Stylish Plus Size Swimwear For Real Women

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 2010

2009-12-22T17:02:00.000-08:00

To all of my dear customers and followers,

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Prosperous New Year 2010!

A Christmas message from Cindy - http://www.curvysea.com

Swimwear Summer 2010 Trends

2009-12-20T21:01:00.000-08:00

Designs for swimwear tend to come back to the late 70's and early 80's, styles from one-pieces, underwire one or two pieces to studding, metal rings, ruffles. Swimwear trends seem to leave out cutouts, revealing, sexy style, instead, they go back to more glamorous classic styling. Vintage swimwear designs are back with bright colours ruffles, feminine florals and unique one pieces, comfortable but sexy in fashionable cuts, become more popular than they have been in the past. Colours such as reds, greens and blues are main part of the swimwear season.
For lingerie, black lingerie including chemise or babydolls will always be trendy. Red is a perfect colour for lingerie, look for sexy lingerie sets in this color then you'll be right in style! Cobalt colour is a favourite and this coloured lingerie will look great on women in summer time. Lacy lingerie (whole or just lace on the bust) will be fashionable and seductive.

What Swimwear Styles are Suitable for Plus Size Women?

2009-11-26T15:52:00.000-08:00

It is a challenge for a plus size woman to find a swimsuit which fits her as well as flattering her appearance. So if it is your challenge, which style or design would give you a flattering solution?

- If you have a short neck or double chin: Avoid wearing swimwear styles with high neck cuts, it will make your neck look even shorter or the chin will look more obvious, instead, a swimsuit with a deep V neck cut or deep U neck cut will drive the eye away from the neck.

- If you have large arms: A swimwear with bright or bold prints on the bust will attract the attention and shift it away from the arms. You can also camouflage them by putting on a cotton or sheer polyester tunic / kaftan with deep colour when you get out of water.

- If your hips and thighs are large: A swimdress with colourful prints on the bust and plain dark/deep colours on the rest of the swimwear will do the tricks and will take the eye attention to the bust.

It has a similar effect for 2 piece skirtinis swimwear. The skirtini top with bold and beautiful all over print will distract the eye and the deep/dark plain coloured skirt will camouflage the hips and thighs.

- Tummy sticking out: Most plus size women face this problem. Swimdress with empire waist, a high-waisted dress, gathered just under bust with a long, loose skirt would be the best solution especially if there is colourful, bright print on the bust and the rest of the dress is in plain dark color.

A big "no-no" swimwear styles/designs for large size women are:

-Bikinis: They will show all of your bulging flesh and will attract staring.

-Monokinis (An one piece swimsuit with large cut-outs at the sides, front and back, with top and bottom connected only by a thin strap). These styles are suitable for young females with a flat stomach. The style has absolutely no support and no flaw camouflage for full figures.

-Swimwear with very high leg cuts, transparent swimwear (see-through when it is wet) or horizontal striped swimsuit.

Swimsuit style is a matter of personal choice but make sure you choose a swimsuit that you feel great wearing and you will enjoy this summer in style.

A new collection of one piece or two piece swimsuit, women's plus size swimwear, tankinis, skirtinis, swimdresses and plus size lingerie are available at http://www.curvysea.com/

How To Shop Online Safely For Plus Size Swimwear

2009-10-06T23:13:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, when choosing a swimsuit or lingerie in plus size range was quite a difficult task and there were not many choices, especially online. Now, a plus size woman can "google" or "Yahoo" (typing in the search engines' browser) key phrases such as "plus size swimwear; plus size swimsuits; plus size lingerie" and voila, she can find her swimwear /sleepwear from browsing through websites on the net. But how would you find a website that you can trust with your details including your credit card beside having a flattering swimsuit and a great customer service?

There are few tips to shop online for plus size swimwear:

- Look for the business registration number to see if the website is legitimate through their business registration with their countries goverments. For instance, in Australia we have ABN No.(Australian Business Number), usually, the ABN is located at the top or bottom of the Home page.

