Spanx Tight-End tights, £22, www.figleaves.com

The overall winner of my control pants catwalk show, these are sleek, black and matt, with a soft waistband that actually stays in place. They manage to lift and make the bottom look pert, and flatten the stomach, while still maintaining a fairly high level of comfort and attractiveness.

Rating 5/5

Firm Control Magic Cup Multiway Body, £35, www.marksand spencer.com

Lingerie supremo Marks & Spencer has come up trumps with this one. The body shaves about an inch off the torso as if by magic. It has lots of strap variations for all kinds of dresses (including strapless). Bad visible panty line though, so it won't work with trousers or figure-hugging skirts.

Rating 4/5

Falke Wonderpro 20 denier tights, £9.50, www.mytights.com

These tights took about half an hour to wrench on, but once in place they gave me a wonderfully smooth shape. A perfect all-rounder - they smooth, lift and keep everything in place without dramatically altering your shape. They also have a comfortable waistband that, crucially, does not roll down.

Rating 4/5

Aristoc Bodytoners Spot Mesh Tummy Control Briefs, £22, www.aristoc.com

These black lacy knickers are verging on sexy. However, they lose points on control and are less effective than their competitors. And if that slinky dress doth require a little help, they're a good bet for date night.

Rating 3/5

Spanx High Waisted Power Panty, £26, www.figleaves.com

Make sure that you're going home alone when sporting these. They do their job very well in eliminating lumps and bumps and lifting the bottom. However, nude coloured thigh-to-boob nylon is never going to be attractive, and the open crotch (“to make life easier when Nature calls”) is just a step too, too far.

Rating 2/5

Trinny & Susannah Magic Tummy Flattener Thong, £30, www.slimming solutions.co.uk

Ugh! Quite why T&S felt the need to create a control thong, I'm not sure. This flesh-coloured monstrosity has no redeeming factors: ugly; uncomfortable; creates bumps in all the wrong places; and is visible through clothes. Good for skinnies with pot bellies, but that's about it.

Rating 1/5

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