It’s that time of year, y’all. The sun is shining. It’s oppresively hot. The barbeques are grilling. It’s time to brave the beach and/or hit the pool! I know that the very notion of this strikes fear in the hearts of many a big girl. But, I decided a while back not to care (as much). Yes, I am bigger than the average person and, yes, that bigness is on display even moreso in swimwear. But, as Star Jones said to Oprah about her decision to wear bathing suits even at her heaviest, “What was I supposed to do? Stay inside and be hot??” No ma’am! Just the same way that wearing long sleeves doesn’t convince anyone that you have skinny arms, keeping yourself covered up from head to toe in the summer heat doesn’t fool anyone into thinking that you don’t have bumps and rolls underneath your clothes.
If you need a confidence booster before donning a swimsuit, check out xoJane and Gabi Gregg’s Fatkini Gallery, which features images of real-live, non-professional-model plus size women rocking two-piece swimwear.
So, rather than keep yourself cooped up and under wraps, I say find a swimsuit that flatters you in your body today and flaunt your fierceness before the world. (Besides, we’ve already discussed how to handle rude behavior from “perfect” strangers. You are armed with your quick comebacks and complaint letters.) So, now the question becomes, where to go to find the perfect swimsuit?
The downside of swimsuit shopping for the plus-size woman is that most of the options are only available online – which means you will have to be prepared to make returns of the items that don’t fit right or flatter. Notwithstanding this drawback, there are a ton of options. In an attempt to be as comprehensive as possible, I am simply providing a laundry list of options at various price points. It is up to you to determine which shop features styles that suit your tastes best. So, without further ado, here is the Curvy CEO Plus-Size Swimwear Shopping Guide!
- Alwaysforme.com
- Ashley Stewart
- Bloomingdale’s
- Deb
- Dress Barn
- Evans
- Fashion Bug
- H&M+ (Apparently, you can even find a plus-size bikini at H&M stores!)
- JC Penny
- Jessica London
- Just My Size
- Kiyonna
- Kohl’s**
- Land’s End
- Lane Bryant**
- Lord & Taylor
- Macy’s
- Monif C.
- Nordstrom
- Old Navy
- Roaman’s
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- Sonsi** (featuring apparel from Swimsuitsforall.com)
- Torrid**
- Zappos.com
**This shop is an affiliate of Curvy CEO.
I’m sure there are other options out there that I’ve missed. Feel free to list them in the comments section. Happy shopping!!!
— curvyceo
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Lands’ End carries plus-size swimwear, though I’ve never bought any, so I can’t speak to its fit. Generally speaking, though, their stuff is very high quality.