Booty Pop knickers a boost in the bum

Tineke van der Walle. Photo / Doug Sherring

It's an age-old question: "Does my bum look big in this?" And the answer is yes - for women wearing the Booty Pop.

The Booty Pop is American-invented padded underwear promising to give women a curvier, more lifted backside and is now available in New Zealand.

Aucklander 25-year-old Tineke van der Walle tried out the underwear for the Herald on Sunday.

"They feel quite weird. It's like I'm wearing a nappy, but they are comfortable and the fabric is nice," she said.

"I would suggest them for people who have real flat arses. But otherwise I don't see why you would want to make your bum bigger," she said.

"I think it's a big thing in the States, but Kiwis are into the stick-thin look rather than embracing women's curves." She thought there would be a stigma attached to wearing butt-enhancing underwear.

"I wouldn't tell anyone I was wearing them and I would be embarrassed if my boyfriend grabbed my bum and thought it felt weird.

"The Booty Pop wouldn't be good for grabbage," she said.

Co-creator Susan Bloomstone said she came up with the idea after becoming concerned at the rise in women seeking "buttock augmentation" surgery in the United States.

Being "bootylicious" - or having a curvy bottom - had become popular because of celebrities such as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian.

The Booty Pop has been advertised on New Zealand television for $49.99 for two pairs.

They are only available by calling an 0800 number but Bloomstone said she would target New Zealand department stores to make them more widely available.

Bloomstone was extending the Booty Pop line into padded underwear for men and into clothing like jeans, skirts and leggings.