Cheryl Shops

I have reviewed a lot of Spanx over the last few years—jeans, pants, leggings—but never what made the company famous in the first place: shapewear. I'm guessing most of us own some shapewear, but how frequently we wear ours depends on what type of clothing we gravitate toward and our pain tolerance. Ok, I'm kind of kidding on the second point; shapewear is much more comfortable than what the girdles that our mothers and grandmothers wore, although, to be fair, it's not quite as comfortable as a pair of sweatpants. With a few exceptions, I generally don't wear very clingy clothing on a daily basis, but when I do want to wear some of the more body-conscious pieces in my wardrobe, shapewear is my secret weapon. I've had a pair of Spanx Thinstincts Girl Shorts that I've worn for years under my most clingy dresses, but the innovations in shapewear have grown in leaps and bounds over the last several years. Spanx recently updated their entire Thinstincts line, and when they asked me to try the new Girl Short, of course I said yes. While I received this product for free, the following is my entirely honest and unfiltered review.

The fabric

The biggest update to the Girl Shorts is the fabric; these are way more lightweight and silky-smooth than my old pair. The fabric is a nylon/Lycra blend with very subtle shaping lines at the front that Spanx calls Printed Power, and there is a cotton gusset inside (but no crotch opening, as is necessary in the high-compression styles). I wore these on one of the hottest days of the year so far here, and found the fabric to be surprisingly breathable. In the Spanx support scale, these are a level 2, which delivers shaping with the feel of "a firm hug," in Spanx's words. They definitely feel more supportive than a regular pair of underwear, but nowhere near the compression of Spanx's more heavy-duty garments. Or, to put it in Goldilocks terms, these are just right. This style comes in 4 different colors; I'm wearing the lightest, Champagne Beige. 

This is the Champagne Beige color

The fabric is super lightweight and semisheer

The fit

There are some times when you need a garment that goes up to your bust line and down to your knees. Girl Shorts are not that garment. This style has always been my go-to because the leg is long enough to shape my upper thighs but short enough that it doesn't peek out of a miniskirt. The legs stay put without inching up, and there's no seam to show through clothing; they're also not snug enough to create any kind of crease on your leg. The waistband is elastic and lays flat without rolling or cutting into your sides; on me, it hits just below my belly button. I find the waist to be comfortable and not at all constricting, however I would not recommend wearing these with something that's super snug through the torso, because the band does give me an ever-so-slight muffin top. If you are looking for more intense waist shaping as well, I'd recommend the high-waist version of this short. I am wearing a size medium, which is what I usually wear in Spanx; I'm almost always a U.S. size 6. 

Wearing size medium; I am a size 6 with pretty narrow hips

Any ass-flattening you see here is not due to the Spanx; this is what happens to your body when you are 45.

Before and after

I have pretty narrow hips that dip inward just before my thighs (I believe these are commonly called "hip dips") and I do get self-conscious about the lumpiness when I wear something clingy, like this knit skirt. I am also carrying around about 5 extra pounds at the moment, most of it in my lower torso, unfortunately not in my ass, which is getting flatter and flatter as I age, sigh. Hopefully you're able to tell the difference between these two photographs, but if not, I feel like the skirt just hangs better once I have the Girl Shorts on. My hip dips are less noticeable and my hips and thighs look smoother overall. One of the best parts, however, is that even though this skirt has an open knit and is super lightweight, you can't even see the shorts underneath. It's my little secret!

Before: hip dips and general lumpiness

After: smoother and more shapely

My honest review

I am not someone who reaches for shapewear every day, but on the days when I'm wearing something clingy, a little support goes a long way in making me feel more confident and comfortable. For me, the Thinstincts 2.0 Girl Shorts are just right; they have enough control to smooth and shape me where I need it, but they're so lightweight and breathable, they're virtually undetectable under whatever I'm wearing, yet don't make me feel like I'm shoved into a sausage casing. To me, the only downside is the price, which, at $52, is definitely not suited to making these part of your everyday wardrobe. But when you need an extra boost, it's worth it. If you're new to shapewear (or dubious), Girl Shorts are the perfect way to dip your toes in: they're just enough without being too much; they're like you with Botox, versus you with a facelift. In other words: they feel like a slightly more pulled-together version of you in the most accessible way. 

OUTFIT DETAILS: Spanx Thinstincts 2.0 Girl Shorts (c/o) | J.Crew field jacket (current version) | Quince linen shirt (use this link for $20 off) | Zara pointelle skirt | Staud bucket bag (similar here) | Universal Thread Nessa platform sandals