FOR decades, women with larger chests have had to seek out specialty shops and pay huge sums for comfortable swimwear.
One young woman is tired of the struggle, and she’s mobilizing her fellow fashionistas to make a change.
Libbey Litton (@libbeylitton), 21, is an expert on full-figured fashion.
In the past, she’s generously shared her best finds with her followers.
The content creator also used her platform to open up about how challenging it is to find well-fitting swimwear in an unfriendly market.
“I wanted to hop on here and talk about how hard it is for me to find bathing suits that fit my big chest,” Litton said in a video.
In a disclaimer, Litton clarified that she loved both Aerie and American Eagle, despite her valid criticism of the brands.
“I own a ton of things from them,” Litton said. Still, she added, “Their sizing is really upsetting to me.”
Litton held up a pink bikini top, which she’d ordered from Aerie after checking the sizing online.
Since Litton had ordered a large top from the brand in the past, and it had fit, she thought it would be a safe bet to try it again.
“This is a size large. I read the dimensions and I was thinking, ‘Mmm, yeah, that can maybe work,'” she recalled.
Before the top arrived, Litton said, “I realized that I may have been pushing it.”
But once she received her order, the bikini top was drastically more revealing than she’d anticipated.
“This is insane,” she said, holding up the swimsuit to her chest. “I am a size 30H and when I tried it on, it was horrible.”
Litton added, “There is no way that would ever be appropriate for me to wear in public.”
She was especially disappointed because it wasn’t just the swimsuit that she’d need to return, but an entire ensemble.
“I ordered this cute pullover to go with the bathing suit,” she said, holding up a pink sweater. “It’s going to have to go back.”
Litton said that while she’s only 21, she’s been fighting to find swimwear that actually fits since she was in middle school.
The content creator called on brands to do better and take the needs of bigger-chested customers into consideration.
“I was born this way,” Litton said. “I didn’t pay to have this done.”
“I understand that my proportions are a little different, but it shouldn’t be impossible for me to find a cute bathing suit top,” she lamented.
Litton said she buys most of her swim tops from a specialty retailer, which has a limited selection and a steep price.
“The tops are usually $75, just for the top, and I have to get a solid color or they have grandma-ish patterns that are horrible,” Litton said.
“It’s 2023, and I know a lot of people who have the same problem as me,” she explained. “There is inclusivity for everyone except bigger-busted girls.”
Litton said many people don’t consider the back pain and added expense that come with a larger bust size.
“Everyone’s always like ‘Oh, I wish I had a big chest.’ No, you don’t,” she assured her followers.
While she’s found success with certain styles from Aerie and Abercrombie and Fitch, Litton said she hoped brands would listen.
She emphasized the broad swath of customers who aren’t being served by fashion brands, and said the industry was overdue to adapt.
“I need better swimsuit options,” she said. “It’s time. I’m tired of it.”
Dozens of women commented in solidarity, amplifying Litton’s message to brands and empathizing with her struggle.
“I’m a 34 E and I feel your pain,” a woman wrote. “I can’t wear anything strapless, no open back, nothing.”
“Never related to something more,” another woman said.
Several women called on retailers to make a change.
One woman said, “They’ve gotta start working on this problem, because it is terrible.”
