Summer? Vacation? Exercise at the Club? Finding the perfect bathing... correction, finding a bathing suit in anything other bigger than size 8 in an every day store is a challenge. Feeling comfortable in swimwear is one of the biggest factors determining whether a plus-size woman ventures to the waters edge to dip her toes or anything else.

Many vacation hotspots may be avoided because of the inability to find a suit. Fret no longer. There are a number of online shopping offerings available. Following are a few sites of my favorite. I hope they will make your days in the sun more enjoyable.

First off the suits:

Junonia

Junonia has a print catalog and website to do your swimsuit shopping. They are devoted to the "40% of American women who wear a size 14 and up," and pride themselves on their customer knowledge, product innovation, great fit, and quality. If you're unsatisfied you can return any unused items with tags intact within 30 days for a complete refund.

The swimsuits come in one-piece, two-piece and co-ordinates as well as cover-ups. Their swimsuits are made-to-be-worn again and again. Swim laps in a chlorinated pool? No problem, try their chlorine resistance and UV ray resistance suits. This article's main focus is on swimwear, but Junonia is also a leader in their active sportswear for women sizes 14 to 40.

Just My Size Swimwear

Sexy, sporty or oh so casual designs. Just My Size offers a beautiful selection of styles for one piece and two piece swimsuits. They only have a few cover up designs. They also care a few suits for women with mastectomies.

Their pricing is simply amazing with pieces as low as $29.99. I love that you can buy your two piece suits separately. As for satisfaction, they claim to be "committed to providing clothes that fit and flatter".

Swimsuits For All

Just as the name suggests, this online retailer offers suits for the whole family. They have a special section for plus sizers and it isn't hidden at the bottom of the page. You can shop by brand or style. Some of the brands they offer include: Christina, Delta Burke, St. Tropez, Speedo and more. For styles you can choose from the standards, tankinis, shortinis, chlorine proof and dresses. Prices for suits are excellent. There's also a nice selection of accessories like cover ups, beach towels, hats and lotions. One draw back is that not every suit comes in every size. They do carry sizes up to 34. *Update: Swimsuits For All has been updating their selections and they claim have the largest selection of plus size swimsuits and accessories, close to 1000 different items.

Lane Bryant Swimwear

Fashionable swimwear. Prices range from reasonable to pricey. Check often as they have great sales or specials. Sizes go up to 26 in some styles.

Ulla Popken Beachwear

You want one piece? Two piece? Skirted? Ulla Popken has flattering plus-size styles as well as cover ups, pareos and caftans.

This European company has 30 years experience specializing in plus-size fashions in sizes 12-38. They landed in the US in 1994 and have had tremendous growth ever since both in stores and online. They offer 6 collections a year and are proud of their satisfaction guarantee and internet shopping security.

Their models aren't overly plus size but they make up for this for their sales and customer service.

Swimsuits Just For Us

This may not be the most extensive plus-size swimwear selection on the internet but they are near the top.

Swimsuitsjustforus.com has been online for six years and offers swimwear for women sizes 14 to 32. Some of the designers featured are: Carol Wior, Christina, It Figures!, Robby Len, Delta Burke and T.H.E. They have a host of ways for you to shop by: by style, by bra type, by body type or by brand.

One of the best features of this website is you don't have to look at skinny models supposedly modeling for the plus-size buyer. Don't get me wrong, they are on the site but they are not so in-your-face. All the models have curves.

Some of the features of their suits are: bust and thigh minimizers, tummy control, soft cups, chlorine resistant, high-cut armholes and versatile two-piece swimsuits. The fabrics come in rich soft textures with tropical prints, animal prints and slimming color blocks.

Sarongs

You can't have the perfect swimsuit without the perfect cover. At Feedora Plus-size Sarongs you can't go wrong. These gorgeous sarongs made specifically for the plus-size woman are sure to be a hit on your next beach visit or cruise (they'd be excellent for lounging around the house too.) Each sarong comes with a two page instruction sheet on different ways you can tie them.

Who would know more about sarongs than a company from Hawaii? Sarongs are made from 100% Deluxe Rayon and are 45 inches X 90 inches (115 cm x 228 cm) in size. If you can get a group of your plus-size friends together, Feedora offers group discounts.

All Sarongs are completely hand-made of the highest quality rayon and the best colorfast batik dyes. According to the Feedora website, fifteen women labour for 4 days to make one sarong. Each piece is really a labour of love and a work of art. You can learn more about the history of the sarong and batik process at their website.


If you decide to order from any of these places please let them know where you heard about them. Let me know about your shopping experiences.

Have a great summer!

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