Fleur Hamilton

As much as society still obsesses over the way that women look, it’s very encouraging that things are starting to get better — owing a great deal to the body positive movement in fashion. Even a few years ago, unrealistic beauty standards made it nearly impossible to find anything flattering if you weren’t a size 4, but things are a bit easier now. Yes, it’s true that we’ve still got some distance to go — women shouldn’t be shamed for their bodies no matter how big or small they might be — but there’s been some progress in making women of all sizes more confident in regards to how they look.

Ten years ago, it was almost impossible for a size 16 woman to see women her size modelling or depicted in the media in a flattering way at all, as the clothing options available to curvy women were extremely limited. Considering how much better things have gotten in the last few years, it’s cause for celebration. The undeniable reality of all of this is that the body positive movement has made shopping for fashion a bit easier than it used to be, as well as helping curvier women have a bit more confidence in their bodies.

In the last few years, the fashion and modelling industries have become a bit more accepting of larger women — which is great not only because it helps convince curvier women that they can still look great, but because it’s a more accurate reflection of the size of the average American woman. Body positive advocates like Ashley Graham have helped ease things in the right direction, so it’s not unusual anymore to see curvier women in the pages of Vogue or on fashion runways. Graham, a size 16 model who has always felt comfortable in her own skin, has given TEDx talks and also has some wonderful blog posts on her website to remind women that they can be beautiful at any size.

Graham even as her own unique swimsuit line — that she models herself — at online swimwear retailer swimsuitsforall, which features a wonderful selection of swimsuits for plus sized women apart from Graham’s line. It’s pretty hard to find anything flattering in a brick and mortar store if you’re a plus sized woman in need of a swimsuit, so going online offers a great combination of convenience, value, and selection. For the best deals on women’s swimwear, why not browse a site that actively promotes the body positive movement and offers swimsuits exclusively for women sized 8 to 34?

Body positive advocates like Ashley Graham have made things a lot easier through discussions and interviews about women feeling confident and beautiful. Graham herself has also launched her own lines of lingerie and swimwear, because she felt that body positivity should also include feeling sexy – something that is rarely reflected in most plus size lingerie and swimwear. Quite simply, plus sized women have a lot more to choose from now thanks to the body positivity movement, which itself is all about feeling comfortable in your own skin.