The short version
- Marks & Spencer has launched a bodysuit with removable hip padding to create an hourglass figure, marking a shift from traditional compressive shapewear.
- The trend mirrors high-fashion runways and celebrity culture, where designers and public figures use structural garments to amplify curves rather than minimize them.
- Experts note this reflects a broader societal pressure to constantly modify the body, driven by social media ideals and the limitations of weight-loss medications in achieving specific aesthetic goals.
The landscape of intimate apparel is undergoing a distinct transformation, moving away from decades of compression toward strategic enhancement. Marks & Spencer recently introduced a bodysuit priced at £28 that features exaggerated padding at the hips, designed to create an hourglass silhouette or the illusion thereof. This product represents a new sub-genre in shapewear that aims to add inches to specific areas rather than shrinking the overall figure. The garment includes pockets on either side of the suit, allowing wearers to insert enhancing pads similar to how bra inserts are used to increase breast volume.
Retail executives indicate that this shift responds to direct consumer demand for solutions that combine subtle physical enhancement with everyday comfort. Charlotte Davies, the director of lingerie at Marks & Spencer, stated that customer interest has driven the development of these products. The retailer has previously experimented with similar concepts, including padded shorts designed to contour the buttocks and adhesive nipples intended to create a raised profile under clothing. This latest offering aligns with a broader market trend where strategic padding is used to minimize natural inward curves between the hipbone and thigh, often referred to as hip dips.
The emergence of enhancing shapewear coincides with a period of intense scrutiny regarding body image and modification. The popularity of Kim Kardashian’s Skims brand, which launched padded shorts last year, has significantly influenced mainstream fashion. Online communities frequently discuss how such garments can alter appearance, while high-profile celebrities continue to emphasize exaggerated curves on red carpets. At recent events, including the Met Gala, public figures have utilized molded corsets and fibreglass plates to amplify their shapes, reinforcing the visibility of this aesthetic.
High-fashion designers are also embracing this reconstruction of the female form. On recent catwalks, brands such as Schiaparelli, Dior, and Alaïa have incorporated visible and invisible padding, as well as rigid side hoops inspired by 17th- and 18th-century panniers. These designs create wide hips that can physically restrict movement, requiring wearers to turn sideways when passing through narrow spaces. This theatrical approach to silhouette construction suggests a departure from naturalism in favor of dramatic, sculpted proportions.
Academic observers link these fashion trends to broader societal changes in how bodies are perceived and managed. Victoria Pitts-Taylor, a professor at Wesleyan University, notes that while weight-loss medications have dramatically altered many physiques, they do not automatically produce conventional beauty standards. Achieving a look that is thin in some areas and thick in others often requires active sculpting, whether through fabric in a dressing room or surgical intervention. This dynamic highlights the increasing malleability of the body in contemporary culture.
Historical context reveals that manipulating body proportions is not a new phenomenon. Ali Bodley, a heritage specialist, points out that figures from the Tudor era through the Victorian period frequently used padding and structural garments to alter their appearance. Specialized stores dedicated to selling padding existed long before modern shapewear brands emerged. This continuity suggests that the desire to conform to specific aesthetic ideals has persisted across centuries, even as the methods and materials have evolved.
Critics argue that the current trend places undue pressure on individuals to constantly modify their bodies. Susie Orbach, a psychotherapist and social critic, describes the phenomenon as grotesque, suggesting it forces women into a perpetual state of creation rather than allowing them safety in their natural forms. She emphasizes that there is no fixed ideal body shape, as parameters shift continuously, leaving individuals feeling that any achieved form is eventually deemed incorrect.
The intersection of consumer culture and social media has intensified these pressures. Pitts-Taylor observes that while celebrity lifestyles were once viewed as aspirational but unattainable, modern digital platforms encourage everyday people to be image-conscious. The promise of belonging and success through physical appearance contrasts with the reality of increasing material inequality. As fashion retailers introduce new tools for body modification, the debate over whether these products empower individuals or exacerbate insecurity remains unresolved.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- The Guardian World↗Kardashian curves: M&S launches £28 bodysuit with exaggerated hip padding