- Having anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall programs on your computer will also serve as protection from scams (e.g. McAfee anti-virus gives "safe or phishing" indication right next to websites' title on search results).

- Stay away from offers that are doubtful and suspicious. If they sound too good to be true, then they usually are.

- Ask your friends/relatives for any advice or any experience whether they have had great or terrible customer service from the company. Or simply to see if there are real testimonials from
customers' experience stated on the website.

Before purchasing swimwear or lingerie online, make sure you do your home work:

- Look at the company's refund/return for exchange policy. If they make the process difficult by questioning customers before they accept the return , then stay away.

- Know your body shape and size. It's best if you know your bust, waist, hips measurement because different manufacturers/brands/designs have different sizing system

- Double check your postal details especially your post code, on the check out system to make sure they are correct, if you mistakenly put a wrong postcode number then the delivery from the post office will be delayed or the parcel may simply go to a wrong place.

- Keep your order information email and any payment record until you have received the product.

Seven Tips for Keeping Your Swimsuit As New.

2009-09-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

Summer is comming and it is the time for outdoor activities and for going to the beach.
Choosing a right swimsuit is not easy but keeping the swimsuit last long is just the matter of loving care

Have you ever wondered why your favourite swimsuit which was discoloured or was snagged after a short time? Here are some explanations together with some good tips for keeping your bathing suit in good conditions:

1- Before wearing a new swimsuit, soak it in a mixture of eight table spoons of white vinegar and one litre of water. Leave it for one hour, then rinse well and let the swimwear drip dry in shade.

2- After swimming in pools, where chemicals (chlorine or other pool cleaning liquids) are used, can bleach or damage the suit fabric, rinse the swimsuit in clear water and store it in a plastic bag if you don't want to wash it straight away.

3- Avoid wearing your new swimsuit in spa or in sauna as the intense heat will cause the elastic to start melting and the fabric to deteriorate quickly. An old swimsuit is recommended for wearing at those places.

4-Hand-wash the swimwear in mild hand wash liquids and NEVER twist or wring it; let it drip dry in shade or lay it flat on a flat on a clean and smooth surface. Do not iron your bathers.

5- Do not bleach

6- At the beach, be careful when you put on sunscreen, suntan, body lotion or oils as they can also discolour or damage the fabric. Excessive amounts of sun tan lotions and oils rubbed into skin, which contacts with the swimwear, can cause the elastic and elastomeric yarn to deteriorate, making it rot and melt.

7- Avoid sitting on rough surfaces such as on rocks or rough concrete because they can snag
swimwear fabric.

Myer's Plus Size Cat Walk

2009-08-04T04:39:00.000-07:00

"Plus size models will share the catwalk with glamour girl Jennifer Hawkins when Myer launches its new fashion ranges from this month"

That's great news! I always support models with real curves on catwalk. I have been at many fashion shows and all I have seen were tall, thin models who showed off most of their ribs instead of their boobs or bums. An ideal model's body size should be like Marilyn Monroe's body (Size 14) and should represent the majority of women's bodies in our society.

Curvysea will launch its new season swimwear and lingerie collection for Summer 2009/2010 soon and its theme will be "Beautiful Plus Size". The new ranges will include unique designed one piece swimsuits, two piece tankinis, skirtinis, swimdresses styles beside sexy plus size lingerie, sleepwear for plus size ladies.

