Overview
Women have worn foundation garments, such as corsets and brassieres, for a very long time. Some have been essential to the fashion trends of the time. Others have been born out of the need for women to feel more secure. Better known today as “shapewear,” these garments include body briefs, bodysuits, bras, control panty hose, control panties, corsets, garter belts, and girdles. Specialist retailers include Frederick’s of Hollywood and Victoria’s Secret. Specialist online retailers include Bodyshapewear, Classic Shapewear, Bare Necessities and Her Room. The industry continues to grow each year. Factors contributing to this include: fashions that emphasize body shape; technological advances in garment design and light-weight fabrics; re-branding of pantie girdles as panties; media items about celebrities wearing shapewear; recommendations in fashion makeover television programmes. Prominent brand names include Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, Spanx, Maidenform and Just My Size.
Read more about this topic: Foundation Garment