Look, we get it. When we, at Shapermint, first started getting excited about spreading the word on what shapewear meant to us, we knew we’d get some serious backlash. After all, shapewear was invented a long, long time ago as a way to actually cover-up women’s bodies, molding them into unattainable standards that were imposed by, of course, men.

But we live in the 21st century right now. This is no longer true. Plus, we now have the power to define what stuff means to us - and NOT the other way round.

So here are 7 ways in which shapewear can actually be body positive. Join us in spreading the love! Us girls need to stick up for each other and stop 👏🏼judging 👏🏼each 👏🏼other 👏🏼 - ASAP!

1. You don’t NEED shapewear - you CHOOSE to wear it

We don’t care if saying we don’t need shapewear is actually detrimental to our sales - the truth is, no one needs it. We’re all perfect just the way we are. However, some of us CHOOSE to wear it whenever we need to forget about our bodies for a little while. Get a break from the ol’ hangups. You know the drill.

Youtuber Stephanie Macedo claims she wears shapewear when she’s feeling bloated. Justine Marie and Kassidee started wearing shapewear after having kids. Morgan Pullin grabs hers out of the closet when she need extra confidence wearing something skin-tight. Shannan Allen does it to flaunt her curves. The reasons why are endless - you choose!

2. Shapewear is COMPLEMENTARY to a healthy lifestyle

Believe it or not, the #1 shade we get in our Instagram and Facebook comments is from people claiming that women who wear shapewear should diet and exercise instead of looking for miracles. What?

We’ll let Paulina do the talking here:

All jokes aside, shapewear doesn’t create miracles. Have these people ever worn some? Good shapewear does smooth, flatten and sculpt - but the body beneath it is still yours, just more in control. Shapewear is in NO sense a substitute to a healthy lifestyle - that’s something each and every one of us should work towards anyway, each in our own way!

3. Shapewear has EVOLVED!

From corsets to girdles to waist trainers, shapewear has a really bad rep when it comes to loving your true self and learning to feel beautiful both inside and out. But, in the same way our society has managed to redefine what makeup means, what being a mom means and what eating ice cream directly from the container means, it has also started to redefine what shapewear is all about. We’re just lucky to work at a place where we can actually communicate this to a wider audience.

Shapewear ISN’T a torture device meant to keep us women in check. Modern shapewear, the kind you can get at Shapermint, is designed to smooth, flaunt and give you confidence on icky days - WITHOUT squeezing the bejesus out of you. If you feel you can’t breathe, you’ve got the wrong size!

4. Shapewear shouldn’t HIDE. It should make you more comfortable to FLAUNT!

Decade after decade, we’ve been bombarded by messages in the media, from our friends and by our own families, about a certain way we should look. We’ve been taught to hide certain things and call little to no attention to others. We’ve been scared of our bodies and have kept them covered.

Well, no more! In the same way that we now use makeup to accentuate our natural features, we use shapewear to flaunt what we’ve got, body-wise. We’re not hiding - it’s our time to shine!

5. Feeling beautiful inside and out is a process - one shapewear helps with

Growing up as a woman is hard. The second you’ve grown to love and accept the body you have, your body changes. It’s called growing older, or going through -and surviving- a rough patch, or even becoming a mother. All of these are wonderful things that happen in life and make us stronger. But before they do, we are right back at square one and need to restart the entire self-love experience once again. It’s exhausting.

And feeling the pressure to be perfect -to be completely, body-positive perfect- is the last thing we should worry about. In the wise words of Coco Chanel, “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself”. And what better way to do that than forgetting about your hangups, your body and your relationship with it for a moment and letting your real self shine through?

6. We’re not wearing shapewear for MEN - we’re wearing it for US!

What’s with all the comments claiming women wear shapewear to “get a man”? First of all, are men really that dumb? Are they really that superficial? We HIGHLY doubt it. And what about lesbians? Are they not allowed to wear shapewear? It’s all very confusing to us.

Here’s a little secret: 80% of Shapermint customers are married (look some Shapermint reviews over here). Either our shapewear works REALLY well, or women don’t need shapewear to meet interesting men and women they want to marry. Just sayin’.

7. Body positivity is all about the FREEDOM to be us

Body positivity is all about loving yourself just the way you are. It also means accepting others (especially other women) just the way THEY are, without passing judgement on their own choices regarding their own bodies. It’s ultimately about feeling comfortable in your own skin and tackling your life with confidence, feeling no shame.

Some women don’t need or use shapewear to do this. Some of us do. Does our pride in our bodies and self-love mean less because we use an accessory that helps us reach pre-baby, pre-weight gain, pre-weight loss or pre-aging levels of confidence? Well, that doesn’t sound like a very body positive and kind thing to say 😉

Anything else you’d like to add? Remember to Follow us on Instagram or Like us on Facebook - let’s keep the conversation going!