Plus Size Swim: Expand Your Market for Curvy Women
For a long time, everyone exposed in the fashion industry somehow neglected the existence of plus size women. Shopping malls and stores do not seem to offer any piece of clothing available for plus size women and end up shopping in the men section.
With the increase of awareness for body diversity, the plus-size industry is turning into a fast-growing apparel business segment. In recent years, retailers and designers have launched stores and websites only for women with bigger bodies. This includes the swimwear industry. Big brands such as Victoria’s Secret have started to branch out and offer more inclusive products for all women.
If you’re in the swimsuit business looking to design some plus size models for women, then you’ll need to re-plan your strategy to launch a sustainable and comprehensive plus size swimwear line.
Know The Plus Size Swimwear Consumers
Plus size is more than just adding a few XL to XXXL size labels on your clothing line.
Get to know the sizes that actually fall into the “plus-size” category and what size range your line can cater to. It is indeed difficult to find the universal plus-sizing chart, but the Plus Model Magazine is an excellent place to start with the size below:
- Plus size: 10-13 (US)
- Supersize: 1X-6X
- Extend size: 7X and up
The term ‘plus size’ is indeed not inclusive for everyone. So, to make this article easier to digest, we’ll consider sizing 10 and above classified as plus size.
Besides the actual sizing, a swimwear model for plus size women requires knowing your customer’s body shape and some designs and styles that work best for one figure instead of the other. In other words, it’s best to choose a plus size bikini that suits a particular body type.
Here is the list of body types for plus size women:
- Hourglass: Wide breast and hips with a narrow waist
- Pear: More weight around the hips and with smaller shoulders and waistline
- Apple: Small legs with wider hips and breast
- Rectangle: Straight hips, bottoms and shoulder line
Now let’s get into the style options for a trendy plus size swimwear you should have in your line.
The Perfect Plus Size Swimwear Style Options
It’s a shame that, in reality, curvy women have limited options in the field of stylish plus size swimwear. It’s a common misconception that plus-size women look at plus-size beachwear to cover their bodies instead of celebrating them.
In the time of body positivity, plus size women love to show off their body just like everyone else, and the best thing about plus size swimsuits is that it offers coverage and support for the body while still making it beautiful.
With this in mind, think about offering good construction with quality swimwear fabric without taking away any stylish aspects of the swimwear.
Plus size swimwear also follows a different technical structure than the average size swimwear. For example, traditional sizing sets are usually sewn with one panel covering the entire swimsuit while plus size models require more panels to ensure the perfect fit and support. Also, doubling the lining around the chest area to provide better bust support. Stabilizers are also must-use materials to hold pieces in place and prevent fabric stretching, so the garment keeps the silhouette as it is supposed to.
Choose an Experienced Manufacturer
When you’re looking for a plus size swimwear manufacturer, the first thing to consider is going with a manufacturer who has experience in plus-size garment production.
Bali Swim offers a wholesale plus size swimwear manufacturer and designer, bringing quality materials and features that can help your swimwear designs to life and understand all the required technical demands.
We hope this article has helped you get the general idea of plus size swimwear and its growing markets and have inspired you to join the trend, offering options for women in any size.
Always,
Your Bali Swim Team
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