An Honest Review Of Lizzo's New Shapewear Brand Yitty

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Full transparency: I am a Lizzo stan. I’ve loved the singer since I was a grad student, making playlists to get hyped for my 80-plus page thesis. I once interviewed her at CURVYcon and lost every chill — all I could think to say when confronted with my idol was: “You smell so good” (to which she responded: “Girl, it’s my pheromones”). So when she announced plans to start a fashion brand, I waited patiently for the first drop — as a plus-size girlie myself, I knew if anyone could do right by me, it’d be Lizzo.

That said, I didn’t expect shapewear to be her first release. Like others, I was surprised that the queen of body positivity and posting booty on the regular would promote a type of clothing that’s often viewed as fatphobic. I first started wearing shapewear when I was 12 and have had nothing but bad experiences: I’ve worn styles that have given me terrible stomachaches and made it impossible to sit down, and one waist trainer even gave me bruises. I wanted to trust my girl Lizzo, but I was apprehensive.

Nearly 28, I’m long past the days of wearing uncomfortable shapewear to morph my body into a more socially acceptable shape. But, according to Lizzo, she created Yitty with the goal of changing the way fat people view shapewear. “I was tired of seeing this sad, restrictive shapewear that literally no one wanted to wear,” she said in a press release. “I want to revolutionize our relationship with shapewear.” So with that, I decided to try it.

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The Packaging

The individual Yitty boxes come in a cute, pink-to-purple ombré and are made from 100% recycled materials, labeled with a bold reminder “B*tch, I’m sustainable!” Everything your order comes in can be recycled, too — a win-win. They’re so cute, I plan to frame at least one of the boxes. (Repurposing!)

The Products

Mesh Me Smoothing Midi Top & High Waist Short

I’m a big-chested babe. I’ve had DDs since seventh grade, and they’ve only expanded and sagged over the years. I’ve never felt that the #FreeTheNipple movement included my 38H chest, and there’s maybe one item in my closet that I feel comfortable wearing without a bra. But when I saw Sarah Chiwaya of @curvily wear the Mesh Me Top sans bra, it inspired me to try it myself.

My mom, who was visiting from Oregon, audibly gasped when she realized I wasn’t wearing a bra. I wasn’t about to take my mother to the club, so I twerked around my apartment to test the top’s hold. I didn’t go easy, either — I put on Juvenille’s “Back That Azz Up” and went to work, and miraculously, everything stayed in place. The silicone gripper (a rubber lining around the waistband) created a non-slip grip that kept my tig’ ol’ biddies securely fastened. The matching shorts (which I ordered too, because fashun) didn’t slide down, even when I was throwing it in a circle, triangle, and octagon.

Nearly Naked Shaping Midi Bra and Thong

As someone biologically predisposed to boob sweat (read: 38H), I usually only wear bras that lift and separate, so I don’t typically go for bralettes (even ones designed for big busts). The Nearly Naked Shaping Midi Bra, however, does both. The longline style also gives a little extra support, along with coverage for the back and stomach — a major bonus. My bras often feel really snug, which makes my belly poke out underneath, but Lizzo’s style smoothed me out without feeling restrictive.

My partner, who’s non-binary and wears chest binders every day, also tried out the bra. They usually wear a sports bra underneath, since most binders don’t fully cover their breasts. The Midi Bra felt comfortable and breathable under their binder, even while running errands and doing laundry. It didn’t roll up and gave them extra support. To quote them: “No boob was left behind” in our household.

I also ordered the Nearly Naked Shaping High Waist Thong. I stopped wearing thongs a few years ago because they’re too uncomfortable. This one, however, was soft and wearable. The high-waist shaping technology gave my waist definition, although my belly and love handles felt more prominent than I was comfortable with. If anything, I’d probably wear this as lingerie with the Midi Bra.

Nearly Naked Shaping Mid Thigh Bodysuit

Y’all… this bodysuit is crotchless. When I first put it on, I thought I had accidentally ripped it squeezing in all this a**, but I checked the product description and realized it was intentional. The open gusset is “bathroom friendly” and features a “crotchless open design.” Getting into this suit was a workout, so being able to use the bathroom without having to peel yourself out of it is utter genius. Peeing in this onesie was super convenient and un-messy — aspects that come in handy on two-for-one margarita night.

The seamless design is also a plus — it didn’t dig into my thighs or cut off circulation. I tried it on with one of my favorite bodycon dresses and loved how it smoothed me out. I was also surprised at the shape it gave me without a bra. I really could wear this by itself under a look, which is fewer layers than I’d typically wear.

Cons

Shapewear in general isn’t accessibility-friendly due to how tight the material is. It requires a lot of squeezing, shimmying, and full-on contorting to put on. I have a back injury that affects the mobility in my left shoulder, which made the Nearly Naked Bodysuit difficult to put on by myself. This isn’t necessarily a Yitty problem, though, it’s a shapewear problem.

The Final Verdict

Yitty clearly has a design team that really understands plus-size bodies, because the fit was top notch across the board. Few universities even teach plus size apparel construction (I was the first fashion student to design a plus-size collection at my own college in 2016), so brands that release plus sizes often miss the mark, because they don’t have designers with the proper education.

Normally, brands simply grade up, meaning they take their straight sizes and add inches to the same pattern to make it plus. This method doesn’t consider aspects like body contour, torso length, arm length, and so on — which is why plus-sizes garments often have super long sleeves or crotch lengths. Yitty nailed it, addressing the variety and diversity of plus-size bodies with every design.

Everything I tried felt lightweight and stayed in place, even against the most vigorous booty shaking. Each item smoothed me out without reshaping my body, cutting off my circulation, or feeling painful. All the pieces — even the ones I wasn’t in love with, like the Nearly Naked Thong — I still liked more than what I currently have in my wardrobe. 10/10 would shop again.