Pride Month may end in June but queer is my identity all year long and support for the LGBTQ+ community should last all year too. This new series, Queer All Year, aims to highlight LGBTQ-owned businesses. First up is Beefcake Swimwear, a brand making inspired by the 1920s.
When you hear “vintage swimsuits,” the first thought may go to ’50s pin-up style high-waist bikinis. These styles are traditionally feminine-leaning. In general, is more feminine. But what about those who want size inclusive androgynous swimsuits? That’s where Beefcake Swimwear comes in!
Meet Beefcake Swimwear
Beefcake Swimwear is the , a self-proclaimed tomboy lesbian and semi-skilled seamstress. After raising more than $35,000 on Kickstarter, Wells launched Beefcake Swimwear in late 2017. Their suits harken back to 1920s bathers but their approach is anything but old-fashioned. They use cutting-edge production crafting digitally-printed suits in small batches. Each suit uses sustainable Italian fabric that’s made from 100% recycled polyester and Xtra Life Lycra. This fabrication makes for a swimsuit that’s equipped with UV protection, compression, coverage, and chlorine resistance.
What’s In A Name?
Much like the style of their suits, Beefcake Swimwear’s name also has vintage roots. The term “beefcake” comes from the term “cheesecake” which dates back to 1600 Britain as a way to reference sexy women. Cheesecake reached its US peak in the 1930s and ’40s. In response to this term’s popularity, beefcake emerged as cheesecake’s rugged male counterpart in the late 1940s.
Gender Affirming Swimwear
“To us, the term “beefcake” is a little retro, a little queer, and skews masculine-of-center,” writes . “You’re most likely to encounter it in the hashtag #beefcakestatus along with photos of folks lifting barbells and getting swole. We love all of this. Our hope is that someone wearing Beefcake Swimwear will feel confident, playful, and strong, no matter their size or shape or age or gender identity.”
Plus Size Beefcake Swimwear Review
Confident, playful and strong are definitely three words I would use to describe how wearing Beefcake Swimwear’s size inclusive androgynous swimwear made me feel. Although my personal style is more high femme than masculine-leaning, felt very me. With a rainbow striped pattern down the front and back, the Charmer suit felt like a subtle way to wear my queer identity proudly.
Beefcake Swimwear features their own unique unisex . They make suits in sizes XS – 5X which fit up to a size 60″ hip. They do have a 30-day return policy and one-time limited exchange policy but knowing your measurements is key to ordering the right size suit the first time around. I measured a 2X in the waist but a 3X in the hips so I went with the 3X. The suit formed to my body without feeling uncomfortably snug in the hips or loose in the bust. The fabric has a substantial feel to it.
The front of the suit features a full lining but the back does not. On me, the back of the suit was a bit see-thru. I wore underwear to take these photos and in the sun, you can see the outline of those underwear just a little. If I had nothing underneath, the suit not being lined in the back would certainly not be an issue.
As someone with a curvy or more traditionally feminine shape, I often struggle with the fit of more androgynous clothing made in plus sizes. A lot of times the legs will roll up. I was worried that the legs here would roll up but I found that the silicone inside the leg really did its job. I pranced around the beach and had zero issues with the legs rolling up.
Price Transparency
If you aren’t already sold on Beefcake Swimwear, there’s one more important selling point: . Other than Everlane, there’s not many mainstream brands sharing the honest cost of their products. Beefcake Swimwear joins those ranks. “My intention for Beefcake Swimwear is not to be a luxury brand,” says Wells. “Instead, I’m trying to provide sustainably & ethically manufactured swimwear with an inclusive range of sizes, and to make them affordable. So, the unicorns of swimwear.”
With Beefcake Swimwear, you know exactly what you’re getting: an ethically produced and fairly priced size inclusive androgynous swimsuit created by a queer-owned company. Swimsuits are so often gendered and Beefcake Swimwear fills an important void in the swimwear market by making more gender neutral options for a wide range of sizes.
To shop Beefcake Swimwear’s , visit their website.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Beefcake Swimwear but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
More Size Inclusive Adrodgynous Swimsuits
– Sizes XS-6X
– Sizes 16-28
– Sizes 1X-3X
– Sizes XS-4X
– Sizes XS-2X
– Sizes 1X-3X