Want a sexy booty like Kim K and Beyonce?

7 out of 10 British women admit to owning Spanx and Beyonce wouldn’t brave a red carpet without them.

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Seven out of ten British women admit to owning a pair of Spanx, and even slender celebrities — from Gwynethh Paltrow, Beyoncé and the Kardashians — wouldn’t brave a red carpet without them.

So just how should you stop your Spanx from showing? Why do skinny women insist on wearing them? And where on earth does all the fat go?

FAR MORE THAN JUST PANTS

Spanx come in a dizzying array of shapes and sizes, but broadly fit into five types.

GO WILD WITH LEOPARD PRINT

If you’re bored with black and nude, don’t despair. Since 2009, Spanx have been sold in various colours and finishes, from red and blue to lace and leopard print.

SUPER SUCTION — AND SEAMLESS

The sculpting power of Spanx is all down to the fabric they’re made from: a unique blend of nylon, polyester and elastane (also known as spandex) that works as a compressor. It’s elastic enough to fit over your hips and thighs, but sufficiently rigid to keep your flab in check underneath.

WHERE DOES ALL THAT FAT GO?

One of the enduring mysteries of Spanx is where on earth all the fat goes. Surely squashing it down in one area makes it spill over into another?

Not so, experts say. Spanx are designed to catch fat and hold it in a smaller area, pushing it into spaces in the body where there is lots of muscle, such as the abs.

‘It’s like sucking your stomach in in front of a mirror,’ says Claire Franks. ‘It doesn’t mean flab starts appearing on your back. It’s just lifted up and into the rib cage.’

Some varieties also claim to move excess fat directionally, accentuating parts of the body that you want to look fuller.

The pants, for example, are designed to move fat away from the upper thighs and stomach and towards the bottom cheeks — a feature beloved of prolific Spanx-wearer and reality TV ‘star’ Kim Kardashian.

IT BEGAN WITH METAL GIRDLES

Spanx stem from a long tradition of women using shapewear to slim their silhouettes. Early versions in Ancient Greece and Rome used metal girdles, linen waist binders and bodices stiffened with paste.

NOT JUST FOR THE FULLER FIGURE

One look at the celebrities sporting Spanx, from statuesque model Heidi Klum to super-skinny actress Sarah Jessica Parker, begs the question. Why?

Experts say Spanx aren’t just for women carrying excess weight: they conceal underwear lines and make outfits more flattering for all.

AND FOR MEN . . . IT HAS TO BE MANX

THE modern trend for male shapewear began in Hollywood, when body-conscious actors started demanding a little underwear trickery to help shift the kilos on camera.

In response to the flood of requests for ‘extra large’ shorts and camisoles, Spanx introduced a range for men — dubbed ‘Manx’ — in 2010.

SUFFERING FOR FASHION?

Anyone who’s felt the constrictive squeeze of a Spanx waistband pressing into their middle will have wondered whether they’re doing any damage.

Doctors have warned against all sorts of ailments, from constriction in the legs that can lead to blood clots to yeast infections caused by sweaty skin. Neurologist Dr Orly Avitzur says that she has treated Spanx wearers for conditions including bladder infections, gastro-intestinal problems and nerve damage.

‘You’re squeezing the body too much, so you are placing direct pressure on a nerve or squeezing internal organs,’ she says.

But Spanx denies any ill-effects. ‘In 12 years of selling shapewear, we’ve never had this issue,’ the company said recently.

Daily Mail