Do you want to hide weight around your middle?
For women with larger stomachs or love handles who aim to hide these features, side panels and high-waisted choices can accentuate your features below the waist. Watch out if you don’t want your butt to look bigger though, because they can also have that effect. They provide coverage and can help to flatten a stomach or love handles to create a defined, thinner waist if that is the look that is desired. Generally stick with full coverage since they stay in place the best. Mesh and lace can also help to smooth out your body, but watch out for prints. If it doesn’t fit perfectly, it could roll and look as though it fits worse than it does. The straight lines of garters can also help to flatten a stomach. Be careful with certain shapewear that can actually pose health problems due to tightness. Think back to problems with squished organs from corsets many centuries ago and don’t sacrifice your health for a look.
Are you a feminine woman with an athletic body of straight lines?
Frills, ruffles, and patterns can help to create a more feminine look, as well as curves. They tease the mind. More athletically cut boyshorts of plain styles may create more of the straight lines, but cheeky and feminine ones can resolve this if you want to create curves. Try going sheer. It will really show off your feminine goods. A high leg cut, like a bikini or a thong with a wide waistband, can help create a more feminine look while showing off your athletic legs and glutes.
Do you have a large butt and hips but a small bust?
Try matching sets in which the underwear is more plain than the top. This will draw the eyes to the bra, which helps even out the attention that goes to your larger middle curves, not that they aren’t fabulous! Still, accentuate those bottom curves with a cheeky boyshort that can really accentuate that lovely ass. If you don’t want your hips or butt to look bigger, stay away from bold patterns, ruffles, or other designs that can add volume.
Do you have a small butt and/or hips you want to shape?
Again, add volume through ruffles or frills. Wearing a thong will not do much for your butt unless it is very shapely already. It will look essentially the way it does when you wear nothing. Focus on more triangular shapes that will pull your butt up. Ruching in the back can help to create a more rounded look to a flatter bottom. High-waisted underwear can also hike up a flat butt and make it look rounder.
Do you have short legs or large thighs that you want to look longer or slimmer?
A high leg cut, as opposed to straighter boyshort cuts, can help elongate and slim legs. If you get a bikini or thong with garters, this can help to create lengthening and slimming lines as well. Now just to find stockings that don’t come up too high! If you are particularly short and slim enough that you don’t need the extra stretch for around your legs, sometimes a knee-high could work for this purpose if it is really stretchy.
Are you gender queer or do you like to give your body straighter lines?
First, try men’s boxer briefs. A lot of companies like Express also make boxer briefs in small sizes and a variety of colors that can fit female bodies well, especially if you’ve got junk in the trunk to fill them out. If you find that you have too much room in the front for comfort and you don’t have interest in using the room for a packer, try women’s briefs that are cut like men’s underwear. Brands such as American Apparel have helped to popularize this look, and you can also purchase special Autostraddle underwear in this style as well. Because they are created for a female body, they will fit you well, but will still provide the straight lines and masculine look.