The Bitchin' Wife Reviews...Trinny & Susannah's Magic Knickers

Every once and awhile something comes along that is a total game-changer in life.  Some game-changers for me have been: the "smoky eye" make-up technique, microwave popcorn (formerly only 1 point in the Weight Watchers point system!), platform high heels (finally, a high heel that you can actually wear without being in pain), and shapewear.

 Yes. I said shapewear. Spanx. Scuba suits. Magic knickers. Girdles. Whatever you call it, let me tell you: it has opened up a world of clothing that I would never have worn before, not even as a younger woman. I'm just too self-conscious of every flaw and I almost always tried to find clothes that camouflaged my body instead of clinging to it. I finally bought into the shapewear phenomenon when a friend here in the UK, who is a model, led our school fashion show last year (you can watch part of the show here) and marched all of the volunteer models into the local department store beforehand to buy Spanx, explaining that almost everyone can benefit from their bulge-eliminating effects. And she's right! When I put on that body slimmer,  I immediately felt way more confident because my jiggling tummy, rear end, and muffin-top all magically shrank, lifted, and firmed up. 
So, when Trinny & Susannah's Original Magic Knickers contacted me about doing a review, I was all over it.  Rather, their Body Slimming Slip was all over me.

Previously, I had only had the Spanx mid-thigh to under-bra shaper, and let me tell you that going to the loo is no easy feat when wearing it. The slip provides all the same lift and shrink as the mid-thigh pant, I am pleased to report, with all of the ease of a skirt when it comes to comes time to visit the powder room. Phew!

It also, rather ingeniously, is still able to provide some lift to your behind, which I was a bit worried it wouldn't be able to do.  The fabric actually has panels woven into it that you can see (and feel) working their magic on your problem areas. And there isn't a seam anywhere on the slip, so you can wear it under virtually anything (as long as the skirt is long enough). My only niggle with the product is that the top band, that goes around your ribcage, doesn't have the sticky banding on it that Spanx does, but I found that as long as I put my bra over that edge, it stays up just fine.

I am really loathe to do this, but I am going to provide a before and after photo of myself in the new clingy black dress I just got (even though I think that the ladies make a stronger case with their hilarious and revealing packaging).  A dress that, honestly, I never would've considered wearing if I didn't have shapewear in my arsenal. In fact, I wore my shapewear to the store the day I bought it because I knew I was shopping for a "going  out" dress and wanted to know exactly what I could get away with as long as I had them on.

So here is my rather flat derriere and my rather, ahem, not flat stomach in the dress:

I can't believe I am posting this photo. Seriously, people, the things I do for this blog...

And here it is with my magic knickers on:

You can see the difference, right?  My husband isn't sold on the whole concept, by the way, saying he prefers me au natural... maybe because he walked in on me in the bathroom when I was putting them on. (A situation I advise you to avoid, ladies.) But I know he loves this dress and because I am sold on the magic knickers, I will actually wear this dress out in public. So we both win, right?

So, I guess what I'm saying is this: Magic Knickers aren't a substitute for dieting and working out hard at the gym, but they can help those of us who are on the softer, more jiggly side (and always will be thanks to Mother Nature, thank you very much) feel just enough more toned, lifted, and confident to wear anything we damn well please. And that feeling is fabulous.

If you have always wanted to try out some shapewear and have been unwilling to part with the necessary money to do so, because they aren't cheap: I have some good news for you. The nice people over at Trinny & Susannah's are letting me give away a shapewear item from their large selection of underpinnings.  Just leave a comment letting me know which style you'd like to try out (see there selection here) and I'll select a winner randomly next Friday and then they'll ship it to you.  You need to live in the UK to participate.  Sorry, USA residents!

Trinny & Susannah's Original Magic Knickers come in 9 different styles, in a range of colours, starting from £26. Stocked nationwide at Debenhams and online at www.trinnyandsusannah.com. (Last I checked their site was under maintenance, use the Debenham's link if it is still down.)

Disclosure: Trinny & Susannah's Original Magic Knickers provided me with a sample Magic Body Smoother to test and review. 

********* Paula, aka QWERTY Mum, was the winner of the Trinny and Susannah shapewear giveaway. Thanks to everyone who participated! **********