Source:

http://www.news.com.au/

http://www.curvysea.com/

Retail Cuts Plus Sizing

2009-06-10T04:57:00.000-07:00

Recently, I read an article on a news paper about many large clothing companies in the US such as Ellen Tracy, have eliminated plus size range (including swimwear, beach wear), while giant retails like Ann Taylor, Old Navy, Gap have either reduced or dropped the lines altogether, citing 'low demand'

Low demand! How in the world is that even possible? The average woman nowadays is size 14 or more, being what is considered plus size. There seems to be a perception by clothing designers/manufacturers that plus size women don't work, have no money and therefore can not afford their stylish clothes! Well, they're wrong, I have known many women in size 14 +; these ladies have good jobs and have shown great knowledge of styling through their hair, make up and clothing.
Plus size clothing costs around 10% more to produce than smaller size clothing, since it requires special cutting patterns, different fit models, more fabric and more freight costs if it's imported. This may be one of the factors together with the recession and economic downturn that cause many large well-known brands for plus size to cut their lines.
Or there may be an issue citing fashion discrimination against plus size women?

Smart Packing Tips For Travel Lovers

2009-05-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

I have found a good article which is about how to pack smartly for travelling, especially for overseas traveller to avoid paying unnecessary excess baggage fees.
One thing I would like to add to the tips is that like many of us, we have at least one scale (a health scale) at home. We can pack and weigh our luggages using the scale a few days before going to make sure we will not excess the baggage allowance, and therefore to save us from paying high fees for the over limit kilos at the aiport check in.
Here is the article link:
http://au.travel.yahoo.com/b/danielfitzpatrick/16/packing-light
Happy holidays and do not forget to visit Curvysea Swimwear and Lingerie, you can save up to 50% on swimwear and plus size lingerie.
http://www.curvysea.com/

Does One Shoulder Fashion Trend Suit Real Women?

2009-04-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

I remember I bought my one shoulder black dress in year 2001 and now the fashion has come back. Celebreties are the ones who show off their beautiful dresses with slightly different styles in one shoulder design, most of them are slim but there are some "real curves" celebs such as Ugly Betty star America Ferrera or Jennifer Lopez. In my opinion, the two stars look quite beautiful and stunning.
Do you think the one shoulder design would suit real women with curves?
Source: http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/who/news/

Is There an Apparel Sizing Standard?

2009-03-31T03:53:00.000-07:00

As a fashionista, I wear a number of different designs. I have in my wardrobe several garments ranging from Austalian made as well as overseas made, in size small to XL. Suprisingly, they all fit me!
According to the Fashion Technicians Association of Australia(FTAA), Australia was a world leader in sizing studies for apparel manufacturing in the 1920' and 30' but then Australian sizing standards for men and women apparel were removed in 1998 and 2008 because of the changing in Australian body sizes.
Other countries such as the US, the UK, China and Germany - have conducted large scale sizing studies and they have worked hard in order to find a sizing standard solution. Hopefully, we will all be able to apply the solution in our designs so it will benefit our customers .

Tribute to Victoria Bushfire Victims

2009-02-10T19:43:00.000-08:00

I went to my local bank today to deposit some money into the Victoria Bushfire Appeal account. It was just a small contribution to the appeal but it came from my heart.
I can not imagine if I were one of those victims, who lost their loved ones and who lost their houses! Within two black days (Saturday and Sunday), the blaze wiped off many towns, more than 900 homes have been destroyed and 7000 survivors have registered with the Red Cross for assistance.
I believe many people spent their whole life to build up their dream house with a hope of having peaceful life among a green environment. Who would have thought that their dream would be ended in a few seconds!!!
I think if each of us contributes some money to the appeal even with a small amount, together our contribution would add up to a big sum and would be a great help for the bushfire victims
If you live in Australia, you can go to any branch of NAB, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank and just ask tellers about donating to the Victoria Bush Fire Appeal and they will help you to deposit money into the appeal account. And if you are from overseas, you can go to http://www.redcross.org.au for your donation.

Do You Feel Beautiful at 32?

2009-02-03T14:33:00.000-08:00

A recent internet survey from a mineral water company found that women feel beautiful at 32. But in my opinion, that survey was carried out with a small number of people (1,500), compare to general women population. Sure, we may feel more beautiful at 30+ because we have more life experience, more confidence in career and happiness from family etc. , and not just physically body looks.
Any woman at any age is beautiful, we all have ups and downs at any age group but at the end of the day, it is how to feel yourself within; I would love to see women of any age and any shape feeling confident in themselves, sexy and self esteem, conscious about how to make themselves more beautiful. As I always think every woman no matter what age, what shape as long as you look after yourself and you can look great and sexy.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Happy New Year !

