Ah, the joys of spring. Bring on the birds, bees and, unequivocally, the body issues. Yep, that’s right. The most non-wonderful time of the year is upon us: swim suit season. Cue the crash diets, kick up the gymtime and enter the calorie counting, because it’s time to shed those winter pounds.
Amid this impending weight-loss hysteria, Cosmo published a super interesting article about the emotional power of clothing sizes. And, speaking as a girl gearing up for a fabulous week-long spring break cruise to the Bahamas, I could not relate more.
The battle arises yearly. Lose weight! Get into shape! Drop a size and feel good about your body when it’s time to hit the beach.
But these days, losing a pant size may not mean you’ve actually lost weight. A size 2 nowadays could be as much as 3 inches bigger than a size 2 just 10 years ago — which Cosmo calls “vanity sizing.” When you think about it, it’s brilliant…for them. If I could fit into a size 2 at a store, you’d better believe I’d buy the place out. So, if manufacturers by default make their products just a bit bigger than normal (throwing the size spectrum out of whack), they can make their customers feel good about themselves AND make a huge profit. There’s just something gratifying about being able to drop a size; we’ve become inherently number-centric and it’s only going to get worse!
This got me wondering how well “vanity sizing” works. As a test, I decided to ask 10 of my friends if they’d be more likely to buy clothes from a store that “inflated” their sizes — aka, they’d be able to fit into a size or two smaller than normal. ALL of them said yes. Without hesitation. All of them!
The thing I’ve always loved about bevello is that the company truly does cater to all sizes. When we ran as an online boutique, we put our clothes on all REAL people — real shapes, real sizes. And, honestly, I think that’s the way to go. Because, when it boils down to it…size ain’t nothin’ but a number. Preach!
They recommend this striped suit for those who want to bring out their curves a bit more. The stripes would draw attentions to the right area, and could make you feel more shapely.
Cosmo suggests this looser-fitting Nautica bikini for those with a bit of belly that they’d like to mask. With a comfortable fit and the bunchy top, this suit looks anything but skin-tight, which can help mask any extra winter weight you might be carrying.
This criss-cross one-piece should also reduce the appearance of belly fat. I personally think it’s super cute and bet it would be really forgiving, yet stylish at the same time.
That one is supposed to bring out the best in your rear. I’m guessing it’s the whole boyshorts thing. Brilliant!
Cosmo says halters like these with sturdy cups are great for busty women. I personally love this DKNY suit anyway, but it looks like it’d really be a nice active-wear bathing suit!