the pretty year

Swimsuits are supposed to be the bane of every woman’s existence. I guess it’s the ratio of skin to public consumption divided by the difficulty of lingerie shopping times the top-bottom sizing differential.

Or something like that.

It would be nice if swimwear designers took actual women’s bodies into consideration– and luckily, as it turns out, a few of them do. So if you’re like me, and you are still looking for a non-nude way to enjoy some fun in the sun, and the usual suspects aren’t cutting it (flatteringly)– check out these solutions-oriented sites.

By Cup Size

Why bother with S, M and L when you can have C through K? Freya and other bra makers have tons of cute styles to choose from in hard-to-find sizes like 30DD and 38G. The best selections I’ve seen are at Figleaves and my personal favorite– the UK-based Bravissimo. Check out the sale section for bikinis, tankinis, one-piece and sports suits from $10-40 and up.

The Long and Short of It

Land’s End has long been praised for its simple mix-and-match separates in a range of “hard-to-fit” sizes. Whether you’re long of torso, tall, petite, plus-sized or petite plus (!), you’re likely to find what you’re looking for here. Better yet? It’s pretty-much all on sale through the weekend.

Pretty Plus

Fatshionista favorite Junonia sizes up to a 6X and a couple dozen items in its Juno’s Closet section are even under $30. Fabulous retro-inspired and contemporary suits from By Ro Designs come in similar range of sizes for $50-150.

Vintage swim is practically synonymous with the name Esther Williams, and her swimwear line lives up to its promise (the site itself could be easier to navigate). Plus sizes are available from 16 to 26, although according to the size chart, they may run a little smaller than that.

PinupGirl’s retro swimwear line features suits up to 2X, though these tend to run a bit small, and are probably best suited (ha) for inbetweenies who wear a size 16 or smaller.  Hopefully, they’ll expand their size range soon!

Modest Suits

If your lifestyle or your swimsuit tastes run to the conservative and you’re not happy with what you’ve found on modest clothing sites, check out Ohana’s cute one-pieces and swim skirts in the $50-100 range.

Custom Swim

If you’ve got the cash, there’s always Zena Custom Swimwear, but why not check out Etsy’s crack seamstresses instead? Miss Brache has outfitted Gabi of Young, Fat and Fabulous, and she can fit you, too.

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4. Just Got Paid: Beyond Bluefly
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