Shaping Ideals Girdles Are Out, Shapers Are In As Women Continue To Wedge Themselves Into Latest Fashions

So, you thought when we burned our bras and vowed to let it all hang out that you’d seen the last of girdles.

Well, that was the ‘60s. It’s the ‘90s, pal, and girdles are busting out all over.

Go into the lingerie area of any department store and check it out for yourself. A whole section has been carved out at Nordstrom and The Bon for garments that come with names like “Tummy Terminator,” “Waist Eliminator” and “Ego Booster.”

That’s right, they’re not called girdles anymore. They’ve come a long way, baby. These days, they’re known as body shapers.

This new generation of smoother has evolved from the breath-shortening, sausage-casing-type garments of the ‘60s to something that’s lightweight and built for comfort.

Joyce Baran has been in the intimate apparel business for 30 years, and she still shudders when she recalls the girdles of old.

“They were made of such heavy rubber material, you had to use powder to get into them,” said Baran, in a recent telephone interview from her East Coast office. “And, back then it was considered unladylike not to wear one.”

The industry was revolutionized by the invention of lycra in the ‘60s, an ultra-fine yarn that’s strong and durable. However, by the time lycra came along, many women had lost interest in fighting the battle of the bulge with girdles.

“After women burned their bras, we spent the next 20 years trying to camouflage ourselves in a man’s world. Remember the little gray suits and burgundy ties everyone wore?” said Baran, who designs shapewear for the 135-year-old Strouse-Adler Co., which makes a line called Smoothie.

With a whole generation discovering aerobics, the foundation business steadily declined for 20 years, but that started turning around a few years ago.

“For the past three years, sales have grown 10 to 12 percent each year,” Baran said.

So, what happened to pave the way for the new breed of girdle?

“Fashions have become more body-fitting. Women have less time to exercise and as the baby boomer generation ages, gravity takes over,” Baran said.

Still, according to staff in Nordstrom’s lingerie department, young customers are as interested in shapers as their mothers and grandmothers. Especially at prom time.

Baran said the younger generation grew up without the stigma attached to wearing a girdle.

“They’re used to wearing body-hugging garments with lycra,” she said.

Lisa Courtney, owner-manager of Sheer Madness in NorthTown Mall, said her customers come in all shapes and sizes and age groups.

“We have a lot of younger women who want to add more shape,” she said.

Just two months ago, Courtney broadened the selection of body shapewear she carries at Sheer Madness. After the holiday rush to look good in those slinky special-occasion dresses, her stock was nearly cleaned out.

Part of the girdle’s renewed appeal involves the advances in comfort levels.

“There have been massive improvements in fabric,” Courtney said. “You feel like a million bucks having everything tucked in where it should be.”

Courtney should know. She wears a body shaper every day.

“They’re great. Wearing one is like taking a vacation … from sucking in your stomach,” she said, laughing.

Baran said that in addition to advances in fabric technology, designers have become more focused on coming up with garments that move with a woman’s body.

“Pieces are designed to imitate the way muscle groups work on the body,” she said. “Rather than squeezing you like a tube of toothpaste, the garment sculpts your body. It’s like having an all-day massage.”

Uh-huh. And what about that tricky spot where the shaper ends and the flab begins?

“A well-designed body shaper shouldn’t have that demarcation line,” Baran said.

Another attraction is the improved styling.

“I’ve got some pieces in that Sharon Stone is supposed to be wearing in her next movie,” Courtney said. “They’re beautiful.”

It’s not surprising to find that big-name designers, including Donna Karan, have recently jumped into the shaper biz.

“It makes sense because good underwear makes outerwear look better,” Baran said.

OK, so you’ve decided not to fight it. You need some help zipping up your pants, especially after the holidays. What’s the best strategy for purchasing a shaper?

Baran suggested trying them on under your clothes as a true test of their effectiveness. And buy the right size, not a size smaller because you want to achieve that Scarlett O’Hara-type waist.

“It should be comfortable the first time you put it on,” she said.

It might not be so comfy once you walk up to the cash register. A body shaper from well-known foundation makers cost around $40 to $50, though you can find them cheaper.

After making that kind of investment, it’s important to remember to treat your lingerie lovingly.

“You should never put them in the dryer,” said Courtney.

That just might inadvertently fuel the modern version of bra burning.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Staff illustration by Charles Waltmire

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Great Moments In Girdle History 1500 B.C.: Young Greek women wear a band of linen tightly wrapped around their waists and lower torso to flatten tummies and hips. (Then, they head out to the first toga party!) Circa 1500 A.D.: The corset is invented, using linen reinforced by whalebones or metal bands. Not only are stomachs streamlined, but bosoms are bound as well. 1850: Scarlett O’Hara instructs her maid to cinch her corset ever tighter. An 18-inch waist is considered de rigueur, and it’s not uncommon for ribs to break from the pressure of a constricting corset. 1930s: Lastex is invented and the modern girdle is born. 1960s: Women burn their bras and vow to let it all hang out. (Except, of course, June Cleaver.) 1988: After decades of sagging sales in the foundation business, Nancy Ganz creates the Hipslip. New mother and underwear designer Carol Green produces a lacy girdle after searching in vain for something smoothing and supportive to wear under the fashionable tightfitting short skirts. 1989: Madonna makes it trendy to wear underwear as outerwear. 1997: Sales of shapewear continue to show strong growth. New products offer to eliminate waists, terminate tummies and boost egos.