My uncle flew in from Paris six months ago. We hadn't seen each other in years, so the first thing he did was ask how I was. I said I was good, which probably wasn’t a detailed enough response for him, so he placed a hand flat on my stomach, the way you'd cup a pregnant woman's belly to feel for a kick, and said, "I can tell."
Part of me laughed. The other part was quietly working out how long my mom wouldn’t talk to me if I punched him in the stomach.
He wasn't wrong, which is the annoying bit. My body and I go back a long way, and it's always been a slightly complicated relationship. I was always either too skinny or, somewhere along the line, a little too chunky, but never in the sweet spot. The Abhishek Bachchan zone, if you will.
Currently, I am both a Thai XXL and an American Small at the same time, and let me tell you, reading those two tags back-to-back does something to a man's confidence.
The weight I've made peace with. The wardrobe, now that’s a different story. I couldn't wear what I actually wanted without feeling uncomfortable with how I’m feeling in what I'm wearing. I find it hard to find a cut that doesn’t draw unwanted attention to my body. I find myself looking in the mirror and endlessly judging the silhouettes straight-up and in profile. I never feel as confident as I should.
At some point, I quietly accepted that fashion was for other men. Not me. So I played it safe. I found a few pieces of clothing that boosted my confidence and wore them on rotation like a uniform, while I'd watch other men wear fashionable clothes, wishing, if only.
Then I tried shapewear for men, with no real faith it would do a thing. I wasn't after a miracle. I just wanted one morning that didn't end with twenty rejected shirts on the bed. A men's shapewear vest, in the form of XYXX Sculpt Shapewear Vest, goes on under the shirt, and the first surprise was that by lunch I'd forgotten it was there. It tucks a couple of inches across the chest, stomach, and back, and it manages it without the boa-constrictor grip I was fully braced for.
Let me be clear: the XYXX Sculpt Vest won’t get rid of the fat anywhere on my upper body for me. It hasn’t fixed my body image issues in one heroic go. What it did was quieter and, honestly, bigger. It took away the discomfort of feeling like nothing on my body feels right and gave me the quiet comfort to wear the clothes that I always wanted to wear. And it helped me get a bit brave. For years, my answer to everything had been the XYXX Oversized Tee, which I used to make my body disappear. Now, when I wear it, I can spend more time styling it and accessorizing my looks without worrying about what my arms or belly are doing.
With the vest doing its thing underneath, I started shopping from a place of passion and excitement. I’m loving every second of this feeling. I tried the XYXX Full Sleeve Polo in midnight blue, a fitted polo that I would never have considered before. And the slim tees! They’re back in rotation after ages. The XYXX Supima Cotton T-shirt stopped being aspirational and became a functional part of my wardrobe.
My uncle is flying into Mumbai again next week. He'll probably go for the stomach again, because that is simply who he is, and no vest on earth fixes a man's manners. But I'll have to get dressed that morning without losing any sleep over what he’ll say or do. I’ll be busy spending time finding the perfect Top for the day.
FAQs
What is men's shapewear, and what does it do?
Men's shapewear is a form-fitting vest designed to compress and contour the body beneath your clothes, targeting areas like the abdomen, chest, and back for a slimmer, more structured look. XYXX Shapewear moves with you, breathes with you, and fits into your everyday life without feeling restricted.
Will shapewear make me look slimmer instantly?
Yes, shapewear can make you appear slimmer instantly by smoothing your chest, tummy, and sides. XYXX Shapewear offers up to 2 inches of tuck with balanced compression that shapes effectively without leaving you feeling squeezed or breathless.
Does shapewear help with man boobs (chest compression)?
Yes, chest-compression shapewear can minimise the visibility of man boobs and help shirts sit more cleanly on the body. XYXX Shapewear supports the chest with structured compression that feels secure without feeling tight.
Will the shapewear vest show under a fitted shirt?
No, men's shapewear from XYXX is built to be undetectable under most shirts, including fitted and white ones. The seamless construction and slim profile sit close to the skin, avoiding the visible lines you'd get from regular compression wear.
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