Koreans Shop for Bigger Bottoms

Fashion-conscious Koreans are spending more money to improve their posterior. Padded underwear and girdles making bottoms look firmer are selling well, as do blue jeans, pantyhose and leggings with padded posteriors. The trend comes from the popularity of skinny jeans, miniskirts and other body-hugging clothes that focus on slim waistlines and voluminous behinds.

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"In the past, padded bras and bodysuits that accentuated the upper part of the body were popular", said Kim Hee-yeon, a designer at undergarments maker Vivian. "But the focus these days is on hips and legs, so we're developing underwear that make hips look more voluminous or leggings that make legs appear longer".

"This shows that we are becoming increasingly westernized in terms of our standards of physical beauty", said fashion stylist Suh Jung-eun. "Just 10 years ago, we thought slim, flat body lines were beautiful, but views have changed favoring voluptuous bodies".

Sagging or flat buttocks are not just concerns for women. Online shopping malls are stocking up on padded boxers for men. On online marketplace Auction, sales of those products rose 33 percent in March. "Men shop for their own clothes now, and they are turning to padded underwear and other apparel that were once the domain of women's clothing", said Song Ha-young at Auction.

englishnews@chosun.com / Apr. 25, 2012 07:43 KST