Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Spanx: Why people are still putting on shapewear, even men

Spanx promises to smooth the lumps and bumps under your clothes to make you look thinner. Sara Blakely started the company with $5000 some 20 years ago, and now it’s valued at $1.2 billion.

By Madeleine Brand • Oct 27, 2021 • 8m Listen

Spanx promises to smooth the lumps and bumps under your clothes to make you look thinner. Sara Blakely started the company with $5000 some 20 years ago, and now it’s valued at $1.2 billion. She announced on Tuesday that the investment firm Blackstone was buying a majority stake in Spanx. She celebrated by giving each of her staff members $10,000 and a pair of first-class plane tickets to anywhere in the world.

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Madeleine Brand
Host, 'Press Play'
Sarah Sweeney
Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW
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Michell Eloy
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Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Spanx: Why people are still putting on shapewear, even men

Spanx promises to smooth the lumps and bumps under your clothes to make you look thinner. Sara Blakely started the company with $5000 some 20 years ago, and now it’s valued at $1.2 billion.

Share

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Spanx: Why people are still putting on shapewear, even men

Spanx promises to smooth the lumps and bumps under your clothes to make you look thinner. Sara Blakely started the company with $5000 some 20 years ago, and now it’s valued at $1.2 billion.

Share