Shapewear Fabrics: The Foundation of Our Designs

As a top-drawer staple, shapewear can now be worn by anyone at any time. That’s because modern shapewear is designed for comfort, which means you can wear it under your favorite casual outfit or your best dress and barely notice it’s there.   

One way that modern women’s shapewear, like Commando shapewear styles, maintains its comfort is due to the materials selected for these garments. Sustainable, breathable fabrics with different levels of compression allow each person to determine which type is right for them. When it comes to selecting shapewear, the fabric used is just as essential as picking the right silhouette to achieve your ideal smooth, sleek, and enjoyable look. 

The defining element of shapewear fabric is that there should always be some level of stretch to the garment to ensure a perfect fit. That’s why the majority of Commando Shapewear is made with microfiber, a breathable fabric that sculpts without being overly restrictive. In addition to microfiber fabrics, Commando uses our  Two-Faced Tech fabric - a combination of cotton and microfiber for added versatility. 

When shapewear is made from fabrics like 100% cotton, Spandex, or other less-breathable fabric options, those wearing the shapewear may experience discomfort, odor, bunching, or dampness (especially in warmer months since cotton is known for its absorbent properties). 

Some of the key benefits of using breathable microfiber fabric  is that it minimizes odor and its high-gauge knit allows the fabric to have incredible stretch and recovery - without the need for seams.  Shapewear styles made with microfiber are ideal for those looking to avoid elastic bands and digging seams. Microfiber can also be weightlessly thin, which means it can lay perfectly flat against the body to create an invisible look underneath most garments. 

So what else can Microfiber and our Two-Faced Tech materials do?

Known for being soft to the touch and durable, the signature fabric for Commando shapewear (and thongs!)  is microfiber. This stretchy fabric is ideal for everyday wear because it is wrinkle-free, supremely comfortable, and breathable.  It almost feels like a second skin when worn. 

Commando microfiber is the perfect foundational layer because it’s designed to serve you year-round. It will keep you warm during cooler temperatures but also won’t make you break a sweat (because it wicks away moisture) when temps begin to rise.

Microfiber fabric can be modified to fit different needs and is ideal for shapewear designs. For example, it can be woven with added elastane to increase its stretchability and shaping features. The particular microfiber used for Commando Shapewear is made with a honeycomb construction, which creates even more breathability, durability, and flexibility in the fabric. Our high-quality, luxurious microfiber also features a high gauge knit with more needles per inch than standard microfiber. 

The real beauty of microfiber is that it can be used in different ways, depending on the construction of the garment. 

In shapewear, like the Commando Classic Control line, the microfiber offers low to medium compression 

In our Zone Smoothing line, microfiber provides additional smoothing through the use of extra panels in the fabric 

In our leggings, the microfiber offers a compression control-top waistband that contours your midsection while avoiding waistband spillage

In our best-selling thongs, our microfiber offers a breathable, barely-there layer that lays flat against the body and fits like a second-skin. 

To wash and care for microfiber shapewear, simply machine-wash and hang dry. 

Two-Faced Tech is a fabric only available in Commando shapewear. To make it, we use a combination of our signature microfiber fabric and add a layer of cotton. 

The portion that sits against your skin is the breathable cotton, while the outer portion features the stretch-infused microfiber. Both cotton and microfiber add durability to each piece to ensure that your shapewear retains its shape, even with repeated wear. 

The ideal types of shapewear for Two-Faced Tech are full, strapless, and half slips, which are the styles most often worn under your dressiest outfits. The combination of these two fabrics work together to smooth out your curves and to maintain breathability and comfort. The combination of these fabrics and technical construction of our slips is what makes each Two-Faced Tech shapewear piece special. Bonus - when you pair a Two-Faced-Tech style with hosiery, the cotton inner layer forms a “stay-put” bond to the hosiery. This means your hosiery and slip will work together as a powerful underpinning solution you can feel confident in. 

To care for shapewear made with Two-Faced Tech is simple: machine wash them in cold water and hang to dry. 

Commando Shapewear styles are top-drawer staples in your dresser that you’ll opt for time and time again. The reason these modern shapewear pieces are so comfortable and versatile comes down to the fabric choices as well as the technical construction behind each piece. If the fabric isn't good, you can't expect the garment to perform.

Different fabrics provide various benefits such as comfort, breathability, washability, and durability. When shapewear brands are thoughtful about their fabric choices, every body will benefit. Fabric selection is just as important as silhouette.

At Commando, we lead with fabric for all of our designs - selecting only the world’s best fabrics & ensuring those fabrics are thoughtfully produced and sourced. Our shapewear styles primarily use our celebrated microfiber and Two-Faced Tech fabrics, but we also offer a myriad of other styles in equally technical and luxurious fabrics. 

To learn more about all of Commando’s key fabrics, take a look at them here.