2 Pieces For Your Curves

When I was younger, I never used to care. Whenever we were going to the beach or to the pool, I used to go into my closet and grab the first 2 piece bathing suit I could find. I would rock that bathing suit and walk around the beach or pool area like I owned it, and I thought I was pretty and that I looked good. I was unashamed and didn't care what anyone said, because I know for sure there were some whispers going on poolside but I could have cared less....

This summer, I want all you ladies to get back to that place. That time when you gave not a single hoot what anyone thought of your outfit or bathing suit. That time when you looked in the mirror and didn't count the number of back rolls you were able to hide or how much of your love handles that you were able to tuck in... That time when you felt pretty and carefree. This summer, I want you to rock a TWO PIECE BATHING SUIT!!!

The first swimsuit destination I am going to share is Rue 107. With their newly launched Rue+, they are really making waves in the swimsuit arena, Check out some of my favorite pieces below:

Monif C is a well-known name in the plus size fashion industry, and judging from just her swimsuit offerings, it is no wonder why. Every year, she always comes up with the most amazing swimsuit collection that could drive anyone to fall in love with bigger girls, and this year is no exception. Here are some of the pieces modeled by Anita Marshall.

This year, Swimsuits For All partnered with my all time favorite blogger, Gabi Gregg of Gabifresh, to create a capsule collection featuring 2 pieces, 1 pieces and cover ups to die for. Below is Gabi wearing my favorite piece form the collection, the galaxy 2 pieces bathing suit. This suit is currently sold out but be sure to head over to the site and shop the other bathing suits.

Nakimuli is another store that I am absolutely obsessed with. They always have fun pieces and have my favorite upcoming model, Essie Golden, modeling for them. They had a giveaway last week that I unfortunately didn't win... but I still love them, lol.

For all you budget fashionistas, Forever 21+ is a great place to look at for some cute swimwear at an affordable price. Below is an example of some of their 2 pieces:

There are so many choices now when it comes to swimwear. In addition to 2 piece bathing suits, the above mentioned stores have a selection of 1 pieces, cover ups and other swimwear and beach accessories. So even if 2 pieces are really not your thing, be sure to check them out for all your summer necessities.

Some additional places to check out are:

• Sorella Swim
• Ashley Stewart
• Lane Bryant
• Asos
• Macy's
• JC Penney
• Avenue
• Old Navy

Fel free to share links to your favorite places to buy swimwear down below in the comments. Get ready ladies, this summer is our summer!!!!

Stay Succulent!!!

UNABASHED: Gabi Gregg

Hey ladies!!!!

Seeing as this is my first real blog post, I decided to dedicate it to someone who really inspires me. She is one of the first plus size bloggers that i ever followed and she is the one who made me want to start blogging. Ever since I discovered her blog, my life has not been the same....

Gabi Gregg is a 25 year old New Yorker who has been blogging for about 3 years, since October 2008. She runs the blog Gabifresh, formerly called Young, Fat and Fabulous and if you are a plus size woman who follows blogs and you haven't heard of her, please tell me what rock you have been living under, lol. She started out as a plus size fashion blogger but she has gained acclaim as a fashion blogger in general. She has been featured in several publications including Glamour, Teen Vogue, Cosmo Poland, The Guardian, The New York Times, and has even appeared on Good Morning America.

Last year, Gabi beat several people to win MTV's Twitter Jockey contest to become MTV's first twitter Jockey. Plus Model magazine has named her one of the most stylish New Yorkers, she is a blogger for Vogue Italia and she even styled Fashion to Figure's Early Summer 2011 Lookbook. To top this off, she has partnered with The Lmited to bring out Eloquii, their first ever Plus size fashion line. It is set to come out sometime this fall.

I think Gabi is one of the most stylish plus size women out there. She always looks amazing but one aspect of her style that I absolutely love is her gorgeous blazers and jackets. Take a look at some of my faves below.

I love how she doesn't let the fact that she is plus size limit her or prevent her from looking good. She doesn't let clothes dictate how she should look but rather, she takes the clothes and wears them in the way that she wants them to look. In an interview with Tiffany from Fatshopaholic, she said something powerful that has stuck with me ever since. She said, "it's not about copying the look and buying the exact items, it's more about translating styles you may admire onto your own body."

Gabi is an amazing woman and her blogger success story is one that anyone would die for. She truly is one of my big inspirations when it comes to style, as well as attitude and body positivity. Check out a few of her many looks that I love:

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Make sure you check out Gabi's blog at http://www.gabifresh.com!!!!!!