Bargain Friday’s TPS Report: Merona® Women’s Fit Solutions Solid Skirt

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Reader K writes in, noting “I cannot rave enough about this Merona Fit Solutions skirt I am wearing today from Target. The entire line of Fit Solutions clothing comes with a built-in “slimming layer” underneath and it's perfect for anyone who has just had a baby (in my case) or just feels more comfortable wearing Spanx underneath everything (also me). I love not having to wear a separate layer with these pieces.” A basic skirt is always going to serve you well, and for those of you who prefer to wear foundation garments beneath your clothes on a daily basis, this is a great solution. The skirt is $17.99, and comes in navy (pictured), black, and gray. Merona® Women's Fit Solutions Solid Skirt – Xavier Navy – Medium Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-2) Update: Bonus points to whoever found this post this morning way down after the weekend thread — the new WordPress update apparently means that it “publishes” things whenever you first draft them. Sigh… Annoying.

Sales of note for 1/31/25:

  • Ann Taylor – Suiting Event – 30% off suiting + 30% off tops
  • Nordstrom – Cashmere on sale; AllSaints, Free People, Nike, Tory Burch, and Vince up to 60%; beauty deals up to 25% off
  • Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20 off your $100+ purchase
  • Boden – 15% off new season styles
  • Eloquii – 60% off 100s of styles
  • J.Crew – Up to 40% off winter layers
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off sweaters and pants
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – End of season clearance, extra 70% off markdown tops + extra 60% off all other markdowns

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

55 Comments

  1. I’ve never worn Spanx, so help me out here. Does the shaping under layer on this skirt feel like wearing pantyhose? Bicycle shorts? Do the legs ride up as you walk?

    Could you, would you wear hose with this, or would it only be a bare leg from the thighs down skirt?

    1. I have this skirt in black and you can’t wear pantyhose with it. The shaping underlayer is pretty snug and I think it would just be too uncomfortable/impractical with tights or hose. My only complaint is that the underlayer is slightly too long and sometimes shows when I sit down.

      PS Kat- I keep on getting the “posting comments too quickly” message again. This is the first time I’ve tried to post today.

  2. Hmm, this looks interesting. I think I’m going to go try on the skirts and maybe the slacks on my lunch break. I *never* wear slacks because they look terrible on me but these sound promising.

    1. I have actually tried the pants, and they were too casual for the office. They gave a very yoga pant vibe, unfortunately.

  3. I need to start incorporating some skirts into my wardrobe, and this looks like a good place to start. I think the bike shorts attachment would really work for me, thanks for the link!

  4. I have tried a fit solution dress and a shirt and was not pleased with either. It literally took me about 5 minutes to extract myself from the clothing, the spanx layer hugged me WAY too tight. I suspect that you would have to go up one size to avoid that problem.

    Louise – when I wear hose, I wear my spanx first, then hose on top of that. I think you could do the same with this skirt. Spanx feels like very tight shorts, in my opinion. It’s actually surprisingly comfortable. I wear it almost twice to three times a week.

    1. On a related note, are the Spanx your undies (if you do the thigh slimming ones), or do you put other undies under them?

      1. I love the thigh slimming spanx, but I went up a size so that they are comfortably tight rather than creating-a-muffin-top-on-my-thigh tight. I wear bikini-style underwear underneath (also, the spanx remove any underwear lines) so that I don’t have to wash the spanx after every wear (depending on how long I’m wearing them for).

      2. I always wear underwear under my Spanx so that I can wear it more than once.

    2. I tried on one of these tops this weekend during my annual trip to Target – while I liked the idea of the slimming layer underneath, I had similar issues trying to get in and out of it – but that wouldn’t have been so bad if the cheap plasticky fabric hadn’t, literally, cut my arm. It literally scratched a swath of arm and in a couple of places made me bleed. That is not what I am looking for in a top.

