{"id":522255,"date":"2026-04-09T22:38:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T22:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/522255\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T22:38:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T22:38:08","slug":"can-the-new-ms-shapewear-compete-with-skims-we-put-it-to-the-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/522255\/","title":{"rendered":"Can the new M&S shapewear compete with Skims? We put it to the test"},"content":{"rendered":"

One in three UK women already buy their pants at M&S, and its long-running lingerie collaboration with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has helped to expand<\/a> what it\u2019s known for, so it covers the best basic knickers and the pretty, lacy, special-occasion ones too. Now it\u2019s coming for a new consumer: the Skims woman, who buys into Kim Kardashian\u2019s stretchy, block-coloured bralettes, thongs in a range of nude tones and compression bodysuits. Skims was valued at $5 billion late last year and is expanding across the US but so far has limited UK stockists.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Launched on Thursday, Marks and Spencer\u2019s Body is a 300-strong collection of shapewear, everyday basics, lace and soft fabrics. The standouts, though, are the Skims-ish pieces: sculpting thong bodysuits, bum-rounding shorts, stretchy bralettes.<\/p>\n

All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue<\/p>\n

I have a Skims scoop bralette at home, so I head straight for the Body Invisibles Non Wired Micro Crop Top for a direct comparison. They\u2019re both soft and stretchy polyamide\/elastane mixes with adjustable straps; the M&S version (marksandspencer.com<\/a>) is \u00a316 to Skims\u2019 \u00a336 (skims.com<\/a>). Part of the appeal of both is the flat-to-your-body finish that doesn\u2019t show under clothes, which means very stretchy fabric and a wrestle to get them on without clasps. Once on, it\u2019s surprisingly supportive without an underwire, and with\u00a0very\u00a0minimal coverage (I\u2019m a D cup and as it comes in dress sizes rather than bra sizes, I try a few: the 12 fits the best). Even better is the Non Wired Crop Top (\u00a322<\/a>). Unlike the micro, this one has moulded cups with light, removable padding. It\u2019s comfortable (once it\u2019s on), supportive, pretty, doesn\u2019t show through my shirt.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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While I\u2019m in the changing room, since it\u2019s the kind with a proper lockable door rather than a curtain, I try on the compressive bodysuits (in a size medium). Awful to get on, as is anything shaping or compressive \u2014 not helped by a call from a DPD delivery driver when I\u2019m one boob into the plunge-neckline shaping body. Once in, I try my own trousers over the top and need to tighten my belt a loop further than I did this morning. Skims\u2019 bodysuits have had a viral response on social media for the same effect, but at about \u00a3100 a pop.\u00a0Marks & Spencer\u2019s version is \u00a322<\/a>, which is lucky as I can\u2019t get it off again.<\/p>\n

I already buy most of my pants here, but I\u2019ve been tempted by the clean lines and block colours of Skims in the past, budget willing. Minimal, sculpting underwear that doesn\u2019t look awful is still a rarity. Or it was \u2014 now I\u2019ll get mine at M&S. Charlie Gowans-Eglinton<\/p>\n

Rosie Davenport<\/p>\n

Testing: Body Sculpt Seamless High Waist Thong<\/a>, \u00a315<\/p>\n

\"BrownBody Sculpt Seamless High Waist Thong, \u00a315<\/p>\n

The quest for the perfect wedding guest outfit led me to a crucial discovery: there is a wrong time to buy shapewear. Mine was 8.55pm on a Thursday, a desperate dash through the three-storey fluorescent hell of Westfield, ping-ponging between the bookends of the mall, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer. A last-minute click-and-collect purchase left me with a clinging satin\u00a0backless\u00a0dress. God help me. Now my only hope lay in the M&S Body Sculpt Seamless High Waist Thong, a garment I was now investing more emotional energy in than the dress itself \u2014 I\u2019d even briefly considered a \u00a3150 Spanx alternative. Rationale had vanished. <\/p>\n

Ripping the box open at home, I was confronted with the first brutal truth: the size 8 (small) shapewear looked like it was designed for an eight-year-old. My heart sank but I had faith in stretch. I wrestled my way in, noticing with alarm the metal-disc-like compressions in the back. It certainly flattered my stomach, or rather, suffocated it \u2014 there was no way I could manage a glass of prosecco, let alone a three-course wedding breakfast, in this scaffolding.\u00a0At the front the thong silhouette was seamless, allowing my curves to, well, curve. But then I turned around. <\/p>\n

