Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx shapewear is probably a genius for bringing a century’s old idea into the new millenium. The idea of shapewear garments is not new. After all, we've all seen in historical movies how women would bind their bodies with tight corsets and girdles. Not that it always looked comfortable, but the waist cinching looked fabulous!

Fast forward to modern times and recall how we complain about wearing pantyhose. How hot they are, and how they always run. Still, they do shape the body well, and so we endure them. Then one day, Ms. Blakely had the super idea to cut the feet off her pantyhose so she could wear them with open toe shoes underneath her cream colored pants. She looked smashing in them. Spanx was thus invented. The patent was awarded in 1998 for body shaping pantyhose and the rest is history for one of the best brands in shapewear.

The reason why Spanx underwear succeeds is because it was made for women by a woman. The products obviously know how to hide or control the problem areas of a woman’s body and how to emphasize and highlight the areas we are proud of. The result is a body that is smoother and sleeker. Spanx can make you seem like you lost weight instantaneously. And they are also very comfortable to wear. What was once a veritable torture to get into with various shapewear products, are now a thing of the past.

Does this product seem too good to be true? It has been given a vote of endorsement by Oprah Winfrey herself. Stars like Gwenyth Paltrow relied on Spanx after giving birth when she needed to appear on the red carpet for an important engagement. Fashion critics on tv and magazines swear by it and often expound of the importance of a good underwear wardrobe. In fact, In Style magazine gave it an award for the best body shaping invention. That’s heavy praise indeed from the media on all fronts.

The fact is, in order to look good on the outside, it begins with what you are wearing on the inside. That’s the trick to wearing your clothes well. By creating a slimmer looking silhouette, you are able to fit your clothes better without any bulging or sagging bits. We aren’t all supermodels but Spanx gives us an opportunity for an equal footing. Spanx shapewear is a must have item for all woman’s wardrobe.