Ask Belle: Dresses for Concealing Post-Baby Belly

Dear Belle,

My third son was born eight months ago, and while I’ve lost all of the baby weight, my stomach will just never be flat again.  My sister says that they make dresses with built-in shapers but I can’t find any in the stores.  I also Googled and got back some really, really ugly dresses.  

Help me, please.  I just need some dresses for work that smooth things out.  Is that so much to ask???

Thanks, Lu

First off, let me say, three boys?  God bless you, lady.  That little boy energy is NO joke.

If you’re searching for dresses with the shapewear built in, the search term you want is “slimming dresses.”  The industry seems to prefer ‘slimming’ to ‘shapewear.’  So let’s see if we can’t find a few dresses that fit your needs.

WHBM Slimming Floral Dress ($49)

White House Black Market makes a line of ‘Instantly Slimming’ dresses.  This sleeveless dress is a nice option.  I also like this bottle green dress for cocktail hour.  There aren’t many dresses with sleeves (sad), but their selection is worth a look.

Bridget Peplum Dress ($168)

NYDJ is another retailer that sells dresses that slim and shape.  This peplum dress for work is a chic option for the office.  I also love this petal-print shirtdress for business casual wear.  And for cocktail attire, this tiered dress in black and white is lovely.

My favorite dress is this ruched, long-sleeve dress from Nordstrom that is perfect for fall.

Soma Muse V-neck ($87)

Soma sells dresses that either have shapers built in or are styled to conceal and slim.  This dress is the latter.  The nipped in waist and petal-skirt will slim your figure beautifully.  I also like this gathered-twist dress with a draped front.

If you’re looking for shapewear that you can wear under non-slimming dresses, I recommend Leonisa.  You can find it on Amazon.  Unlike most shapers, you can target the areas you want.  So I would try this high-waist shaper.