Ask Belle: Dresses for Concealing Post-Baby Belly
Aug 27, 2015
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.
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 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.
I got this NY Collection three-quarter-sleeve dress from Macy’s last year: https://www1.macys.com/shop/product/ny-collection-b-slim-three-quarter-sleeve-dress?ID=579770
When I bought it, I didn’t realize it came with shapewear-ish (not sure if a built-in control top is the same thing, but that’s what this has). It comes in 4 colors for $50, and I am definitely pleased with my purchase.
I had to switch my style a bit post kids to a fit -and-flare vs sheath. 95% of my dresses come from Boden, as the styles work for my body and office. I’ll use shapewhere if needed, but prefer to pick a fabric or dress style where it isnt needed every day
I’m so glad to hear that!! I always drool over Boden’s catalogue – especially their “I’m a mom, but look at me I’m a tiny bit sexy secretary.”
My question is, in your experience, does Boden leave room for a (DDDD) chest? I love their style but none of the models ever have any chest and I feel like everything is so tailored that I’d be out of luck…like we larger-chested ladies often are. For reference, I’m 5’1 and a curvy, but well proportioned, 150 lbs.