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Summer slim? Suck it up (and in)

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| Friday, July 11, 2008 |

Welcome back, summer. It’s time to show off some skin in tiny tank tops and spaghetti-strap slip dresses. And that means body shapers to the rescue. Here are three modern-day corsets tested to see which could best mold floppy flesh into a beach body.

Yummie Tummie Freedom T

($72, yummietummie.com, 3 stars)

Visibility: This seamless cotton tank top has a shiny spandex midsection so it looks funny when worn alone.

Wiggle room: A comfy, breathable tank, you’ll wear it throughout the day without giving it a second thought.

Taming the beast: Your stomach will be somewhat compressed, but the pesky belly can be left. The built-in shelf bra lifts and supports very well.

Final verdict: Not quite the body-shaping miracle touted on “Oprah,” but the most comfortable tested.

Spanx Slim Cognito

($74, spanx.com,1 star)

Visibility: The extra-wide, adjustable straps kept peeking out of the tank top when worn to work. The bottom also crept up considerably on a 30-second walk from restroom to desk, creating a massive hip and back bulge. Ick.

Wiggle room: The tight top isn’t easy to get on. Once on, it felt more like a medical compression device than an aesthetic tummy trimmer.

Taming the beast: So uncomfortable it rolled up, creating pouches of hip and back fat.

Final verdict: Spanx misses the mark in upper-body sculpting.

Instant Shape Dr. Rey Convertible Strap Corset

($60, drreyshapewear.com, 5 stars)

Visibility: Removable bra straps made this heavy-duty shaper a cinch to wear underneath a black cotton tank top. Vertical support spines cemented the top firmly in place and kept it from riding up after an hour of sitting.

Wiggle room: Despite its heavy structure, the shaper is surprisingly comfortable and easy to get on and off.

Taming the beast: A dramatic transformation. Dr. Robert Rey’s corset trims the waist, banishes back fat and creates an hourglass silhouette under an otherwise-frumpy cotton top.

Final verdict: The plastic surgeon-turned-E! reality show star knows a thing or two about reworking bodies. For a mere $60, it’s the winner, by a belly flop.