The concept that only thin girls should wear bikinis this summer is being fought by a plus-size swimsuit company -- and the brand is making its message loud and clear.
Swimsuits for All, a company that aims to provide plus-size women with cute and comfortable swimsuits, partnered with fashion blogger Gabi Gregg to recreate Sports Illustrated's 2014 swimsuit issue cover. But instead of employing the models you typically see on magazines and down runways, they completed the photo shoot with plus-size models.
The picture is a part of a swimsuit calendar, titled "Sexy at Every Curve," that Swimsuits for All has posted on its website. Plus-size models Jada Sezer, Robyn Lawley and Shareefa J are featured in the calendar alongside Gregg.
"I think it's sad that the representatives of women in mainstream culture are usually so small just because we have such a diversity of sizes in the real world,"Gregg says. "What happens is, I think, so many women see those girls and think they have to look like them. And I know plus-size models and bloggers, like myself, are really helping change that."
Swimsuits for All president Moshe Laniado decided to make the calendar after three thin models were featured on Sports Illustrated's cover, despite having heard rumors a curvy woman would be pictured for the swimsuit edition.
"When the issue came out and that didn’t happen, we were disappointed and decided to do our own calendar shoot around the idea that curvy women — and all women — are sexy in swimwear,"Laniado says.
"We've come to a point as a society where we've realized that there is no ideal woman's shape or body,"he adds. "Women come in all different sizes and shapes."
We should all take a message from this: no matter what size you are, you can wear what you want and still look beautiful. You don’t need to be skinny to attract people, feel good about yourself or look hot at the beach. So ditch societal standards and rock your bikini this summer -- you'll be in good company!
