When Hollywood’s most glamorous actresses hit the red carpet at Sunday’s Oscars, their bods will be made hotter with an arsenal of enhancers, from “chicken cutlet” bra inserts to Spanx. And in some cases, the ladies will be packing another concealed weapon: butt pads.
The caboose boosters are the latest awards-season essential, creating curves back there without the pain, expense and risks of surgery or endless reps in the gym. “Butt pads are a tool for a specific look — they work best to emphasize your body with a very slinky body-hugging gown or pants,” says fashion expert and television personality George Kotsiopoulos.
In January, Kristen Bell became the first celeb to come out of the tush-cushion closet when she Instagrammed a hilarious pre-Golden Globes close-up of her bolstered granny panties. When the actress posed for awards-show photos in her black-sequined Jenny Packham gown, her own globes appeared well-rounded.
“Why on earth would I want to keep all the great secrets of how fun it is to get dressed and feel your best?” said Bell, when an “Access Hollywood” reporter brought up her surprising reveal a few weeks later.
While Bell is happy to overshare, most A-listers and their stylists prefer to keep their prostheses private. Taylor Swift is one of the stars suspected of smuggling padding, and eagle-eyed observers have posted before-and-after pictures of her that show a difference in both bun size and projection. While the songbird could have just been hitting the gym hard or wearing flattering clothing, the change is noticeable. (Her publicist did not return a request for comment.)
“The butt is the new It body part,” says Kotsiopoulos. “It used to be an insult to say someone had a big, fat butt, and now it’s a huge compliment.”
The collective focus on apple bottoms is at an all-time peak, thanks in part to the popularity of well-endowed stars such as Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Beyoncé and Sofía Vergara. Plastic-surgery statistics reflect the changing standard of beauty: The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported that buttock implants were the fastest growing type of cosmetic surgery in 2015 and that, on average, there was a buttocks procedure every 30 minutes of every day.
Meanwhile, silicone or foam butt pads will turn a flat fanny into a plump rump in a matter of seconds. Ranging in thickness from a discreet quarter-inch to a colossally cheeky 2 ¼ inches, styles include pocket panties with removable pads, undies with sewn-in padding and loosies that adhere to clothing. The silicone versions are the most lifelike, but are heavier — the largest can weigh a pound each — while foam is cheaper and featherweight.
Purveyors say the trend is catching on.
“We have stylists that contact us directly,” says Susan Bloomstone, co-creator of Booty Pop, a line of colorful padded panties priced from $15 to $36. “We get called for music videos, red carpet [events] and modeling shoots for magazines.”
The former PBS television producer, who started the company in 2008 with former fashion director Lisa Reisler, adds that 2016’s sales soared 30 percent over 2015.
“I think it’s a way to get dressed now,” she says. “It has definitely become mainstream, and it’s another accessory.”
It has definitely become mainstream, and it’s another accessory
Haley, a 22-year-old, New York-based sales rep who declined to give her last name for privacy reasons, was turned onto Booty Pop by a college friend. She invested in two pairs, and breaks them out when she’s rocking a tight dress or jeans.
“It really does make you look great,” she says. “I’ve definitely gotten compliments.”
Bubbles Bodywear has the industry’s widest selection of products designed to “take your gluteus to the maximus.” The company saw a 10 percent sales increase last year, according to founder and CEO Karen Jones.
She invented her first product — the patented $17 garterlike Bubbles Bum Lifting Bands — in 2003 after her beloved leather pants stretched out in the seat. Now, she markets about 80 different uplifting styles, ranging from her best-selling $55 Retro Lace-Waist Padded Panty to butt bras, adhesive butt-and-hip pads and padded swimwear. She has even developed eight sizes of premium clear silicone butt pads that jiggle like real flesh.
“If someone accidentally touches your backside, it feels realistic,” she explains.
Getting busted with a fake rear is a concern for many would-be wearers, but aficionados, like Haley, dismiss it. “Trust me, no guy will actually care, and if they do, then buh-bye! I definitely don’t think it’s false advertising, because almost every girl owns a pushup bra, so why not give your butt a little lift, too?”
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