Your Guide to Lightweight Shapewear
Finding shapewear that doesn’t feel like you’re wearing a weighted blanket wrapped in spandex? Not always easy. Traditional shapewear can feel heavy, stiff, and way too hot, leaving you counting the minutes until you can peel it off.
Luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way.
At SPANX, we designed lightweight shapewear that smooths, sculpts, and supports—without making you feel like you’ve been shrink-wrapped. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the science of how we made the best lightweight shapewear and explore a curated selection of pieces that belong in your wardrobe year-round.
How SPANX Makes Shapewear Lighter
Traditional shapewear relies on thick, multi-layered fabric to create compression—but that also means heat, bulk, and the constant feeling of get this off me. At SPANX, we reengineered shapewear from the inside out, using advanced materials and construction techniques that give you all the shaping power without the heavy weight. Here’s how we pulled it off:
Single-Layer Printed Power® Shaping Technology
Most shapewear creates shaping through multiple layers of fabric — which adds weight, heat, and bulk. We said no thanks to all that and instead developed Printed Power® technology.
Instead of layering up fabric to create compression zones, we use a patented LYCRA® FitSense™ printing method to apply targeted shaping directly onto a single layer of lightweight fabric. It’s almost like airbrushing on shaping control. This means you get the same sculpting effect, but with a fraction of the thickness.
Ultra-Thin Fabric Blend
Traditional shapewear often uses heavy materials to create compression. The problem? You end up feeling like you’re trapped in a body cast. We flipped the script by using light, breathable, moisture-wicking fabrics like Supima Cotton and nylon-elastane blends.
That means two things: You won’t overheat and you won’t feel weighed down.
These materials are so lightweight they practically disappear on your body—no heavy panels, no thick seams, no bulk. And since the fabrics have 360-degree stretch, they move with you instead of locking you in place. So whether you’re sitting, standing, or power-walking to catch a cab, the fabric adapts to your body without digging in.
Seamless Edges
A lot of shapewear pieces have stitched seams, which create pressure points and leave visible lines under your clothes. At SPANX, we crafted our lightweight shapewear with bonded, seamless edges—meaning there’s no thread, no bulk, and no awkward lines. It’s like slipping on a second skin—only this one smooths, sculpts, and keeps you cool.
Lightweight Shapewear Bodysuits
When you’re committing to a full-body shaping situation, the last thing you need is extra weight. SPANX’s lightweight bodysuits deliver sculpting power without feeling like armor.
The SPANXshape™ Invisible Open-Bust Mid-Thigh Bodysuit gives you sleek lines from top to mid-thigh while letting you wear your own bra for customized support.
For those moments when you want all-over smoothing but prefer a brief cut, the SPANXshape™ Invisible Tank Brief Bodysuit offers the same lightweight control with a high-cut leg that vanishes under clothes.
Lightweight Shapewear Shorts
Shapewear shorts can sometimes feel like you’re wearing a second pair of pants—and not in a good way. But SPANX’s lightweight designs keep you cool while still smoothing everything out.
The SPANXshape™ Invisible Supima Cotton Mid-Thigh Short offers soft, breathable cotton fabric that hugs your curves without weighing you down.
For shorter hemlines, the SPANXshape™ Invisible Girlshort gives you targeted shaping and a smooth finish—no awkward bulges or digging in sight.
Lightweight Shaping Underwear
Shapewear underwear should feel like... well, underwear—not a compression bandage. SPANX’s lightweight shaping underwear smooths without the squeeze.
The SPANXshape™ Invisible Supima Cotton Brief offers breathable cotton comfort with a smoothing effect that stays put.
For less coverage but the same lightweight feel, the SPANXshape™ Invisible Supima Cotton Thong keeps things sleek with no visible panty lines.
Lightweight Shapewear Tops
Shapewear tops often feel like they’re doing too much—tight, hot, and impossible to forget you’re wearing. SPANX’s lightweight options fix that.
Our Invisible Supima Cotton Tank offers a barely-there feel with all the shaping power you need.
For a sleek layer under blouses or dresses, the SPANXshape™ Invisible Supima Cotton Cami combines targeted control with a cotton feel.
Shapewear That Feels Like Nothing and Does Everything
Traditional shapewear feels like a punishment for wanting to look good. It’s heavy, sweaty, and basically the clothing equivalent of a long-haul flight in economy class—tight, uncomfortable, and something you can’t wait to escape.
SPANX Invisible Shapewear flips the script. It’s all support, no suffering. Whether you’re dressing up or dressing down, our lightweight pieces work behind the scenes—smoothing you out without weighing you down. Because let’s be honest: confidence looks a whole lot better when you’re not secretly counting down the minutes until you can take it off.