Lockdown snacking led many of us to put on a “quarantine 15” pounds. Close to half of all adults surveyed by the American Psychological Association reported weight gain since the start of the pandemic. Instead of diets, perhaps the silhouette solution lies in stretchy underwear.
Shapewear is modern day corsetry. From bodysuits to waist trainers, the goal is to mould the outline of the physique underneath. Los Angeles based start-ups HoneyLove and Skims, go one further by designing garments to be shown off, not hidden under clothes. The first is backed by Lightspeed and other venture capital firms. The second was co-founded by celebrity Kim Kardashian West.
North America dominates the market, accounting for 39 per cent of sales in 2020, according to Grand View Research. It expects global revenues to grow from $1.9bn in 2020 to $3.7bn by 2028. Women make most purchases. Products for men were just 6 per cent of the total.