Spanx

Since 2007 the trends previously noted have continued. There has been a moderate revival of black tights and hosiery with fancy patterns among young people, but traditional ‘nude’ hosiery has continued its decline. Stockings have almost completely disappeared. Pantyhose with fully seamless briefs also seems to have largely disappeared.

Sara Blakely

On the other hand modern designs of shapewear are becoming increasingly popular, and articles promoting them appear more frequently.

This is in large part due to Sara Blakely, a young woman with no business experience, who became frustrated with the available pantyhose and decided to do something about it. I don’t know if her ‘Spanks’ range of garments are really that much better than anyone else's, but she certainly has a genius for marketing, and her story is well worth reading.

Sara's story

The Spanx Website is also worth a visit.


Magic Slimbody

 

Corsetry continues to be appreciated for its shock appeal, and garments designed to look like corsets are increasingly popular, although most of them provide little, if any, support.

Jockey bodysuit.

Miraclesuit 1.

Miraclesuit is another well-known American firm. They have produced some excellent promotional material -- this series of images is reproduced from a brochure I picked up from a Melbourne department store -- but their website is hopeless, and tells you very little about the company.

Miraclesuit

Miraclesuit 2.


Miraclesuit 3.


Miraclebody Jeans

It has long been a joke that the jeans of the 60s and 70s were actually corsets, and there are many stories of girls whose jeans were so tight that the only way they could get them on again was to lie flat on the floor of the ladies toilet and slowly wriggle into them. This has now gone full circle, with the Miraclesuit shapewear company introducing ‘Miraclejeans’.

Miraclebody swimsuit

They have also introduced a range of swimwear which shares their slogan ‘Look 10 pounds lighter in 10 seconds’


One field where corsetry has had a major impact has been on competitive swimming. Just before the 2008 Olympics Speedo brought out a new line of high tech swimsuits incorporating scientifically designed support to hold the wearer's body in the optimum shape to minimise drag.

Speedo LZR

These garments, which are reputedly very firm, are very expensive, and have a short life, but they dramatically rewrote the record books. The full-body, high-neck Speedo LZR sells for $550. Nike's most expensive suit, the Swift, ‘only’ costs $280, but it is guaranteed for only five swims.

Speedo LZR

These suits are now the subject of considerable controversy, as they give the swimmers from the Western world a marked advantage over swimmers from the Third World who cannot afford to buy them. Apparently some swimmers are even resorting to wearing two pairs to get an even greater advantage.

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