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Women increasingly turning to shapewear for perfect body

          Melbourne: Don't want to go for crash diets or cosmetic surgeries to look slimmer? Well, then here's the ultimate option for you to get that perfect figure - Shapewear. Shapewear or body-smoothing underwear has swept over celebrities and body-conscious women alike, and has made a huge 720 million dollars a year in the US alone. The knickers range by lingerie designer Bruno Schiavi and plastic surgeon and reality TV star Robert Rey, boasted a sale of 1 million dollars in its debut weekend. Another leading brand is Spanx, which was even featured by talk show queen Oprah Winfrey on her show. Since then most Hollywood stars, including Katherine Heigl, Jessica Alba and Cate Blanchett, are using these knickers. Other brands on the market include Hollywood Shapes, Nancy Gantz and Bella Bodies. A woman who uses shapewear has said that wearing a pair of Rey's high waist step-ins can take her down a dress size, reducing her waist measurement by 7cm. Although many claim it to be just a modern version of a corset or girdle, Jet International (which distributes Spanx in Australia) sales director Alicia Kawalsky said that technology has made shapewear much safer and easier for women to wear. "It doesn't feel restrictive. You don't have the feeling it's closing in on you," the Daily Telegraph quoted her as saying. She added that there were seven different sizes currently on the Australian market, but a perfect fit is what works for you. "There is no benefit from buying it in the wrong size," she said. Aussie actress Isla Fisher revealed that her weight-loss secret was a pair of tummy-tucking knickers. Following the shooting of her film 'Confessions Of A Shopaholic', Isla said that she owed her on-screen figure to Spanx. "They're amazing. They're like a lycra bodysuit that holds you in. You can not breathe and you can't go to the toilet but they're worth it," she admitted recently. But wearing the underwear to the point of losing your breath has raised concerns of heath complications. However, Dr. Cindy Pan has said that one can easily use the underwear to smooth out lumps and bumps as long as the garments are correctly fitted. "It's not supposed to transform you from a size 14 to a six. If you use common sense and comfort as a guide, I don't think that you are going to be doing yourself too much harm. But the main thing is to be realistic about the sizing," she said.
-Feb 24, 2009

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