Wow, the swim suit models are actually…eating?
As we stood there with our plates of fruit, fresh bagels and crispy bacon, it was clear…we weren’t your average models.
Thank God.
We were just women. Some of us mothers. Some of us not. All of us unique in shape and size. But, with one common goal…to make peace with our bodies.
The partnership between Curvy Girl Guide and Lands’ End was organic and seamless, and represented everything we wanted for the women and teens who read this site.
It’s not just a bathing suit, you see. It’s a movement that has become bigger than ourselves. Hundreds of women posting to their blogs, taking to twitter and facebook, emailing their support and their photos.
It’s the birth of the confidence some of us have been lacking, some of us struggle with, and some of us don’t think we deserve.
Last week, a few CGG staffers joined Lands’ End in New York City for a full blown National Swim suit Confidence Week press tour, while the rest of the staff manned the site, launched the campaign and rallied our readers and community. And if this has made half as much of an impact on you, as it has on me…then we’ll never look at ourselves the same way again.
Here’s a look back at our week.
Monday, Heather, Jen, Emily, Greis, Daisy and I arrived in New York, and it was a whirlwind of fittings and prepping and everything you think a models life would be…only with way more carbs.
Tuesday we set off to Connecticut for an in studio interview on the show, Connecticut Style. It was the first day in our bathing suits…in front of a camera.
It went off without a hitch. No jitters, no anxiety, no self consciousness. (Mostly.)
Wednesday, we had a whirlwind day of satellite media tours across the country and back again. Speaking to news stations in your home town about why this movement is important, and how you can feel good about your body and in a swim suit this summer. We aired on almost 200 stations!
Check out one of the segments here.
Thursday…we did it. Good Morning America. Times Square. Nothing but a bathing suit. It was the most liberating moment of my life.
First time readers, fashion magazines, and even celebrities flooded our inbox. Offering support in our site and in our cause.
Real women across the internet joined with us in solidarity, check out some of the gorgeous participants on Lands’ End’s facebook page!
We thought it would end there on 44th and Broadway. As we hugged in front of the hotel on a muggy Friday morning, climbing into taxis and going our separate ways. But, it hasn’t. Not even close.
Thank you for your support, and for joining us on this journey.
We have a long way to go, and we’re not stopping until we get there!
Fabulous. All of you.
Although I feel like I look like a total goober in all photos & links posted, it was one of the most fantastic things I’ve ever participated in!
This might sound weird, as I don’t know and haven’t met any of you, but I’m so, so proud of you all for doing this, and I’m pleased to be able to read the thoughtful posts and leave my two cents’ worth on this amazing site. Thank you for having the courage to do this.
And it goes without saying that you all look wonderful!
Celebrities??
LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing.
I am so incredibly proud to be a part of this movement and a part of the Curvy Girl team. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you for letting us be apart of this movement.
You girls are freakin awesome. The end.
I’ve been wearing my bathing suit to work everyday since the start of this campaign as a show of support. Thank you ladies for having the balls.
ps The parents of the daycare kids want to know if I should start wearing normal clothes again??
I might go sleeveless this summer.
Thank you.
Do it! Confidence is sexy!
I got all goose bumpy, Britt. Great recap. Great movement! Thanks for letting us with you on the ride.
It changed my life, and probably my daughters lives too, since they now have a mother that is confident in her own skin.
BRAVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
love this, love you guys, & everything you do!!!
Such an amazing experience! So glad to have been a part of it!
This was/is so amazing. I know that I am more confident in my swimsuit because of this.
You ladies are such an inspiration to me and of course so many others. I would’ve never known that I could finally find a decent priced bathing suit for someone like me with a DDD chest. I still need to find the right suit for me but I thank you for putting yourselves out there! <3
good grief am I proud to say I know you guys!
Plus I bought a Lands End suit.
I tried to wear it to teach in, but it violated the dress code of the high school where I work. I think they need more swimsuit confidence.
i love this project! i gained over 20 kg in 7 years, i hardly noticed it until this year, i’m 27 and i live in peru, here plus size clothes are very rare and expensive and not modern nor chic at all. bathing suits in my size… i went to this store and, even though the saleswoman was my size, she looked stunned to hear that i wanted to buy a swimsuit. everybody tells me to diet and exercise, but i cant get time or money to go to the gym.
well, i’m so proud of you guys!!!! keep up the good work!
What a cool project! Although I know they can’t please anybody, I tried on a ton of Land’s End swimsuits at Sears and I noticed none of them even attempted cup or band sizes. Big bummer for the big breasted ladies — companies like Freya/Fantasie/Panache (and even retailers like JCrew and Gap, to a limited extent — I think only to D sizes) offer DD+ swimwear. I have to say nobody above a C and a band size over 34 could comfortably fit in the Land’s End suits without something giving up. Somewhat of a disappointment – if anybody could do it, they would do it, and with a classic style at that. Everything else in every other department store was tacky/juniors or like your grandmother’s swimsuit. Jantzen relaunched with a new retro focus, but all their suits are over $100. Maybe it’s something that should be addressed – a big part of swimsuit confidence is wearing something that can support you in the first place and make you excited about what you’re wearing. I see so many Miraclesuit black/dark grey/super-tight-stretchy-ruching-faux-wrap type contraptions with cheesy prints from the early 2000s- why aren’t there cute, modern suits with hidden underwire and structured bands? Also have to say I LOVED the slightly ruched skirted polka dotted Land’s End bottoms, though – super flattering and cute.
Hey Lauren- as a larger chested woman myself I just wanted to let you know that Lands’ End does have an awesome assortment of suits with a variety of D, double D and up swim wear you just have to shop for them online instead of in the store. It was intimidating at first (what do you mean buying a suit before you can try it on??) but I found that their size guide was really easy to use and when I realized I was in between sizes (stupid waist/chest ratio!) I chatted online with one of their fit guides who helped me get the right size- my D cup suit arrived and fit *perfectly*. Lands’ End even has masectomy sized cups online! Pretty cool! (I got the all over control Grecian suit FYI).
This site gives me so much PRIDE!! And, love. And, happiness. And, friendship. And, soooo much!
Hurrah. Still need to take my picture. ;p
Last week I was in TX with my family at the zoo, trying to post a picture of my sweet son to Facebook when I guess I clicked the wrong picture. An hour later I see I have 5 comments all saying how cute I am and I’m thinking “Why are they saying I’m cute?” So I go and look and it’s a picture of me in my swim suit taken in the Target dressing rooms. I was mortified. Asking my husband to figure out how to delete that picture with my phone (not possible) and then an hour later I’d calmed down and remembered the articles about swimsuits. I decided to leave the picture on there, and it’s still there. Sure I’m 20 weeks pregnant in it and not in the greatest shape of my life, but I AM cute. I love this site and how it really has restored a bit of confidence in myself!
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