The Emperor, he of the faux clothes of fairy tale fame, should have had one of these babies.

Officially, it’s the Speedo Fastskin LZR Racer, the Ferrari of swimsuits, made of secret materials found only in laboratories and on elite racers. It doesn’t wrinkle, bag or chafe.

Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff are among a handful of swimmers this weekend sporting them at a meet that is part of the Grand Prix series.

The one-piece suits are supposed to reduce drag in the water by as much as 10 percent and increase oxygen intake. Phelps and Hoff love them. Competitors must wonder why either athlete needs a turbocharger.

Make no mistake, these are not the one-piece suits your Aunt Ethel wore Downy Ocean, hon.

Imagine a body encased in very expensive plastic wrap. Ultra-thin plastic wrap. Leave-nothing-to-the imagination plastic wrap.

Material so thin, so painted-on, that Hoff admitted she ripped two suits as she wiggled into them. At $290 to $550 a piece, that’s not like putting a run in a pair of panty hose.

“You have to be very meticulous,” she counseled.

Not that everyone is going to rush out to buy one. What can potentially make one faster also shows off a multitude of sins. (Think: human bratwurst). Aunt Ethels of the world, beware.

Besides, as Hoff points out, the suits are so skin tight that they’re not good for lounging around. And, she notes, many versions cover up all but hands and feet -- not exactly what you’d wear for catching rays.

But if you’re hoping for a regal look during a trip this summer to, say, Beijing, this is the suit for you.