A December 2020 report by TechNavio estimates that the global compression wear and shapewear market is poised to grow by US$697.13 million between 2020 and 2024.

“As consumers return to their post-Covid-19 lives – back to events like proms, weddings and going out – shapewear is recovering. In the past three months, shapewear sales are up 91.3 per cent versus the same time frame last year in the United States,” says Todd Mick, executive director of apparel at market research company NPD Group.

“There was definitely a shift for direct-to-consumer brands during Covid-19, but now we have seen customers returning to in-store purchases, which regained 11 share points in the past three months,” he says.

Shapewear has come a long way since Sara Blakely first revolutionised the market when she founded Spanx in 1998. While the brand’s thick, high-waisted mid-thigh body suits and shorts became essentials for women, they were far from fashionable and bordered on uncomfortable.

Companies like Commando later created their own niche by offering more “breathable” technical fabrications that were lighter on the eyes and the body.

Among them is direct-to-consumer brand Heist, whose bestselling Outer Body bodysuit not only slims and supports the stomach but can be worn as outerwear (a popular catwalk trend) or paired with everyday items like jeans or a skirt.

While technical advances and fits have been key in driving the market, the concept of shapewear is also evolving. Cultural shifts towards body positivity and inclusivity have encouraged shapewear brands to challenge conventional perceptions and position their products in a more relatable, modern way, bringing with it a new set of consumers.

For millennials and Gen-Z customers, shapewear is not about hiding flaws and is viewed as clothing that enhances one’s image rather than altering it. For this reason, brands targeted by Gen Z such as Honeylove have won over a broader audience by eschewing the word “shapewear” and offering “sculptwear” in a range of sexy designs with flattering details that women want to show off in public.

Most of these brands also boast large communities – shapewear dedicated e-commerce site Shapermint, for example, has four million members – who are encouraged to share images of themselves wearing shapewear across various social media channels.

While most of the growth has been focused in the West, shapewear has even greater potential in the Asia-Pacific region, which according to TechNavio will become of the largest shapewear markets outside the United States by 2024.

According to data from China-based marketing research consultancy, Cherry Blossoms Intercultural Branding, the Asia-Pacific compression wear and shapewear market is on track to grow 7.1 per cent annually, with China leading the way.

It is estimated that the market size of China’s shapewear industry will reach about 55.9 billion yuan (US$8.6 billion) in sales by 2022, driven by an affluent consumer that is interested in living a healthier and more active lifestyle.

“In Western countries like the US, where a higher percentage of women are overweight, the historical function of shapewear was to conceal the body’s shape. It is also about emphasising an hourglass silhouette,” says Laurence Lim Dally, founder of Cherry Blossoms Intercultural Branding.

“In China, where women are naturally thinner and more conservative about sexiness, shapewear is more often associated with sportswear. Being skinny remains a non-negotiable beauty canon, as is staying fit. With the outburst of fitness and athleisure, the shapewear market in China seems promising,” she says.