Gwyneth Paltrow never thought she could get her dream body. The Oscar-winning actress — who has two children, Apple, five, and three-year-old Moses, with her Coldplay rocker husband Chris Martin — was convinced she had to accept her natural body shape until she met personal trainer Tracy Anderson.

Gwyneth — who spent time away from the limelight following the birth of her kids, but wowed fans with her toned physique while promoting 2008 movie 'Iron Man' — said: "Tracy has changed my body completely. I had always been dedicated to exercise, but no matter how hard I worked, I never was able to change the things that bothered me. Her method is so rewarding because, yes, you are working hard, but you know you are getting somewhere. I really never thought that at 36, after two children, I could look better than I ever had."

"She has totally transformed my bottom. It has always been my hardest, most stubborn area to change, but she literally made me work my butt off."

Talking about Gwyneth's body before she underwent her transformation, Tracy told the USA Today newspaper: "In the past, she'd had times when she was very, very thin, but never this toned. Her definition is unreal."

Gwyneth's routine changes every 10 days to keep the muscles guessing and active. Tracy added: "I go after knitting the muscles in different ways. We start with the whole-body bands system that I developed. Then we go to the bars for the legs. We do abs and we dance for 45 minutes at least."

Hot items of the week?

New York's fashion elite have flocked to buy an #800 leather swimsuit. Boutique beachwear emporium Rosa Cha has sold out of the unusual one-piece, which is made out of butter-soft meshed brown leather that must not get wet.

Other best-selling items at the store include a #2000 Swarovski crystal-encrusted swimming costume and a #1190 kaftan.

Shop manager Christina Delice said: "The people that buy these pieces are people who can definitely afford these kinds of items."

The animal skin creation is not the only expensive swimsuit that is flying off the shelves this summer.