Trimming the Fat.

 

Body consciousness is no longer a female-centered issue. Lifestyle companies known to determine the standard on the female aesthetic, have recently targeted the male market. Spanx, the creators of slimming intimates and body shapers for ladies, have introduced a line designed for men. [Writer's note, I previewed this last year during New York's fashion week and thought it was a joke. I was wrong]. 

Female fans of Spanx publicly attribute their trim silhouette to the hip-hugging under garments. However, while Spanx is a proven hit for luxury stores like Saks and Bloomingdales, men purchasing Spanx to flatten their tummy's and improve their posture, rarely talk about their purchases. According to The Times: 

“We’ve noticed, as good as in-store sales are — and they are good — the online sales are better,” said David Witman, the men’s general merchandise manager for Nordstrom. Men “might be embarrassed to ask for it, but they want it,” he said. 

Yes, Spanx for men. It seems absurd, but like make-up and pumps; male body-shapers are designed to increase one's confidence.

Rootsteins new male mannequins pictured above | photo credit Chris Jepson courtesy of Rootsteins

While some men prefer to hide the junk in their trunk, there are still a growing number of publications and brands that feature various body types; but Rootsteins, who might be responsible for the generous bottoms seen on female mannequins as of late, created novel proportions for the male body. The Cut Blog briefly indicated that the classic dimensions of male mannequins have gone down at least an inch every 10 to 15 years: