International Male's "Body Trimmer" top goes for $27, and the brief sells for $20. Click photo for larger image.

Victoria, it turns out, isn't the only one with a secret.

Men are just as concerned about their body image as women.

And, quiet as it's kept, if there are hidden ways to make certain aspects of the male physique appear firmer, tighter, bigger or rounder, more than a few fellows are willing to pay the price.

Women have done it for decades with discreet figure-altering accessories, from girdles and control hosiery to padded bras and push-ups. Now, more and more men are seeking equal time.

"Men have just become increasingly conscious about their appearance," said Neil Mulhall, president of Undergear, which launched the "Shape Enhancer" undergarment line for men a few years ago and has seen sales take off.

"American men have become more body-conscious and fashion-conscious than ever before," he said.

These aren't your normal men's underwear.

One pair of briefs has a "patented contour-stitched seat" that "defines your backside nicely."

Another features "a padded front pouch for a fuller silhouette."

And then there's the undershirt with "firming" spandex and nylon to "redefine trouble spots around your abdomen, hips and thighs."

Undergear and sister company International Male sell their products through catalog and online. They are divisions of Weehawken, N.J.-based Hanover Direct.

Shape Enhancer pieces range in price from $9.99 for cotton-spandex thong underwear to $26.99 for body-trimming tank tops designed to flatten abs. The line has eight types of underwear and three styles of undershirts.

Sales have increased since the line was launched several years ago and currently outstrip other Undergear garments by 50 percent, Mr. Munhall said. The growth "reflects a higher appearance-consciousness among men," he said.

Body-shaping undies may not seem far-fetched when one considers the increasing popularity of short-cut swim trunks and print-patterned underwear among men.

Those men appear to be more comfortable buying such garments through the relative anonymity of online and catalog venues rather than in retail shops.

In underwear available at local men's department and specialty stores, emphasis is on comfort and traditional styling rather than conscious contouring and the creation of illusion. An exception is at Moda in Shadyside, where comfortable, low-cut, crotch-amplifying underwear by C-IN2 has sold well for about a year, according to owner Michael Barone.

"You put one on, you look like an underwear model, basically," he said.