Clothes Case: Bodysuits

Above black lace bodysuit is Hanky Panky and as of this writing can be purchased here!

I honestly couldn’t tell you where my obsession with bodysuits came from. They’re such weird garments — like a leotard from your middle school ballet class masquerading as a top, not to mention the absolute WORST to go to the bathroom in if you’ve somehow ended up wearing one without snaps at the bottom.

Yet somehow they’ve become on of my favorite garments. I own more than I care to admit, and I find ways to wear them literally all year round.

I feel like the overall stigma of a one-piece anything is slowly starting to lift, but there’s still something about bodysuits that many women shy away from. So I’m here to show you that bodysuits can be for everyone, and anyone can look beautiful in one.

Let this serve as the first tiny step we can all take to start finding ways to shop better together — as a Nation of women who all just want to find ways to feel beautiful every day.

“Let this serve as the first tiny step we can all take to start finding ways to shop better together — as a Nation of women who all just want to find ways to feel beautiful every day.”

So let’s talk about bodysuits.

First and foremost, I want to highlight how deceptive this garment is. Want to know how I know it’s deceptive? Because I can never seem to find them when I’m browsing online. Are they under tops? Intimates? Activewear?? It’s completely inconsistent across different sites, and I’m convinced that this is part of a larger conspiracy to prevent people from realizing the wardrobe phenomenon that is the bodysuit.

But this confusion is actually what makes bodysuits so amazing. They’re both tops AND underwear. They’re versatile enough to be your under layer or your leading lady, um I mean layer. They work as undergarments in winter or just as well solo during summer season.

And that’s what makes them so versatile for different body shapes — you can decide just how much you want to lean into showcasing the bodysuit, based on your body, the weather, or just how you happen to feel that day.

In case you’re still not convinced, let me give you a few ideas to inspire your bodysuit state of mind:

A classic tee or tank tucked into jeans — except it’s NOT tucked into jeans because it’s a bodysuit, and you know what that means?! No awkward re-tucking in when you go from sitting down to standing up.

A colorful pop of color (or camouflage) when your crop top doesn’t quite meet the top of your high-waisted jeans. Play around with the textures and colors to decide if you want to accentuate the extra layer or pretend it’s just an extension of the top!

A playful peak of décolletage under a button down when you’re not sure if it’s a second date or if you’re accidentally giving out free professional advice.

Bodysuit design has gotten out of control (in the best possible way) recently, so there are even bodysuits masquerading as intricate blouses that you would never know have a sneaky bottom half tucked underneath.

Now, I’m not going to lie to you and pretend that every brand has realized the incredible potential that is the bodysuit, so unfortunately that means that the options are significantly limited for women with completely-normal-but-less-embraced-by-mainstream bodies. That being said, what I’m trying to do here at Revelle is to start a dialogue to help women find what’s best for their bodies, while also showing these brands what we really want from their products.

So below are a few great options that exist now, with the first row being three bodysuits I personally own and love (I have the Wilfred Free one in multiple colors and I wear it an embarrassing amount). Some of these have more limited sizing than others, because that’s the sad state of the world that we’re living in, but in the bottom row I highlighted some brands that are bringing their bodysuit game into larger sizes.

Take a look and let me know what you think, what bodysuits you already know and love, and what you’d like to see from brands who are willing to step it up!