content: The squeem is a great idea but the construction is not the best. While the product compresses your stomach, the inner metal spines bend and then protrude at the ends. I have had to sew the ends repeatedly but the spines keep poking through. At one point, the spine developed some sort of crack and when it poked through the bottom, it scraped my stomach and I took it off immediately. I have never washed the product in the washing machine...I have always handwashed it. So, the manufacturer can't say that I didn't take good care of it.