What Is Sizing Like at Commando?

Commando sizing is mostly true to size across its underwear, slips and bodysuits, but its cult faux leather leggings run noticeably small — so for those, you'll almost always want to size up. It's a brand built around a clever bit of engineering rather than vanity sizing, so once you understand what each piece is designed to do, getting your fit right is genuinely straightforward.

I've styled Commando on more shoots than I can count, mostly because it solves the problem every stylist dreads: visible lines under a slip dress or a fine-knit. So let me walk you through it properly, piece by piece, the way I'd talk you through it in a fitting room.

First, a word on what Commando actually is

Commando is an American intimates and shapewear label, beloved by stylists and on countless red carpets, known for its raw-cut edges, Italian microfibre and that signature "second-skin" feel. It uses alpha sizing — XS to XL, with several styles extending to 1X–3X — rather than numbered sizes, which is your first clue that fit here is about stretch and compression, not a rigid measurement chart.

Underwear, thongs and seamless basics

This is where Commando is at its most reliable. The seamless knickers, thongs and the famous raw-cut styles run true to size and have a forgiving four-way stretch, so your usual size is the right call.

Stick to your normal size. If you're a 10–12, a medium will do exactly what you'd expect.
The raw-cut edge is meant to disappear — it's not a fault, it's the whole point. No elastic, no lines.
Control styles add light smoothing, not heavy compression, so don't expect them to suck you in dramatically — that's not their job.

The faux leather leggings — the one everyone asks about

Here's the headline: these run small, and they look alarmingly tiny when you pull them out of the packet. Don't panic. The fabric is designed to mould to you and relax with body heat, but if you're between sizes or carry a little more around the middle, size up.

My honest, lived experience: the first pair I ever bought for a client, I sized her as I would in any premium legging — and we spent ten sweaty minutes in a green room trying to get them past her calves. Lesson learned. Now I always tell people to put them on like tights, slowly, from the ankle up, ideally with no rings or sharp nails (the microfibre can nick). Sizing notes worth knowing:

Size up if you're between sizes or want to sit cross-legged in comfort.
The seamless XS–XL styles are the most streamlined; the extended sizes add a side seam for extra shaping.
They'll feel snug for the first wear, then settle. That initial "can I breathe?" moment is normal and eases quickly.

Bodysuits and slips

The bodysuits and slips land back in true-to-size territory, though a few of the off-shoulder styles are cut as "one size fits most." For the control bodysuits, go with your standard size — they're snug by design but rarely restrictive. If you're long in the torso, that's the only thing to watch, as the gusset can sit a touch high.

My quick stylist verdict

Trust your usual size for everything except the leather leggings, where I'd size up nine times out of ten. Commando is an investment-level basics brand — beautifully made, built to last — so it's worth getting the fit right the first time rather than wrestling a returns label.

Where else to shop for seamless, shapewear and leather-look leggings

If Commando isn't quite your fit (or your budget), here's where I'd send clients across every price point.

High street

M&S — genuinely excellent for everyday shapewear, smoothing slips and no-VPL knickers; their fit is consistent and the value is hard to beat.
Calvin Klein — the modern-classic seamless and bodysuit benchmark; clean lines, dependable sizing.
Uniqlo — their AIRism seamless range and bodysuits are a quiet hero for invisible layering under fine knits.
All Saints — the high street's go-to for faux leather leggings with a bit of edge and a flattering high rise.
Sweaty Betty — if you want leggings with structure and hold that double as leisurewear, their compression fabrics are superb.
H&M — surprisingly good seamless basics and shaping bodysuits at a fraction of the price for trying a trend.
ASOS — vast range of own-brand and stocked shapewear and bodysuits, ideal for sizing experiments with easy returns.
Next — reliable, well-cut shapewear and smoothing pieces with a fit profile that suits most body shapes.

Premium

Spanx — the obvious Commando rival; their faux leather leggings hold you in more firmly and go on more easily, so a great alternative if the Commando pair feels like a workout.
Skims — brilliant shade range and seriously smoothing bodysuits and shapewear; runs snug, so check each style's notes.
Me&Em — a more polished, fashion-forward take on the leather legging and elevated basics, cut for a grown-up wardrobe.

Luxury / designer

Wolford — the gold standard for second-skin bodysuits and seamless pieces; the Austrian engineering is unmatched and the fit is exquisite.
Max Mara — for leather and leather-look leggings with proper designer tailoring and a buttery finish.

Two independents worth knowing

Heist Studios — a London label that reinvented shaping with its Outer Body bodysuit and seamless tights; clever, comfortable, and refreshingly un-restrictive.
Nubian Skin — the brilliant British brand offering nude shapewear and seamless smoothing in a genuinely inclusive range of skin tones, which so many bigger names still get wrong.

Never look at a size guide again

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Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — Commando, COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
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