The shapewear brand connects material science, fabric performance, garment construction and fit through its Comfort-First Engineering approach
ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Shapellx’s MistWeave™ Ready-To-Go Full Coverage Bodysuit has been recognized with an Innovation Award by the American International Innovative Design Award (AIIDA), an international design award founded in Los Angeles that recognizes innovative product design. The recognition highlights the product’s integrated approach to full-body shaping, combining multiple everyday wardrobe functions into a single garment.
The recognition comes as Shapellx doubles down on Comfort-First Engineering, its answer to a trade-off shapewear has long asked women to accept: compression that shapes but overheats, styles that smooth but roll and shift, garments that fit the size chart but not the body. The approach connects material development, fabric performance, garment construction and fit so that shaping support and everyday comfort are engineered together rather than traded off.
The approach is backed by scale: founded in 2019 and headquartered in Orlando, Florida, the full-category shapewear brand reports approximately 700 employees as of September 2026, $100 million in revenue in 2025, and 8 million customers globally as of mid-2026. Together, these figures reflect the growing role of everyday shaping in the broader apparel market.
Engineering Fabric Before Engineering the Garment
Shapellx’s development process starts below the garment level. The company conducts in-house laboratory testing to evaluate fabric stretch, recovery and structural performance before making garment-construction decisions. According to the company’s in-house testing, selected core functional fabrics have demonstrated up to 188% horizontal stretch, 128.2% vertical stretch and 97.9% recovery after 60 seconds, while a spot-bonding process has delivered a 20% improvement in breathability.
What reads like laboratory procedure is, in fact, the point. Shapellx evaluates fabric elasticity and recovery the way the technical textile industry does: on a Universal Testing Machine (UTM) — a standard instrument in textile laboratories — under a constant-force tensile protocol. Each fabric is stretched at 300 mm/min until the applied force reaches 35 N, through three stretch-and-release cycles, with the final result averaged across the three runs. Stretch is measured as elongation at the 35 N force level; after release, recovery is tracked over the following 60 seconds. By importing a technical-textile testing methodology into shapewear development, Shapellx subjects everyday shaping fabrics to the same measurement discipline the industry applies to performance textiles — a discipline few consumers ever see behind the garments they wear closest to the skin.
The resulting measurements inform fabric selection, compression placement, pattern development and garment construction. Rather than applying a single construction approach across product styles, Shapellx adjusts the combination of stretch, recovery, fabric density and targeted compression according to the intended function of each garment.
By documenting the test equipment, conditions, protocol and measured results, Shapellx makes its fabric-performance data specific, checkable and directly tied to product-development decisions — a standard the brand applies before any material enters a shaping structure.
New Materials, Proven Safe: Marine-Derived Textiles with Third-Party Verification
Beyond engineering existing fabrics, Shapellx also develops new material applications. The OceanHug™ collection is built around regenerated textile materials made from discarded oyster shells, which are processed and incorporated into the fabric to give waste material a new use in apparel. The resulting fabric is designed to combine material innovation with a naturally smooth, skin-friendly hand feel. The OceanHug™ Oyster Reborn Smoothing Bodysuit, for example, uses a fabric composition of 61% oyster-protein recycled nylon, 26% nylon and 13% spandex, combined with targeted waist compression and a close-to-body construction.
Using regenerated materials in garments designed for direct skin contact raises an obvious question: are they safe? Shapellx addresses that question through third-party certifications. The company became a bluesign® SYSTEM PARTNER on December 13, 2024, reflecting its participation in a system focused on responsible resource use and production practices. On March 6, 2026, the company also received OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certification (certificate number SHKO 115415), covering applicable products across shapewear, shaping shorts, underwear and swimwear. Together, these third-party credentials provide independent evidence that applicable products meet recognized requirements for material safety.
Built Around the Need: Tummy Control, Butt Lifting, and Invisible Shaping
These material innovations are ultimately designed around the needs women have when choosing shapewear — from targeted tummy control and butt lifting to seamless layering under clothing and fit across sizes XS through 6XL.
For tummy control, the Smart Sculpt™ collection integrates concealed shaping structures into swimwear to provide targeted support through the waist and midsection. The Smart Sculpt™ All-In-One Mesh Wrap Shaping Swimsuit is designed for beach, poolside and resort settings, combining shaping functionality with the demands of swimwear construction and movement.
For butt lifting, the BOOT-YEAH™ collection uses targeted construction, including T-back designs, to enhance and define the appearance of the silhouette. The BOOT-YEAH™ SilkSculpt High-Waisted Short combines high-density fabric, steel boning, T-back construction, free-cut leg openings and a 15-inch crotch zipper, bringing multiple construction elements together for targeted lower-body shaping and definition.
