I’d like to let you in on a shapewear revolution…. A common sense, custom fit approach to shapewear that I am thrilled to share with you! Fall is moments away….soon will come the parties, the cocktails and the little black dresses. It is an exciting time, and I can’t wait, especially this year because I will be wearing my new Controlfreak shapewear.

For years I tried all kinds of shapewear that promised to tuck “it” in, suck “it” in and move “it” around, most of them looked great on the hanger or online, but all of them were painful to wear and almost impossible to get on. Understandably the whole point of shapewear is to smooth you and shape you, but let’s face it, the flesh has to go somewhere and when mine spills over the top or slips out of the bottom, it’s not pretty.


I created a solution and I am wearing it right now, as I sit here typing away in the comfort of home. I am wearing my Controlfreak “apple body” brief… why? Because I can, because I own a few in every shade and because they feel so good that I forget I am wearing them. I’m an “apple” and for years I knew that my short thick, waist and small rear were not the makings of a model, I just didn’t know it had a name.

It’s the shape I was born with and the shape I inherited from my mother, it is who I am and I can finally embrace it. And I am not alone, and there are other shapes too, namely the “pear”, my sister in the battle to breathe and be smooth at the same time. …. mother nature did not give us all “hourglass” bodies, she made us diverse and curvy and special, and weight has little to do with it!


We actually fit our shapewear on real women with apple and pear shaped bodies, the only way to get the desired fit and exceptional comfort. I wear my “everyday” brief…. every single day. As do many of my friends, and they tell me, it’s all about the comfort. In a few weeks I will be attending my first big fall party, a political fundraiser and I will be wearing my hi-waist brief, which is just the right height on my short waist and just the right amount of tummy toning! For you “pears” out there we have a long leg brief for those thighs and butt (of which I am incredibly envious) that makes room for your assets! So as you step into Fall with me, be assured you can now get all dressed up for your party or casually dressed for work…and be smooth, happy and comfortable…. now breathe a sigh of relief!

Have you started your spring cleaning yet? Made the piles to keep, toss, or donate? Changed your closets from winter clothes to spring things? While you are motivated to toss the old and bring in the new, may I suggest you open your lingerie draw and take a hard look at your favorite bras, panties, and shapewear?

Chances are you have a lot of lingerie that you bought on a whim and never wear taking up space. If it actually fits, has purpose, and is comfortable then start wearing it; otherwise, it needs to go.

Now, if you have tons of closet space, a lingerie chest of drawers, and a bank account to support an addiction to lingerie, have at it, most of us may not be so fortunate and have limits on funding and space. Here are a few ideas to hopefully simplify things and make your life easier:

Building a lingerie wardrobe that includes a seamless bra, two– or three-part cup bra, t-shirt bra, strapless bra, push up/minimizer bra, t–back bra, sport bra, and convertible bra will keep you looking and feeling fabulous. Of course, while building your lingerie wardrobe you should keep your lifestyle and own personal taste in mind.

Try and own three of your favorite bras: one to wear, one to launder, and one to rest. Rotating your bras in this way will significantly increase the lifespan of each garment.

On average a bra is going to have to be replaced about every six months or so. The lifespan of a bra depends on how you care for it, how often you wear it, and most importantly, if you are wearing the correct size.

Your favorite bra cannot support you forever. If the wires are bent, threads and elastics unraveling, hooks and eyes coming undone, it is time to say goodbye. Your bra has a job to do. She must lift, support, contain, and be comfortable.

Regarding panties, I would agree with your mother, clean underwear and the ER, enough said. Once threadbare toss them. Whether you are a matchy-matchy girl, prefer a particular style, or are a shapewear diva, go for it. Just remember that VPLs are a thing of the past.

So this year is already flying by. I do not know where the first two months have gone, but I can tell you that the design team at Wacoal has been incredibly busy. One of my favorite new things to share with all of you is Controlfreak. It really is brilliant and clearly created and designed by a woman.
So, if I asked you if you were an Apple or a Pear, would you understand what I’m talking about? Do you carry you weight in your middle and dream of filling out a pair of jeans like J.Lo? Or are you really curvy and have a bit of junk in your trunk with a smaller waist? So if I have described you, I also know that most panties roll up or down, pinch, bind, grab, gap, and are generally uncomfortable for you to wear.
Until now.
The darlings in the design studios at Wacoal have figured out how to bring us Apples and Pears, underwear that truly fits and is really comfortable. With just the right amount of smoothing and strategically placed panels to lift and shape, Controlfreak Apple brief and Controlfreak Pear brief are the perfect everyday option at $38. Try them on and you will be shocked at how fabulous they make you look and feel.

