Tag: PlusSize

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I Tried to Find the Perfect Plus-Size Swimsuit With Subscription Boxes


How it works: Adore Me is mostly known for its lingerie sets, but it also offers size-inclusive swimwear. There are multiple ways to shop on the site. You can pick whatever you want, whenever, like a traditional e-commerce store. Or, you can sign up for VIP and have a “showroom” curated for you every month, with lingerie and swimsuit options based on the style quiz you take. (With that, you get $10 off every set you buy, and the sixth set is free, but if you don’t go to the showroom before the 5th of the month to select or skip, you’re charged a $39.95 fee that can be used as a credit towards a future purchase.) But wait, there’s more: VIP Elite is a free styling subscription service in which someone curates three sets (in lingerie and swim) for you; you have one week to try on or mail back, and you get VIP $10 off pricing for every set. The latter two are curated based on your style quiz and items that you favorite in a closet on the website. If you forget to mail things back, you’re charged in full after 30 days, so best to try them on as soon as you receive, since you’re only given a week with the items.

What I asked for: My “favorited” suits were mostly underwire two-pieces with high-waisted bottoms. I let my stylist know that I wanted my chest to look good, first and foremost. I liked that with Adore Me, I could select a bra size and bottom size separately, so it was more likely that I’d find that perfect fit. I ended up “favoriting” a lot more than three swimsuits, so it would still be a surprise what I ended up with. I was a little stressed by the hold on my credit card and confusion between VIP and VIP Elite and whether I’d be locked into this membership, but excited by the mix of styles the site offered.

Did I find my perfect suit? The first box I got from Adore Me was actually lingerie, by accident. They sent me two swimsuit boxes to choose from after, and out of the lot, I loved two one-pieces, even though I was pretty gung-ho about getting a two-piece. Having a long torso, one-pieces often hit me awkwardly, especially with an underwire. One plunging neckline suit with absolutely no support somehow made me look and feel great: I wasn’t pushed up and properly held in, but I felt secure enough that I could jump into a pool and not make a bigger splash than I meant to. Another had a cold shoulder made of a lacy mesh situation and more of a shelf bra than an underwire, which was more comfortable and covered my upper arms.

I found sizing up to 3X rather than 2X worked for one-pieces, but sticking to 2X was okay for bottoms on two-pieces. I loved how high-waisted the latter were, and might keep the bottoms and return the tops, which, again, even at bra sizes didn’t hold me in or support me as much as I wanted. None that I received were longline either, and I was uncomfortable with the amount of skin showing. (Maybe one day I’ll be a bikini girl, but not this summer.) I think if I used Adore Me again, I’d go for VIP and not the curated Elite boxes—I didn’t have an incredible enough experience with a stylist to want someone to work with me every month, and I definitely don’t need new lingerie or swimsuits monthly. But the idea of a showroom being curated for me to choose from at my leisure (and with an alarm set for the 5th of the month to remind me to skip if I don’t!), I could see myself picking out pieces, whether for the pool or just to feel good about myself. Because we could all use a little confidence boost once in a while.



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The Best Plus-size One-piece Swimsuit From Target


This carried on until last year, when four of my best friends, my boyfriend, and I booked tickets for a weeklong trip to Hawaii. It was my first real adult vacation—to celebrate turning 30!—and the stress of finding at least one suit to get me through the week was looming over me like the clouds on Maui’s mountain range.

Where did I even start? I had no idea what my size was, but I was pretty certain anything straight-size wouldn’t cut it. (Even as a size 6, I’d often have to buy XLs to fit my curves.) I still had yet to buy clothing in proper plus sizes, and my feelings about it were complicated. But I felt fortunate to know that I least had options. I’ve long been a fan of advocates like Gabi Gregg and Ashley Graham, who have not only spoken out the lack of cool, comfortable swimwear for curvy shoppers, but have set out to fill that void by designing styles themselves. I constantly think about how if I’d been plus-size earlier in my life, I might have never returned to wearing a swimsuit at all.

