SPANX Swimwear Review: Honest Thoughts in Midlife

I am a fan of SPANX. Back in the beginning, I loved the compression garments and the tights. When they came out with faux leather leggings, I thought they were the best. I also was a fan of the SPANX faux leather joggers. But in recent years, SPANX has expanded with a whole range of apparel and even swimwear.

This summer, SPANX launched a new swimwear collection. This collection of one- and two-piece swimsuits offers clean, classic silhouettes in bright solid colors and sizes XS-3X. The fabric is what makes it unique, offering the trademark SPANX smoothing, shaping, and sculpting compression built-in, but without the bulk or extra fabric often found in other compression or sculpting swimsuits.

I invited a member of the Wardrobe Oxygen community to provide a SPANX swimwear review. I reached out via the community Facebook page, and longtime reader Tai reached out. SPANX provided four swimsuits of Tai's choice in her size and preferred color. A review was not required by SPANX, they did not know this review was being written, and this is not sponsored by SPANX. Tai gets to keep the swimsuits and I paid her a fair rate for her article. Check out past Wardrobe Oxygen Community Member reviews.

I knew Tai would give a thorough review: like me, she has a larger bust and soft belly. But Tai is a swimmer (she's training for her second Ironman) and feels at home in a bathing suit. I knew she could give us an honest and detailed review of SPANX swimwear and if it could work for a woman in midlife, and how it handles a large bust and soft curves. Because “model vs. me” photos were seen as so helpful in my SPANX apparel review, they were added to this SPANX swimwear review. And with that, Tai's thoughts!

Spanx Swimwear Review: Honest Thoughts

I am a 45-year-old totally blind triathlete living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I am currently training for my second full Ironman (Ironman Florida) this November. I swim often, and I go through swimsuits frequently. Being a cusp size person, I was excited for the opportunity to try flattering compressive swimwear.

I am 5’ 5” and 185 pounds. I have a 36G chest, my waist is approximately 37, and my hips are approximately 46. I have a pear shape and tend to do best with high rise bottoms that cover my soft belly. I need a lot of chest support. I tend to prefer a bit of padding, as I have large nipples. I also prefer underwire styles but always hope to find a wireless option with great support.

SPANXshape™ Swim Cutout One Piece in black, XL

Sizes: XS-3X | Colors: Very Black, Hibiscus (light pink), Caraway (light brown) | Shell: 85% Nylon,15% Elastane | Lining: 66% Nylon, 34% Lycra® Elastane | Price: $180

This suit has great compression across my stomach and around the torso. I like the cutout detail and the wider straps.  It has a higher leg cut than some of the suits, and I like that. However, it lacks chest support. It does have padding and good coverage for my larger nipples, but it lacks lift.

Like many of the other Spanx suits, this suit also feels a little tight in the torso. I don’t consider myself to have an extra long torso, but this swimwear collection indicates that perhaps I do. The suit was too short and felt tight in the crotch and around my legs. I have a feeling that a longer version might be too long for me. I may be somewhere in between.

SPANXsculpt™ Swim Halter One Piece in red, XL

Sizes: XS-3X | Colors: SPANX Red, Very Black, Caraway (light brown) | Shell: 57% Nylon, 43% Lycra Xtra Life® Elastane | Lining: 55% Nylon, 45% Lycra® Elastane | Price: $200

I like the flattering dart details on the cups of this suit. Try as I may, I cannot make this halter top supportive enough for my chest, even if I tie the halter very tightly. I like the inset panel below the chest which provides some great structure.

Like all of the Spanx one-pieces I tried, this halter one-piece also feels tight in the torso. I like the compression around my stomach. As someone with a slightly longer torso, this suit feels a bit short for me overall, and it’s tight in the crotch.

SPANXsmooth™ Swim Scoop Neck One Piece in Current, XL

Sizes: XS-3X | Colors: Very Black, Current (royal blue) | Shell: 85% Nylon, 15% Elastane | Lining: 56% Elastane, 44% Nylon | Price: $160

This suit was promising, but the straps were too narrow to provide enough chest support. This suit has the same padding as the others and does a great job of covering my large nipples. Like the others, the smoothing compression is nice around the stomach and rear.

However, this particular one-piece was quite simple and surprisingly lacked the flattering details I expect from suits at this price point.

SPANXshape™ Swim Halter Bikini Top in red, XL

Sizes: XS-3X | Colors: SPANX Red, Very Black, Current (royal blue), Hibiscus (light pink), Caraway (light brown) | Shell: 85% Nylon, 15% Elastane | Lining: 66% Nylon, 34% Lycra® Elastane | Price: $80\

This bikini top felt a little flimsy and lacked enough material. I wish it had more underbust support. It would benefit from underwires. Like the halter one-piece suit, I cannot tighten this one enough to make it more supportive. I wish it were long-line.

SPANXshape™ Swim Ultra Hi-Rise Bikini Bottom in Red, XL

Sizes: XS-3X | Colors: SPANX Red, Current (royal blue), Very Black, Hibiscus (light pink), Caraway (light brown) | Shell: 85% Nylon, 15% Elastane | Lining: 66% Nylon, 34% Lycra® Elastane | Price: $90

This bottom provided great coverage and compression. It offered more coverage on the bottom than any of the other offerings. I tend to do best with high-waisted bottoms, and this one was great for flattening my stomach. I would have liked ruching or other details to make this more flattering. I was also surprised that I wished it had a bit less coverage. It’s a bit too much coverage for me. I’m curious to know how the skirted bottom they offer would have worked on me. They also offer another bottom with a “cheeky” less coverage back.

Summary:

I have loved most items I have purchased from Spanx. They offer comfortable flattering solutions. While I love the compression of these suits, they do not provide enough chest support for me. As someone whose torso is longer in proportion to my legs, these suits felt a bit short for me. For reference, I really like swimsuits from Lands End and Miraclesuit which have fit me very well in the torso.

The Spanx swimsuit fabric is substantial and I find it is more compressive than most swimsuits. I will be interested to see how it holds up in and out of sunshine and chlorinated water over the next few months. It is smooth and buttery to the touch. It is not overly thick as some compression can be. It has a soft handfeel, and also feels great against the skin. It has just the right amount of stretch.

Had I paid for these suits, I would have expected more flattering details such as ruching and more chest lift at this price point. These suits do a great job smoothing the stomach and torso. If you have a short to average torso, seek stomach compression, and do not need a great deal of breast lift, these suits could work for you.

Thanks to Alison for the opportunity to review SPANX swimwear. This is the first time I have ever taken photos for a blog post, and I am learning so much!