Shapewear Size Guide: How to Measure and Pick Your Size

Order shapewear by your waist and hip measurement, not your dress size—the same label size varies between brands by up to three inches. Measure your waist at its narrowest point and your hips at their fullest, in underwear, with the tape flat and level. If you fall between two sizes, take the larger one: shapewear that's too small rolls, digs, and creates the exact lines you bought it to remove.

How to measure—properly 

  1. Wear underwear only; no clothing over the area. Over leggings adds an inch and a half.
  2. Waist: find the narrowest point, usually an inch above the navel. Breathe out normally—don't hold your stomach in, or the garment you get will be the one you can't wear sitting down. 
  3. Hips: the fullest point around the seat, feet together.
  4. Under-bust, for bodysuits: directly beneath the bust, tape snug but not compressing.
  5. Keep the tape level all the way round—check the back in a mirror. A tape that rides up at the back reads short and is the single commonest measuring error.
  6. Write both numbers down, then read the chart. Don't adjust them toward what you hoped for.

The size chart

Size

Waist (in)

Waist (cm)

Hips (in)

Hips (cm)

S

24–26 

61–66 

34–36 

86–91 
M

27–29 

69–74 

37–39 

94–99 
L

30–32 

76–81 

40–42 

102–107 
XL

33–35 

84–89 

43–45 

109–114 
2XL

36–38 

91–97 

46–48 

117–122 
3XL

39–41 

99–104 

49–51 

124–130 

NOTE These are placeholder ranges. Replace every figure with your supplier's actual graded measurements, per garment, and state them per garment where they differ—a cincher and a bodysuit from the same factory rarely grade identically. Publishing a chart that doesn't match the product is worse than publishing none: it converts, then returns.

When your waist and hips give different sizes

Garment

Size to

Why

Waist cincher or wrap belt

Your waist 

It only sits on the waist. 

High-waist shorts, briefs, leggings 

Your hips 

The hip is the part that has to get past; a tight waistband can be worked with, but a tight hip can't.

Full bodysuit 

The larger of the two 

It has to clear both. Length is the usual compromise—check the torso-length note on the garment page if you're over 5'9" or under 5'2". 

 

Compression level—pick one lower than you think.

Level

Comfortable for

Best for

Light

All day

Daily wear, work, warm weather, anything you'll sit in for hours 

Medium

6–8 hours

A long day in a fitted outfit 

Firm

2–4 hours

An event. Sitting and eating are noticeably less comfortable. 

Most returns in this category are firm-compression pieces bought for all-day wear. Under clothing, the visible difference between medium and firm is small; the comfort difference is not.

Signs it's the wrong size

  1. It rolls down or up. Too small. A correctly sized garment stays where you put it.
  2. It digs in and leaves a deep mark an hour later. Too small.
  3. You can't sit comfortably or eat a normal meal. Too small or too firm a level.
  4. Numbness, tingling, or difficulty breathing. Take it off, size up, and see a doctor if any symptom persists.
  5. It bunches or wrinkles when you stand still. Too large—this is the rarer problem.

If you get it wrong

Your first exchange on an order is free, both directions, within 30 days. Try it on over underwear and leave the hygiene liner attached until you're sure—once it's off, we can't take the garment back. Tell us what was wrong when you sent it: sizing feedback is how the chart gets more accurate.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What size shapewear should I buy?

A. Order by your waist and hip measurements, never your dress size—label sizes differ between brands by up to three inches. Measure in underwear, tape flat and level, breathe out normally, then read the chart. Between sizes, size up.

Q. Should you size up or down in shapewear?

A. Up. Too-small shapewear doesn't compress more—it rolls, digs, and creates the lines you were trying to smooth, and it's the main reason garments get returned unworn after one hour.

Q. How do you measure yourself for shapewear?

A. In underwear only. Waist at the narrowest point, about an inch above the navel, breathing out normally. Hips at the fullest point over the seat, feet together. Keep the tape level all the way round—check the back in a mirror.

Q. What if my waist and hips are different sizes?

A. Size a cincher to your waist, size shorts and briefs to your hips, and size a full bodysuit to the larger of the two. The hip measurement is the harder constraint on anything that has to pull up over it.

Q. Which compression level should I choose?

A. Light for all-day wear, medium for a long day in a fitted outfit, and firm for a few hours at an event. Most people buy one level firmer than they'll actually wear; under clothing the difference between medium and firm is small.

Q. Can I exchange shapewear if the size is wrong?

A. Yes—your first exchange on an order is free in both directions, within 30 days, as long as the hygiene liner is still attached. Try it on over underwear. 

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