Lingerie for the Plus Size Woman

There is a sentence I repeat several times a day. I say it to myself, I offer it to my friends and coworkers, and I remind others of its veracity constantly. That sentence is, “Beautiful women come in all shapes and sizes.” Owning that idea wasn’t always easy – it took some work, and it takes work to help others get there, too. It’s as simple as reminding them that a mere hundred years ago, all the burlesque queens had curves.

Sometimes, that conversation takes on a life of its own and veers into the world of “sexy is as sexy does.” The Internet has been a tremendously liberating experience for plus size women, especially when it comes to lingerie – and even the bigger question of sexuality in general. As society grew more and more focused on weight and the ever-present oxymoron that we were all supposed to be thin, it seemed for a while that being a full figured woman almost became something to be ashamed of. We were told to dress in layers – or worse – don’t leave the house at all. Certainly, we weren’t supposed to be flirtatious and titillating – that belonged solely to the size 6 and under set.

What a lie! Fortunately for me – and beautiful plus size women just like me – there has been a big backlash to the thin lie we’ve all been force fed. Personally, I want to OWN my beauty every day of my life, and I want to own everything that goes with it. The idea that I should hide my body once the lights go out is worse than absurd; it’s destructive.

I can remember searching for a lace penoir set when my best friend, Carolyn, got married in our early twenties. Carolyn was amazingly beautiful (still is) – so much so that she was voted best looking in our senior yearbook. She was still gorgeous five years later at a size 22 when she got engaged. I knew it, her fiancée knew it, everyone knew it. But apparently Macy’s, JCPenney, and all the other lingerie departments in our hometown didn’t know it. The only choices they gave were worse than unflattering – they were boring. After many weeks of frustration, the bridal party and I gave up and paid a local seamstress to design and sew a one-of-a-kind, amazingly beautiful sheer silk and lace penoir (with a tiny red heart on the cleavage, just for fun).

With the birth of the online world, we’re now privy to endless examples of adorable, sexy, plus sized clothing and lingerie with the click of a mouse. Everything from the simplest French Maid’s outfit right down to a leopard print G-string – you ask for it, it’s out there.

Working at SWAK Designs has offered me a million opportunities to be part of an exciting and wonderful revolution, and today, I invite you to join me and participate as well. It’s a sexual revolution for the new millennium – one where every woman is empowered to dress it up and strut her stuff. If you’re a plus size diva, buy yourself something sexy and new to wear in the boudoir and allow yourself (and your partner) some exciting new sizzle in the bedroom (or wherever!). And remember, sexy starts with what’s on the inside – but like everywhere in life, a great wardrobe sure doesn’t hurt!

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