Plus-size Instagram star Katie Sturino is over bikini anxiety.
“There is no destination with size,” the model and head of body positivity blog the 12ish Style tells The Post. “You must accept yourself as you are.”
To that end, Sturino has teamed with Brazilian swim label Bruna Malucelli on a new, size-inclusive swim line. Its nine suits range from size XS to 4X, and they’re the stuff Instagram dreams are made of, with lots of cotton candy hues, personal monogramming and athleisure-esque cuts.
But what really sets her suits apart is the material, Sturino says. “It uses a really luxurious stretch fabric that can hold all types of bodies.”
Her cute pieces, which are sold at Bruna Malucelli and CoEdition, are the latest entry into the booming plus-size swim category, which has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. Between this June and last, Google searches for “plus-size swimwear” skyrocketed by 43 percent, according to Google. And supply is adjusting to meet demand: Bigger women can now shop suits from high-end designers like Cynthia Rowley to fast-fashion outlets like H&M.
Clearly, plus-sized women are psyched to have more options — perhaps even more so than “straight-sized” women, Sturino points out.
“One of the most interesting things [I’m seeing] is how many ‘straight-sized’ women are not comfortable with their bodies in a bikini, while so many of my plus-size friends and followers are thrilled to get into one of these suits,” she says.
“It’s proof that unreasonable expectations on women affect every size — and perhaps that the plus-size community is a step ahead on owning their body shape.”
