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How to Fit – Traditional Full Slips
Welcome! You’re about to learn how to find the traditional full slip that’s the right size for you. To do so, you’ll be using your underbust, full-bust, waist, and hip measurements. If you’re ready, let’s begin. This presentation will only last a few minutes. There are several reasons why a traditional full slip can be a great shaping choice. First, because it’s designed with a built-in, traditional bra and, sometimes, a panty, it allows you to wear fewer undergarments, causing fewer visible lines to appear under your clothes. Second, as an all-in-one shaper, it brings together the functions of multiple silhouettes in a single piece of shapewear. Instead of pairing a shaping half slip with a shaping camisole, or combining a waist cincher, a shaping half slip, and a traditional bra, this garment allows you to streamline your intimates wardrobe and save money. Third, this silhouette delivers bust support and solutions to multiple problems including: back fat, muffin top, tummy pooch, saddlebags, and large thighs. And finally, a traditional full slip can be a cool and comfortable, fashion alternative when the weather becomes warmer during the summertime. Before we talk about sizing, here are a few really helpful tips. First, as you may know, getting into shapewear can be a workout. But you don’t have to get hung up when putting on your traditional full slip. You’ll find the easiest way to slip on this silhouette is by stepping into the top of the garment, pulling it up over your hips, and then slipping your arms through its straps. Do not unfasten the gusset and pull the shaper over your head. Second, this silhouette incorporates features which allow for subtle fit adjustment. The straps are often designed with slides that can be set so that the cups will most comfortably support your bust. In addition, if present, the built-in panty usually has two rows of hook-and-eye fasteners, which allow for slight, yet meaningful, changes to the length of the inner portion of the shaper’s body. And finally, don’t get confused. This silhouette is known by a couple of different aliases. The terms “all-in-one slip” and “bra slip” may each be used interchangeably with the term "traditional full slip.” Now it’s time to figure out which traditional full-slip size is right for you. To do this, you’ll need to measure the lengths around your underbust, full bust, waist, and hips. You’ll need a flexible tape measure, a pencil and paper, and a mirror. You’ll also need a buddy to assist you. Now, we’re ready to get down to business. It’s best to take off your shirt when measuring your underbust, as the fabric gets in the way of accuracy. Place the tape measure around your torso, right underneath your breasts. Make sure that it lies flatly, and parallel to the ground, all the way around your body. Pull it snugly to get an accurate measurement. Round the result, up or down, to the nearest whole inch. For example, if your measurement is 29 3/8”, round down to 29”. Or, if your measurement is 31 ½”, round up to 32”. Write down this number, since next we’ll use it to calculate your bra band size. Take the number you just found when measuring your underbust and add 5” if it’s an odd number, or 4” if it’s an even number. Continuing with our example, 29” + 5” = a 34” bra band size. Or, 32” + 4” = a 36” bra band size. Next, we’ll measure your full bust. Place the tape measure around your torso again, this time over the fullest part of your breasts. Make sure that it lies flatly, and parallel to the ground, all the way around your body. Round the result, up or down, to the nearest whole inch. For example, if your measurement is 37 3/8”, round down to 37”. Or, if your measurement is 37 ½”, round up to 38”. Again, write down this number. Now, subtract your bra band size that you calculated earlier from your full-bust measurement. Continuing with our examples, a 37” full-bust measurement – a 34” bra band size = a 3” difference. And, a 38” full-bust measurement - a 36" bra band size = a 2" difference. This difference between your full-bust measurement and bra band size determines your cup size. A 1” difference translates to an A cup, a 2” difference to a B cup, a 3” difference to a C cup, a 4” difference to a D cup, a 5” difference to a DD cup, and a 6” difference to a DDD or F cup. Continuing with our examples, the differences we just found by subtracting the bra band sizes from the full-bust measurements were 3 inches and 2 inches. Those results translate into C and B cup sizes, respectively. Combine your bra band size with your cup size and you’ll determine your bra size. A bra band size of 34” and a cup size of “C” correspond to a bra size of 34C. Similarly, a bra band size of 36” and a cup size of “B” correspond to a bra size of 36B. Your bra size is also your preliminary, traditional full-slip size for those styles using alpha-numeric sizing. However, your bra band size alone is your preliminary, traditional full-slip size for those styles using only numeric sizing. And, for those styles that are generically-sized, or available in sizes Small, Medium, Large, Extra-Large, and 2XL, use your bra band size to find your generic slip size on this chart. Your generic slip size is your preliminary, traditional full-slip size. Regardless of the way in which your traditional full slip is sized, the size you’ve found to this point is only preliminary because the fit of a traditional full slip is affected by whether its wearer has a “balanced” or “unbalanced” figure. To determine this, you’ll need to discover your basic, lower-body shaper size