Is there anything more frustrating than making a real effort to lose a certain amount of weight before a big event, like a wedding or class reunion, only to come up short when the big day rolls around? But you're out of time -- what can you do? Let me tell you -- the right clothes can make all the difference.

You've probably heard of Spanx and Assets, which are great. Hey, if it's good enough for celebrities on the red carpet, it's good enough for me. However, a new line of clothing has come out, and it has what you need built right in -- ShapeFX.

ShapeFX has all kinds of slimming items designed to "make the body you have look like the body you want." They offer shaper pieces to wear underneath (they even have Shaper Shorts with a Butt Lifter!), but they also have dresses, pants, tops ... pretty much anything you would ever want to wear. And every piece has uses at least one of three approaches to slimming you down and hiding flaws: control, fabrication, and design.
I had the opportunity to try out a couple of pieces from the collection, and I was totally impressed. The items with "built in FX control" really made a big difference. Not only did the slim me down, but they smoothed me out. There was no sucking in of the tummy needed -- the clothes did it for me!

I'm not giving you a free pass to skip the gym or stuff your face with cake, but I know you want to look your best, and this is a great way to help you out. The only thing I feel obligated to tell you is that, because of the control panels within the clothes, they're a little tricky to get on and off, so if you have limited flexibility or an injury, you might want to have someone standing by to give you a hand if you need it. But once you're in it, trust me -- it's all worthwhile.

Check out the gallery to see some of my favorite pieces, and be sure to check out the website. Oh, and what makes these items even better is that they're really affordable -- many items are under $30 or $40!