Summer? Vacation? Exercise at the Club? Finding the perfect bathing... correction, finding a bathing suit in anything other bigger than size 8 in an every day store is a challenge. Feeling comfortable in swimwear is one of the biggest factors determining whether a plus-size woman ventures to the waters edge to dip her toes or anything else.

Many vacation hotspots may be avoided because of the inability to find a suit. Fret no longer. There are a number of online shopping offerings available. Following are a few sites of my favorite. I hope they will make your days in the sun more enjoyable.

First off the suits:

Always for Me

These are some of the most beautiful swimsuits made for curvy bathing beauties. They have been featured in magazines such as Oprah, Seventeen and Glamour.

Always for Me has been online for over eight years and offers swimwear for women sizes 14 to 26. They offer the following brands as well as their own Chic, Sport and Control labels: Carol Wior, Christina, Delta Burke, It Figures, Longitude, Miraclesuit and Speedo. You can shop by designer, style or body type. I counted over 80 suits.

There is an array of young models with different body types (but they could use curvier girls as well as varying ages) and ages. Some of the features of their suits are: bust and thigh minimizers, tummy control, soft cups, chlorine resistant, high-cut armholes and versatile two-piece swimsuits. The fabrics come in rich soft textures with tropical prints, animal prints and slimming color blocks.

Swimsuits For All

Just as the name suggests, Swimsuits for All offers suits for the whole family. They have a special section for plus sizers and it isn't hidden at the bottom of the page. You can shop by brand or style. Some of the brands they offer include: Christina, Delta Burke, St. Tropez, Speedo and more. For styles you can choose from the standards, tankinis, shortinis, chlorine proof and dresses. Prices for suits are excellent. There's also a nice selection of accessories like cover ups, beach towels, hats and lotions. One draw back is that not every suit comes in every size. They do carry sizes up to 34. *Update: Swimsuits For All has been updating their selections and they claim have the largest selection of plus size swimsuits and accessories, close to 1000 different items.

Sarongs

You can't have the perfect swimsuit without the perfect cover. At Feedora Plus-size Sarongs you can't go wrong. These gorgeous sarongs made specifically for the plus-size woman are sure to be a hit on your next beach visit or cruise (they'd be excellent for lounging around the house too.) Each sarong comes with a two page instruction sheet on different ways you can tie them.

Who would know more about sarongs than a company from Hawaii? Sarongs are made from 100% Deluxe Rayon and are 45 inches X 90 inches (115 cm x 228 cm) in size. If you can get a group of your plus-size friends together, Feedora offers group discounts.

All Sarongs are completely hand-made of the highest quality rayon and the best colorfast batik dyes. According to the Feedora website, fifteen women labour for 4 days to make one sarong. Each piece is really a labour of love and a work of art. You can learn more about the history of the sarong and batik process at their website.

If you decide to order from any of these places please let them know where you heard about them. And let me know about your shopping experiences.

Have a great summer!

---

M. E. Wood lives in Eastern Ontario, Canada. She has been a content writer for ten years and a blogger for six. If you are going to find this eclectic reader and writer anywhere it is probably at her computer. For more information visit her official website.

***