Verdict Now I can answer the age-old question:\u00a0where does the fat go when wearing shapewear? It simply goes where the shapewear\u00a0isn\u2019t. The garment\u2019s high-rise design ruined the beautiful low back of my dress. Rolls of flesh, previously unseen, escaped the top of the pants, undulating into folds that will for ever change how I look at my own body. Off it came, kicked onto the floor \u2014 my self-esteem with it.<\/p>\n

Georgina Roberts<\/p>\n

Testing: Body Sculpt Firm Control Seamless High Leg Body<\/a>, \u00a325<\/p>\n

\"BlackBody Sculpt Firm Control Seamless High Leg Body, \u00a325<\/p>\n

I am a shapewear virgin, so I don\u2019t know what to expect from M&S\u2019s suit, which is essentially a very tight leotard. Putting it on feels as if I\u2019m squeezing my body into a pair of tights. The material it\u2019s made out of isn\u2019t far off tights either \u2014 it\u2019s not particularly soft.<\/p>\n

This suit claims it will \u201cenhance your curves, offering targeted compression to the tummy and waist\u201d. I can feel that compression on my stomach immediately. My tummy, previously showing under my slip dress, now disappears. The suit has also \u201csnatched\u201d my waist in, making it more pronounced and smooth.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m impressed with the cinching tummy results but the problem is that the suit also compresses my (already quite small) boobs. They\u2019re now almost as flat as my stomach. The other negative is the high leg cut, which I feel riding up at the back when I\u2019m sitting at my desk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wearing this, I can have a washboard stomach, but I have to sacrifice a cup size and endure the feeling of it hoisting me in. A friend tells me that whenever she wears shapewear she gets indigestion and thinks the garment causes this by pushing on her stomach. <\/p>\n

Verdict This body suit would be uncomfortable to wear for more than an hour on a night out and it\u2019s a relief when I take it off. I\u2019ll pass.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ceci Browning<\/p>\n

Testing: Body Sculpt Firm Control Seamless Thigh Slimmer<\/a>, \u00a318<\/p>\n

\"NudeBody Sculpt Firm Control Seamless Thigh Slimmer, \u00a318<\/p>\n

My hopes were high on opening the box and discovering how teeny-tiny the thigh slimmer was. Surely this knee brace-looking thing would carve my lower body into that of a bodacious Renaissance sculpture? Promisingly, it was much trickier to wriggle into than the 6in Sweaty Betty cycling shorts I usually wear beneath skirts and dresses, my secret weapon when serious sucking-in is required. <\/p>\n

The effects, though, were a mixed success. From the front, I looked phenomenal, all curves and slopes, like an old-fashioned Coca-Cola bottle. The waistband showed no sign of rolling up, as promised, and the legs stretched down to just above the knee without cutting me off mid-thigh. But the side-angle was disappointing. Rather than lifting my bum to Kardashian levels of glory, it cut me off below the cheeks, making me look from the hips down like a capital P. Also, the low, reinforced gusset was reminiscent of wearing a sanitary pad. Very unglamorous. <\/p>\n

Verdict For \u00a318? Not terrible but I think I\u2019ll stick to my secret sports shorts.<\/p>\n

Susie Lethbridge<\/p>\n

Testing: Body Sculpt Firm Control Seamless All In One<\/a>, \u00a328<\/p>\n

\"ABody Sculpt Firm Control Seamless All In One, \u00a328<\/p>\n

In comparison to Skims\u2019 iterations, priced between \u00a384 and \u00a3104, this is notably less eye-watering at just \u00a328.\u00a0And having lived in the Skims bodysuit for the past year, I can say with some authority that M&S\u2019s version is not only easier to wrestle on but more comfortable once there. It does a commendable job of smoothing things over and is particularly good at hiding the post-lunchtime bloat.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Crucially, while most shorts-style bodysuits can cause the dreaded mid-thigh bulge at the seams, M&S\u2019s does not. It even features an open gusset for quick trips to the loo \u2014 although if you\u2019re anything like me, you\u2019ll end up stripping off anyway.<\/p>\n

The caveat? The lack of built-in bra support. It\u2019s designed not to wear a bra underneath but if you\u2019re bigger-chested like I am, you\u2019ll definitely need to.<\/p>\n

Verdict Not a bad alternative to Skims, considering the price.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One in three UK women already buy their pants at M&S, and its long-running lingerie collaboration with Rosie…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":522256,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[84,59,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-522255","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-gb","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/522255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=522255"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/522255\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/522256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=522255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=522255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=522255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}