Embrace The Power Of Maidenform
Walking down the concrete pavement of Park Lane towards the Marriot hotel, I am feeling somewhat empowered by my new body shaper that I was wearing under my 1940s pencil red dress. After being introduced to the Mad Men series by a certain Lord, I was spellbound and spent many an evening glued to the sofa with a glass of red wine admiring the work of the Emmy award winning costume designer Janie Bryant, whom in my eyes, brought the show to life with the details in the characters wardrobe. After all, Betty Draper wouldn’t be Betty Draper without her numerous dresses, cigarette cases and handbags. My obsession has now grown since series one and is now spilling out of the TV and into my own wardrobe.
The Marriot doorman held the door open and I could feel his eyes follow as I bounced cheerfully into the lobby. Was it the power of maiden form or was it my self-deluded Mad Men confidence? By now I am beginning to believe it was a little bit of both.
While you may not be familiar with the name Janie Bryant, you cannot escape the impact she has been having on fashion. She is the reason why men are lusting after the new Banana Republic collection and why 1940 & 50s inspired dresses are being seen all over the runways. And ultimately, the reason why I am wearing this Maidenform Waistnipper. Bryant has recently partnered with Maidenform’s educated consumers, and is sharing her tips and expertise on an array of body types and how the right underwear can transform a woman’s figure.
“Usually, the television-viewing audience doesn’t see the foundation pieces, but it’s so important to me that the actors not only feel their character on the outside, but on the inside as well, and that is why intimates plays an integral role,” said Ms. Bryant. “I am thrilled to be teaming up with Maidenform to help educate women on the role of intimate apparel as the ultimate foundation of fashion. Maidenform has a strong heritage of product innovation and fit expertise, and I share the same passion and commitment to helping every woman look and feel her best which starts with the first thing she puts on.”
I couldn’t help but nervously glance at my reflection in the glass window of the restaurant, to see if the Waistnipper was showing tell tale signs. All women know the feeling of undergarments rolling underneath the clothing, as a lot of these body shapers tend to do after a few hours of wear, however to my surprise it was holding strong and sitting nicely in place and holding my lady bumps in all the right places. As I was seated at my table with my guest, it was time to really put the Maidenform through it paces. I am a woman with curves and I love to eat, so my first test for the Maidenform was sitting through a three course meal, real women eat!
After the first course, I wasn’t feeling the normal urge to cut my way out of the Waistnipper, like I did with the last one I purchased from a certain department store (To cut a long story short, I ended up removing it with a borrowed pair of sharp scissors in the bathroom at an event). However the Martial on the Maidenform consists of Nylon and Lycra and was extremely soft and very stretchable.
The Maidenform was founded in 1922 by three people; seamstress Ida Rosenthal; Enid Bissett, who owned the shop that employed her; and Ida’s husband, William Rosenthal. They rebelled against the flat-chested designs of the time and instead produced both dresses and support undergarments, particularly bras that accentuated the natural shape of a woman’s figure, hence the name Maidenform. And today it is celebrating the woman’s form.
Being quiet the curvy girl, I have always had a problem finding the right fit. The right fit jeans, dresses, bras and shapers. I usually find the cheaper body shapers don’t sit right and are very uncomfortable to wear, so I tend to buy the more expensive ranges that can be a little too pricey. However the Maidenform is a reasonably priced £23.00, which is very good on the purse compared to what I have spent in the past.
By the third course, I was still sitting comfortably in my seat. The Waistnipper held its shape even well after dessert had been served. I felt confident to stand up at the end of the meal without having to quickly pull my coat on to hide the unfortunate fat food stomach. I strolled out of the restaurant feeling as confident as I strolled in.
The only fault of the Waistnipper is that it only comes in black or flesh coloured. I would love to see the Maidenform in a playful red or adventurous blue. I was delighted to see them introducing the new ‘Pretty Collection’ which is a more glamorous range, introducing delicate fabrics such as lace in a lovely steel grey colour very fitting for the Autumn/Winter trends. Could Maidenform be the new must have for women’s wardrobes everywhere? I think so.
