Marks & Spencer has launched a new bodysuit featuring hip padding, designed to offer customers subtle enhancements to their silhouette. The £28 garment is part of the retailer's BODY range, which includes seamless and sculpting underwear.
The 'hip boost' bodysuit has pockets on each side for removable pads, intended to create an hourglass figure. This release comes amid increased popularity of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy, which have been linked to rapid weight loss and a side effect colloquially termed 'Ozempic butt,' characterized by a loss of volume in the buttocks.
According to M&S, the bodysuit was developed in response to shopper demand for solutions that provide "subtle enhancement alongside everyday comfort and confidence." The head of lingerie design at M&S, Soozie Jenkinson, previously stated that the company's 'bum boosting' shorts, launched last year, were created because customers were seeking to restore shape after weight loss, drawing a parallel to how M&S has offered bust-enhancing lingerie for years.
"We're doing for bums what we've done for boobs for years," Jenkinson said about the 'bum boosting' shorts. "We've had requests from both UK and international customers."
The BODY range, unveiled in April, features a 300-piece collection of seamless underwear. M&S has positioned this collection as a more affordable alternative to similar items from brands like Kim Kardashian's Skims. For instance, a Skims bra can cost around £62, while M&S offers a similar item for £18. A Skims seamless thong is approximately £20, compared to M&S's pack of three for £14.
Last year, Skims released shorts designed to add volume to the posterior for £116, prior to M&S's £15 'bum boosting' shapewear shorts. The retailer has also recently updated its menswear underwear line with its Autograph Body Invisibles range, which aims to provide a smooth, seamless fit under clothing.
Celebrity stylist Lisa Talbot commented on the trend, noting that while shapewear can be a tool for confidence, it should not reinforce the idea that certain body shapes are inherently superior. "An hourglass shape can be created through clever styling, but it shouldn't be seen as the 'ideal' body shape," Talbot said. "If a bodysuit gives someone a little extra confidence in an outfit, fantastic. But it should be a styling choice, not another reminder that our bodies aren't good enough as they are."