For seamless smoothing, the MistWeave™ collection combines shaping construction with a lightweight, hosiery-inspired fabric approach. The MistWeave™ Ready-To-Go Full Coverage Bodysuit — recognized with an Innovation Award by the American International Innovative Design Award (AIIDA) — integrates a bra, underwear, tights, bodysuit and arm-shaping layer into one garment for lighter coverage and airflow.
For an invisible effect, the AirSlim® collection builds support directly into the garment through variations in knitting technique, fabric density and stretch, while minimizing seams, friction and visible lines under clothing. The BOOT-YEAH™ AirSlim® Firm Tummy Compression Shaping Short applies this construction to firm tummy control in a less visible base layer for close-fitting outfits.
For breathable, lightweight shaping, the MeshSmooth™ collection combines airy mesh construction with anti-roll silicone grip and super-flat leg bands to balance breathability, support and a smooth fit. The MeshSmooth™ High-Waisted Mid Thigh Short applies this construction to targeted tummy and thigh shaping, with a high-waisted design suited to everyday wear and layering.
Across the range, the brand offers five compression levels: Light Support (Light Control), Light-Mid Support (Light-Medium Control), Mid Support (Medium Control), Strong Support (Firm Control), Super Strong Support (Extra Firm Control), rather than applying maximum compression across every style.
Fit for Real Bodies: From Fitting to Full Size Coverage
Shapellx incorporates consumer feedback and real-user fittings into product development, refining garment proportions, compression placement and comfort through multiple fitting rounds. Its product range spans multiple categories, sizes from XS through 6XL, and five graduated support levels. The XS–6XL range is developed through fittings on real bodies rather than simply scaled-up patterns, with fit considered throughout the product development process. As with all shapewear, Shapellx garments are designed for daytime wear and are not intended for overnight use.
Validated by the Market: From Retail Shelves to Editorial Recognition
The products developed through this approach reach women through the brand’s official site, Nordstrom online, Amazon and TikTok Shop, and have been recognized by established fashion and lifestyle publications across different product functions rather than a single category. The same design-first approach has also been recognized internationally: in 2026, the MistWeave™ Ready-To-Go Full Coverage Bodysuit received an Innovation Award from the American International Innovative Design Award (AIIDA). Forbes Vetted named the Bare Essentials AirSlim Strapless Thong Bodysuit “Best Tummy-Control Thong Bodysuit” in its 2026 roundup of the best tummy-control shapewear; Glamour named the Bare Essentials AirSlim Hourglass Full Body Brief Bodysuit “Best Body Shaper” in its 2026 guide to shapewear for wedding-guest dresses; Business Insider selected the Smart Sculpt™ All-In-One Mesh Wrap Shaping Swimsuit as “Best shaping swim dress” in 2026; Oprah Daily recognized the Bare Essentials™ AirSlim® Supportive Unlined Lace Underwired Bra in its 2026 Comfort Bra O-Wards; Glamour also named the BOOT-YEAH™ SilkSculpt High-Waisted Short “Best for Butt-Lifting” in its guide to the best shapewear for women.
Taken together, these independent references span product design, tummy control, body shaping, shaping swimwear and bra support — third-party confirmation that the engineering approach performs where women actually wear it.
The Road Ahead: Comfort-First Engineering as a Long-Term Direction
“Shapewear is no longer defined only by how much it shapes,” said Shane Shi, Vice President and Brand Spokesperson at Shapellx. “As women wear shapewear across more parts of everyday life, shaping performance has to work together with support, fit and comfort. Comfort-First Engineering reflects our long-term direction: connecting materials, construction and garment design to how shapewear performs in real life.”
Consumer behavior supports the direction. In the company’s May 2026 in-house study, 86.2% of respondents identified comfort and fit as important factors when choosing shapewear. For Shapellx, the next stage of shapewear development is not simply increasing compression — it is continuing to connect material performance, garment construction, fit and support for different bodies and everyday wearing needs.
ABOUT SHAPELLX
Shapellx is a full-category shapewear brand built on cutting-edge shaping technology and refined design aesthetics. Through premium international retailers such as Nordstrom and its own direct-to-consumer platform, Shapellx connects with women who value both fashion and function. The brand is dedicated to empowering confidence through innovative construction, inclusive design, and elevated everyday essentials — work recognized with multiple international design awards, including the American Good Design Awards, MUSE Design Awards and an AIIDA Innovation Award.
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