Over the 20th century, corsets and stays gave way to girdles and then eventually to the tyranny of the diet.
But it seems that body control garments are coming back into fashion. In Observer Woman, the popularity of Spanx control pants merited a six-page feature last Sunday. Writer Louise France says, having tried a pair, that they're a whole new generation of 'fat pants' which are actually 'comfy'.
Meanwhile, friends and I were recently talking about a makeover feature in a women's glossy magazine in which several women were shown how to dress to look several sizes smaller. We had all glanced at the feature with some interest but been disappointed to learn that the only reason these women looked so slim was because they were all wrapped from neck to lower thigh in hideous body control underwear.
God forbid that any woman kitted out in this way should want to take said clothes off in order to have sex. Or that they have an accident - a life could be lost while a paramedic struggled to cut through the mummy-like body wrapping.
But with sales of Spanx soaring, perhaps it's not completely unrealistic that some women would be keen enough to display a trimmer silhouette that they would be prepared to go to such extremes with their underwear.
It sure beats dieting, but who's actually wearing this stuff and is it really worth the inconvenience?
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3 comments:
I saw that feature too and was amazed to read that Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to wearing not one but two (!) pairs of Spanx control pants for one high-profile outing.
It's amazing she could still talk, let alone walk, smile and breath. But then that may explain why there are so many celebrity grimacers on the red carpet these days.
Added to this is the fact that sales are soaring among lesser mortals, namely 'real women'...
All things considered, it certainly does beg the question: erm, just why are we educated women choosing to vacuum-package ourselves into this hideous shrinkwrapped underwear?
Apart from cellotaping together a fragile self-esteem (fair enough, if you've just given birth and, yes, infinitely preferable to a diet), there's a strong whiff of unhealthy female competition here.
Women dressing to impress their man? Uh-uh, this is all about women dressing to impress other women. God forbid that one woman may see another's dimpled thighs - no matter that their partner gets an eyeful on a daily basis.
Yes, one thing is for sure, if you're investing in Spanx you're investing in surface sexiness.
And potential relationship suicide. I mean, just spare a thought for your poor date. Would you really find a flesh-coloured pair of cycling shorts sexy, if you were in his shoes?
And how do you do you really feel inside when you're strapped into your 'fat pants'? Young? Confident? Wrinkly and ageing, more like.
Hell, much more sexy and restorative on a chipped self-esteem - and to unleash that inner minx - is a blow-out on some seriously slinky lingerie.
You'll be glowing all night long and have all eyes on you. And boy will your partner be pleased when he gets you home. And so will you - no clingfilm to suck yourself out of.
It's interesting about how these things go around and come around. My mother, who would be 85 now if she were still with us, told me that she didn't wear a girdle when she was younger, but french knickers and that this was seen as being tremendously 'fast'.
Now of course it's become fashionable to clingfilm yourself again...
Fascinating blog!
Maria McCarthy
My mum bought me a pantigurdle for Christmas once - cheers Mum. It was too small!
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