I spent hours trolling through pages of plus-size swimsuits online. I fell in love with at least 10 different styles from Gregg’s and Graham’s collections with Swimsuits for All. (This one is in my cart as I type.) But as much as I was into them, I felt sick to my stomach that I’d order the wrong size and ultimately give up in my search.

It was time to face the dressing room again—which obviously meant a trip to Target.

The retailer has been at the forefront of plus-size swim for a few years now. I applauded when it released swimwear images of models with stretch marks and cellulite, much like my thighs and boobs have. The Internet said Target had a range of extended sizes from 16 to 26 in stores, so I took notes of the styles I liked (black, one-piece, with cool details that didn’t make me look matronly), and hopped into an Uber.

The second I stepped into the stall, all the annoying, familiar feelings came rushing back: the dingy lighting that somehow highlights every single dimple on your thigh; the awkward sensation of your underwear bunching as you pull on a pair of bottoms over them. But there was another that blocked the noise of everything else out. For the first time in forever, I felt the joy of finding a swimsuit that’s so perfectly me (and, you know, also made my boobs look great).

This black one-piece was everything. The nylon-spandex blend was comfortable and fully lined, as were the soft, molded cups that offered great support. The leg holes were cut wide and high so they didn’t dig into my thighs, while the back offered good butt coverage. The straps were adjustable too—just like a bra—so you could set them however looked and felt best. And it had mesh cutouts, which are perfect if you want a peek of skin. I loved how it looked so much I didn’t even care it was a size 20. I bought it, and one other black one-piece for Hawaii. And I wore the shit out of them the entire week.

Even better: This year Target actually launched a new and improved version of my one-piece from its new in-house line Kona Sol. It has all the elements I love and want: the supportive cups, the wide-cut leg holes, the adjustable straps, the cutouts. And because it’s Target, it’s only $40.

Target

Kona Sol Women’s Plus-size Mesh Cutout One-piece Swimsuit

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I wish I could say a swimsuit could magically erase the years of mental warfare I’ve had with my body. But that’s just not how dismantling beauty ideals works. It takes time and constant challenging of what we’ve been taught to believe for years—that having fat or cellulite somehow makes you less than. I know it doesn’t, and yet the number of swimsuit photos I took of myself in the most beautiful place on earth totals a whopping number of zero. A friend did catch one of me though. It’s candid, it’s cute, and I look happy in it (probably because we were in deep discussion about Garrett Yrigoyen—Bachelor drama!), which makes me wish I’d taken more.





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Best Plus-size Swimsuit Brands for Summer 2019


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.



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Not All Bodies Are Exactly the Same—This New Plus-Size Fashion Brand Gets It


If you’re a plus-size shopper, you know the frustration that comes from brands taking straight-size clothing, making it larger, and assuming it’ll fit the same. This practice (which is still, unfortunately, common) doesn’t take into account how the body changes when weight is added, how a silhouette might need to be readjusted for different body types, how hemlines might need to be longer. Even with more options on the mass market than ever before for sizes 18 and up, it can be difficult to know if the number on the tag will actually work for your body. That’s precisely why fashion blogger Lauren Jonas felt the need to start her own brand.

“It always felt to me that clothing should fit us as we are, not that we should fit clothing as it comes,” she tells Glamour about Part and Parcel, a new plus-size women’s wear brand that drops on May 14. Designing for a plus body, after all, is slightly more complicated than a size small or medium: Three women who all wear a size 18 might carry their weight differently—how can clothing fit correctly with so many variations? Jonas thinks she has the key.

Courtesy of Part and Parcel

Part and Parcel’s distinguishing feature is something Jonas calls dimensional sizing. It’s an approach that’s closer to custom, made-to-measure clothing than you normally see at an affordable price point. (Everything at Part and Parcel is under $150.) For each apparel item, the customer is given the choice between two fits on the bust, biceps, and waist; for shoes, coming this fall, they get three options. An online brand representatives assists in real time, helping them pick the best option.

