Extreme Girdles: The Brazilian Waist Cinchers

While we're on the subject of girdles and shapewear, let's talk extreme girdles for a minute. These are the 'Brazilian waist cinchers'. They are girdles made out of actual rubber; the natural latex from the rubber trees of the Amazon. Contrary to the claims of the company who manufactures them - 'Squeem' - I can't believe they could actually be comfortable. But these Brazilian waist cinchers are selling well.

They are still much less popular than the big leaders in shapewear however. Spanx is still making the most popular shapewear today and another company whose products are called 'Lipo in a Box' is also showing surging popularity on Amazons sales rankings.

Girdles are hot with Hollywood Celebrities

Is Nicole Kidman wearing a girdle beneath this beautiful dress? Or is it the all new 'bumbum'? It's very likely something. Most celebrities probably wear some kind of girdle or shapewear when on the red carpet.

Forbes magazine has a good article saying that the latest hot topic for bridesmaids chatter is a new type of girdle that firms up the butt, tucks in the tummy and doesn't have the unwanted side effect of creating "muffin top"; the inch (or more) of skin that pours over a tight waistband.

And they attribute all this talk to SPANX, a relatively new shapewear company. SPANX sells a lot shapewear but last year they created the high-waisted control-top girdle that goes right up to the bra line. It's their biggest seller, the Slim Cognito, (pic shown here) a seamless midthigh bodysuit. It appeals to both slim and overweight women.

Forbes also reveals that In Touch Weekly plans to feature SPANX as "Hollywood's Big Secret" in an upcoming issue and to highlight all the celebrities (including Oprah, Jessica Alba and Beyonce Knowles pictured here) who are into wearing girdles. I'll link to this feature here when it comes out. (P.S. Thanks much for the tip, Roger.)

Girdles and the Post-Baby Flabby Stomach

While we're on the subject of girdles, I just read at The Mirror about another celebrity who says one of the secrets of looking fabulous just four months after giving birth is her expensive girdle from Agent Provocateur.

Nancy Sorrell says, "I wore them every day except when they were in the wash. They basically just pull everything in. I'm not sure if they worked or if I would have lost the weight anyway, but the whole area has tightened up."

Agent Provocateur has this to say about post-pregnancy flab and their $120 girdle solution; "After birth a vacuum in the womb is created. This waist cinching brief features a band of super elastic applying pressure to the lower ribcage without being constricting. The brief flatters the waistline and has sexy detachable suspender straps."

Mind you, Sorrell, 32, who is 5'9 (and gained only 28 pounds while pregnant with twins, and is now a British dress size 10), has worked very hard to get back in shape. It's not the girdle she puts on every day. She also walks a mile a day with her stroller, goes swimming twice a week, and lays on a Swiss Ball and does sixty sit-ups daily. (Phew, makes me tired just visualizing all this.) Here's the likely girdle she wears from Agent Provaceteur (bottom photo) and a second post-natal girdle for about half the price that's very popular on Amazon right now.

Beyonce Wears a Spanx Girdle?

It's interesting to see that even young celebrities with perfect bodies are wearing the modern equivalent of girdles - SPANX - when they want to cinch the waist and slim the hips.

But no one uses the word 'girdles' anymore. These evolved girdles are called 'slimming shapewear'.

Here's a photo (taken by Splash News) of Beyonce Knowles in what appears to be SPANX tummy control nylons. It's made of a special spandex weave giving "seamless, leg-shaping support." And it's designed "with a soft, nonbinding waistband."

This photo of Beyonce will probably be a bigger boost for the SPANX company than any advertising they've done in their short but successful history to date.