Understanding the Plus + Symbol
Understanding the Artesands Plus + Symbol
On all our Artesands size labels we have the sizing listed with a plus symbol next to it. Our plus symbol means ‘Plus a little bit more’.
At Artesands we have developed our own internal Artesands only unique sizing system. Our unique sizing system is based on measuring true every day curvy or plus size women and not fashion models. We have built this unique swimwear sizing system and structure around fitting what we feel (& know) are everyday curvaceous women, just like us.
We allow for a little bit more room through the mid-section and a little bit more at the top of your back and underarm and a bit more through the hips. We build in this extra plus + ‘curve fit’ into our style patterns and size grading. If you have curves and you try an Artesands swimsuit you will love how our ‘plus a little bit’ more sizing structure sits softer on your body and does not dig in creating any bulgers over the top of the swimsuit rubbers. The ‘plus a little bit more’ does not affect the support of our curve fit or plus size swimsuits if anything the ‘plus a little bit more’ will give you the right support in all the right areas. This is done by allowing the swimsuit to sit in the correct position on your body and provide the best support for all our gorgeous, plus size and curvy customers.
How we add the Plus a little bit more to our curvy swimsuits
All our first patterns and fittings are done on our middle size of AUS 18 / US 14. This means our garments start their life as a size AUS 18/ US 14. Our swimsuits have been designed, sculpted, tried on and fitted on realistic, true to size, curvy women.
If you compare an AUS size 12+ Artesands to a regular size 12 you will feel the difference. Our garments are designed to fit your curves.
why we created our own unique swimwear sizing system
You will find most other swimwear labels will make their first samples to fit a size a AUS 10/US 6 or even a AUS 8/US 4, then this style is graded up to its largest size and down to its smallest size. The design team at Artesands found that this to be truly archaic and completely unrealistic. Considering the average size woman in Australia is a size AUS 14/US 10 it does not make any sense why labels start their designs on such a small body shape.
By starting the swimwear design process on such small body shapes, what ends up happening is that the size 18 or size 20 garment really does not fit properly at all, because when you are grading up to the larger sizes the fit is not adjusted to allow for the perfect fit on all our unique body curves. With grading the garment up from the smallest size, the shape of the swimsuit will just get proportionally larger all over. We have found that this may suit a very small number of women. This is the female body shape that society and the swimwear industry set as what a perfect woman should look like with model like body proportions. But within the wide-ranging population of women this is not the case and this fashion industry idealised female body shape is completely unrealistic.
fact: all bodies are unique, everybody has a different shape and shapes and proportions change on a curvier size range
When grading from a smaller size up to a larger size no consideration is given to how the garment will fit by jumping up so many sizes, our bodies tend to change shape in many different ways and tend not to maintain the same proportions as someone who is a size AUS 8/US 4. A large portion of the population is not fitting correctly into these styles as unfortunately designers are relying on the proportions of a woman to remain the same from a size 8 to a size 26.
So, if you have ever tried to buy from a label that is using a size 10 or sometimes a size 8 to fit on and wonder why you do not fit properly into their garments or swimsuits? Now you know why and why it isn't your body that is the problem. It is the way it has been graded and expected that your body will fit it.
BUT here at Artesands and are 110% behind the design of perfectly fitting swimsuits to fit all women’s curves.
we fit your curves!
Unsure of your Artesands size?
Don’t worry we have a step by step blog on how to measure your body to find your perfectly fitting curvy swimsuit.
All of our women’s curve fit women’s swimwear is available in plus sizes US 8 - US 20 and sizes AUST 12 - AUST 24.
To find swimwear in your size click the size link:
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The A-Team
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