2009-01-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all have had wonderful holidays. I just took a break and been back from visiting my sister-in-law who lives in Milan. By chance I saw some of the Italian designer Elena Miro’s trendy large size clothes in a department store. They were very elegant (I like the styles, colours) and definitely for plus size women, but only they’re quite long for an average woman. Not everyone is plus size and tall as Elena Miro’s beautiful models! Anyway, Elena is still a leading plus size designer in the fashion world and I hope she will be more realistic in making fashion clothes that fit different shapes and heights.

Oprah Winfrey’s Battle with Weight Gain

2008-12-14T22:16:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite shows from America is always Oprah daily show. I have watched her on and off her weight battle through her shows since early 90’s, in my eye whether she is 50 kg or 90 kg, size 10 or size 20 she is still the talk show queen.
There are some people who criticise her for doing opposite to some dieting advice episodes which she had on TV but they do not understand how difficult in reality for a middle age woman, especially under public eyes constantly like Oprah, to lose the weight as she wishes. Yes, she is one of the most riches in the world and she has plenty money to support her weight battle; but the more body image pressure is on her, the more her body reacts oppositely.
Oprah was brave to admit “I didn’t just fall off the wagon. I let the wagon fall on me.”
She is not making excuses for the weight she has gained; she just opens up about it. Her experience is a valuable lesson for us which about taking time for ourselves, to take care of ourselves, something we all at least can do!
Despites of her weight gain, I must say Oprah still looks beautiful and elegant in her fashionable clothes. As I always think there is no ugly woman, only woman who does not know how to make herself beautiful.

My Business in An Economic Downturn.

2008-11-30T01:51:00.000-08:00

During an economic crisis, businesses are forced to cut overhead cost and my business is not an exception. However, I have never compromised my swimwear quality. Also since petrol price rising, I have offered free international postage plus good customer service. I rather reduce my swim wear margin to help my customers save money than to send them away. My philosophy is: My business will not survive without customers, and anyone who comes to my online boutique will be treated with respect and privilege.

Curvysea New Season Plus Size Swimwear

2008-10-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

Australian weather is getting warmer and the temperature starts soaring. It’s the time we have fun at the beach or at pool parties, I have launched new season swimwear for our full figured women. Curvysea® new style swimsuits arrive in one piece, they’re flattering and the swimsuit patterns are fashionable; we think our real ladies deserve as much fashion as other sized women and they don’t have to wear bathing suits that look like grandmas' curtains!

Are Vertical stripes or horizontal stripes for plus size figure?

2008-09-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

If you are a plus size woman and a stripe lover, you would have known that vertical stripes will make you look trimmer because they will draw the eye vertically and the horizontal stripes are doing opposite by driving the eye across your body, therefore give a perception of your body which will look larger.
For years, fashion gurus have advised full figured women on choosing vertical stripes for clothing. Well, they are wrong, claims Dr Peter Thompson, a UK psychologist and a visual perception expert. He tested on comparing pair of photographs of women who volunteered in the process. When both images in the pair were of identically sized women, the result was that people tended to judge the horizontally striped clothes made the women look slimmer – opposite to the previous ‘vertical’ stripes perception.
Whatever the opinion is, I still think if we are plus size, we should wear thin vertically striped outfit and it should be made of soft fabric because it will elongate our figure and smooth our curves .
What would you prefer: vertical or horizontal stripes?

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Colour Trends for Spring Summer 2009

2008-08-20T04:44:00.000-07:00

Although with swimwear, especially plus size swimwear, the colour and pattern trends are varied between designers but generally, the colour trend for Spring/Summer 2009 will be earthy, subdued colours such as brown. For summer season, primary colours convey strength and energy, vivid and saturated colours that remind us of our favourite beach like blues and the distinctly sandy colour.

