When I was growing up, the two most important questions I asked when I shopped for a swimsuit were: Does it come in black? And does it have “tummy control” to smooth out my midsection?
I always felt like slimming fabric was a nonnegotiable feature, because if I didn’t hide and minimize my body as much as possible, I’d be bullied. My swimsuits never matched my outgoing, fun personality. Instead, it was all about function, the goal being looking as small as possible. Every swimsuit I owned from ages 11 to 28 fit that bill.
But that is not the way I live my life anymore—with swimwear or any other category of clothing. And thankfully, emerging plus-size swimsuit brands and I are on the same page.
Even though the selection of swimsuits for shoppers over a size 18 is not as vast as that of our straight-size counterparts, there are designers popping up left and right offering trendy cuts, bold patterns, and vibrant colors that actually make you feel excited to go to the beach. There are the newcomers like Andie Swim and Summersalt, the classic brands like Anthropologie and Loft that are expanding their sizing to offer people of all shapes and sizes the opportunity to be stylish and confident all summer long.
I rounded up 10 of the best new plus-size swimsuit brands for everything from high-waist bikinis to cutout one-pieces.
They say actions speak louder than words but we think a logo bag speaks louder than that. It’s an instant conversation starter, which is part of its eternal appeal. Interlocking Chanel Cs scream elegance, bold faced white Supreme text against a red backdrop announces coolness, and a gold letter D dangling from a saddle bag makes people wonder if you’re an influencer. But not all of us want a loud (and often expensive) logo on display.
Luckily, even though Logomania is still riding strong, the absolute opposite is also just as in. If anything the most popular It-bags of 2019 haven’t the slightest indication of the designer at all (save for maybe the shape or beading) and are from up-and-comers like by Far or Susan Alexandra.
With spring rapidly approaching, chances are in the coming weeks you’ll have less pockets to put things in and will need a bag to throw everything into. So instead of turning to the classic designer options, consider these 16 handbag brands making logo-free investment bags instead.
I have a hard time getting hyped about shopping for swimsuits. Maybe it’s because there’s only so many ways to make so little fabric feel exciting year after year. (More cut-outs? More straps? I’d rather keep the same plain one-piece, thanks.) Swimsuit shopping can be fraught for a myriad of reasons, but here are 12 reasons to get excited about it in 2019: These new swimwear brands are doing legitimately innovative stuff and offering pieces that are just plain fun to wear. Some come from familiar names, like Target, Madewell, and Self-Portrait; others you might be learning about just now. But they’ll all inspire you to hit the beach, pond, or pool this summer.
Shop some of our favorite new swimwear brands, ahead.
Let’s be clear: I’ve always worn my Black Girl crown tall and high, never deflecting the magic that my race carries. But I recently had an epiphany: my beauty routine didn’t always reflect that.
Once only discussed through word of mouth, networks like Instagram and Reddit have helped bubble up black-owned beauty brands to the mainstream. As has the owner of this little makeup brand you’ve probably heard of called Fenty Beauty. You might know her…Rihanna? But according to stats from the U.S. Census Bureau, African-Americans still lag behind other groups when it comes to business ownership. We account for roughly 12 percent of the population, yet we only own just 3.3 percent of businesses. Many reasons go into these factors including less capital, low loan approval rates, and higher interest rates, yet still we push and are on the rise—among these businesses, black women are leading the charge.
From the top of my head, down to my feet, I had to really question myself and see if I had at least one nail polish, chapstick, eyeliner, lipstick, or hair pin by black owners. Even as an experienced beauty writer, the answer was still no. So I decided to go on a detox, putting aside my other beloved brands for a short while to use only black-owned beauty brands for a month straight.
Now, when I say I used only black-owned brands, I mean only—down everything in my shower and medicine cabinet. Yes, even toothpaste. I was worried at first it wouldn’t be possible, but wow was I wrong. Here’s everything I fell in love with over the course of the month.
