The Best Plus Size Swim Suits of 2020: Ashley Graham
Posted on June 18 2020
A few weeks ago I published a blog post that introduced y'all to what I believe are the best swim suits for the plus size community for 2020. I ordered a bunch and tried them on, and am providing honest and undoctored photos and reviews. Today is the last installment.
And by the way, you know how it's clear that most bloggers just find a bunch of good websites and collect them in a blog post, without ever actually trying on the clothes? Well believe you me, there's a reason they do this. I'm not too shy to say that this was a TON of work. But I want you to have a good idea of the actual sizing, the actual fit, the actual support level of the suits, not just a regurgitation of the marketing slogans.
Oh, and I decided to put myself on a tropical island. A girl can dream, can't she?
Ashley Graham
I struggled with these suits, because they were running low on my size. In addition, I think her suits might be a bit all over the place anyway with regards to sizing, and they don't have any shaping. I think I look awful in some of them, others was clearly a sizing problem and I'm not sure if they'd look good in the right size. Take a look:
Hotshot Polka Dot One Piece Swimsuit
The polka dot one-piece has a nice low back and high cut legs, but there is no shaping anywhere it in. Not only do I feel that's not as flattering as it could be, but with the smaller real estate being covered by the suit, it felt like it might slip off at any moment. Granted, this was the higher of the 2 sizes I usually might chose, but that further demonstrates that this suit might not hold up to size fluctuations as well as a different one. However it looks good and I love the print, so I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't need too much support.
- Bust situation: No underwire, soft removable bra cups.
- Shaping situation: none
- Coverage: Moderate, for a one-piece
- Comfort: The suit is comfortable, but I wouldn't want to play too rough in it, for fear it would slip.
- Wearing this I feel: Cute. Who doesn't love polka dots?
The CEO Red Lace-up One Piece
The red suit above is one size above what I'd ever reach for on a rack, but they were out of my size so I thought I'd try it. Clearly there is extra fabric on the torso and this wouldn't work for me, but I love the style! Next year, I'll order sooner from Ashley Graham if I want one of hers.
- Bust situation: No underwire, soft removable bra cups.
- Shaping situation: none
- Coverage: Pretty low, for a one-piece
- Comfort: I think it would be quite comfortable in the right size
- Wearing this I feel: This is a sexy suit! I loved wearing it.
Executive Polka Dot Underwire Bikini
I love the pattern but I feel the other two piece suits were more flattering on me. I do love the back of this suit, which you'll have to click through to the site to see.
After the first two suits were too big, I'd normally just say to myself, "Don't order your clothes too big, and they won't be too big." But this suit is (marked as being) the same size as the red suit above, and it fit better than both one-pieces. So I think Ashley Graham as some work to do on their sizing standards. Word to the wise: order lots of sizes of the one you want.
- Bust situation: hidden underwire bra with removable soft cups, side boning. This underwire was more comfortable than other brands.
- Shaping situation: none
- Coverage: Low. The bottom had less coverage than the Bleu two-piece (and no shaping).
- Comfort: It was very comfortable.
- Wearing this I feel: a little too exposed. This is not the two piece for me, but it's well made and cute, so I think it would be a great option for someone who is comfortable with this level of coverage.
The Verdict
Overall, I feel that Ashley Graham's suits are cute and have great style. Clearly lots of people love the brand since they sold out of so many sizes, but I wonder if it's more because of her name than because of the actual suits. They were the least flattering brand I tried. I will give Ashley Graham suits another try next year when they have a full size selection and see if I do better.
And the winners are....
...going to be announced tomorrow! I can't wait to let all y'all vote for the best one. Stay tuned!
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