Simply the vest ... how men can win battle of the bulge

Published on Tuesday 8 September 2009 09:49

IT'S the garment every pie- guzzling, pint-swilling, not-so-figure-conscious Scotsman has been waiting for.

While women down the years have been able to control their curves thanks to cleverly constructed corsetry, the chap with a little more up front than required has had to suffer with bulging shirts, straining buttons and wobbly beer belly.

Now Venezuelan-born underwear designer and medic Dr Raquel Borges has come to the rescue – with a vest that promises to beat that bulging belly for good.

Under the banner "Male Compression", the West Lothian-based inventor has transformed Rab C Nesbitt's favourite undergarment into a gents' "girdle" that claims to provide support for the man who has already tackled his paunch with cosmetic surgery or who simply wants a quick fix to trim his waistline for a special occasion.

She hit on the idea after realising men were just as desperate to present a slimmer outline to the world as women – particularly when wearing a kilt.

"A lot of men want to hide their tummy but it's very hard for them to do it," she said. "One man said to me that he wanted to wear a kilt at a wedding but felt it was difficult because of his large tummy.

"I showed him these and he thought they were great."

Dr Borges, 41, added: "It's not that Scottish men have a worse shape than men anywhere else. But they are starting to want to do something about it."

Dr Borges arrived to Scotland five years ago when her husband, Jesus, 44, came here for his work. The mother of two couldn't speak English, which meant she wasn't able to continue her work as a paediatrician.

Instead, she spent her time designing a range of control underwear for women inspired by the classic curvy Latino shape, and her "male compression" garments.

She now runs Real Bodyshapers from her workshop in Uphall.

"In South America, almost everyone wears body shaping underwear," she explained.

"And I used to work with plastic surgeons who did liposuction and tummy tucks. Patients would wear these kinds of garments afterwards to help their recovery."

She hopes the 75 vests will be particularly popular among the rising number of men who undergo tummy tucks or male breast reduction surgery.

It was Bridget Jones who first brought control underwear to the attention of women with her "big pants". Today the women's market is flooded with "magic" pants and body-shaping underwear.

But while popular in America, the idea of slimming girdles for men will be a new concept for most Scots.

Peter Chesney, store manager of Slater Menswear in George Street, said:

"I wouldn't knock anything until I tried it, and I think a lot of men out there – particularly the older men who are perhaps a little vain and want to get back the figure they had when they were younger – might well be interested.

"I think though if my wife popped one in my Christmas stocking I might well take the hint!"