Sales of 'Big Butt' Panties Soar

Perhaps you scoffed when you first read about Booty Pop padded panties, but the line has gone from being hawked on late-night infomercials to Bath & Beyond and Target.com—and nearly 1 million sales are expected this year. It was started by two college friends who read about the popularity of the butt lift (last year saw a 37% increase in the procedure over 2008) and envisioned a cheaper path to a plumper butt.

“We saw the product and two words came into my head: Kim Kardashian,” says the owner of a Los Angeles boutique that started selling the panties. (The Wall Street Journal actually asked “Ms. Kardashian” for a quote, but she “had no comment.”) Other retailers, including Maidenform, Victoria’s Secret, and Frederick's of Hollywood, are jumping on the padded panty bandwagon—and most women love it. “It's not so hot to have a pancake ass these days,” says one satisfied customer.
(More butt job stories.)