    3. Spanx also makes pantyhose, which I have found to be flattering, sturdy, and comfortable. YMMV but if I have to wear anything panty-hose-y these days I’ll only wear Spanx – pantyhose, trouser socks, etc. They’re also sold in Target under the label “Assets” but I feel like Spanx are worth the extra money because they last longer.

      1. I have some Spanx tights that I love – they don’t give you any weird bulges – but just FYI, the ones I bought (after checking the height/weight chart) ended up being a size too big, I actually will get bunching at the ankles. Annoying. Next time will buy a size down.

    4. agreed! i tried a dress on w/ the merona version of spanx…. and i couldnt even get it on, i don’t know what would of happened if i had to get it off! i was in the dressing room forever… so im going to pass. ive never tried spanx and i dont think i can after that experience!

    5. This is interesting, because I only wear Spanx when I’m *not* wearing hose. If it’s cool enough for hose, I just wear control top/shaping hose and skip the Spanx altogether, going on the theory that the hose is going to do the same job that the Spanx does.

  5. I have this skirt in black, and I really love it. I don’t know that I would wear it to work; for me, it’s more a weekend piece given the fabric. I did go up a size, and I find that the slimming layer does some light slimming without making me feel like a human sausage the way that Spanx sometimes do. I have not experienced any riding up with the legs or visibility of the slimming layer when I sit (it’s several inches shorter). For me, this is perfect. I sometimes hesitate to wear a skirt without hose because my thighs actually touch and there can be *ahem* chafing. This underlayer is perfect in my opinion more from the standpoint of dealing with that scenario than from the actual slimming, as I find that the skirt floats away fairly well on its own.

    1. RR — Oprah did a show on this . . . or had a trick on a show, at any rate.
      If you don’t want to wear spanks, shorts, etc., under a skirt/dress but want to avoid chaffing, just take an old pair of pantyhose that have had a run in them and cut them off at mid thigh, or wherever works for you. It’s thin enough that you’re not suffering through an extra layer & lets you repurpose old stockings, which — for me — makes runs in them much less depressing.

      1. how do you prevent the hose from riding up – or am I envisioning a scenario that doesn’t happen?

        1. It doesn’t happen in my experience. I generally cut the leg about midway up from the knee. I usually do this with either the hanes hose you buy at the drugstore or with dept. store stockings that I get on discount at TJ Maxx, etc. (e.g., Calvin Klein, Berkshire, etc.)
          I think it could happen if you cut the stocking too short but as the goal is to prevent chafing, I alsways opted for a bit longer snip.

          I went through a period of weight gain where this was really a lifesaver — I was sure I’d have to give up skirts and dresses, but this saved the summer for me!

      2. Clever!! I am going to use this trick for a pair of unlined, somewhat itchy pants I have. They’re cheap material and I don’t even want to admit on this board where they’re from. (express…i know, i know) :)

        1. This is my normal solution, and it works; however, I found the slimming layer in the skirt to be more comfortable (and slightly less shaming to me than “My thighs are so fat I have to wear bike shorts under my skirt” – I know, I know, I need to let up on myself…)

          1. FWIW, I do think for some people it’s more about the angle of the pelvis or something like than the actual size of their thighs. I have a friend who’s a size 4 who gets chafing if she doesn’t wear something other than skirts. It’s definitely not because she has fat thighs.

          2. don’t be ashamed of yourself. my thighs are large, but more muscle than fat. the fat likes to hide other places on my body. but even 30 pounds lighter i wore bike shorts under my skirts- it is just more comfortable when it is 90% humidity and every inch of exposed skin sticks to something. plus, i used to work in retail and i was constantly getting up on ladders to reach things/put things away/change displays, and i didn’t have to worry i was showing off my panties to the customers! generally not a concern now in a law office… but nonetheless, it is nice to know nothing can be accidentally displayed.

