I Tried A Swim Romper So You Don't Have To.
In the name of science and Fat Swim Week.
If you ask me, being in the water is one of life’s greatest joys. I grew up going to the beach with my grandparents and cousins and with my parents and sibling and with friends when I was old enough. I skinny dipped in the pond on my college campus. I will jump into the ocean whenever I can, even in December.
Swimming is a special joy for fat people. Body mass which can be such a burden on land, buoys us in the water. We float!
So it especially stings that one of the few activities where body fat can feel like an advantage is one with a lot of barriers. Being a scantily clad fat person in public is hard.
And fat people are certainly not the only people who have been shut out of swimming. Historically, exclusive swim clubs, city pools not being built in Black neighborhoods, pool attire rules, and segregated beaches have made it quite clear who is welcome to swim and who is not.
Still, I think the pleasure of being a body in water is undeniable. It can be soothing and cooling and it has the ability to snap me out of a funk. To me it feels like an animal joy and it’s a joy that I want everyone to have access to.
If I feel confident in the water, it’s in spite of swimwear not because of it. And if the same is true for you, maybe I can help! Bathing suits are the problem, on top of systemic racism, fatphobia, capitalism, and everything else that tries to keep us away from pleasure.
But remember, the goal is to get in the water. And to do that, we need to find you something to wear.
Below you’ll find a recap of what I’ve been wearing to swim, what Virginia Sole-Smith has been wearing to swim, and a roundup of size inclusive swim brands.
But what I really want to know is what are you wearing to the pool / beach / lake / river this summer? Alternatively, what is your swimwear white whale—the swimsuit you’re always looking for, but have never found?
My swimsuits from last year
Good American “Always Fits”
The style I have isn’t available anymore, which sucks because none of this year’s styles are as good, IMO. Still, if you like that crinkly fabric but the Youswim styles or colors don’t work for you, these are a good option.
Torrid Long Sleeve (similar)
Look, Torrid gets a bad rap for good reason, but if you can find a basic swimsuit there that you like, the swimsuit will be good. It will fit! And it will last! And if they don’t have styles you like, I get it because some of them are really questionable. Do we really need floral and animal print simultaneously?
A few swimsuits I’ve tried recently
Having grown up in Maine I feel some type of allegiance to LLBean—I’ve worn their Beansport Tanksuit for years! But I actually think Land’s End Swim is better? Way more substantial. I am technically at the top/outside of their size chart, so their biggest swim size (which they call a 3x) is probably closer to a 4x or 5x. Also, their website is an absolute nightmare to navigate so I feel like the fact that anyone is ordering from them at all is a testament to how actually not bad the suits are.
And I realized after taking it off that this suit has a pocket and I actually don’t know how I feel about that. What am I putting in that pocket that can also go into the pool?
Okay, what I did not realize about a swim romper is that it’s basically a two piece with a romper style coverup sewn onto it, which makes getting in and out of it REALLY difficult. I was into this for the gender neutral vibes and realized only after ordering that perhaps Honeymark is supposed to be modesty swimwear?? And the brand is possibly associated with the LDS church?? Anyways, if you don’t mind that, they go up to a 4x! This one… ALSO HAS POCKETS.
Wanted to love this one and had heard that past iterations of this suit ran big, but this one was way too small for me. Still very cute and also comes in brighter colors.
I actually REALLY like these shorts—they are lined, but not in the leg part which is nice—but the top didn’t work for me at all. In Snag’s defense, it was maybe just the wrong size and also not my style. I think I will keep the shorts, though!
If I needed another suit, I would try this SuperFitHero top and I’ve been dying to try Artesands.
A few swimsuits Virginia Sole-Smith has tried recently…
Another Mormon-founded “modesty” brand, but so many freaking adorable patterns and I’m here for a bikini top that is both cute and not cleavage-forward. This is the shoulder-tie crop top, which I liked because the ties make it very adjustable and the reversible high-waisted bottom, which I can confirm on me, anyway, does not require a bikini wax. Up to 4X (I’m in the 2X for top and bottom).
And here’s the same bottoms (sorry, I meant to reverse them so you could see the solid dark blue, but you know what blue is!) with an exceptionally comfy racer-back crop top that I am tempted to wear just…as a shirt? Another thing I like about this brand is how mix and match their patterns are. And if you have complicated feelings about modesty (don’t we all!!) this episode of Articles Of Interest is such a great listen.
OK this one is NOT MODEST but I can have layers! YouSwim is wild because the suit shows up doll-sized but the fabric stretches a ton. I’m wearing the Aplomb suit in Stretch II (sizes 14-24), in cosmic pink and here is Jordan Underwood wearing the same suit (and so now I want it in purple too!). Do not expect boob support but do expect to feel hot af.
Swimwear Resources
Before I list a bunch of brands, keep in mind that you can wear literally anything swimming! Sports bras, bike shorts, quick dry shorts are all fantastic options. Don’t let clothes be the barrier.
You also don’t need to buy something new. If you have a swimsuit you like, by all means wear it! Shopping secondhand is a great place to start—many of these brands are available on Poshmark, Depop, Ebay, etc.
Swim Up to 5x
Alder Apparel (up to 6x)
Beefcake Swimwear (up to a 5x)
Bloomchic (up to 30 / 6x)
Copper Union (up to 36/38)
Eloquii (up to 32)
Hakuna Wear x Move Fat Girl (up to a 6x)
Kitty and Vibe (some styles up to a 6x)
Manners London (up to a size 30)
Nomads (up to 5x)
Snag (Up to 32/34)
Superfit Hero (up to 7x)
Swimsuits for All (up to 34, some styles up to 40)
Tamara Malas (up to 34/36)
Ulla Popken (up to 32)
Universal Standard (up to 30)
Villa Fresca (up to 30/32)
Slow Fashion Size Inclusive Swim
Melon Bay Swim (up to 4x)
Merrick Maria / Lily Smith (up to 4x)
Minnow Bathers (up to a *very small* XXXXL)
Nettle’s Tale (up to 4x)
State the Label (up to 3x)
Thief and Bandit (up to a 4x)
Australian Plus Size Brands
Artesands (Up to US 24)
Saint Somebody (US8-US20)
Sheila May Swim (up to US 20)
Gender Affirming Size Inclusive Swim
Beefcake Swimwear (up to 5x)
Honey Mark (MAYBE???) (up to 4x)
Humankind (some styles up to 4x)
Origami Customs (up to 5x / custom)
TomboyX (up to 6x)
Period Swim
Knix (up to a small 4x)
Wetsuits
Check out this spreadsheet by the amazing Kim / movefatgirl
These were the biggest “women’s” wetsuits I found in my research
Way to burst onto the scene with the most helpful post ever as the debut of Big Undies! I will now not be doing any work today and instead will be clicking each link to find my next suit. Thanks for doing the leg work!
What Lucy wrote!!! This newsletter is what Sarah McClachlan was singing about in Better Than Ice Cream.
I sunburn quickly so like long-sleeve swim tops, often worn over a suit. I also like to swim in open water—not vigorously, but for a while—so some boob support and sturdy straps are great. If anyone sees anything like that in their travels, whistle my way!