"I invented the ugliest undies ever".(THE COSMO POST: Real-Life Reads)(Spanx)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Ten years ago, I was selling fax machines door-to-door and very often getting those doors shut in my face. That all changed when I was 27. I'd saved up to buy a gorgeous pair of white pants. But they stayed in my closet because the fabric was so sheer that, even if I wore a thong, I had bad visible pantie lines--you could even see my cellulite through the pants. After searching countless underwear stores without finding a solution, I cut off the feet of a pair of control-top panty hose and wore those underneath. They were invisible under my pants and smoothed my shape. I got so many compliments and thought, This is what women have been waiting for.

I knew I'd found a gap in the market, but little did I know that, within a few years, celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyonce would be telling everyone they were wearing my underwear--Spanx--on the red carpet.

Spanx Are Born

Getting the shapewear made wasn't an easy process. I researched tights manufacturers online and called as many factories as I could to see what they thought of my idea. As a woman, I knew what female bodies needed, but I was laughed at several times.

It was a year before a manufacturer showed a flicker of interest. I took time off work and drove 290 miles from my home in Atlanta to North Carolina to meet him face-to-face and discuss my idea. He listened but was noncommittal, so I drove home feeling deflated. Then, two weeks later, I got a call from him, saying, "Sara, I've decided to help with your crazy idea." I asked what had convinced him, and it turned out that he had two daughters around my age, plus he liked my determination. It just goes to show that you should never be afraid to put yourself out there--you'll get your yes one day.

Once I got the go-ahead, I became involved in every aspect of the production process, while still holding down my job selling fax machines. I sketched the underwear and bought pairs of panty hose to decide what I liked and didn't like. It took a year to get my prototype perfect. The first product was midcalf-length and had a compression top that smoothed your shape and sucked in your tummy, thighs, and butt, making you look a pants' size smaller. I also wanted them to be comfy enough to wear every day instead of regular underwear.