          3. I recall a rather scandalizing article on Sarah Ferguson shortly before her marriage to Prince Andrew. “One can’t be fashionable with thighs that meet” was the reporter’s diagnosis of Fergie’s ostensible not-fit-for-royalty condition.

            Yes, dear v. That reporter (perhaps a fashion reporter?) neglected to account for human anatomy. The size of the pelvis, the stance of the hips, the angle of the femur–these are nature, not nurture. Don’t torture yourselves, loves.

          4. I have the same chafing issues and frankly while I do have muscular thighs, when I am at a more ideal weight they do not chafe so enthusiastically. I am happy to blame it on my pelvis and stance, though.

            Trying to lose weight, but sadly the health benefit of it just isn’t motivating enough. Keep trying to damage my own self-esteem to shame myself into it, but it isn’t working. *sigh*

          5. Sorry, that was me commenting at 1:03pm as “anonymous.” I meant bike shorts or culotte slips instead of cutoff hose, because I find hose very uncomfortable. You can even get silk (i.e. cool and breathable) culotte slips at wintersilks.com.

            I don’t think chafing has anything to do with being fat. Unless you’re extremely thin, your thighs are going to touch, and if you walk a lot and live in a hot climate, they’re going to chafe. It’s normal. For centuries women wore pantaloons and whatnot under their dresses; it’s only recently that we’ve started going barelegged.

          6. I agree with V. I’m also a size 4 or so and my thighs chafe, probably because that’s where I carry most of my weight. But I think it’s also just the way my body is shaped. Definitely does not just affect plus sized women.

        2. Yep, bike shorts! I have tried cutting the legs off pantyhose, and the cutoff hose always ride up. The only way I’ve ever solved it is to cut them almost at the knee, which then makes them too long to be invisible under skirts. I have several pairs of cheap bike shorts from Target that are not really designed for serious biking, the material is too thin, but they work wonderfully under skirts. I also have some “shapewear” shorts that serve the same purpose, but I like the black bike shorts better.

          The reason I wear shorts under short skirts hearkens back to my playground days. I live in an area where it gets very windy, especially in the spring, and it’s very common to see women struggling to keep their skirts from flying up as they walk. While I don’t necessarily want the under-shorts on display, it’s a heck of a lot better than flashing lacy undies at the whole world!

          I have one of these Fit Solutions skirts and I love it. For me having the shorts built into the skirt is great. I do understand what an above commenter said about the control-mesh fabric though – it is much rougher than I expected, and someone with sensitive skin may have a problem.

        3. When you are talking about bike shorts, do you mean the ones with a padded chamois? I have to imagine you mean something else, because “bike short butt” is probably pretty noticeable…

    2. Re: chafing: I have found that deodorant/antiperspirant also does the trick, if you don’t want to wear cut-off pantyhose (which sounds very uncomfortable to me). This might be TMI but a quick swipe in the sensitive/chafing areas (legs, bra, even my feet) on hot days where I’m wearing a dress/skirt and doing a lot of walking prevents chafing and blisters. So does Aquaphor or Vaseline but that’s messier IMO.

      1. Also Body Glide, which you can get at a running store. It comes in a deodorant-like stick.

        1. Yes, this.

          I discovered this about a year ago when I took up running, and I’ve been annoyed ever since that I went the prior 28 years suffering without it. It should be available at just about any sporting goods store.

      2. My personal life (thigh)-saver: Monistat Soothing Relief chafing gel. A bit of it really helps. And my thighs have chafed forever, basically regardless of my weight.

    3. I gained and then (thankfully!) lost more than 50 pounds after a major health event a few years ago (when you’re used to being really active and then suddenly can’t be, you never realize how much you can miss it). At any rate, the best “trick” one of my girlfriends shared is getting a stick of the stuff runners use to avoid chafing (you can buy at Sports Authority and the like). It looks kind of like a stick of deodorant. It works wonders on any type of rubbing–not just thighs. I still have some that I use from time to time to keep straps from slingbacks from cutting above my heel and the like.

