Women looking for a quick figure fix have long resorted to shapewear -- stretchy or padded underwear that remodels their bodies without the sweat of exercise or the expense of surgery.
Now men are getting in on the act.
In growing numbers, men are easing into a variety of shapewear, including elasticized tank tops, compression briefs and "mirdles -- man girdles -- to help hide spare tires and boost sagging derrieres.
One of the newest designs is the Flashback Butt Lifting Technology Boxer -- a stretchy brief with a hidden elastic sling that lifts the buttocks. It is the creation of Andrew Christian, a hip young Los Angeles designer.
From the outside, the Flashback "looks like normal underwear," says Christian, 30. "But on the inside it has hidden strapping that lifts and supports the buttocks. It's a bit like a push-up bra for women, but without the padding."
Men of all ages are buying the Flashback, he says. "Instead of a lot of work at the gym, it's much easier to just buy a product that gives you the look of a bubble butt."
For the first time, sales of men's underwear in the United States are outpacing those of women's, according to the market researcher NPD Group. While men's underwear sales rose 7.8 percent from 2005 to 2007, women's underwear sales rose only 2.3 percent in the same period.
In addition to Andrew Christian, underwear manufacturers featuring shapewear in their lines include Go Softwear, 2(X)ist, Undergear and Solidea.
Even Spanx, the company whose footless pantyhose gained fame as one of Oprah's "favorite things" in 2000, now is considering a male version of its shapewear. [Source: The Orlando Sentinel - Staff Writer: Jean Patterson]
Men of all ages are buying the Flashback, he says. "Instead of a lot of work at the gym, it's much easier to just buy a product that gives you the look of a bubble butt."
For the first time, sales of men's underwear in the United States are outpacing those of women's, according to the market researcher NPD Group. While men's underwear sales rose 7.8 percent from 2005 to 2007, women's underwear sales rose only 2.3 percent in the same period.
In addition to Andrew Christian, underwear manufacturers featuring shapewear in their lines include Go Softwear, 2(X)ist, Undergear and Solidea.
Even Spanx, the company whose footless pantyhose gained fame as one of Oprah's "favorite things" in 2000, now is considering a male version of its shapewear. [Source: The Orlando Sentinel - Staff Writer: Jean Patterson]
We've had great success with this new underwear. Men want to enhance their features as much as women do, and our customers have jumped right on the band wagon with them. We hope more styles and designs come out with these, because this is the first commercially available design that's comfortable for men. In the past, their only option was to buy silly padded undies, and there are several scenarios in which those can go horribly awry.
Posted by: Men's Underwear Club | 06/28/2008 at 01:29 PM