Shaping undergarment and method of its manufacture

Abstract: A shaping undergarment includes a front panel and a rear panel connected thereto, forming an undergarment having first and second hip regions. A frictional band attached to the undergarment extends along at least a portion of the rear panel between the first and second hip regions. The frictional band may extend substantially continuously between the first and second hip regions, and, in certain embodiments of the invention, may be a single continuous band. When worn, the frictional band frictionally engages the wearer's skin to uplift and extend the wearer's buttocks. The frictional band may be totally or partially obscured from view. The material properties of the frictional band, such as its coefficient of friction with skin and elastic modulus, and its path along the undergarment, may be designed to achieve a particularly aesthetically pleasing result for the wearer of the shaping undergarment. (end of abstract)