Swimwear has been the bane of my existence ever since I got boobs. Even when I was a mere C cup in high school, I could never find styles that were stylish, supportive and comfortable (don’t even get me started on my long torso…). Most of the time I was constantly on parole for nip slip or adjusting to cover the good ole under boob slip or side boob.
For the most part whenever I would complain about my swimsuit woes to close friends the response I would often get is, “oh poor me, I’m skinny with big boobs”, which, for the most part I get. Outside of the inherent privilege I already have from being white, cis-gendered and able-bodied, I have the added privilege of being “skinny”. At the same time, brands simply don’t cater to women that have cup sizes larger than a DD, or any woman that falls outside of some arbitrarily defined “average body type” for that matter. If they do, they are often hard to find and/or small brands that have challenging shipping and return policies.
For context, I am a 30F – I have a 29” underbust measurement and a 36” bust measurement. I typically size out of any brands that offer styles that fit a D or DD cup and don’t fit the band on many large or x-large styles. Now you might be thinking “what about bra sized swim Sarah? That would surely fit.” Yes. However. For the handful of brands that do offer bra sized swim I simply haven’t been impressed. While I appreciate the effort and good college try, I’ve found a lot of the bra-sized styles uncomfortable and matronly. Just because I have big boobs doesn’t mean that I don’t want chic, sexy, and relevant styles.
Despite my frustrations though, I carry on, in the constant search for cute bikini’s and one pieces that fit my proportions. I’m going to do a full blog post of tips for shopping for swim when you have a big boobs and a small frame, but for the time being, my biggest piece of advice would be to shop separates look for tops that have adjustability. Oddly enough a triangle bikini might be your best friend, especially if you have a small band size.
There are a few brands that I’ve taken a liking to. I wouldn’t say the fit has been perfect for me, but they check all my boxes for the time being so I’ll take it as a win. I will continue to add to this list as I discover new brands and if you have any favorites then please do send them my way!
Fold and Form
I think this is perhaps one of the most underrated swimwear brands for larger cup sizes. I’ve been following them for a few years now. Purchased this top a couple years ago and it’s one of the few, if not the only, swim top that truly fits well. I’ve only tried their bikini’s, but I’ve got my eye on this white one piece! You can shop direct from their site, or they are stocked on Net-a-Porter and FarFetch.
Monday Swimwear
Monday Swimwear’s two-piece swimwear has been my go-to for the past two years. All of their styles have adjustable bands so I am able to size up to accommodate a larger cup size and still get a snug band. My favorite style is the Formenta top which sadly, looks to be getting phased out. I also love the variety of bottoms they have. I personally have the Riviera and Argentina (also similar to these) bottoms they are both by far the most flattering high-waisted swim bottoms that I own.
Cuup
A newer member to the swimwear party. I tried Cuup’s swim last year and overall found their tops very comfortable and stylish. My only complaint is that I wish they had more variety in their bottom selections. I feel like their brief and bikini styles are a bit too similar and would have preferred something that is closer Monday Swimwear’s Byron bottom. I tried their high-waisted bottom that’s a bit more cheeky, but was sadly in-between sizes so I didn’t end up keeping anything. All that being said though, I feel like these are a solid option if you are looking for minimal, yet supportive swimwear.
Honorable mentions
Both Hunza G and You Swim have reeaallyyy stretchy fabric making their styles a great option for both long torso’s and big busts.
Vitamin A – while I don’t think many of their styles could accommodate above a DD, I do appreciate their adjustable bands
Bare Necessities – if you are looking for bra sizes swim, or want to give it a try, Bare Necessities has a great selection of swim
On My Radar
I’ve got my eye on both Aexae and Anemos. I’m hoping some of their tops work for me!
xx
-S
