Vogue Saddlebags and Liposuction

I visit Darrick Antell, M.D., plastic surgeon, who is ensconced in another Park Avenue-style parlor/office where, he confides, he wanted a decor with "old-world charm and a residential feel." His voice is earnest and punctuated with Dale Carnegie inflections. "To some degree you can change the shape of your legs through exercise, but I've even seen marathon runners with saddlebags," he begins. (Am I crazy or is everyone in league against marathon runners?) "Most women want the outer thigh and saddlebags done. Boy, I love that area — you can get really good results. The inner thigh is more of a no-man's-land. You have to be conservative — there's a higher frequency of waviness in that area. Knees and ankles are difficult. The key there is careful postop care to keep the swelling down." Antell is not a proponent of UAL, either, although he will perform it if requested. He lists the same drawbacks as Wexler and says, "I'm not one to try the newest technique and then find out six months later that it wasn't so good." (Antell's fees are slightly higher than Wexler's; for a saddlebag the initial fee is $3,500, plus $600 for local anesthesia and a $ 1,000 operating-room fee.) He adds, "Lipo is not a replacement for exercise or good diet. If I don't think I can make an improvement, I tell the patient."

So any way you slice it a leg transformation is a major investment in time and/or money. Not everyone is willing to make such a concerted effort. Elizabeth Saltzman, the fashion director at Vanity Fair, has legs anyone else might envy, but still feels that her inner thighs protrude more than she would like. But she doesn't bother to try to perfect them. Nell Campbell, actress/restaurateur, who admittely was blessed with a couple of beauties, doesn't do any upkeep, either. She advises, "Just keep them akimbo, if you follow my drift."