How Popilush Is Turning Shapewear Into Fashion Staples

There’s more to shapewear than just Spanx and Skims. The US shapewear market is set to grow by $270.4 million by 2028, according to a market research report from Technavio. Shapewear is also a top trending product selling on TikTok.

Shapewear is also trending with celebrities, as stars like Sienna Miller, Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep have all admitted to wearing shapewear on the red carpet.

It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Shapewear is being styled as part of our outfits, as fashion garments of their own, as we’ve seen Lizzo trailblaze.

“Shapewear has moved from being a hidden layer to a celebrated part of a woman’s wardrobe,” explains Eve DeMartine, the founder of shapewear brand, Popilush. “It’s about merging fashion with function, so you feel confident, without compromise.”

With social media and body-positive conversations, shapewear is being redefined. “Today’s shapewear isn’t about changing your body; it’s about supporting it,” she said. “Women want clothes that work with their natural shape and empower their confidence, and that mindset has fueled the growth of modern shapewear.”

DeMartine grew up in a family of herbal medicine entrepreneurs in Malaysia, but she had her own passion to pursue shapewear. After studying business administration in London, she worked as a sales manager in Malaysia, then moved to the US with her husband. She worked in the makeup department at Macy’s, had twins and saved up to launch her own shapewear brand.

She collaborated with a shapewear supplier, and they worked on building Populish, which she launched in 2022. She sketched out The Shapewear Dress and has since sold over two million items in the years that followed, building her brand to help all women, especially mothers who want to feel confident in their bodies. She wants shapewear to be comfortable, flattering, and meant to be lived in.

“When we launched Popilush, direct-to-consumer fashion was still about cutting out the middleman to offer lower prices, but today, it’s evolved into a deeper relationship with the customer,” said DeMartine. “It’s about community, transparency, and personalization. Consumers now expect not just a product, but a brand that aligns with their lifestyle and values.”

Shapewear should enhance your natural beauty, not hide it, after all. Brands like Popilush, and others, are disrupting the fashion industry. “Shapewear is completely changing how we think about clothing; It’s no longer just something hidden underneath; it’s becoming part of the outfit itself,” said DeMartine.

“What we’re seeing now, and what we are leading, is this fusion of fashion and function,” she explains. “Women want to feel supported and stylish without having to layer or compromise. As more brands move toward built-in solutions like we do, shapewear will continue to disrupt the lingerie space. It’s already reshaping everyday fashion and redefining ready-to-wear.”

Shapewear demands high performance fabrics made with stretch and compression zones designed to flatter. “Our goal is to make shapewear feel like a second skin, not a sacrifice,” explains DeMartine.

Some of the brand’s best selling items include a V-neck style dress, a faux leather bodysuit and a shapewear jumpsuit. “Women love that they don’t have to layer shapewear under an outfit anymore—these pieces are the outfit,” she said. The brand’s Bluetag Cooling Collection, which reduces your body temperature by 15 percent, recently won the silver award at the 2024 New York Product Design Awards womenswear category., which is infused with oyster protein fibers for an extra cooling effect, and absorbs moisture.

DeMartine says that shapewear is moving more in a direction towards becoming actual fashion garments. “Our dresses, jumpsuits, and bodysuits are meant to be seen, not hidden,” she said. “Popilush is a pioneer in building shapewear directly into fashion pieces, offering a true one-piece solution. Our customers no longer need to stress about layering or matching a bra, underwear, shapewear, and an outfit for every occasion. With us, it’s easy: one seamless piece that does it all.”

Next up, Popilush is expanding their range of products and will offer new categories, more sizes and to make comfortable, everyday garments made from sustainable materials. “We’re also building more community-driven content and experiences, because Popilush is more than just shapewear—we are a community,” she said.