Writer Lara Olszowska purchased the M&S Body Sculpt Hip Boost All In One bodysuit, priced at £28, to see if the hip pads could give her, a self-described straight-up-and-down girl, an hourglass silhouette. She tried the product in London in 2024 and recorded her experience.
At 6 ft tall with a slim build, Olszowska has never been curvy. Growing up she was nicknamed "Mowgli" and teased as "beanpole" and "Lanky Lara". She only bought a bra late in her teens and her hips have always been flat.
She learned that M&S had launched the new Body Sculpt Hip Boost All In One for £28 and decided to test the hype surrounding hip pads, a trend popularised by Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Lily Collins, Alix Earle and Kaia Gerber.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global shapewear market is currently worth about £2.43 billion and is projected to reach roughly £4.52 billion by 2034. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reports that lipofilling procedures for hips and buttocks fell 38 percent between 2024 and 2025, suggesting a shift toward non-surgical options.
When the bodysuit arrived, Olszowska noted its design resembled a jockstrap combined with cycling shorts. The label promised to "sculpt your silhouette" and provide "targeted firm compression". After pulling the garment on and adjusting the pads over her hip bones, she wore a navy dress to the office.
She described the result as a shock: "My silhouette looked completely different. For the first time in my life, I had what looked like an hourglass figure." Her housemate Ellen replied, "They look amazing!"
While commuting, a man in a van stared, but other passengers were absorbed in their phones. A colleague asked, "Are you wearing bum pads too?" to which Olszowska answered, "No, I'm not."
Discomfort soon emerged. The straps chafed between her shoulders and armpits, and the bodysuit dug into her bust when she sat. She avoided the built-in pee hole, removing the garment each time she used the restroom, which made her late for a fashion-week press lunch.
At a pub, a man lingered while she ordered a pint, and two men playing pool paused until she sat down. Later, a hole appeared in the right leg, raising concerns about fabric quality.
During a friend's birthday party, Georgia said the hips "looked mental" and noted the pads dented when she sat, revealing the padding. Olszowska's mother later called the look "grotesque", while her sister said she "looked like Kim K in them". Her father joked, "Careful you don't get stuck going through the gates!"
Olszowska concluded the bodysuit delivers the promised curve but is uncomfortable, prone to wear, and unsuitable for everyday wear. She would consider it only for a specific dress that fits everywhere else.
