Having a Moment in a Curvy Beach String Bikini
When I put on my Curvy Beach string bikini, I knew it was one of those moments that would change everything.
I know that sounds overly dramatic, but its no hyperbole. I grew up hating swimwear, both because there were no good options in my plus, and because I frankly didn’t think I *could* wear anything cute. No lie: As a 21 year old visiting Miami with my BFFs, I wore a goddamn skirted tankini – not because I liked it, but because I thought I had to. I was obsessed with hiding my fat stomach and covering up the cellulite on the back of my legs. As much as I love the water and the beach, I always felt a bit uneasy there because even my dowdy suit didn’t fully cover up the “bad” parts of my body.
Skinnier and incredibly uncomfortable as 21 year old (the picture is super tiny because I took it on my cheap camera phone!)
It sadly wasn’t just youthful insecurity, either. If you told 25 year old me that I’d be wearing a string bikini on Miami Beach and absolutely loving it, I would have never believed you. Hell, if you told 30 year old me that I’d wear a suit that was just a triangle top, I would have been very skeptical (and probably wondering where the underwire was).
Honestly, when Elizabeth Taylor (real name!), creator of Curvy Beach, was telling me about the philosophy behind her classic string bikinis, even modern-day Sarah was a little freaked out. “Its all about letting your body be your body,” she said. “No power mesh, no underwire or push up.” Yeah, I was slightly terrified.
As a body positive blogger with an ongoing commitment to wearing what I love, traditional plus size fashion ‘rules’ be damned, I often get reader DMs about confidence. My biggest response is that body positivity is not something you achieve and then stop thinking about. Confidence isn’t a trophy you can win and then just put on a shelf. I am generally pretty secure with myself at this point, but I still have bad confidence days. It takes ongoing mental work to consciously reject all the toxic messages society is constantly broadcasting about weight and fatness.
So I expected to have to do a good deal of that mental work when I put on my first string bikini of life. To my surprise, it wasn’t really required. Intent on catching the sunrise, I got dressed before dawn. Groggy and a bit out of it (I am *not* a morning person), I was grumbling even after I took a shower. The moment I put this bikini on, though, I was wide awake.
All my fears about it not ‘working’ on me were instantly gone. I looked in the mirror and just thought, “damn, this is hot!” I couldn’t get over how great I felt in the suit I had silently agonized over.
I added red lipstick for the shoot and felt like a damn bombshell.
I wore my new Rue 107 sheer jumpsuit (which I LOVE) on the walk down to the beach, but I honestly couldn’t wait to get in the ocean (that aspect of being a water sign is so true for me).
Even with the sun just peeking over the horizon, the water was already warm, so it wasn’t long until I was rolling around in the surf.
I wasn’t worrying about my back fat or my dimpled thighs. I just felt amazing and hot – sandy butt and all 🙂
Now, as much as I love this suit, it is not a magic confidence potion (that doesn’t exist). I still am a bit nervous about sharing the above pic, for example. But my Curvy Beach bikini was as close to a confidence epiphany as bits of fabric could ever be. I ended up wearing this suit for the rest of the day, and was absolutely at ease in it. Elizabeth Taylor is right – there is magic in letting your body just be, without trying to squeeze and squish it into arbitrary beauty ideals.
The quality of Curvy Beach bikinis is excellent too. Every part of the suit is considered, from the adjustable triangles on top to the cute ruching detail on the back of the bottom. This suit was designed with larger busts in mind, so even as an L cup, I never felt in danger of a wardrobe malfunction.
For sizing, order based on your bust size. The band is a classic string, so it is completely adjustable based on where you tie it. I ordered a size 4 in the top. If you are unsure of what size you need, check out their sizing guide or reach out to Curvy Beach on social.
Once our need for caffeine outpaced my desire to stay in the water, we headed back to the Confidante to get our morning coffee by the pool. But when we passed this colorful lifeguard station, we had to stop for a couple more pics.
Fat Baywatch vibes 🙂
In case it is not 8,000 percent clear, this Curvy Beach string bikini is the g-damn jam, and I highly recommend getting one of your own ASAP. They sell out frequently (there’s nothing else like it out there in plus!), so definitely order now if you are thinking about it. If you have that doubting internal monologue like I did, tell it to shut it and just go for it. I had no idea a swimsuit could be such a moment for me, but I am so glad it was.
