WOMEN’S SPRING FASHION : It’s a Cinch

It was only a matter of time before the revival of the push-up bra (Wonder or not) reshaped American women, not to mention designer collections. This season, the most popular silhouette accentuates the bosom and shrinks the waist, with everyone from Armani to Valentino incorporating the corset in everything from let’s-make-a-deal business suits to let’s-party cocktail dresses.

Unlike the confining and uncomfortable undergarments of yesteryear, today’s hourglass fashions create curves with new stretch fabrics, foam padding and flexible plastic boning. Some clothes have foundations sewn into them; others make the most of ingenious darts and seams. The look flatters most women, especially shapely ones like actress-model Tyra Banks, who just appeared in the film “Higher Learning.”

A blast from the past, you say? Yes, and it’s only fitting.

* Produced and styled by Michael Eisenhower & Bob Sparkman

* Hair: Joseph Neeko Abriol / The Crystal Agency; makeup: Troy Jensen / Celestine L.A.; fashion assistant: Bob Sparkman; model: Tyra Banks / IMG Models