32" XLarge size was too big for me, I have 31" waist. I tried 32 and 30 to see which fit me better and the 30 was perfect. It's quite comfortable and I like the versatility of the removable suspenders for hosiery but I wish there were 6 straps instead of 4. It does a really good job of giving me a nice shape and tames that pesky tummy area! But it's still comfortable enough to wear all day and even be pretty active in (walking around at anime conventions and doing ridiculous poses).

I am giving it four stars because Rago continues to be excellent quality (I own a number of other Rago pieces) and because this did do exactly as promised. This piece runs smoothly from the bra band to the bum, so no bulges between bra and waist cincher which is excellent. It has removable garter straps, A+ in my book. And it has reinforced horizontal stitching to really nip in your waist without making things like breathing, eating or sitting down totally impossible. Unfortunately I return it because it just didn't work quite right for my shape. I am rather short waisted and I have a natural hourglass already, so my waist/hips have about 14" difference between them. The combination meant that the back of the cincher didn't quite cover my bum the way their longer girdles do, nor could it be hitched up enough to rise above it the way their garter belts do, so it left me with a bit of a bisected bum. I do think this is an awesome product, and had it been a little shorter in back it would have been a keeper for me.

I have a body shaped politely described as "doughy brick." My waist line varies between "nonexistant" and "a dip between skin rolls."
I bought this cincher to wear under a holiday dress with the intent of smoothing my jiggly belly. BUT YOU GUYS, IT GAVE ME A WAIST TOO!
It has a sneaky amount of stretch and, as a result, is surprisingly comfortable. Plus, unlike the thigh-to-boobs shapers I was considering, I won't have to wrestle undergarments when holiday cocktails leave me wobbly and in dire need of a bathroom. Whee!

As a mature woman who is vain and tries to stay fit and keep her figure "“ there's no denying the great advance of time on one's body, therefore, I have been more than thrilled to see the great Girdle Come-Back in recent fashion trends.

For Reference: I am 5'2" tall and 110 lbs and gave birth at 38 and again at 40 "“ so my old body didn't bounce back from birthing like a 20 year old body would. Women often tell me, "Oh you're skinny why do you need shape wear?" Well, because I'm almost 50 and my middle, hips and thighs are becoming flabbier than I'd like despite my best efforts otherwise. I want shape wear to hold me firm under my clothing and enhance my figure.

Ordinary shape wear (like a Spanx body suit) is sweet and offers a a certain firmness to the body underneath clothing, but for serious shaping and firming, they don't do the trick. So, here I sit wearing the product I am reviewing.
Initial thoughts when putting it on 5 hours ago: O.M. G. how in the world is this going to fit? I "installed" it around me over the (mostly stretched out) piece of full body shape wear I already had on, fastening it from the bottom to the top. Ah, once fastened, it was definitely tight, but that's what it is supposed to do: Mission Accomplished.

I was hoping for more lower belly control; I'd like to see the lower belly region taken up about an inch to flatten the belly more"¦.or see the bands continue both around and downwards for another few inches to offer tighter control. As it is, the bands do not cover the front of the belly region, there is an area 6 to 8 inches wide in front from top to bottom with no extra support built in, so everything squished in by the side bands ends up poking out the front, instead of compressing in evenly around.

The "bands" around the girdle definitely make the garment cut in to your sides, thus forming a sharper waist line, but they don't hit my around my true waist line unless I pull it up too high; when I pull it up higher (right under my bust), the lower part of the girdle wraps around right at my hip bones, thus my fat hips bulge out from under it. Not a problem under my jeans, but could be under a slinky dress or slacks with light fabric. When I pull the girdle down to fit my hips properly it takes my waist line down lower than I feel it should.

Later I still wore it as I drove my car. Do not wear this if you have a long drive! The top of the "whale bones" will gouge in to your body, and I thought if I had a wreck, they might puncture my rib cage completely. At church, sitting in a pew for a long time, I had to remain very upright or they would also gouge in to me. Here at my computer, I am very aware of the tops of all the whale bones, I feel them sort of cutting in to my skin under my bust line and around my back.

But "“ better posture is a good thing, right? In a way, I sort of like the reminder to sit up straight, as a secretary I sit all day and slouch too much and suffer back pain. Maybe this will help.

Other thoughts, under my ribbed pull over turtle neck, the garment doesn't really show, except the front where the thing clasps together, there is a definite line there that bulges out somewhat. Under this black ribbed shirt it's hard to see in passing, but under other things I imagine it would be a big seam-line showing through. I also believe it would be uncomfortable if I did not have a Spanx body suit under it; against my bare skin I think this would be awful, but I don't know yet.

Sexiness: I guess that is a matter of opinion. I removed the garter stocking straps to wear this under my dress jeans, but part of the purchase was to find a girdle with garters to wear under a wedding gown. In an old school retro kind of way, this is sexy, but in a slinky sex kitten way, it's probably not.

Final thoughts: My waist line really isn't my problem, I have a decent waist. My body problem is my lower belly and hips more than anything. I wish it had more lower belly control and will continue to look for a girdle with that feature, but all in all I like this one, because if nothing else, as an older woman, I feel sexier having firm wear under my office clothing because I prefer a fitted / tailored look to my attire, a womanly look, and wearing this (and other shape wear) just makes me feel Womanly. My man likes the body suit shape wear items, I am not sure what he will think of this, probably too aggressive for his taste in seeing me wear it (see it without a shirt over it I mean). When you touch your body, you can feel the whale bones (I know it's not real whale) and really feel the front closure strip.

I have to give this garment a good score. It was shipped very fast; it appears to be quite well made; it does what it said it would do (cut a waist line); it forces me to maintain good posture, and this product actually comes not only in MY size, but a size smaller too!!! I'm wearing a Small, there's also an extra Small. A company that realizes women of all sizes want shape control! Thank you!!!!!!

That said: This is one of the most UN comfortable things I have ever worn in my life (who said looking beautiful was comfortable?). In fact, I think it wins the prize for discomfort. It is extremely stiff (like it is supposed to be), and feels very bulky to me. I keep checking my look in the mirror expecting to see the extra bulk that I feel on my body. I will continue to diet and exercise with the hope of turning back the clock on my firm flat body of yesterday, but in all honestly "“ we all know the girdle is here to stay, it's just a matter of finding one that works with my body best. Despite the discomfort, and as much as I'd like to hate this thing, I can't. I like the way it makes me look and feel, but I will continue to shop for a better replacement to it for my particular body type.

I love corsets and waist cinchers. This is by far one of my favorites. I'm 5'3" and between 130 - 140, I wear a 38C and have hips, booty and shapely thighs. I ordered a medium/28 and it fits very well and looked great. The straps are really well made and are detachable, they hold on to my thigh highs very well. I have a short torso so this came up to the bottom of my bra and is slightly over my bottom making my bum pooch out a bit, no complaints. The boning doesn't bend so it makes me sit up straighter, also no complaints. It's comfortable enough to wear all day with the boning only taking shape slightly from sitting. It's really very sexy. My fella loves this for playtime and under my dresses.