I don’t feel guilty for missing my morning workout anymore, because I’m currently embroiled in a different sort of fitness endeavour: pulling my Skims up my thighs. Once the high-waisted skin-tight shorts are on, threatening to stop the flow of my blood circulation, I wonder if, perhaps, I should have sized up. But then I look in the mirror. My waistline is snatched; the chunks of leg I was fighting with moments earlier, secured firmly under the spandex. Over this, I pull on my dress; a long-sleeved, figure-hugging design that, sans-Skims, would not be very flattering, stretched unalluringly across my stomach and outlining my hip dips.
To say that shapewear is trending would be an understatement. For many women, it has become a wardrobe staple; a crutch on which they lean on to feel better about their appearances – even if the satisfaction is only temporary. The industry is rapidly expanding: earlier this year, Calvin Klein released its first shapewear range, and Nike announced its partnership with Skims, which will culminate in a new sculpted activewear brand set to release this spring. Globally, the shapewear industry brought in $1.9 million in 2020 and is expected to surpass $3.5 million by 2028. And while North America accounted for 40% of the global market, demand for figure-refining undergarments is on the rise in the Arab World too. “The shapewear market saw a short slow down during the Covid era, however after 15 years of being the exclusive distributor of Spanx for the region, we are experiencing our strongest year in 2025,” says Christian Karam, managing partner at K.Lynn GCC. “Customers here typically shop for strong, ultra-sculpting shapewear, seeking to smooth out any lump or bump that might show under tight fitting clothes.” He adds that the largest demographic of K.Lynn shoppers are GCC nationals, and range in age from their early 20s all the way up to late 70s.
This is despite the fact that shapewear is not, well, very comfortable. Far…
