From Kim Kardashian’s Skims to classic Spanx, shapewear is in demand as brands shift to body positivity and inclusivity

Skims is outfitting the US Olympic team at the Tokyo games, while brands Gen Z target such as Honeylove are launching more body-positive styles

For millennials and Gen-Z customers, shapewear is not about hiding flaws – they view it as outerwear that enhances one’s image rather than altering it

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Skims designs on Net-a-Porter. Shapewear is one of the hottest categories in fashion right now.

Published: 4:15am, 20 Jul 2021Updated: 4:15am, 20 Jul 2021

Shapewear rarely makes fashion headlines, but it has done so in the past few weeks – and more than once. Industry pioneer Spanx has reportedly put feelers out for potential buyers, while rival brand Skims has announced it is outfitting the US Olympic team in Tokyo.

Although the Skims brand had a rocky start when it was founded by reality television star Kim Kardashian in 2019, it raised US$154 million during a fundraising round in April, valuing the company at a whopping US$1.6 billion.

If the figures are to be believed, this is just the beginning of a period of accelerated growth for the shapewear market, which includes established players such as Hanesbrands and Wacoal and newcomers like Commando.

A December 2020 report by TechNavio estimates that the global compression wear and shapewear market is poised to grow by US$697.13 million between 2020 and 2024.

Dalilah Muhammad, a track and field athlete with Team USA, wearing items from the shapewear brand Skims. Photo: Vanessa Beecroft

“As consumers return to their post-Covid-19 lives – back to events like proms, weddings and going out – shapewear is recovering. In the past three months, shapewear sales are up 91.3 per cent versus the same time frame last year in the United States,” says Todd Mick, executive director of apparel at market research company NPD Group.

From Kim Kardashian’s Skims to classic Spanx, shapewear is in demand as brands shift to body positivity and inclusivity

Skims is outfitting the US Olympic team at the Tokyo games, while brands Gen Z target such as Honeylove are launching more body-positive styles For millennials and Gen-Z customers, shapewear is not about hiding flaws – they view it as outerwear that enhances one’s image rather than altering it

Skims is outfitting the US Olympic team at the Tokyo games, while brands Gen Z target such as Honeylove are launching more body-positive styles

For millennials and Gen-Z customers, shapewear is not about hiding flaws – they view it as outerwear that enhances one’s image rather than altering it