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Yummie Tummie proves fashion doesn't have to hurt

Yummie Tummie

Yummie Tummie is a line of shapewear that's meant to be seen. The tanks, camis and dresses can be worn layered or alone.

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By CLOE CABRERA | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 22, 2009

My first experience with shapewear was as a young girl, watching my mother get dressed for the day.

She'd wrestle her body into a thick, rubberized, heavy-duty girdle, complete with a rigid front panel and side zipper. Because it was such a nightmare to get on and off, it had a discreet opening to allow for bathroom trips.

It didn't matter if she was going to work or the grocery store — my mother ALWAYS put on her Playtex girdle. She claimed it gave her great posture and kept her body looking good. Old black and white photos back up her story. Decked out in her pencil skirts and sweaters, I would swear my mother had a 22-inch waist.

Decades later, when I became a little, um, meaty in the middle, I tried one of those girdles. When I finally extricated myself, I had red welts and lacy lines dug deep into my tummy.

"You have to get used to it," my mother said. "Beauty can hurt."

My, my how things have changed in the shapewear department — and for the better, thank goodness.

Nowadays, you can find shapewear that evens out the lumps and bumps without compromising your comfort, sex appeal or sanity.

One of the most popular lines (and a personal favorite) is Yummie Tummie, created by Heather Thomson. Even Oprah Winfrey is a fan (she raved about it on one of her "favorite things" shows).

As a stylist to stars such as Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Lopez, Thomson knows a thing or two about making bodies look smooth and sexy. She's sewed up torso-tighteners for the red-carpet habitués to wear under their clothes.

"When you're on the red carpet, you always want something underneath your dress that's going to smooth and shape you," Thomson said during a recent interview at Paradise Island Boutique in South Tampa, where her Yummie line is sold. "When my own body went through a major transformation [after pregnancy], I became a consumer shopping the shapewear market."

"I took a new look at a tried and true favorite, which is the old-school corset and the girdle, and I brought it into today with Yummie Tummie."

Yummie Tummie garments (tanks, camis, slips and tube dresses) are made with cotton on the top and bottom; a stretchy spandex panel holds in your midsection, minimizing the dreaded muffin top and bra back fat without encasing you like a sausage.

Don't get me wrong, if you have a 42-inch waist, it won't slim you down to 24 inches; but it will make you look — and feel — better in your clothes.

A big plus: The items are available in sizes 0 to 22, and come in "long" lengths, so they won't roll up on us tall gals. The designs are so cute and stylish, they look great as a layering piece or worn on their own as a tank top.

Summer's the time to show off a little skin, but heavy shapers can be uncomfortably hot and binding when temperatures rise. While the Yummie line won't stop you from perspiring, it's made from a tricot/polyester blend that has a natural wicking ability, so all the moisture moves to the outside of the garment.

"Fashion shouldn't hurt," Thomson says. (Hear that, Mom?). "The modern woman is too busy and has too much going on to be walking around with shoes that don't fit right or shirts that roll and bunch. We can be together, sexy, confident and comfortable."

Amen!

And for the man who is looking for a little midsection smoothing, a men's version of Yummie Tummie, called Ript Fusion, launched this month. The body-sculpting T-shirts are designed to shave inches off a man's belly.

To see the entire line of Yummie Tummie shapewear, check out http://yummietummie.com.

Do you wear shapewear? What kind? Is it comfy? C'mon, you can be honest! Let me know at TBO.com, Keyword: Hot Pursuits.

Adieu, Arnaud

It may not be as devastating as a pink slip or a break-up, but finding out your favorite wrinkle cream has been taken off the market is still a terrible loss.

When readers discovered Walgreens stopped selling Arnaud Paris Extreme Anti-Aging Cream, they let us know.

"I purchased a jar at Walgreens and was quite happy with the results," wrote Pepi Sandler of Tampa. "However, when I went to purchase another jar, I was informed Walgreens doesn't carry the product anymore. I called CVS and was told they never carried it. Where can I find it?"

I'm sorry to report Arnaud is no longer sold in the United States.

Walgreens discontinued its contract with the European Beauty company, said Nick Hudson, founder of Excelsior Beauty in Omaha, Neb., the company that handles marketing for the brand.

"It's a great product and a very established brand," he said. "It's been around 60 years and sells in 25 countries. But we haven't found a new home for it [here].

You can't even get in online, Hudson says.

I told Hudson my fellow 4you Beauty Board member Michelle Bearden raved about the face cream. She gave it a rare A.

"Ooh la la! After one month, I noticed le difference on my tired, sagging skin," Michelle wrote in her review.

Readers flocked to Walgreens stores around town to buy the face cream. One Walgreens even showed us a folder with more than 100 names of women who back-ordered the product after they ran out.

Hudson says this kind of positive feedback could go a long way in finding a new home for Arnaud.

"It's nice to hear it was so well-received [in the United States]," he says. "We will really try to get it out there again."

But for now, as the French say, c'est la vie!

If you have a fashion or beauty idea worth Hot Pursuit, call (813) 259-7656 or e-mail ccabrera@tampatrib.com. Try on the blog at www.TBO.com, Keyword: Hot Pursuits, for all things fashion and beauty.

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