by finding your waist and hip measurements. It’s best to take off your pants when measuring, as the fabric gets in the way of accuracy. Place the tape measure around the smallest part of your waist, following your body’s natural indentation. If you’re not sure where your smallest part is located, bend to the side to find it. Make sure that the tape lies flatly, and parallel to the ground, all the way around your body. Pull it snugly to get an accurate measurement. Round the result, up or down, to the nearest whole inch. For example, if your measurement is 29 3/8”, round down to 29”. Or, if your measurement is 29 ½”, round up to 30”. Next, we’ll measure your hips. Stand with your legs together and place the tape measure around the fullest part of your hips. This should be approximately 7” below your waist. Make sure that it lies flatly, and parallel to the ground, all the way around your body. Again, round the result, up or down, to the nearest whole inch. For example, if your measurement is 39 3/8”, round down to 39”. Or, if your measurement is 39 ½”, round up to 40”. The two measurements taken together determine your basic, lower-body shaper size. Find your waist and hip measurements on the chart and you’ll discover the corresponding basic, lower-body shaper size. For example, if your waist measures 33”, and your hip measures 42”, an average-size, extra-large, basic, lower-body shaper will fit you well. Now, we can use your basic, lower-body shaper size to determine whether or not you have a balanced figure. Traditional full slips are best suited to women with “balanced” figures. Such figures are those in which the measurements of the breasts, waist, and hips are all proportional to each other. Take a look at this chart. Does your bra size and basic, lower-body shaper size satisfy its conditions? If so, you have a “balanced” figure and are an ideal candidate for a traditional, bra-sized full slip. Your preliminary, traditional full-slip size is your final one as well. But, if your basic, lower-body shaper size is one size larger or smaller than the size that would make your figure “balanced”, your preliminary, traditional full-slip size may not fit you well. Instead, you can try a crossover, traditional full-slip size. Although the alpha-numeric bra size won’t be the same as the original bra size, a crossover cup will still hold the same amount of breast tissue as the original cup. And figuring out your crossover, traditional full-slip size isn’t difficult. If your basic, lower-body shaper size is one size too large to make your figure balanced, add 2 to your bra band size and move down one letter in your cup size. Let’s use a 36C as an example. Adding 2 to the bra band size of 36, and moving down one cup size from a C, we arrive at the crossover, and final, traditional full-slip size of 38B. If your basic, lower-body shaper size is one size too small to make your figure "balanced," subtract 2 from your bra band size and move up one letter in your cup size. Let’s use a 38C as an example. Subtracting 2 from the bra band size of 38, and moving up one cup size from a C, we arrive at the crossover, and final, traditional full-slip size of 36D. But, if your traditional full slip is band-sized, or generically-sized, and not bra-sized, a different approach is needed to determine whether or not you have a balanced figure. Take a look at this chart. Does your band size or generic slip size, along with your basic, lower-body shaper size, satisfy its conditions? If so, you too have a “balanced” figure and are an ideal candidate for a traditional full slip. Your band size or generic slip size is your final, traditional, full-slip size as well. However, if your basic, lower-body shaper size is one size too large or too small to make your figure “balanced,” follow these two steps. First, recall the lower-body shaper size that corresponds to your hip size. Second, using the chart on the previous slide, match that lower-body shaper size with the bra band size, or generic slip size, that defines a “balanced” figure. That bra band size or generic slip size will be the traditional full-slip size that’ll fit you best. We follow these steps because, if the slip doesn’t fit your hips properly, there’s a chance that it could ride up. Furthermore, since the slip is either band-sized or generically-sized, and not bra-sized, it’ll have greater fit adjustability, or room for error, in its cups. But remember, traditional, band-sized and generically-sized full slips aren’t designed with foam cups, underwires, or bones. Such design works well for most women who wear average sizes. But, it isn’t a good choice for those who wear plus sizes since it can’t properly support a large bust. If your hip measurement corresponds to a larger, basic, lower-body shaper size that doesn’t appear in the chart on the previous slide, look instead for a bra-sized, traditional full slip that features an underwire. If you're tall or short, or you’re not comfortable with a crossover size, we recommend that you try on traditional full slips at your favorite brick & mortar store before buying one. If you don’t find a traditional full slip that feels right for you, try pairing an upper-body shaper, such as a camisole, with a separate shaper for the lower body to create your ideal shaping solution. That's it - now you’ll feel confident when looking for the traditional full slip that's right for you. For more information about how to fit traditional full slips, or any other shapewear silhouette, visit us at CupidIntimates.com/HowToFit or subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube.com/CupidIntimates. Thanks for watching! |