This post is sponsored by Macy’s!

Hello my loves,

And happy holidays! I hope you all had an incredible Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever way you choose to celebrate this time of year! As for me, I’m still winding down from spending my Christmas laughing, drinking, and eating enough for two haha! I love the days between Christmas and New Years because it’s this weird time of the year where you work less, rest more, and don’t really need to know what day it is! My main focus these days is solidifying my New Year’s Eve plans and deciding what to wear!

With that in mind, I’m grateful to be partnering with Macy’s to discuss an item of clothing that becomes very necessary for me during this season – shapewear! It’s a topic I’ve wanted to discuss here for a while because I know that there are a lot of mixed feelings about this particular item of clothing! While some hate shapewear with a passion, my work as a plus size model requires it to be a part of my regular life! And through this experience, there have been five major takeaways I’ve learned when it comes to shopping for shapewear!

Number 1: First things first, shapewear isn’t a replacement for learning to love your body! In high school, I used to wear shapewear every single day – at home, at church, in class, and even during P.E.! I had an extremely unhealthy view on shapewear and used it to feel better about my body. Even 16 year old Alex came off as confident, but my self esteem was tied to being able to smooth and hide my real body. That wasn’t real confidence because it was based on someone else’s perception of me and it took me years to learn how to actually love and accept my body. It was a lot of work and still an ongoing effort, but I promise it’s worth it! Now I wear shapewear to make wearing clothes more comfortable!

Number 2: Shapewear has tons of uses and different clothing requires different types of shapewear. I have shapewear that I use to block sweat marks, to prevent wrinkles, and to act as a barrier against chafing! Now that I’m in full holiday party mode, I’m wearing shapewear styles with built in shorts so that I can dance the night away and not worry about chub rub! I love the pair I’m wearing here because this MiracleSuit high waisted power short has soft cotton on the inside to keep me cool and a smooth nylon/spandex outside layer to block any sweat that may seep through all while protecting my thighs from rubbing together!

Number 3: One size does not truly fit all! There are many shapewear brands out there that only carry one or two sizes, but this isn’t the shapewear for me (or you!). I only want shapewear that is built to fit my body and not just squeeze my body! Macy’s carries shapewear up to a size 28!

Number 4: Details definitely do matter! When shopping for shapewear, I look at the fabric, fit description, and most importantly, the waistband! I like to wear shapers that have a silicon lining at the waist and thigh. Taking the time to consider these small details will save you from pulling, tugging, and re-adjusting your shapewear all day – which is possibly the most annoying thing about wearing shapewear!

Number 5: Shapewear is for you and for no one else! If you choose not to wear shapewear, I support you! If you choose to wear it, I support you too! And I urge you to find shapewear that serves a purpose further than simply making you smaller. Because you are beautiful and deserve to take up all the space you require!

All items in this post are available at Macy’s! As always, thank you for reading!

Xoxo,

Alex

This post is sponsored by Macy’s!