I’ll admit it, I’m slightly interested in Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS line. SKIMS used to be called “Kimono” but Kim changed the name after the outcry. SKIMS is probably one of Kim’s most successful businesses – people are always interested in shapewear in an assortment of colors, and Kim’s label is apparently selling well. So well that she’s expanded the line to include maternity shapewear. I saw some of the outcry online over the weekend, but I wondered if it was being overblown because it simply involved Kim Kardashian? I mean, shapewear isn’t only about “looking thin,” it’s also about creating clean lines and maybe pregnant ladies want to contain and support things, you never know. Of course, people had a lot to say:
Kim Kardashian’s new Skims maternity range hasn’t even hit the shelves, and it’s already causing controversy. On Saturday, the reality star announced upcoming the launch of the range of shapewear she created specifically for pregnant women on social media, writing: “What you’ve been waiting for: @SKIMS Maternity is coming soon! Introducing Maternity Solutionwear that offers the best in comfort and support for your changing body during and after pregnancy.”
Kardashian proceeded to give fans a glimpse at the lineup of sculpting bras, underwear, and bodysuits on her Instagram Stories. “If only there were cute bras that were holding you up and snatching you and making you feel better about yourself while you can breastfeed, that would have been everything to me,” she said in one clip, while in another video she described the brand’s high-waisted briefs, assuring her followers that its “belly thinness” fabric wouldn’t compress the stomach, but would “shape everything else around it” — including the booty.
Shortly after the announcement, the new collection was met with criticism. Many people accused Kim of sending the wrong message to pregnant women about their changing bodies, pressuring them to stay thin. “Just let people enjoy their pregnancy without thinking they need to maintain the perfect figure,” wrote one user on Twitter, while another commented: “Excuse my ignorance but who’s tryna shape their pregnant bodies? Y’all don’t like being comfy and free and loose when pregnant? It’s pretty much the only time you can be as shapeless and free and comfy as you want!”
Again, Kim didn’t invent shapewear for pregnant ladies. That already existed. She’s just adding a maternity line to her already successful line of shapewear, and she seems to have taken into account that women who have recently given birth might want to wear them too. I remember Jessica Alba talking about how she wore shapewear and corsets after she gave birth, for what it’s worth. Anyway, Kim responded to the criticism:
“To anyone who has an issue with maternity solutionwear, and if you haven’t been pregnant before you may not know the struggle of what it’s like carrying all of this weight the way I did along with millions of strong women, @skims maternity line is not to slim but to support. The belly part doesn’t slim your belly. It’s actually sheer and a thinner layered material compared to the rest of the garment. It provides support to help with the uncomfortable weight being carried in your stomach which affects your lower back -and the compression on the leggings helps with pain relief caused by swelling.”
“We launched this category in response to the tens of thousands of pregnant women who wrote us requesting it and because it was something I personally needed when I was pregnant myself. Based on the majority of positive feedback we have received so far from pregnant women around the world, I am incredibly proud to provide a solution that will provide comfort and support during the times that we all need it most, during pregnancy and after.”
Yeah, I believe her. I think she created the line because many women asked for it, and because Kim remembered how uncomfortable she was during her pregnancies too. She’s not doing, like, waist-trainers (which are just corsets) for pregnant women. She’s just trying to sell actual support garments, and stuff pregnant women might want to wear under their dresses.
Jameela Jamil and Chrissy Teigen both chimed in, because of course they did. Jameela is anti-Kardashian no matter what, and Chrissy posted a video of herself wearing the maternity shapewear.
Photos courtesy of Instagram.
Pregnant women shouldn’t wear shape wear?
It doesn’t compress the stomach. Only hips and thighs and works as a slip across belly. SPANX has a maternity line. I don’t think there is actually an issue. I bought maternity compression tights per doctor while pregnant because my lower back caused my legs to ache. I know its not the same, but I could see foundation garments doing something similar if made right.
At this point, I think Kim manufactures controversy for everything, all for attention, media time and $$$ . It’s become her MO.
But it’s not controversial. Pregnancy shapewear was available long before Kim did it. Critics are making this into a bigger deal than it should be.
I don’t mean the shapewear is controversial, I mean more that Kim likes to manufacture controversy (in this case, who knows..a well-planted social media account to start rallying against her maternity wear? IDK) and then boom, big controversy and lots of attention. It’s just too coincidental that everything is always a huge media storm, even when it shouldn’t be.
@OriginalLala
I agree with you. Any attention is good attention for Kim. Jameela complained about the pregnancy shapewear (I don’t see anyone else really outraged), and Kim probably thought oh this is a good way to get some promo ! She’s acting like thousands of people are coming for her. Calm down girl, it’s literally just Jameela.
Jameela complained and an article was on the daily fail about it. So she wasn’t the only person that complained.
In my opinion Jameela should have asked her preggo friends their opinions before spouting off (again) on a topic that she doesn’t know anything about. Chrissy Teigen was right to defend pregnancy shapewear cause it IS supportive, doesn’t get lost in your nether regions, and lays flat over your belly.