Source: http://www.fashionising.com/

Plus Size Beauty Queen Chloe Marshall

2008-07-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

Today when I was surfing on the net, I found a great article from http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=4520389&page=1 which has proved that beauty can come in all different shapes and sizes. Since the majority of women in our worldwide communities are size 12 and above, I think people have changed their perspective about beauty. It’s no more only slim figures to be beautiful, the live proof was Chloe Marshall who was crowned Miss Surrey in March 2008 in England.
Her smile and her look showed that she was beautiful and so confident.
She is only 16 years old and has a long bright future ahead, it’s no doubt that she will continuously be a great example of a high self-esteem plus size beauty queen.

Courtesy:
http://abcnews.go.com/
www.missengland.info/

Learn How to Love Yourself!

2008-06-23T17:16:00.001-07:00

I have taped and watched " How To Look Good Naked " series on Australian Ten Network http://ten.com.au/ten/tvshows.html

(they were aired in USA nearly six months ago). The show is actually from the "Queer Eye" Fashion Guru Carson Kressley which shows women How To Feel Beautiful From The Inside Out.

It is really good show because from it, we can find a true beauty in our own body and we can learn how to love ourselves

If you have not seen the show, just click on the above link and it will take you to the "How To Look Good Naked" episodes.

Full Figured Body of a Celebrity!

2008-05-17T03:19:00.000-07:00

Misha Barton, the former actress from "O.C.", was proud of showing off her curves in her two piece swimwear. There were some negative comments on her but who cares? She is healthy and as long as her fans and her boyfriend adore her shape, she is the winner!
Source: http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/b/famous/10046/mischa-im-proud-of-my-cellulite/

Rosemount Australian Fashion Week Comment

2008-05-06T04:41:00.000-07:00

Last week I was invited to different shows from fashion designers in Sydney (Circular Quay). Most of models were tall, thin, with flat bodies as usual, especially swimwear models.

For the Sirocco collection, there was a model with fuller body, she was about size 12, she looked beautiful , more beautiful than the others, with her feminine curves.

If you'd like to know more about Rosemount Australian Fashion Week 2008, visit http://www.rafw.com.au/

Designers Change Their Minds?

2008-04-07T19:20:00.001-07:00

I just read an article about plus size fashion on http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph (by By Jen Melocco, Fashion Editor /April 07, 2008 )
The article is about Collette Dinnigan, Leona Edmiston who have moved into plus size market with their designs for full figured women, as they see the growing demand in large size. They come to sense at last because a large size woman is just as fashionable as a small size, only that she doesn't have much choices in fashion as the small one.

Plus Size Models at Milan Fashion Week!

2008-03-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

I am always a fan of using plus size models on catwalk because it makes sense and it is more realistic. Elena Miro's fuller figure models looked quite sexy and elegant at Milan Fashion Week Winter/ Fall 2008-09 http://news.sawf.org/Designers/48294.aspx
I hope to have my plus size models in my plus size bathing suits, on the fashion catwalk one day!

You Can Be Sexy at Any Size!

2008-02-25T22:00:00.000-08:00

80% of men prefer real women with curves, according to poll results from Nancy Hayssen’s online survey.
Sexy comes in all shapes and sizes. Sexy is a state of mind, is an attitude, is how you feel about yourself, and is about confidence no matter your size is 8 or 18
You have to believe it because if you don’t, nobody is going to, but when you do, everybody will also be attracted to you because you know from inside that you‘re a sexy woman with curves and all.
The celebrities like J.Lo, Queen Latifah, Nancy Hayssen (a former plus size model) who are self confident, who are sexy and who get a lot of attention. They don’t want to be skinny, they’re proud of who they are and they love their bodies the way they are.
Now get up and go shopping, girls! Buy a new skirt or a new plus size bathing suit that you can show off your beautifull curves at the beach or the pool this weekend!