Whether with back braces or corsets, fashion has long tasked itself with correcting the sorry, slumping postures of the world's chronic slouchers. A new fashion line hopes to combat the problem of drooping spines in a more subtle and elegant way. Meet Up Couture, a Parisian fashion design company that has released Up, the world's first anti-slouching T-shirt.
Unlike most contraptions designed to help prevent slouching, the Up T-shirt doesn't incorporate any sort of rigid brace to keep a sloucher's spine and shoulder straight. Instead, the Up organic cotton T-shirt is designed with a patented configuration of elastic bands, which are sewn right into the garment. Looping your arms through the holes, these bands are arranged in a figure-eight pattern. The result is a shirt which supports your shoulders, making the t-shirt feel less comfortable to wear when slouching than when practicing good posture.
"The goal of the shirt isn't to force the wearer's posture into position, which would weaken his or her back muscles, and instead press in the right direction as soon as the wearer's shoulder's leave their unique alignment," says Up Couture on their official website.
According to designer Neda Naef, the Up has a particularly resilient form of elastic that allows the shirt to encourage better posture without degrading over time. Which is a relief, since the world's first anti-slouching T-shirt might also be one of the most expensive shirts you can buy, with a single posture-enhancing tee costing between $175 and $200.
Of course, depending upon how badly you find yourself hunching over during the day, that price tag might very well be worth it. Not only could it save you from a life of back pain, but if your mother is like mine, you will never have to worry about a glass of ice water being poured down the collar of your shirt again. "No slouching!"
Up Couture's anti-slouching tees can be purchased online here.