Has Social Media finally had enough of Slim Thick? 

Have we reached peak Slim Thick? The hashtag #slimthick now has 328 million tags on Tiktok, more than doubling over the last year. So it’s clearly showing no signs of disappearing as a trending term. But does it remain a desirable body shape, or is social media moving on to the next thing? As we move through summer, Instagram fills up with filtered bodies proclaiming ‘beach ready’ ‘bikini bodies’. So is Slim Thick just another hammer to clobber normal women with? Or is it a helpful evolution towards real body shapes?

What is Slim Thick?

This term is used to describe a woman with a tight waist and flat stomach, then rounder hips, bum and thighs. Their bodies are firm and considered physically fit. Because of the focus on working out, Slim Thick is regarded as a more achievable or aspirational body shape. 

New words same body?

The human body isn’t new, it’s been around for a while! So it follows that Slim Thick is only contemporary as a term, not a body. The bombshell hourglass figures that adorned posters in the 1950’s were not dissimilar in shape. The difference is in toning. While retro hourglass body shapes are all about voluptuous curves, Slim Thick is muscular and toned. 

Figure Fads

As Slim Thick centres around being toned and fit, it may be thought of as more healthy than past body trends. However, the fact that it is the most recent in a long line of body shape trends means that it should always be treated with some caution. From the waif to the playboy, fads in women’s figures have been at the root of a huge amount of body dissatisfaction. So much of our body shape is genetically ingrained; if you happen to live at the right time for your body shape then great. If not, surely it’s better to be happy and healthy than slavishly seeking a shape that may not come naturally to you.  

Catwalk Cool

Think of Slim Thick along the same lines as how highstreet fashion reflects designer catwalks. Most of us wouldn’t don a full Vivienne Westwood creation to go to dinner at the pub. Similarly, the representation of Slim Thick that we see from the likes of J-Lo and the Kardashians are not real life. Firstly, they use shapewear to accentuate their natural shape. Secondly, the Instagram images that we see have been filtered and tweaked deliberately to make a splash. They’re cartoon figures, and we must remember that a real life version is much more achievable and desirable in a day to day environment. 

Harness Your Shapewear

So if you fancy a bit of the Slim Thick aesthetic but realise that it’s to be treated with a pinch of salt, then use your shapewear foundation for temporary compression. It’s a really great way to achieve a more gentle and temporary Slim Thick look. 

Compression

The celebs who claim Slim Thick still cinch their waist. So use high waisted control briefs, girdle or a corset to refine your waist and smooth the line out to your hips. Choose the right compression for your body and the occasion. For a longer period of time, it’s best to keep compression light and achieve a more subtle silhouette. 

Lifting

All the parts of your body are present and correct, they might just need to be shifted a bit! Choose a good pair of shaping shorts that lifts your bum while gently compressing your waist. 

Enhancing

While the focus of Slim Thick may be on thighs and bum, it’s balance that completes the look. So team your compression with a push up bra or corset to help to balance out your waist and hips. The all in one solution is a control body suit – it compresses, lifts and enhances to give you your own authentic Slim Thick look.