Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Blogger Gabi Gregg's 'Fatkini' Sells Out; Should Fat Girls Wear Bikinis?

By Tenisha Mercer
www.HairNista.Blogspot.com


Fashion Blogger Gabi Gregg's Galaxy 'Fatkini'
 How's this to show the fashion world that plus-sized girls need viable, fashion forward swimwear?

The launch of the so-called "Fatkini" -- two-piece, colorful swimsuits by bikini wearing, plus-size fashionista Gabi Gregg - was so popular that the Galaxy Print bikini recently sold out in a matter of days.

So much so that the suit's maker,  Swimsuits for All, has been deluged with orders. The company's website had a few technical hiccups that incorrectly led people to believe their orders had been placed. Their cards were charged and social media chaos, of course, ensued.

That matter is still being sorted out. Gregg issued a statement on her blog apologizing about the technical issues and said the suits wouldn't be restocked because of production issues.

Should Plus-Sized Women Wear Bikinis?
I'm sure they'll work it out, but the Fatkini sales rush says much more about plus-sized womens' fashions than we could ever know.  There is clearly demand here. And it comes on the heels of controversy at Abercrombie & Fitch on media reports of its refusal to sell clothing larger than a sized 10.

In case you've taken a jaunt down the plus-sized swimwear line, what's there is appalling: very matronly, ugly swimsuits that I wouldn't wear if you made me.

So why do swimsuit makers, and anyone else for that matter, expect plus-sized women to wear that garbage? If anything, it only opens them up to ridicule -- ugly prints, nothing fashion forward at all. The message is loud and clear: Cover that ish up.





The Message to Fat Women
And for so long, they've believed that message. Avoid water. Be glad about the poor swimsuit options available, because it was rare to find anything that looked halfway decent. And if they did find a swimsuit, it had to be a one-piece.

Gregg, after all, made the fashion community gasp when she wore a bikini on her blog. Since, she's been featured one everything from MTV, The Today Show and InStyle and advocates acceptance of plus-sized women.

It takes balls for any woman to bear it all in a bikini. Now, Gregg is using her fame to push the Fatkini and it's simply brilliant. I don't care for the Fatkini name, but what's certain is that she is making waves in a staid fashion community that for years has ignored larger women.

The Fatkini is everything that typical plus-sized swimsuits aren't, featuring bold colors, amazing design, and a fashion-forward swimsuit  that anyone would wear. Hell, I want the Galaxy Print and I'm not plus-sized. Clearly, this has hit a fashion nerve. Plus-sized women need good swimwear and bikinis, just like the rest of us.

Because no one wants to go to the beach covered up.


What do you think of plus-sized swim wear?

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