For me during my pregnancies, I enjoyed the feel of shapewear. It felt supportive and comfortable. If I have a third, I’ll give Kim’s line a try.
Has anyone tried Kim’s brand?
I have found a big issue with SO many brands of shapewear that there are either thick seams or just plain scratchy material on the inner thighs, inexplicably.
This means that as my ample thighs touch when I walk, it creates the loudest SWISHY noise and is really unpleasant.
I have some which have a more silky/slick material on the inner thighs and they are perfect.
I am always astounded that shapewear literally made to compress thighs then creates another issue which is FAR WORSE.
So… Are Skims going to disappoint me??
I used shape wear when pregnant. I loved it. I don’t see why this is problematic
People are stupid. Maternity shapewear is the best.
Jameela has to get invovled in everything
So does Chrissy. I think both of them would be better served by digesting something for a bit before determining if they need to weigh in publicly.
Her sometimes but Chrissy gets involved in absolutely everything,she is so thirsty,corny and annoying.
I liked that they used a pull quote from Jameela and referred to her as another user, rather than by her name. Guessing her relevancy is down nowadays
I’m in the “anti-Kardashian no matter what” camp.
And her face is looking strange.
It’s because she face-tunes her pics to high hell and back.
It doesn’t help that she often appears to be mouth breathing. I know a lot of women do this attempting to look sexy…but to my eye I always immediately think “mouth breather” who is either sick or too lazy to put their lips together. I just realized that maybe people with extensive nasal/facial surgery do need to mouth breathe, if they’ve destroyed proper nasal airflow.
I am so glad that I am not the only person who thinks this. I am so tired of the head tilted/mouth slightly open photos. It’s not just famous women either. It looks fake and makes the person look sort of half-witted. That said, it is much better than the sticking out the tongue pose.
I have to say I only wore shapewear when I was heavily pregnant
As it gave my bump support and it didnt hurt with each step I made.
So yes it is great to wear it as support…and also after my child was born it help me again as I needed support when exercising those muscles back
I think its great idea
I needed some support desperately with my second.
He sat low the entire pregnancy, and it hurt so much. I think it’s tendons?
Anyway, so painful even to walk a block.
I got married when I was around 20 weeks pregnant and I WISH I had an easier time finding maternity shape wear- just to smooth out my love handles/ give my butt lift because my dress was form-fitting. I don’t see the issue honestly with this. She generally induces cringe in me but shapewear isn’t always “fat shaming.”
I think this is the underlying reason why people have a problem with shapewear in general. Not attacking you on this because I am 100% not body positive when it comes to my own body. But, this idea of smoothing out our love handles, and the “clean lines”comment in this article are all part of the bigger issue ppl are discussing. Using shapewear (and I do it too sometimes when it comes to super form fitting dresses) is really about women erasing parts of their body society doesn’t deem acceptable to be showcased. We are currently ok as a society with generally big bust, big butts, but flat stomachs, toned arms and legs. “clean lines” is a cute way of saying don’t show Ur stomach rolls or get rid of that extra inner thigh for that elusive thigh gap. I think ppl are outraged at this specific line bc the implication is that already we shame women as is and now when they’re also doing a very difficult endeavor of growing another human inside of them all we care about is how they look. Kinda further perpetuating that women are always expected to be picture perfect, and we feel that constantly and are ashamed of our bodies for what they are. Sorry honestly, not a rant against u bc I’m with you, it’s just I think this is where the outrage is coming from.
Thank you for your comment. I feel like people are kind of overlooking how the wording of “clean lines” really indicates how certain parts of a women’s body’s need to be hidden.
People criticise this woman for absolutely everything. It’s so boring now. I hope the line does very well, despite the unnecessary (and constant!) hate.
I’m no Kim apologist, but this kerfuffle is just nonsense. I LIVED in shape wear when I was pregnant. It offered support where I needed it and made me feel MORE comfortable. It wasn’t about, like, trying to look thinner. It was about feelings comfortable in my clothes, particularly dress clothes, and shape wear helped tremendously.
I think people are more upset because Kim and Ko. Always take credit or slap their names on things that have been around for ages.
My humble opinion is that it’s not anyone’s business to decide whether to wear shapewear if you haven’t delivered a baby yourself. A person must know what works or not during her pregnancy, especially if we take into account factors like diet, hydration, weather conditions (yes, it makes a difference if you’re permanently based where it’s hot most of the time) and overall physical condition of a pregnant woman.
I would guess that most women who have been pregnant through near- to full-term, and beyond full-term, would welcome garments like this. What people are upset about, I guess, is thinking of it as trying to slim a pregnant body rather than help *support* a pregnant body. Being pregnant is a very unusual thing—your joints loosen, your center of gravity changes, you swell, your feet expand, your bladder and intestines get well scrunched by your increasingly huge uterus (oddly making the need to pee frequent and the ability to poo sometimes near impossibly difficult), it’s hard to breathe, your blood volume increases 50%… Adding a garment that helps with some of the physical changes sounds like a gift to me. And if the undergarments are also pretty…that would be amazing. My youngest is 16 and when I was having babies, and then breast-feeding, the only undergarments I could find (and fit into) were hideous utilitarian things that looked like something my grandmother would have sown with her ladies group doing “make and mend” projects during WW II.
