#_uuid:0be5a30a-50b9-3819-9041-f9aa77aa03df | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

wp-yahoo-style-1042-yahoopa-blog · 6 years

Text

How Gabi Gregg is championing plus size swim for ‘real’ women everywhere

Gabi Gregg for Swimsuit for All. (Photo: Courtesy of Swimsuits for All)

Gabi Gregg (aka GabiFresh) is one of the fearless leaders moving the needle in the the fashion industry’s booming body positive movement. She’s been credited with popularizing the “Fatkini” trend back in 2012 and has since collaborated with the inclusive line, Swimsuits for All for several seasons now. Her latest collection for the brand is called “Power Play,” and for it, Gregg has done something she’s never done before. The plus size influencer and swim label hosted an open casting call in Los Angeles to discover 9 real, curvy women who would become her campaign co-stars.

Gabi Gregg and the 9 real women cast for Swimsuits for All campaign. (Photo: Courtesy of Swimsuits for All)

More than 500 women showed up to the casting call for a chance to be featured. Some women even flew across the country for a chance at the opportunity. How did Gregg ultimately choose her 9 campaign co-stars? “I didn’t go in with any specific expectations or limitations because I really wanted to have an open mind when I was casting. The only thing I knew for sure is that I wanted to have a diverse range of women, especially when it came to body types and race and size” Gregg tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Confidence was also a big considering factor. “We asked each woman, why she was there, what wearing a swimsuit meant to her and a little bit of her story. That way I was able to gauge her confidence and how she would be on camera.” The campaign was shot at Santa Monica Pier in California and features women sizes 10-26 (all sizes which are available in the collection). It was important to Gregg to not just show “the typical hourglass body” but “women of all shapes, sizes, and races” so that women everywhere “could see themselves reflected.”

Models and Gabi Gregg in the new Swimsuits for All campaign. (Photo: Courtesy of Swimsuits for All)

Gabi Gregg for Swimsuits for All. (Photo: Courtesy of Swimsuits for All)

But for so many plus size women, swimsuits— especially bikinis can feel daunting to wear. For this reason, Gregg has offered a few tips to help you build your body confidence if you are not quite ready. The first step is to “be conscious of who you’re following on social media…make an effort to really follow people who reflect your body type and what you look like because I think the power of representation could not be overstated enough.” By doing the opposite and following and seeing women who “don’t look anything like you, that can be very harmful to how you feel about yourself.”

The second tip is to look for styles that “make you feel the best” when shopping for swimwear. Gabi cites high-waisted swimsuits as good options, bikini tops with underwire for extra support, and especially a “great cover up” can go a long way. According to Gregg, “instead of relying on an old ratty t-shirt to cover up, it’s a really sexy and stylish way to still feel that confidence.” There’s a few stylish options available in the collection too, like the one Gregg wears below.

Gabi Gregg in one of her collection’s cover ups for Swimsuits for All. (Photo: Courtesy of Swimsuits for All)

But while Swimsuit for All has become a beacon for body positive swimwear, not all swim labels have followed suit. One noticeable example is the cult, celeb favorite label, Solid & Striped. The brand came under fire earlier this year after releasing a swim campaign which featured 12 thin, white models and only one model of color (Jourdan Dunn). The campaign struck a chord with many people who called out the campaign’s lack of diversity and representation. This prompted the brand’s CEO to issue an apology, promising to “do better.”

In this case, Gregg recognizes that the campaign was, yes “beautifully done” and the “women are gorgeous,” but it’s still “disappointing to see a swim campaign with all the same size, and mostly the same race.” But she also sees a silver lining. “The backlash, and the kind of controversy around that campaign shows how far we have come as a society. People are raising their voices and saying, ‘hey we want to see more diversity, this isn’t cool.‘” If this image came out a few years ago, “it would’ve just been seen as normal.”

Although there have been strides, such as Ashley Graham‘s 2016 Sports Illustrated cover, more diverse model casts on the runway, and established brands like Loft expanding into plus, there’s still more work to be done.

“We definitely need to see more diversity in all campaigns across the board and specifically in swim, as swim is a different category where we have a lot of skin exposed and women still feel a little insecure about their “flaws,” says Gregg. However, with the help of brands like Swimsuits for All, we can “help push the needle and move the industry forward and show that you can have fun and look beautiful and be confident in swimwear regardless of your size.”

Head to swimsuitsforall.com to shop the new GabiFresh collection and find your perfect swimsuit just in time for summer.