Smoothing shorts vs lifting briefs: which one do you need?

Side by side

When to choose smoothing shorts

Shorts are the more versatile piece if you wear dresses and skirts as well as jeans. The mid-thigh legs give your thighs a smooth layer so they don't rub together on a hot day or a long walk, which is a real comfort win under skirts. They also smooth the upper thigh under fitted fabric, and they mean you never have to think about a skirt riding up.

Under jeans, shorts give the most all-over smoothing from waist to thigh. The trade-off is more fabric: they can feel warmer in summer, and with very fitted jeans you'll want to check the leg band lies flat.

When to choose lifting briefs

Briefs are the everyday option. They feel much more like underwear, so they're easy to wear all day, every day, under jeans, leggings and trousers. A high waist smooths the tummy, a shaped back gives the seat a little lift, and the seamless knit means no visible lines under leggings or thin fabrics.

Because there's nothing on the thighs, briefs are cooler in warm weather and invisible under any length of hem. They won't help with thigh chafing, though, so they're less useful under dresses and skirts.

Outfit by outfit

If you wear a mix, owning both is the easy answer: briefs for most days, shorts for dresses and days when you want more hold.

Sizing either one

Both should feel snug and supportive, never painful. Measure your waist and hips, use the brand's chart rather than your usual letter size, and size up if you're between sizes. If the waistband rolls, the legs ride up, or it's hard to breathe or sit comfortably, it's too small. Our shapewear guide covers fit and comfort in more detail.

For care, hand wash cold and hang to dry. Heat from a dryer breaks down the stretch fibers that give shapewear its hold.

Comfort through the day

Think about how you'll spend the day, not just the outfit. Briefs have less fabric and fewer edges, so they're easy to forget about through a long day at a desk or on your feet. Shorts give more hold and stay smoothly in place under a moving skirt, but on a hot day or a long drive the extra coverage can feel warm.

Whichever you choose, the waistband should sit flat and above your jeans' waistband, and nothing should roll, ride up or pinch when you sit. If it does, the size is off, not the style. Size up and the same piece usually feels completely different.

Nude or black?

If you're buying one piece, choose the color that matches most of what you'll wear it under. "Nude" means a light skin tone in most shapewear ranges, so if it isn't close to your skin tone, black can be the more discreet choice under dark clothes, and a slightly darker underlayer can still work under mid tones.

Common mistakes

• Sizing down for more hold. It backfires: a small piece rolls and digs. Size up if you're between sizes.
• A waistband lower than your jeans. The edge can roll under the denim. Choose a high waist for high-rise jeans.
• Tumble drying. Heat wears out the stretch. Hang to dry.
• Wearing one piece every day. Rotating two pieces gives each one time to recover its shape.

Why many people end up with both

Shorts and briefs aren't really competitors. Briefs cover the everyday: jeans on a weekday, leggings at the weekend, trousers at work. Shorts come out for dresses, skirts and the days you want firmer, fuller smoothing under fitted denim. Owning one of each means the right layer for almost every outfit, and alternating between them gives each piece time to recover its stretch between wears.