

People worry that the bones will bend; they don't - they are far too short, you would really have to work at it for that to happen! But bones are fairly rigid and some people don't like them.

For many deadlies bigger is better and this style is definitely our most narrow.

Corsets

The ONLY choice for people who actually want to take their waist measurement down a few inches.

Not so much shapewear as shape changing!

Steel boned, none stretch fabrics, a seriously heavy duty garment and beautifully designed and produced in Europe; ours are limited editions.

Most people wear them as outerwear - they are too lovely not to show off!

At this price you get free delivery and a satin gift bag for your corset.

Downsides:

Many of ours won't be in stock until closer to christmas.

They are pricy - the work involved, the fabrics and the cost of all that metal really bumps up the price!

It can be hard to size because they depen on your natural squishability - and if like me you are very pear shaped, the one that fits at the waist and hips might be too big at the top. We do a custom order service but you'd have to order fast!

If you're looking for shapwear with serious control that isn't a corset, there's two brands I'd recommend - What Katie Did - try the Glamour range - and Rago, a US brand. Both are more authentic reproductions of 50's styles, as opposed to our pretty but loose interpretations!

Any questions, comments, tips? Pop them in below!