Somewhere between staring into my closet at 7: 15 a.m., kids crying for breakfast, and wanting to wear something – anything – that resembles an outfit, I reach for a bodysuit. Allow me to explain: There are days when I want to wear one cohesive outfit that looks chic and put together but doesn’t require me to think about it too much. You know, like a solid bodysuit and tee situation.
Not three separate pieces that I hope will work in harmony when I throw them on. One. Solid.
Look. Enter: the bodysuit.
A few years ago, I wrote them off because of…well, everything.
The fact that they require trips to the bathroom and washing afterwards was a deterrent. The whole body-con thing seemed too try-hard for my comfortably-not-a-size-zero shape. But as I sipped coffee on mornings I wasn’t running late, I noticed something: Whenever I wore a regular tee tucked into yoga pants or my favourite jeans, I was always adjusting.
Tucking shirts in and making sure they didn’t ride up took up way too much brain space. Not to mention, by lunchtime I always looked sweaty and sloppy thanks to unpredictable gaps at my waist or bunching at my chest. Enter stage left: The bodysuit, my girl!
What started as problem-solving soon turned into an outright obsession with how streamlined getting dressed can be when you start with a bodysuit base. I knew immediately when compiling bodysuits for the well-edited wardrobe that I wanted options to cover a variety of occasions. First, I wanted wearable day-to-day pieces that I could throw on for school pickup and shopping at the grocery store.
I didn’t want to feel over dressed, but also didn’t want to wear my regular tee tucked into pants either. Then, I knew I wanted at least one dressier bodysuit to add to the rotation for those few times a month I’ll actually be seeing adults at lunch. Last but certainly not least, I live in leggings and stretchy pants, so I knew I wanted some comfy options for days when I want to look put together but still feel like I’m lounging around in PJ’s.
Snaps. That was always my dealbreaker when it came to bodysuits. If the snaps weren’t well-constructed or placed in weird spots that dig into your skin when you sit down, I immediately rejected them.
I eliminated countless bodysuits from my original picks that had adorable tops but failed to put any thought into the bottoms. Snaps that lay flat against your skin and don’t creep open with movement are everything to me. Here, I finally found bodysuits that have reinforced snap tape that won’t stretch with wear or washing, and the snap placement actually works for your body.
No more gaping when you bend over to tie your kid’s shoes! Another major consideration was fabric weight. I threw on several bodysuits to really gauge what I loved and disliked about them.
Ones that were too lightweight felt cheap and livedery- I basically just didn’t want to wear them outside of my house. But the ones that were too heavy looked bulky under fitted tops. I wanted bodysuits that felt like they could hold up on their own under a cardigan or blazer, but weren’t so thick that they’d look or feel bulky under skinny jeans.
The fit through the torso was another non-negotiable for me. I avoided anything too boxy that ruined the sleek line a bodysuit is supposed to create. But I also stayed away from anything that was tight across my torso and widened at the leg, as that just isn’t a flattering line for most people.
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I love these because the sizing gives some curve to account for our non-flat stomachs, and the seaming is actually designed to skim your body instead of constricting it. I’m not looking to wear a ballet dancer’s leotard, thank you very much – I just want to look put together! Speaking of sleeves, I agonized over this one for the longest time.
I didn’t include any sleeveless bodysuits in this specific edit because they’re limited on their own in Minnesota weather, but I also left out any bodysuits that had long sleeves that would bunch under jackets. I wanted bodysuits that were versatile enough to wear under blazers and cardigans, but wouldn’t look weird or too much when worn alone on warmer days. And the verdict?
Three quarter length sleeves are my JAM. They land at the perfect spot on your arms and don’t compete with your top layers. When it came to bodysuits that fell on the dressier side, I only wanted to include options that would actually work for date nights or work events.
I couldn’t justify including ANY bodysuits with tons of hardware/details that would look costumey to me in the suburbs of Minneapolis. The mock neck versions? Game changer.
Not only are they more polished than your typical crew neck bodysuit, but it takes one less piece off your outfit decision roulette when you no longer have to decide if you “feel like wearing a necklace today.” These bodysuits needed to hold up to being up close and personal with me while I’m running errands or in meetings all day. I wanted knits that wouldn’t wrinkled from sitting in traffic or during back-to-back meetings. Option that looked great on the hanger but felt sticky and skinny on me were automatically eliminated.
As you know I love me some neutrals, so this section is heavy on nude, beige, and gray. But I also wanted to include options that were a little less “basic black” and would add some color/mood to my wardrobe. On the other end of the spectrum?
Bodysuits that I live in. Comfort was key for these bodysuits, so I rejected anything that had decorative seaming that might dig in or be visible under tight clothes. I knew these bodysuits would be my go-to for travel, rushing around with sick kids, or days when I knew I’d be sitting in playground grass and needed ALL THE COMFORT.
To keep this edit streamlined, I also didn’t include anything with necklines that felt tight in the shoulders or rode up by the end of the day.
Like I mentioned earlier, snap quality is important – but even more so when you know you’ll be wearing these bad boys for extended periods of time. I chose these because not only do they have covered snap tape that won’t dig into your skin, but the snap construction is reinforced and can stand up to frequent laundering.
And cotton-modal is my favourite fabric blend for bodysuits that you plan to wear all day. It feels amazing against your skin but doesn’t cling to EVERY crevice. These are the kind of bodysuits that you forget you’re even wearing by the time you put your coat on to leave the house.
Bodysuit fails that I learned from while compiling: Rise is everything. Related to my last point, if the rise of the bottom half is too low or too high, you’ll spend your entire day adjusting your bodysuit. Here, I chose bodysuits that all have a medium-high rise that won’t shift around once you wear them all day.
I didn’t realize it at first, but bodysuits have completely changed the way I think about getting dressed. There’s something so mentally freeing about wearing one item that you know will not create a gap in your pants, orpeek out underneath your top. Throw on a bodysuit, add jeans or a skirt, and a cardigan and I’m out the door.
They aren’t groundbreaking fashion, but bodysuits have really simplified my morning routine and made my daily uniform far more reliable.
