Spanx a lot
Let's be honest here chaps; some of us aren't as trim as we
may once have been, or wish to be. This can lead to occasional sad feelings,
particularly when encountering an ex partner who seems to be as thin and as
gorgeous as they were at 18. Damn them to hell.
Say, for example, you have a wedding to go to, one you know
will be attended by old flames and friends you want to impress. Do you go the
gym solidly for a month before the big day? Nah, you pop a compression vest on
under your suit, thereby trimming your growing beer belly by a few inches and
maintaining your reputation as The One Who Never Seems To Put On Any Weight.
But which compression vest to buy? We take a look at a
couple...
Spanx Cotton Compression Tank
Yes, Spanx - the company that makes things to hold in
ladies' most embarrassing parts - now does the same for men. Whereas the female
counterparts tend to focus on tummy and thighs, the Cotton Compression Tank
restrains male flabby parts like stomach and chest. And, fortunately, you won't
look like a total twonk, not even if people see it under your clothes.
The Spanx Compression Tank is basically a standard vest, so
looks just right under thin clothing like shirts and t-shirts. The stretchy
cotton wraps tightly to your form and at first go feels a bit odd. We tested a
large size, and on slipping it on realised it felt more like a medium. But this
is what the Spanx Tank does; shrinking you down a bit in the most comfortable
way.
The secret is the blend of cotton (81%) and spandex (19%),
making it breathable and comfortable, while also retaining a great amount of
compression. It will never make a 25 stone man look svelte, but by flattening
lumps and bumps it goes a long way to giving a chap a bit more confidence in
his body.
£49
Visit www.spanx.co.uk
JML Zone Breathable Compression Top
"New from JML..." That's what you hear on the TV
adverts and in the promotional videos in shops, but JML have actually got some
quite interesting kit. One we're particularly interested in (for testing, not because
we're a bunch of fatties) is the Zone Breathable Compression Top.
Performing a similar job as the Spanx top, JML's offering
has longer sleeves and seems to compress in slightly different areas. Although
the pressure is still on the chubby tum-tum, there is also a feeling of support
around the kidneys and shoulder blades. So back fat is also nicely dealt with.
It's the same story as with the Spanx when it comes to
sizing. A large will feel like a medium until you get used to the pressure, but
we found that the JML Breathable Compression Top wasn't as breathable. This may
be because instead of soft cotton, this is made from slightly more coarser polyamide,
with 5% elastane. Still, it was only when the actual temperature rose that we
felt the heat from the top. But, at less than half the price of the Spanx,
pretty decent.
£19.99
Visit www.jmldirect.com/uk