Marks & Spencer has released a new bodysuit designed to create an hourglass silhouette using removable hip pads, joining a growing market for enhancing shapewear.

Marks & Spencer has introduced a £28 "hip boost" bodysuit that uses removable padding to create an hourglass shape. The garment features pockets on each side where wearers can insert pads to add volume to the hips. Charlotte Davies, the retailer's director of lingerie, stated the product was developed in response to customer interest in subtle enhancement solutions that prioritize comfort and confidence.

Market Trends and Celebrity Influence

The new M&S bodysuit follows a broader industry trend of shapewear designed to add volume rather than compress the body. Kim Kardashian’s brand, Skims, launched similar hip-padded shorts last year, and online users have noted that such padding can help minimize the appearance of "hip dips." M&S has previously offered other enhancing products, including padded bum shorts and stick-on nipples.

Historical and Cultural Context

The use of padding to alter body proportions has historical precedents, with heritage specialist Ali Bodley noting that figures from the Tudor to Victorian eras used various methods to manipulate their silhouettes, including "bum shops" that sold padding. Modern designers, including those at Schiaparelli, Dior, and Alaïa, have also recently utilized padding and historical undergarments like panniers on the catwalk to create exaggerated shapes.

Critical Perspectives on Body Modification

Experts offer differing views on the rise of enhancing shapewear. Victoria Pitts-Taylor, a professor at Wesleyan University, suggests that current beauty ideals often require "building and sculpting" the body, whether through clothing or surgery, particularly as weight-loss medications change body types. Conversely, psychotherapist Susie Orbach describes the trend as "grotesque," arguing that it forces women into a constant state of body transformation to meet shifting, unattainable beauty standards.