Jonas began working on this concept in 2017, when she started a Kickstarter campaign to design a better wide-calf boot for plus-size shoppers, allowing backers to pick from a range of calf measurements. It took off, so over the next eight months, she began gathering groups of people in her target demographic to really flesh out the concept. Where did dimensional sizing need more fit variations? How could they offer a range of fits at an affordable cost point? From those conversations, one thing was clear: Men have been able to shop dimensionally forever with varying neck, arm, and inseam measurements (and pretty affordably, Jonas adds), but it was time women got the same options.

woman adjusting the fit of another woman's blazer
Courtesy of Part and Parcel

In recent years different made-to-measure brands have gone about a similar route of bringing that menswear approach to women’s. Sene, for instance, tackles modern silhouettes, whereas Careste focuses on blouses. There haven’t been any efforts specifically for the traditionally underserved plus-size community. With that in mind, Part and Parcel debuts with an easy, versatile range of pieces, which make it easy to bring dimensional sizing to a wider audience—blouses, pants, blazers, skirts, dresses, and more. The question becomes: Could this be the next great innovation in the plus industry?

All of Part and Parcel’s clothing is available in sizes 14 through 36. “It was a huge, huge, huge priority to me not only that we offer past a [size] 24, past a 30, and up to a 36, but that it be fitted and graded in a way that made sense,” Jonas says. “Not just fitted on a size 18 and then [scaled] upward, but fit every two sizes so that it’s really, genuinely tailored to [every size].”

a woman adjusting the waistband of another woman
Courtesy of Part and Parcel

“We’re very focused on serving her as a human being, and not only putting clothing on her body or shoes on her feet, but serving her soul,” she continues. “This is our community and this is our woman, and we’re most proud to be plus exclusive and to create that plus-to-plus community beyond the product.”



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This New Aldo Shoe Collection Is Specifically for Plus-Size Shoppers


You might know Addition Elle only through its lingerie collection with Ashley Graham, but the Canadian retailer has been dominating the plus-size apparel space since the eighties, always working to provide options to shoppers who have traditionally been underserved in fashion. And it’s still finding new ways to do that in 2019—now with shoes and handbags.

Addition Elle announced a partnership with Aldo aimed specifically at plus-size consumers looking for strappy sandals, caged heels, ankle boots, and cross-body bags that actually fit. This collaboration was inspired by consumers directly, according to Marie-Soleil Calvert, Addition Elle’s vice president of merchandising: “[Our customer] told us that she wanted fashionable footwear that fits properly and is comfortable, so we searched for a partner that would help bring our collections to the next level.” Aldo proved to be that, not just because of its knowledge of footwear trends and design but also because of the known consistency of its products in terms of quality and fit. Addition Elle brought the expertise in plus-size design and the desires of their customers. The result is a collection that addresses some of plus-size shoppers’ needs and desires from the accessories space: wider width (and, in some cases, extra-wide width), longer ankle straps, breathability (via inserts), and additional support (thanks to padded memory foam).

“Our customer wants fashion in her size,” says Calvert. “She doesn’t want to be limited to the conventional choices that she’s been given—she wants the same thing as every other woman. She asks for comfortable heels, interesting prints, bright colors, and cool styling. And that’s exactly what we’re able to offer her with this collaboration.”

In recent years some brands have expanded their footwear offerings to be more inclusive. ASOS has a selection of wide-fit shoes, Target’s A New Day offers some styles in wide width, and last year Jeffrey Campbell partnered with model La’shaunae Steward on a line of curve-friendly footwear. Still, it’s a category with a lot of room for growth.

These Aldo pieces are available exclusively at Addition Elle; pricing for footwear ranges from $45 to $100; handbags are between $35 and $60. Shop the new collection, ahead.



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Who Says Plus-Size Women Can't Climb Kilimanjaro?


When Christa Singleton first climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2016, she didn’t see anyone that looked like her on the mountain. She was hiking with more than 20 other women—a range of ages and sizes—but still, she felt distinctly out of place.