I think in Kim’s posts it sounds like the maternity line is to help support the growing belly as part of the purpose for the garment (which a lot of the other maternity shapewear says as well), but the copy for the products on the website doesn’t describe that aspect at all and it just sounds like it shapes your butt and thighs without compressing your stomach. I think that’s why (some) people are upset.
Also, pregnant ladies still have places to go and nice dresses to be worn (at least in the before-COVID-times), and maternity shapewear helped me feel my best at weddings and for big work meetings. Shapewear also made everything more comfortable. I personally loved the feeling of being ‘held-in’ and supported during both my pregnancies and LIVED in Spanx’s maternity support stockings. Why do people need to judge?
I have never been pregnant but I imagine shapewear is quite comfortable in that it is supportive? I find bras and tight leggings quite comfortable because I’m just…packed in and supported.
Jameela Jamil just posted something about how Kim posted her response BEFORE she got involved which… The timestamps say different. Jameela Jamil CANNOT gracefully admit that she took a misstep. She always invents a reason why she was justified. This whole thing is just ridiculous- let pregnant ladies wear what they want. Not EVERYTHING is a problem of self loathing and the patriarchy….
JJ needs attention like it’s oxygen
Man,
I just came here to say, (disclaimer I didn’t even read the article fully) that throughout all of my pregnancies I stayed in shape wear.
It was so comfortable and supportive. In fact, I now give that as a gift to newly pregnant friends because of how life changing certain underwear, pants and camisoles were.
I even had a full on body suit that If I could’ve lived in, I would’ve.
Anyway. I don’t understand the grief she is getting. But whatever.
I have friends who loved shapewear while pregnant because it relieved a lot of the pressure on their back and hips by supporting the belly. People need to stop looking for any reason to be mad about something. Especially when they clearly have no idea what they are talking about (I’m looking at you Jameela).
If Kim was uncomfortable during her pregnancy (at least with North) it was at least partly because she was letting her husband “style” her. She looked so hot and swollen and miserable; maybe foundation garments would’ve helped, but probably not as much as proper maternity wear and comfortable shoes!
So lucky only thought about a comfortable bra when pregr, tho was in superb shape up until baby time. Never occurred to keep thighs or butt in “a solution” shape? Also didn’t do any social media back then so I wasn’t living life from “the outside in”- I just thought of how I “felt” rarely how body parts “looked”. Gen Z good luck, that’s all
People really do love to bitch and moan and complain when there’s nothing to complain about. I see nothing wrong with this maternity line whatsoever. There’s nothing wrong with needing extra support and wanting to look your best while pregnant, which DOES NOT mean squishing and thinning your body. When I was pregnant I lived in garments that were smoothing and supportive and at no time was I trying to look thinner, just feel my best. So I think this “outrage” is unwarranted, totally. There’s more than one way to have a pregnant body- not everyone wants to be “loose and free” during pregnancy and that’s FINE. (And you better believe I walked out of the hospital after my c-section wearing a Belly Bandit, I loved the tight support).
I am just here to sideeye the term “solutionwear.” LOL, What the hell?!
Twin pregnancy. I bought shape/support shorts and a support tank from Motherhood. Wore them everyday and at the end I wore a support belt too. This is fine. Maybe manufactured controversy?
I agree (this was to a comment up above about how the product isn’t controversial, but her marketing is)- her initial statement about being “snatched” and shaping the rest of your body and booty was designed to get people outraged and gain her attention. Now she comes in and makes a statement about the reasonable effects of shapewear for pregnant bodies and how people judging her initial statement don’t understand the millions of women she is supporting. Publicity! Eye roll, on to the next.
That’s awesome! Would totally wear this too.
I can imagine my thigh chub rub will only get worse when pregnant during a hot humid Australian summer. And feeling supported when the tummy gets heavy would feel pretty good too.
I thought shapewear for pregnant women was fairly uncontroversial. If there is some controversy, then this is one of those topics where people that have never been pregnant need to keep their comments to themselves.
Well I guess the reasons for being negative is that Kim has a reputation for being- shall we say- superficial. So people are ignoring the practical reasons for supportive wear during pregnancy and assuming its all about vanity.
Well, my first consideration would be if my ability to quickly use the toilet would be affected…. Kim has admitted that shapewear she was using in the past made that problematic (resulting in some undesirable workarounds), but maybe the fact that she liked to wear two garments at once was relevant. Has her line solved that difficulty?
Anyway — if that’s not a problem and the garment feels good, should be ok. All depends on how exactly they are designed and on individual needs for both the pregnant and non-pregnant.