As the chaos of the holidays approach, it is easy to suddenly be caught trying to get into that LBD at the last minute. You know the one, that amazing dress that always worked until Mother Nature and the pint of Swiss Vanilla Almond ice cream made things a little snug. I digress…do yourself a favor before the madness takes over and peek in your lingerie draw and your closet. What items are you going to need to help you look fabulous, for all of the holiday parties, plans and events that are coming up?
Now would be a great time to get that strapless bra that I keep telling you to add to your wardrobe. Or maybe you just need an amazing pushup or convertible bra to work a little magic. If you are a shapewear junkie like me, it may be time to replace existing pieces or try something new all together. The iPant has surely helped the damaged done by my ice cream addiction.
Trust me on this friends. The few minutes you will take now to see what you need, will be one less thing to deal with later when you have the turkey to stuff, the cards to write, presents to buy, volunteer at the many organizations that cannot get by without you, lunch with your girlfriends, you know where I am going here, and your list is just getting started if it looks anything like mine.

I love my job for a lot of reasons—traveling, meeting hundreds of interesting women, wearing amazing lingerie (my husband likes this part too!) and maybe most of all, I love working for a company that is truly committed to improving women’s lives.

Every Year from February thru November, Wacoal hosts over 1200 Fit for the Cure® events around the US, inviting women to receive a complimentary bra fitting from a Wacoal fit consultant. It is a really simple way for you to do some good for yourself and give back at the same time. Wacoal will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, for every woman we fit at a Fit for the Cure® event. There is no purchase necessary, but Wacoal is so determined to support the fight against breast cancer that the company also donates $2, for every Wacoal bra, shapewear piece, or b.tempt'd bra purchased at an event.

The fall is a particularly special time at Wacoal because for every Awareness or Embrace Lace bra sold during our Support the Girls® campaign, running from October 2-16, 2011, the company donates $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. I am especially proud of Support the Girls®, because the idea for an “awareness” bra came to me about 13 years ago as I was nursing my son. I am thrilled to report that by the end of this year, Wacoal will have donated nearly three million dollars to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® to help in the fight against breast cancer.
I look forward to meeting you at a Fit for the Cure® event, talking to you on the phone, or answering your lingerie questions online.

For more information on breast health or breast cancer visit www.komen.org



Best,
Liz

As national spokesperson for Wacoal, I always have to look my best, which, for me, means slipping into a shaper as often as possible. I know that when I’m wearing Wacoal shapewear, I'll always have a great silhouette. So in January when Wacoal introduced the revolutionary new iPant—with microfibers containing caffeine to promote fat destruction; vitamin E to prevent the effects of aging; ceramides to restore and maintain the skin's smoothness; and retinol and aloe vera to moisturize and increase the firmness of the skin—I couldn’t have been more delighted. It was a love affair at first sight (or sit!).

Seasons passed and my iPant collection began to grow. I wanted a pair for every day of the week because I noticed that after wearing them regularly—28 days straight, eight to ten hours a day—my thighs and hips started to look and feel smoother. Even better, (okay, maybe just as good) I discovered that wearing the iPant is ultra comfortable. There have been days when I’ve had my iPant Long Leg Shaper on from 6:00 a.m. until midnight and never experienced a single tug, roll, or pinch. Who can beat that when you have to be on a flight all night long or at a Little League game that goes into extra (extra!) innings?

Recently, we added a new iPant Hi-Waist Long Leg Shaper to our collection. Try one style or try them both and use the “review” feature on our website to let us know what you think of your iPant. I hope you and your iPant are a “perfect pair” too!

I look forward to seeing you at a fitting, in a store, or online soon.

Liz

Hi I’m Liz Smith from Wacoal. You may have seen me on television, heard me on the radio, or read a quote of mine in a book or magazine discussing how well-fitting lingerie can make a difference in your life.

As busy women, we need lingerie that we can count on; the type that makes us look great and feel good all day long, every day, without exception. I am a working mom with two boys, one about to become a teenager (heaven help us!), and the last thing I want bothering me is a bra that does not support me. In my travels around the United States, I’ve seen many of you tugging on your bra straps, or even worse, taking your bra off in the car on your way home from work. Girls, stop the madness and go get fit for a bra. Wacoal offers complimentary fittings and has great Fit Consultants all around the United States. Go to one of Wacoal’s retail partners now or you could participate in a Fit for the Cure event, the perfect chance to do something good for yourself and to help fight breast cancer at the same time.