As a plus-sizer hiker, it wasn’t merely the extra pounds she was carrying up Africa’s highest peak; mental and emotional baggage weighed her down with each step. “It was really mentally challenging and a big reality check. I was—by far—the slowest person, not just in our group, but on the entire mountain that week,” Singleton says. When other hikers would comment on the ease of particular trail as she struggled to move forward, she felt exasperated and alone.

Singleton at Stella Point in 2016.

Courtesy of Christa Singleton

Nevertheless, she persisted. On International Women’s Day 2016, Singleton made the final push to Stella Point, the rim of the summit of Kilimanjaro—18,885 ft into the clouds and just a few hundred feet shy of the mountain’s highest peak.

She didn’t make it to the final summit of Kilimanjaro, but Singleton was proud she had pushed herself higher than she ever thought she could. “I realized I am a beast; I got to Stella Point. That’s not nothing—that’s bravery,” she says. For the first time, Singleton started to appreciate her body, silencing the thoughts about what it couldn’t do. “Up until that point, I never gave it any credit for things that it could do.”

The climb—and the newfound appreciation for her body—had Singleton, now a 37-year-old group adventure leader for WHOA travel (an adventure travel company for women), hooked. She knew she had unfinished business on Kilimanjaro. “I really wanted to finish the last 400-500 feet to Uhuru Peak,” she says. But more importantly, she wanted to take on the challenge with women who looked like her. Instead of being the only plus-size woman on the trail, she wanted a tribe.

Singleton knew firsthand that larger-bodied women can certainly accomplish feats as outsized as climbing Kilimanjaro. But she also knew that they face unique challenges in adventure travel: finding bigger gear, carrying heavier packs to accommodate that bigger gear, and setting a more moderate pace. She wanted to do something to help make other plus-size women feel more comfortable enjoying the outdoors. So, in 2017, she founded the Curvy Kili Crew, a group of 20 plus-size women who set the goal of climbing Kilimanjaro this year for International Women’s Day.

Women of the Curvy Kili Crew laughing in the snow.

Women of the Curvy Kili Crew celebrate during a training hike.

Courtesy of WHOA travel

This plus-size Kilimanjaro climb is the inaugural adventure of WHOA plus, curated adventures for like-bodied women to travel together in a supportive and encouraging group. “It’s hard being the only fat person on the trail,” Singleton says. “We want to normalize fat hiking so that when people see someone on the trail—especially on a big mountain like Kilimanjaro—they won’t do a double take.”

Interest in WHOA plus’s first adventure was overwhelming. News of the Curvy Kili Crew spread through online plus-size travel and hiking communities; the trip sold out and amassed a lengthy wait list more than a year ahead of the climb.

Curvy Kili Crew member Diandra Oliver, 36, grew up on rivers and mountains and spent most of her life hiking and snowshoeing in northern British Columbia. But in her 20s, she stopped, intimidated by the lack of women who looked like her representing the outdoor industry. “There’s so much in outdoor culture about the solo white man on the summit,” Oliver says. “When we don’t participate, the industry can retain its thin, white, male hierarchies—we are definitely so over it.” Groups like the Curvy Kili Crew are exactly what she’s been hoping for: a place for larger-bodied, diverse, women in the outdoors.

A woman from the Curvy Kili Crew hikes on International Women's Day.

A member of the Curvy Kili Crew climbs Mount Kilimanjaro.

Courtesy of WHOA plus

Deb Malkin, a 49-year-old body-positive massage therapist from Oakland, California, joined the Crew as a way to celebrate her upcoming 50th birthday. “I cried giant, ugly tears when I signed up. Climbing Kilimanjaro was the adventure I never knew I wanted to take,” she says. But surprisingly, the biggest challenge of her big, epic, birthday present to herself wasn’t the training but managing the assumption from others that this is somehow a weight-loss journey. “Life doesn’t begin when you lose weight,” she says. “Big dreams can be planned for and achieved in the bodies we have today, regardless of size or age.”



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