LONDON: It's for the man who has a little too much of everything - the man girdle, or
"mirdle."
In a land where metrosexuals reign, a London department store is hoping to cash in on the lucrative men's underwear market by launching a throwback to the Victorian era, a gut-cinching garment that designers say will help men make it through these belt-tightening times.
The stretchy contraptions resemble normal sleeveless tank tops or long-sleeved T-shirts - only shrunk down two or three sizes in a blend of Spandex, nylon and polyester. Control underwear will be launched later this year.
"It makes waists look trimmer, improves posture and helps men get into the latest slimmer fitting suits," said Gavin Jones, head of the Australian company Equmen, which launched its male shapewear line in Selfridges on Thursday. "Men are under a lot of pressure right now to perform financially, socially and romantically. Why shouldn't we have the same products that women have had for years to make us feel better?"
Europe has been at the forefront of the metrosexual revolution, illustrated by images of a svelte Daniel Craig in tight bathing trunks or a fitted tuxedo as 007, and a near hairless David Beckham in white Armani bikini briefs - larger-than-life ads that stretch out across London's double-decker buses. Even Clive Owen, the British actor known for his rugged good looks and reticent characters, is the face of Lancome's new anti-aging skin-care line.
As male vanity has increased in the past decade, so have retail sales. In the United Kingdom, sales of men's grooming products - moisturizers, home waxing kits, manicure kits - totalled some $1.18 billion last year, according to a report from market research firm Mintel.
Similarly, men's underwear sales are growing faster than women's. In Selfridges, sales of men's underwear were up 21% whereas women's underwear grew by some 10% last year. The UK alone totalled roughly $957 million in men's underwear sales in 2007 whereas the US tallied about $4.9 billion in 2008, according to Mintel.
Men's control wear has been around since Victorian times in Britain, where dandies such as Lord Byron and Oscar Wilde were known for their fanciful and slightly feminine outfits.