In the past two years, Target has given its its in-house fashion brands a major overhaul, all while expanding its commitment to inclusivity. A New Day and Universal Thread launched with a full range of sizes, 00 to 26W or XS to 4X, from the get-go; Kona Sol, its newest swim label, debuted with an unretouched campaign. This spring, the retailer is adding three new brands to its womenswear portfolio, zeroing in on a specific category of apparel: intimates and sleepwear.
The first of the trio is Auden, an expansive line of bras and panties (there are 40 and 50 available styles to choose from, respectively) available in sizes 32AA to 46G. Then, there’s Stars Above, a 125-piece collection of pajama sets and pieces to just do nothing in, ranging from XS to 4X. Finally, there’s Colsie, a more trend-driven selection of loungewear and intimates, in sizes XS to 3X, aimed at the Gen-Z crowd. (Think Wild Fable, but for nighttime.)
A lookbook image from Auden.
Anna Wolf/Target
In the age of splashy, size-inclusive intimates launches—Savage x Fenty comes to mind—Target’s latest release makes a lot of sense. The retailer serves a wide breadth of customers, and has worked to showcase diversity in its ad campaigns through casting and no retouching. Plus, like everything else at Target, these three new brands are all incredibly affordable: Nothing in Auden exceeds $22, while items in Colsie and Stars Above cap out at $29.99.
Previously, Target’s in-house intimates were divided in three separate lines: Xhilaration, Gilligan & O’Malley, and Ava & Viv. The largest bra size offered was a 46DDD, at Ava & Viv. Now, shoppers will be able to buy up to a 46G online, for the first time ever.
“We’re offering a more extensive size range than ever before so we can meet the needs of our guests,” says Jill Sando, Senior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager, Apparel and Accessories and Home at Target. As for where Target plans to go from this launch: “We’ll also continue to listen to our guests and make adjustments based on their feedback.”
More than simply offering an array of sizes at an accessible price, Target is emphasizing how customers can feel comfortable shopping and wearing undergarments. “We’re always looking for ways to make our brands more inclusive and celebratory of all body types,” Sando tells Glamour. “Within intimates and sleepwear specifically, what our guests are looking for has continued to evolve. Now, more than ever, they want to feel comfortable and confident in their own bodies.”
“Our team met with hundreds of women—ages 16-54 and of all body shapes and sizes—to have real conversations about their intimates: what’s working, what’s not and what can we do better,” Sando continues. “One thing they all had in common was the fact that finding the perfect bra is a struggle. They want more from their bra—they want to love it! With Auden in particular, we conducted bra fittings with hundreds of women to help us refine and inform the final assortment.”
A lookbook image from Stars Above.
Courtesy of Target
On top of offering more options for shoppers, Target is hoping to refine the process of buying intimates in stores and online with Auden, through Bra Fit studios in retail locations and a “Find Your Fit” tool on its website. As with its apparel, the retailer’s intimates and sleepwear will be merchandised together, in a single section, in stores without a distinction between sizes.
You can expected more newness from Target in 2019: The retailer anticipates to have 25 owned brands available to shoppers by the end of the year. Auden, Stars Above, and Colsie are a pretty great start. All three lines will be shoppable in stores later this month and on Target.com on March 3. Glamour got an exclusive first look at the product—check out the first look at Target’s latest fashion brands, below.
There’s no doubt about it: the last few years have ushered in a whole new standard of diversity and inclusivity within the beauty industry. Thanks to Fenty Beauty’s complete disruption, more and more brands—from new indie names and legacy brands alike—have had to rise to the occasion, expanding their product offerings to accommodate women of color, black women in particular.
And while that industry-wide growth is surely noteworthy, it’s also important to recognize that black folks have provided for their communities long before Fenty, and continue to do so to this very day. Now there are more black-owned beauty brands than ever before addressing the specific needs of women of color, along with products suitable for any and everyone, like non-toxic menstrual hygiene products and SPF that won’t leave a trace.
Here, we’ve rounded up 18 of those brands, promising something for everyone to obsess over.
