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Shapewear Bodysuits & Thongs
A bodysuit's advantage is that it has no waistband — nothing to roll, dig, or show as a ridge under fitted fabric, and one continuous line from bust to hip. That makes it the most reliable choice if your waist and hip measurements are far apart, or if separates have rolled on you before. The trade-off is torso length: a bodysuit has to match your proportions vertically as well as horizontally, so a short or long torso can make a correctly-sized bodysuit uncomfortable. Bloom's bodysuits and shapers run XS to XXL at $49.99, in Light Skin, Dark Brown and Black. The bottom cut — thong or brief — changes visibility, not shaping: a thong removes the rear hemline entirely, a brief gives more coverage with a hem that can show under thin fabric.
Bodysuit or separates?
| Bodysuit | Separates (briefs or shorts) | |
|---|---|---|
| Waistband | None — nothing to roll or show | Has one, which is the usual failure point |
| Big waist-to-hip difference | Handles it best | Waistband has to reconcile two very different measurements |
| Torso length | Must match your proportions | Irrelevant — no torso dimension |
| Bathroom | Depends on the gusset (below) | Straightforward |
| Getting dressed | Slower | Quick |
| Under a fitted dress | Smoothest single line | Waistband may show as a ridge |
| Everyday wear | Less practical | More practical |
Choose a bodysuit for fitted dresses, events, or if separates have rolled on you before.
Choose separates for everyday wear, if you have a short or long torso, or if bathroom speed matters.
Short torso? Shapewear shorts sidestep the problem entirely.
Thong or brief?
The bottom cut changes what shows, not how much the garment shapes. Both compress the same way.
Thong removes the rear hemline entirely, so there's nothing to print through under a fitted skirt, dress or trousers. It's the right answer under thin or clingy fabric. Comfort varies by person, and the practical tip is to compare the width of the thong panel against a thong you already own — wider panels are generally more comfortable than narrow ones.
Brief gives fuller coverage and more people find it comfortable for a long day. The hem across the back can show under very thin fabric, though a seamless or bonded hem minimises it.
Neither shapes more than the other. If someone tells you a thong "lifts more," that's the cut of the garment above it doing the work, not the bottom.
Using the bathroom: the three gusset designs
This is the question that decides whether you'll actually wear a bodysuit, so here's the honest comparison.
| Design | How it works | Good | Less good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open gusset | The crotch panel is unfastened at one end; fabric parts as you sit | Fastest — nothing to undo | Takes a technique the first time |
| Snap closure | Poppers or hook-and-eye at the crotch | Secure, quick to reopen | A second or two slower |
| Closed gusset | No opening at all | Smoothest possible line, no hardware | Requires taking the whole garment down |
If your bodysuit has an open gusset, one practical thing nobody mentions: lean your torso slightly forward once seated, and hold the fabric clear with one hand. That's the whole technique, and it takes one try to get right.
More on wearing bodysuits as a base layer: do you wear underwear under shapewear?
Getting it on without a fight
Bodysuits are harder to put on than separates, and rushing it is what causes rolling later.
- Make sure your skin is dry — no lotion, oil or fake tan on the waist and ribcage.
- Step in and roll it up like tights rather than stretching it open.
- Pull it up in stages, not in one motion.
- Position the gusset and seat first, before adjusting anything else.
- Smooth upward with flat palms, working out folds as you go.
Taking it off, most people find pulling it up over the head easier than stepping out of it.
If it's a genuine struggle rather than just fiddly, that's usually a size issue rather than a technique one. Sizing up in a bodysuit doesn't reduce the smoothing.
Sizing a bodysuit
Three measurements, and the third is the one people skip.
1 · Hips set the size. If your waist and hips fall into different size bands, order to your hips.
2 · Bust matters for full-coverage styles. For underbust styles, take your underbust measurement — around the ribcage below the bust — instead.
3 · Torso length. Measure from the top of your shoulder, down through the crotch and back up to the same shoulder. A bodysuit that's too long folds at the waist when you sit; too short and it pulls at the shoulders and rides up at the crotch. Neither is fixable by changing size, which is why this measurement matters more for bodysuits than any other style.
If you're between sizes, order the larger one.
Full chart in the size guide →
Choosing a shade
Match the shade to your skin tone, not your outfit. Bloom comes in Light Skin, Dark Brown and Black.
Under white, cream and pastel fabrics, choose the shade closest to your skin — white shapewear under white clothing reads as a brighter, more opaque second layer, which is the opposite of what you want. Black is for wearing under black and other dark colours.
Not sure which style? Take the fit finder or email our fit team.