For many people, the approaching summer means beach season. For many women, however, it’s a season of body image issues and anxiety instead. Despite the strides that women have made towards body positivity over recent years, beach season remains an area in which women can be made to feel vulnerable and stigmatized if they don’t match up with the glamorous images that permeate pop culture.
In fact, a recent report involving more than 10,000 women found that 85 percent of women opt out of activities due to body image issues and 69 percent feel pressure from media of all kinds to strive for an unrealistic body image. And the beach — where people are the most exposed — can be the place where women feel the most vulnerable.
Made for every body
The good news? A new generation of chic swimsuit companies is determined to change things. One example of this new focus on positive body image in the swimwear world is Coco Reef, which strongly supports the burgeoning body empowerment movement by offering more swimsuit choices than ever for women seeking to look and feelgreat in their own skin.
“We understand that swimsuit season can be a daunting experience for many women,” says Kim Sauter, the brand’s marketing manager. “We believe that the most beautiful swimsuit is the one that fits you perfectly. Every piece we make is designed with the woman’s figure in mind — made for women, by women. We set ourselves apart from the competition with our true bra sizing, fit solution technologies and the dedicated expertise of our sizing and fit specialists. Our suits have been developed to strategically support and sculpt every figure.”
The company’s swimsuits combine smart, innovative design elements such as underwire support, molded cups, removable soft cups and adjustable, removable straps for the most supportive swimwear on the market. Their designs are constantly evolving to accommodate every body, including a wide range of sizes and capsule collections that suit women’s unique style — a body-conscious approach that is increasingly demanded by women all over the world.
Are you ready for summer?
The war against unrealistic body images and the stigma of not being a swimsuit model may be turning. In a recent piece for the New York Times, author and activist Jennifer Weiner openly discussed “The Women Who Don’t Wear Swimsuits” and name-dropped athletes like Michelle Carter and Sarah Robles as women who defy the unrealistic body images that plague women their entire lives. Model Ashley Graham is on the cover of fashion magazines. Women of all shapes and sizes are gracing runways. Body inclusion is the new norm, and Coco Reef is paying attention.
“We launched the ‛Flaunt Your Shape’ campaign last summer, which focuses on empowering women to embrace their curves. We have seen constant growth utilizing the hashtag #FlauntYourShape since,” says Allie Bukatman, social media coordinator at Coco Reef. “The campaign kicked off with body positive advocate Iskra Lawrence last summer and has continued to make strides.” Most recently, they have partnered with Katie H. Willcox of “Healthy is the New Skinny,” focusing on healthy body image and healthy living in a perfection-obsessed society.
As we move into the warmer months, it is no wonder Coco Reef continues to make a major splash with female consumers. After all, this is a brand that prides itself on inspiring women to feel confident in their bodies. At the end of the day, what’s more empowering than that?
Jeffrey Somers, [email protected]