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We all need to bow down and worship at the altar of plus-size blogger and model Nadia Aboulhosn today. I’m serious. Stop whatever you are doing and give thanks to the bikini goddess. We have all seen fatkinis (and we love them, obviously) but designer Andrea Iyamah has given us a game changer in the form of a high-waisted, high-leg bikini brief: the Tatianna.
<Enter> For those of you unfamiliar with her magic, Aboulhosn is the New York-based blogger responsible for revamping Boohoo’s plus-size range. She writes about a range of subjects, including fashion and beauty, and even has a “humanitarian” section on her blog. Her most recent post features images of her wearing the Tatianna two-piece, and looking swoon worthy while she does so.<Enter> <Enter>
The recent revolution of plus-size women in bikinis is a wonderful thing. It warms my fat heart to see strong women wearing whatever they like (rather than whatever they are told) and showing everyone that we are all ”beach body ready.” Aboulhosn has taken that way of thinking to the next level by wearing a bikini that not only shows her midriff, but also her hips and a significant amount of her behind, too, and she looks incredible. The high-leg bikini is a rare beast, thought to have gone extinct in the mid ’90s, but Iyamah has brought it to the 21st century with flair. And I never thought I would say it, but I am so happy to see it outside of Beverly Hills, 90210 again.
Wearing a bikini like this, high up on the waistline, exposes the hips at their fullest point, something that fuller bikini briefs tend to cover up (as this can be an area that women with wider hips seek to minimize). Not Aboulhosn, though. This set of images shows us all that our preconceived notions of how our bodies dictate our clothing are nonsensical and pointless. There is something absolutely stunning about seeing a “problem area” (oh please) exposed in this way. It is a facing of fears for many, not dissimilar to the hesitancy we have when it comes to embracing our visible belly outlines. And we haven’t even talked about the back yet.<Enter>
Aboulhosn’s tan lines show the difference very conveniently between where a more typical bikini would sit compared with this one. Not quite a thong-back, though not far off, this bikini shows no more skin than any other bikini, it’s just a different area of skin that is visible. What I love about this is that the cut does not care about “flattering,” or even “modesty,” to a certain extent. What it concerns itself with is confidence and beauty, and you will find those here in spades.
It was not all that long ago that the only swimwear available to plus-size women consisted of one-pieces, usually featuring a skirt, or tankinis paired with swimskirts (yawn) with the aim of covering up as much as was possible. Over the last couple of years, this has thankfully changed quite a bit and the advent of Gabifresh’s fatkini was a real turning point for fat women who wanted to wear a two-piece but keep their tummies covered. Meanwhile, there were some willing to try a low-rise bikini instead (and they looked incredible doing it). But this is the first time I have ever seen a plus-size woman wear a bikini with a high leg. And I. Love. It. I am struggling to articulate how happy it makes me to see something completely new and different on the market, and I would be even happier to see more women embracing their bodies in this way.