• Celebrity
    • OTE – Screen Kings
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Best In Black Beauty 2023
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • OTE – Screen Kings
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • The State Of R&B
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Best In Black Beauty 2023
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Fashion

This Woman Documented Her Bathing Suit Shopping Struggles

The 19-year-old model included a list of “tips” for future swimsuit designers.
This Woman Documented Her Bathing Suit Shopping Struggles
By Daryl Lindsey · Updated October 26, 2020

The dressing room can be a stressful place. This is especially true if you’re a plus-size woman attempting to buy a swimsuit at a big box store.

Body-positive model Sonny Turner posted a mirror selfie to Instagram to document her experience shopping for a swimsuit as a plus-sized woman.

“THE REALITY OF SHOPPING AS A THICK/PLUS SIZE WOMAN,” the post begins.

Sonny goes on to explain that she picked out a bathing suit in the largest size available, (a U.S. 8-10), which provided virtually no support or coverage for her body.

“HighStreet store bikinis do not cater for women of my body type,” she wrote, referring to a popular shopping destination in London. “The majority of online stores don’t either. NO ONE GETS IT.”

The 19-year-old model, who frequently uses the hashtag #EveryBODYisBeautiful, advocates for body love and societal acceptance of all body types. She continued her post with a long, all-caps list of “tips” for future swimsuit designers.

THE REALITY OF SHOPPING AS A THICK/PLUS SIZE WOMAN. ‼️ changing rooms can be scary places. I am wearing the largest size from one of the most popular high street stores sells in bikinis which is 12-14. High street store bikinis do not cater for women of my body type. Majority of online stores don't either. NO ONE GETS IT so for any upcoming designers I got come tips for u BIG BREASTS NEED UNDERWIRE FOR SUPPORT FOR A YOUTHFUL LIFT WE NEED CUP SIZES THAT CORRELATE TO BRA SIZES AND THEY NEED TO GO PAST DD WE NEED CUPS THAT ACTUALLY COVER MORE THAN OUR NIPPLE WE NEED CUPS THAT BRING OUR BOOBS TOGETHER SO THERES NOT A MASSIVE GAP IN-BETWEEN THEM WE NEED STRAPS THAT AREN'T SO TIGHT ITS AS THOUGH OUR NECK IS ABOUT TO SNAP OFF WE NEED BIKINI BOTTOMS THAT DONT GIVE IS WEDGIES WHEN WE WALK WE NEED STRING BIKINIS THAT DONT EXPOSE OUR VAGINA LIPS WE NEED SWIMSUITS THAT FIT OVER OUR HIPS WITHOUT DRAGGING THE NECK OF THE COSTUME DOWN CAUSING NECK ACHE WE DESERVE MORE CHOICE IN THE SELECTION FOR OUR BODY TYPE THAT ISN'T JUST THE GENERIC BLACK SWIMSUIT WITH A KIMONO YES BELIEVE IT OR NOT , SOME OF US ACTUALLY WANT A THONG BIKINI , THE WHOLE SELECTION DOESN'T HAVE TO BE HIGHWAISTED WE'RE GONNA NEED YOU TO STOP USING MODELS WITH FAKE BOOBS THAT AREN'T A REAL DEPICTION OF WHAT THE BRA WOULD LOOK LIKE ON OUR REAL DROOPY ONES ITS NOT FAIR THAT WE CANT WALK WEAR CUTE SWIMWEAR JUST BC WE ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY. WE DESERVE TO WALK INTO A STORE AND PAY £10 FOR A NICE BIKINI WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK AND OUR BODY CONFIDENCE. #everyBODYisbeautiful bottom line is: MAKE CLOTHES FOR ALL SIZE & BODIES.

A post shared by SONNY TURNER (@sonnyturner___) on Jun 27, 2017 at 12:50pm PDT

 

The list included:

  • Underwire to support larger breasts.
  • Cups that cover more than the nipple.
  • Swimsuit sizes that correlate to bra sizes—and are available beyond DD.
  • Bottoms that “cover our vagina lips.”
  • More choices for plus-sized swimsuits beyond generic black colors and high-waisted cuts.

“It’s not fair that we can’t wear cute swimwear just [because] we are built differently. We deserve to walk into a store and pay £10 for a nice bikini without breaking the bank and our body confidence,” Turner wrote.

FABULOUS WHEN POSING, AND STILL FAB WHEN RELAXED AND BEING MYSELF. THE POWER OF OVERLY POSED PICTURES. Let's be honest, 90% of Instagram pictures are staged/posed/facetuned/edited. There is a huuuuuuge pressure to look perfect all the time, to have a snatched waist all the time, to have a flat tummy all the time, to have a thigh gap all the time , to have perky boobs. Well THAT IS NOT REALITY. (For most of us) We all have rolls when we sit down, no ones posture is prim and proper 24/7 and even after I take a massive shit my stomach definitely isn't flat all the time and back fat is COMPLETELY NORMAL. LET A GIRL LIVE. #everybodyisbeatiful #beautybeyondsize #positivebeatsperfect 💖

A post shared by SONNY TURNER (@sonnyturner___) on Jun 28, 2017 at 11:04am PDT

 

The post earned more than 14,000 likes on Instagram, along with hundreds of comments thanking Sonny for spreading the message that all bodies deserve representation in stores.

We hope the message spreads far and wide.

This article originally appeared on HelloGiggles.com.

COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now