The Best Summer Shapewear Options for Cool Confidence

When it’s hot out, the last thing you want to do is add more layers of clothing. While it may seem counterintuitive to wear shapewear under your favorite summer pieces, there are shapewear fabrics and styles that are specially designed to be lightweight & breathable. Shapewear is truly seasonless – allowing you to style with confidence all year round. 

When it comes to shapewear for women, Commando designs pieces that are for continuous, all-day wear using breathable, moisture-wicking fabrics. Learn more about how to select the best summer-ready shapewear to help you confidently beat the heat.

The keys to comfortable shapewear that you can wear all day are styles and fabrics that are breathable and lightweight. This is especially important in the summer when high temperatures can leave you feeling  overheated.

To help narrow down your options for summer shapewear, we have 3 quick tips to remember when looking for a cool option.

We all wear less clothing when temperatures rise. That’s when our summer wardrobe of tanks, sundresses, and shorts come out to play. Take a similar approach when selecting shapewear styles for summer. 

In the summer, look for shapewear styles like: 

• Shaping briefs or shapewear thongs (instead of shaping shorts or leggings) to pair better with shorter hemlines 
• Strapless slips for sun dresses
• Smoothing bodysuits to layer under tanks and tops 

Regardless of changing silhouettes, the right shapewear style will ensure that your summer outfit will be as smooth and seamless as your winter ones.

The shapewear fabric you choose affects your body’s temperature and comfort. For colder months, cotton shapewear can keep you warm.

But for warm weather, classic microfiber pieces are best. Microfiber is designed to be breathable while retaining its shape, even with repeated wear. It’s also crafted to be moisture-wicking, which is essential for keeping sweat at bay (especially in the summer months). 

But, not all microfiber is the same. At Commando, our honeycomb construction keeps our microfiber cool during the summer and warm during colder weather. We use this incredible microfiber fabric in our best-selling, seamless Classic Solid Thong. Because of its unique construction and barely-there feel, this thong is a celebrity-stylist favorite. If you’re new to the Commando brand and would like to get your hands on the amazing microfiber fabric we use in our shapewear styles - this thong is a wonderful introductory piece. 

A seamless shapewear design ensures that it will be invisible under your outfit, especially when that outfit is made of lightweight fabric. Microfiber, once again, is key for smoothing. The microfiber at Commando is made with a high-gauge allowing us to create a raw-cut, lay-flat hem that glides effortlessly over your curves and won’t dig into your body. 

Different compression levels (available based on your styling needs) and stretchy fabric make microfiber shapewear look and feel like a second skin under any outfit.

As we mentioned, most people opt for lighter clothing in the summer. This means lightweight fabrics and less fabric in general. Choosing shapewear to wear under your summer outfits is easy with the tips above. However, we also have our own summer shapewear favorites that are top-drawer staples for the Commando team. 

No matter what length of shorts you're rocking this summer, there are a variety of shapewear options that you can wear underneath. 

To ensure a seamless look, try these shaping thongs or briefs. Both styles will provide sculpting along the waist and midsection. The brief provides additional shaping around your bottom.

Summer dresses tend to be thinner in construction and can cling to your curves. 

That’s why shapewear slips, half-slips, or strapless slips are great for pairing with your dresses and skirts to contour as well as to add an opaque layer under sheerer pieces. It’s a stylist secret that every dress simply lays better with slips. And - bonus - that same slip protects your dress and cuts down on cleaning. Slips are oft-overlooked wardrobe workhorses. 

Keeping cool and comfortable during the summer is easy when you opt for these lightweight bralettes or bodysuits. 

While they’re not technically shapewear, they can still provide coverage, support, and smooth lines for a seamless look. 

Since choosing the fabrics for comfortable shapewear requires testing and time, it’s equally as important to take care of your shapewear pieces correctly so the fabric lasts year-round. 

Microfiber is a fabric that is breathable, stretchy, and perfect for any season. Luckily, it’s also a breeze to care for & maintain. Microfiber shapewear is machine-washable and can simply be hung to dry! Our only ask is that you avoid bleaching, ironing, or dry-cleaning these shapewear styles. 

Not all of us feel our best or most comfortable in summer clothes. They have less coverage and usually are made of lighter fabrics. But finding a few shapewear staples that boost your confidence during the warmer months can add more enjoyment and engagement to those summer activities. 

Commando shapewear is designed to enhance your figure, smooth lines and bumps, and fit comfortably under any outfit during any month. Our fabrics are breathable and flexible, which means you can wear them all day too. To learn more, check out this guide on how shapewear works.