  6. I can’t/don’t wear spanx under pants because it gives me a ‘unibutt.’ I feel like this ages me. Anyone else have this problem / objection? I like the idea of spanx under white pants to keep the lines smooth, but don’t like what it does to the derriere. Thoughts? Solutions?

    1. There are many varieties of slimming garments. I wear the ones for the hip/butt shaping and they tend to be designed to avoid the unibutt look. I think you just have to try on a variety of styles with a pair of pants to find out which one works for you.

    2. Hmm, I have had the opposite experience. Mine lift my butt quite nicely and make it look a bit more, um, perky (not sure that’s the right word…). Maybe you just need a different size or style? Mine are the high-waist style.

  7. Slightly off topic – I was walking in to work behind a woman I don’t know, and I could clearly see the outline of the seams in her underpants through her khaki pants. Her pants didn’t even seem that tight! Is this a common problem with cotton underwear under light fabrics? Now I’m paranoid about my own butt…

    1. I have had that problem w/lighter (thinner) fabrics … but khaki is usually a thick enough fabric that it doesn’t show anything, so I’m a bit surprised.

    2. I see this all the time, and I’m sure I’ve been guilty of it on occasion. Cotton underwear under khakis or other light-colored, unlined pants will almost invariably do this, regardless of your shape or size. But it’s one of those things that nobody will ever tell you about because they don’t want you to know they were looking at your rear end!

      As far as solutions, I like the boy short style underpants, which go down the leg just far enough that my pants skim over them. I’ve been meaning to get a pair of seamless bikini-style ones, too.

    3. Yes. But some days I don’t care . . . Especially bikini-style or cotton will do this. If I’m in khaki shorts or a skirt on the weekend, for istance, I mean, whatevs. To court, I’d wear lined pants, or,when they are not lined, I wear the Hanes shaper that goes to the mid-calf, and this smushes them down. I try a little bit more then, than I do on the weekend.

    4. Yes, I find this is a problem for me b/c I usually wear cotton undies. It’s especially a problem under thinner, cotton or linen fabrics. I wear microfiber undies with those pants and those don’t leave a line – they cost $5 or so at Filene’s and they’re Anne Klein brand, I think.

  8. I think it’s very common. I get the VPL even with some “no-line” briefs. My solution is either thong or boy short.

    1. I have the same issue- even with the boy short I find that the legs aren’t low enough to avoid the VPL in lighter fabrics. It’s very frustrating.

    2. Me too! VPL is a very common problem for me.
      Sometimes even for lined pants, lined skirts, khakis. Even with some boyshorts (cotton? not super tight along the leg?) and no line briefs.
      I try not to wear thongs too much (I’ve read about it being bad for you – hygiene, bacteria, all that jazz). I also try to wear mostly cotton panties (comfort, all that jazz).
      Anything but jeans and I have to look at my butt in the mirror and do a little tugging and see if I can adjust it or if I’ll have to change something.

  9. I have tried both the Merona Fit dress and skirt; the dress was much too tight and complicated to get on and off, but the skirts are divine! Love the drape, love the Spanx underneath — it is just enough that it keeps everything smooth but not so much it cuts off my circulation. The only tricky part is remembering to pull them *down* when going to the bathroom, not up like a skirt. ;-D

  10. This is the Best skirt I have ever owned. I hate pantyhose so I love the fact that I don’t have to think about them but, if I do need to have hose on I just use thigh highs. My only problem is that I can only find this skirt in black and I want the brown and Navy.

  11. Hi. I am a HUGE fan of these skirts, but it seems that Target isn’t carrying them anymore. I wear my skirt everywhere: in the office, in the courtroom, meeting with clients, etc. Do you know where these skirts can be found or, in the alternative, if there is in fact an alternative skirt by a different manufacturer?

    Thanks, and great blog!

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