First let’s give credit to the originator of the modern girdle.

It is not known when the first shape wear idea occurred to man, or whether the first practitioner invented the idea out of genuine concern or was he simply a strategist waiting to make a quick buck. Whatever the case, he must have grown considerably richer by way of this simple but effective idea. The corset and the cummerbund were possibly remnants or offshoots of the original idea, or vice versa. Anyway, once the idea was energized, different devices have been invented to shape various different parts of the body, like the legs, buttocks, thighs, feet, waist, stomach etc.

That being said, most fashion historians agree that the modern girdle was invented around 1910 by the French designer Paul Poiret, to be worn with the clothing he was designing. Compared to the fashions of the period 1830-1910, Poiret's revolutionary designs placed much less emphasis on the waist, and fit much closer to the body at the hips and derriere. Poiret's revolution became permanent in the 20th century. His unique understanding of the way in which women's bodies should interact with their clothing and his invention of the girdle were major reasons why the corset, which had determined the shape of women's clothing for most of the previous five centuries, went out of fashion.  

Now, let’s go over what a girdle is and does.

A girdle is an elastic undergarment designed to shape and smoothes a woman's figure. The amount of body coverage varies by style but can run from the neckline to the knees.  Its main function is to aesthetically mould a woman's figure.  All girdles are designed with some kind of stretchable rubber like fabric. They can be fastened with hook and eye closures, zippers, strings and most recently Velcro.  The newer styles also incorporate wire boning to help define you hourglass shape and promote good posture.

Today, most contemporary girdles are made from interwoven nylon, Lycra Spandex, and most recently, Powernet. Garments made from these materials or a blend of them have proven to be some of the most comfortable and durable shapewear that’s ever been manufactured. These new light weight materials are easier to wear and they contour and shape the body as well as there significantly heavier and stiffer girdles from the early '60s.

Modern girdles are generally classified as "Light-Compression", "Medium-Compression", or "Strong-Compression ". The difference in the degree of control usually indicates the weight or thickness of the girdle material, or the degree to which a girdle is paneled. That is, a Strong -Compression girdle will have a greater number of panels in which the fabric has been doubled or tripled for a design that has more contour or "control" power. Although most are relatively light-weight pull-on garments, it is still possible to find girdles that contain boning, or which must be hooked and/or zipped.

The trend of wearing shapewear is all around us. Nowadays it seems to be a remnant of the latex age, when this fabric was inventively twisted and turned into any sort of wearing apparatus for human convenience and fashion. But shapewear, most particularly in the form of a product to reshape the human body into new contours, especially after an operation like liposuction, can be an invaluable aid and ally in the quest to have this difficult task accomplished as soon as possible, without negative effects and in the smoothest possible manner. Of course, the results are faster and definitely longer lasting, when combined with an exercise program. The end result is that shape wear comes into use both before and after the liposuction operation, easing the road to recovery and when combined with proper diet and exercise as needed, can work wonders for transforming you body. Shapewear is definitely a trend that is here to stay for some time.