The weather is warming up in the northern hemisphere and that means pool parties, beach trips and lakeside picnics are on the agenda. It also means: swimsuit season. Cue Jaws theme song.
Swimsuit season can strike fear in the heart of any woman, but it can be particularly heart-wrenching for us curvy ladies. Finding a swimsuit that meets all of our curvy needs, from style to support, can be difficult and daunting. Fear not, though, my fellow sewists! We at the Curvy Sewing Collective have resources for you that will ensure your summer swimsuit search will be painless, whether you decide to purchase ready-to-wear or sew your own!
Today I am going to cover swimwear sewing patterns that range into curvy sizes. There are increasingly more options for sewing curvy swimwear these days… hurrah!! Check them out below:
The Nautilus Swimsuit from Seamstress Erin includes sizes up to a 51″ underbust and 55″ hip, with a variety of bra sizing options, from AA to DD+. The Nautilus was well reviewed by fellow curvy sewist Elaine here!
Maison Fleur #8101 has options for one- or two-piece swimsuits up to size underbust 43″, waist 43.5″, hip 52.5″, with cup sizes B/C, D/DD, DDD/E! I sewed up this cute swimsuit here, and found that the pattern ran a little bit large, so you could probably fit even if you found yourself outside the pattern’s size range.
Jalie has a variety of swimsuit patterns, both one-piece and two-piece, that range in size up to 50″ bust, 44″ waist, 53″ hip. Some of their patterns are more sporty, but they have a few casual/beach-worthy styles, too, including Jalie 3350, pictured below.
Pin-up Girls, from Beverly Johnson of Bra Maker’s Supply, has several one- and two-piece swimsuit patterns that go up to a 52″ bust size. Beverly also has an online course on Craftsy that is highly relevant to a curvy sewist looking to delve into swimsuit sewing: Sewing Swimsuits: The Supportive One-Piece. I reviewed this class on my blog if you’re interested learning more about what it covers.
Butterick has a handful of swimsuit patterns (and their patterns tend to run large, though, so the sizing may be more generous than the charts suggest):
B5759 goes up to size 32W (54″ bust, 49″ waist, 56″ hip) and has options for a one-piece, tankini or swimdress.
Lisette has a new swimsuit pattern, B6360, which ranges up to size 24W (46″ bust, 39″ waist and 48″ hip)
Gertie’s retro one-piece, B6067, is available up to size 22 (44″ bust, 37″ waist, 46″ hip)
B4526, which offers one- or two-piece options, goes up to size 20 (42″ bust, 34″ waist, 44″ hip)
Seamwork has a high-waisted bikini that goes up to size 3X (bust 52-54″, DD cup, 44-46″ waist, 54-56″ hip). The top, Reno, and the bottom, Dakota, are sold as separates for mixing and matching with other patterns.
The Bombshell Swimsuit from Closet Case Files is a classic style that was updated and regraded last summer to range up to size 20 (46″ bust, 39″ waist, 48″ hip). Our own Jenny also has some excellent tips and tricks on how to grade up the Bombshell pattern to a larger size.
5 out of 4 Patterns‘ X-Factor tankini/bikini pattern goes up to size 3x (50″ bust, 46″ waist, 53″ hip) and can be paired with the Riptide reversible shorties or Ultimate Bikini Bottoms (both up to hip size 53″)
Laela Jeyne Patterns has the Lola swimsuit, a lined swimsuit with optional bra cups, optional boning for support, and either a circle skirt or tiered ruffle skirt. The pattern runs up to size 22 (47.5″ bust, 39.5″ waist, 49.5″ hip).
Simplicity has 2 swimsuit options:
Mimi G’s one-piece, S1116, goes up to size 28W (50″ bust, 44″ waist, 52″ hip)
Patty Reed’s two-piece bikini or tankini, S1374, ranges up to size 24 (46″ bust, 39″ waist, 48″ hip)
McCall’s has 2 swimsuits with limited size ranges, although, like Butterick, their patterns tend to run large, so might be more forgiving:
The M7168 mix and match bikini goes up to size 22 (44″ bust, 37″ waist, 46″ hip).
The M5400 bikini has cup sizes up to D, but only goes up to size 18 (40″ bust, 32″ waist, 42″ hip)
The KwikSew 3072 tank suit goes up to size 4X (57″ bust, 49″ waist, 59″ hip) and has a handful of other swimsuit sewing patterns that go up to XL (45″ bust, 37″ waist, 47″ hip)
Patterns for Pirates has the Siren Swimtop (50″ upper bust, with cup sizes A – G) and the Hello Sailors high waist bottoms (50″ waist, 58″ hip)
Vogue 9192 has lots of options and goes up to size 22 (42″ bust, 34″ waist, 44″ hip)
Peek-a-Boo Patterns has a whole collection of swimwear separates (blouson top, peplum tankini, colorblock tankini, boyshorts and bikini bottoms) that go up to size 3X/24 (50″ bust, 42″ waist, 51″ hip).
Burdastyle has a plus-size swimsuit sloper for sizes up to 56 (52 3/4″ bust) if you’re very confident with your swimsuit sewing and drafting skills.
As an alternative, you could use your favorite lingerie patterns to create the perfect swimsuit. Check out our round-ups of curvy bra and panty patterns from Lingerie Month!
Are there any I missed? What’s your favorite swimsuit sewing pattern?