New shapewear you can wear just about everywhere

Ah shapewear. How essential you are. After all, the beginning of every new year starts with the same pledge: "I will get in shape." But this year, I didn't even dare make that resolution--with a baby who doesn't sleep through the night and a busy three-year-old, heading to the gym falls somewhere on my list between reading War and Peace and cooking four-course meals every night. That's why I was psyched to discover two pairs of pants that hold it all in for me. The pants are from shapewear golden child Spanx and a new kid on the block called Apifeni (oddly pronounced "epiphany"). I did a road test on both pairs and found both to work wonders in the "keeping things in place" department. The Power Pant from shapewear master Spanx is an errand-running powerhouse of a pant. Thanks to its proprietary "Slim-X Bagel Buster" (surely not just relevant to those of us in NYC), a built-in tummy slimming panel that keeps your pooch from spilling over the edge, I felt lithe and lean as I shopped for--well, bagels. I love the bootleg cut, which looks great with my regular kicks and everything from hoodies to tees. I didn't feel like I needed to hide my tush under a tunic (no VPL) but that comes down to how you feel about your own tush. The only slight downside to these slimmers was the frontal wedgie I experienced every time I leaned down. The other miracle-working pants are from new shapewear contender, Apifeni. After picking out their Ultimate Legging (pictured above) at one of their trunk shows, I've been wearing it non-stop under dresses and oversized sweaters. It's super high-waisted so it takes a little bit of getting used to unless you're familiar with those styles of shapeware. But thanks to a special blend of their SoftTech and ShapeTech fabrics, the pants had just the right amount of give and take--as in, take off 5 lbs. Although you can purchase pieces from the Apifeni website, the best way to shop the brand is by attending one of their trunk shows. You can find a Afpifeni style director (a local distributor) on their website or even host a trunk show yourself and gain credits toward clothes. Besides the leggings, they've got slimming capris and and cute ruffle tank tops, too.  The Spanx Power Pant is $118 at Spanx.com,the Ultimate Legging from Apifeni is $78, available from your local Style Director.