I am a plus size lady. I always have been and sadly, I think I always will be. I do make a conscious effort to eat right, exercise and drink plenty of water. I tend to lose weight, gain weight, lose weight and gain weight. It’s a vicious cycle that I can’t seem to change.
When you are a plus size woman, shopping is easier said than done. Most places either don’t have clothing in your size, or the clothing they have is NOT something you want to wear. I like trendy clothing, not “frumpy old lady” moo moos and smocks. Plus size fashions also tend to be very expensive too. Sigh…
If there is one thing that strikes fear in the hearts of plus size ladies is bathing suits. I think even “normal size” women are not too keen on wearing bathing suits either. After all, bathing suits let is all hang out and exposes your rolls and flab.
I have worn the same bathing suit for probably 10+ years now. It’s the only suit I found that looks “ok” on me. It’s also a bit trendy, so I didn’t feel “frumpy” wearing it.
Are you familiar with a “tankini”? A tankini is a two piece bathing suit. Unlike a bikini, a tankini covers you up a wee bit more. It’s a tank top and bottoms.
As a plus size woman, the idea of wearing something that comes in two pieces and risking my belly being seen scares me. I would never consider even the notion of wearing one. BUT… nothing is “written in stone.”
I was introduced to a company called Bella Donna Swimwear. They carry tankinis for plus size woman. They asked me if I would like to do a review. I was hesitant, but figured it was worth giving it a try.
I was sent a tankini to review.
Normally I wear only black when it come to bathing suits (in hopes that it makes me look slimmer). I received to review a blue’ish/purple’ish tankini set in the color Aubergine. At first I wasn’t sure how I liked the color, but it grew on me.
The top and bottom can be sized differently in case you are a different size on top or bottom. I tend to be larger in the hip/waist area than my bust area. I appreciate that Bella Donna Swimwear gives consumers the option of selecting the right size top and bottom. That means you can order a larger/smaller top and/or bottom depending on what works best for your figure.
The specific tankini I received to review is called Bella Jayne Tankini Top & Bottom. It’s available in sizes 14-26 in tops and 14-26 in bottoms.
The top and bottom seem to be true to size. I ordered them both in what I felt was the appropriate size for me and I found the fit to be spot on.
I know readers what to see me in the Bella Donna tankini. I DO have a photo of me in the suit. I WANT to share it in my review, but, I am VERY self conscious about how I look (I run and hide when I see a camera). I’m overweight. I know I’m overweight. But the idea of having thousands of people see me in a bathing suit is something that I had a hard time getting over. I have agonized over this for a long time. I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it.
If/When I am brave enough I’ll update this post with the photo. I am sorry that I couldn’t do it at the time of this review. It’s not easy to do. If you are a plus size person I’m sure you can relate.
I have only had the opportunity to wear the tankini twice this summer. We had planned on going to the beach but we haven’t had a chance to go yet. I’ve only worn it in a pool so far.
The suit wears well in the water. I worried that it might roll up from the bottom of the tank/top part while swimming, but that didn’t happen at all. It stayed snug and in place. The top didn’t move around at all (no slipping or sliding).
It seems to make that the tankini dried fairly quickly when I got out of the water. My former bathing suit had a skirt on it and the skirt always seemed to take forever to dry. This tankini dried much faster.
You are also able to adjust the straps (I prefer criss cross), as well as make the bottoms tighter or looser to suit your needs and comfort. Not too many swimsuits let you customize them in that way.
I like that I am able to wear a trendy/fashionable bathing suit and not something my great aunt Edna would wear. It’s a nice style.
Bella Donna Swimwear offers their tankinis as a set or you can buy the individual pieces (top or bottom) in case you already own a tankini and just need a new piece.
This is a very nice suit. I am so happy with it that I FINALLY tossed out my old bathing suit that I had for 10+ years. Out with the old, in with the new.
If you would like to learn more about Bella Donna Swimwear visit BellaDonnaSwimwear.com. You can also visit them online on Facebook and Twitter.
Are you a plus size lady? Do you find it difficult to find a good fitting swimsuit that is not only comfortable but fashionable too?
Kimberly
*I received a free product to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.