body issues

Man Girdles Are All the Rage

Slimming!Photo Illustration: Getty Images, Retrofile/Getty
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Women are not the only ones who want to conceal bit of extra flesh around the midsection with Spanx: Men do, too. And you know what? They are! Take Robert Verdi:

Robert Verdi, 39, says he began craving a so-called mirdle, or man-girdle, recently after starting to develop a “muffin top.” “I’m now at that weird age where I’m starting to have a little bit of a spare tire, that midsection squish,” says Mr. Verdi, a New York stylist and TV personality. Feeling self-conscious while prepping for a recent date, Mr. Verdi took scissors to a pair of high-waisted women’s Spanx so it fit him like an elongated tube-top beneath his fitted shirt and slacks. “I felt like I was wearing an Ace bandage, but I definitely looked flatter,” he says.

And now men don’t have to hide their Saint Patrick’s Day beer guts with women’s Spanx, as a whole slew of “mirdles” are on the market. Saks Fifth Avenue carries 2(x)ist spandex briefs and tank tops that have a trimming effect; upscale men’s underwear line Andrew Christian makes the “Flashback Butt Lifting Technology Boxer” that perks up the rump by “up to an inch”; and Go Softwear will introduce “Waist Eliminator” underpants with a high waistband to hold the tummy in. Of course, in light of all this, Spanx is also considering a line for men. Gloria Steinem, you thought this day would never come.

Men Go for It By Any Name Besides Girdle [WSJ]
Earlier: Bra-lleluja! Spanx Bras Hide Back Fat

Man Girdles Are All the Rage