Petite. Curvy. Short torso. Long legs. My five-foot frame somehow fits into all four buckets — which can make finding clothes that fit perfectly fairly challenging. For that reason, I usually go for styles that are a bit more slouchy, blousy and forgiving. Oh, and I don’t own a single pair of jeans (I’ll wait for the gasps to subside).
I also don’t typically reach for shapewear since it tends to feel too snug around my curves. I love a good pair of leggings, but I stay away from high-waisted options or ones that compress around my middle. But somehow, these ended up being the most prominent elements featured in my new favorite pair of pants.
Shapermint High Waisted Medium Compression Leggings
I’ve always been curious about Shapermint's clothing, but I've never actually taken the plunge. So, when I got the chance to try the brand's compression leggings, I went for it. I figured that at worst, they would confirm my style preferences. At best, they'd fit perfectly and make my shaping dreams come true.
There is a good size selection
According to Shapermint, these compression leggings offer “the comfort of leggings [and] the power of shapewear,” with fabric that “tucks and lifts in all the right places.” They’re designed with an opaque, four-way stretch fabric made of 90 percent nylon and 10 percent spandex for the perfect blend of comfort and stretch.
These pull-on leggings are available from S-4X, so they’re definitely available in a wide range of sizes. Shapermint recommends sizing up if you’re in between sizes or looking for an all-day type of comfort. For a “total figure transformation,” the brand recommends selecting your usual size.
Depending on the brand I'm shopping, I can be anywhere from a M-XL. I decided to go for the XL, because I wanted some shaping along with comfort — and not feel like I was being squeezed all day long!
They offer a snug, comfortable and flattering fit
Now, I won’t lie — when I took these leggings out of the package, my first thought was, “These will never fit me.” The waist just looked extremely small and snug, and I couldn't see how these would fit over my thighs, hips and waist, let alone actually feel good once they were settled into place.
Cut to today, and I’m actually wearing them while I type this. Are they tight and compressive? Yes. Are they uncomfortable? Absolutely not! They somehow hold me in place without cutting off my circulation or making it difficult to breathe. They even stay put while I’m seated, and there's no rolling down around my hips.
The pant length is also perfect for my height, hitting exactly at my ankles. (Since I always have to shorten pants or deal with bunching at the hem, this is no small feat.) And even though they’re an XL, the fit through the leg is still slim. As someone with skinnier thighs and calves, I appreciate that, since I typically find that larger sizes have a wider fit in that area and end up making me look dumpy.
My favorite “asset,” if you will, is the fact that these leggings make my butt look, well, fantastic. I don’t always wear shorter tops that hit above my hips, because I’m self-conscious with how my bottom half looks — but in these leggings, I feel extremely confident and love how sculpted and shaped I look.
As someone who has never liked shaping leggings or shapewear in general, I truly did not expect these leggings to fit as perfectly as they do. So, if you are a shapewear non-believer, I'd say these are absolutely worth a try. Honestly, I can’t recommend them highly enough.