A Swimwear Designer Explains Why Most Bikini Tops Fail Women with D+ Cup Sizes

If you've ever stood in a fitting room wondering why every bikini top almost works—but never quite does—you're not imagining things.

I didn't become a swimwear designer because I loved bikinis. I became one because I was tired of settling for them.

As a swimwear designer who creates bikinis specifically for women with fuller busts, I've spent years studying fit, testing prototypes, and listening to women describe the same frustrations over and over again. Before I ever designed my first swimsuit, I was that customer myself.

The truth is, the swimwear industry hasn't intentionally left fuller-busted women behind. But somewhere along the way, many brands began designing for the average customer and simply scaling those patterns up for larger cup sizes. While that may seem logical on paper, our bodies don't grow proportionally that way.

Here are five reasons why.

1. Most bikini tops are scaled up—not redesigned.

One of the biggest misconceptions about swimwear design is that creating a bikini for a D+ cup simply means making a smaller bikini... bigger.

In many cases, that's exactly how the process begins.

Most bikini collections are developed using a fit model with a B or C cup. Once that sample is approved, the pattern is graded—or scaled—into additional sizes. While that process works reasonably well for many garments, fuller busts don't simply grow proportionally from a B cup. The relationship between the cups, band, straps, coverage, and support changes dramatically.

When I designed my collection, I chose to start with a 32H fit model instead of the traditional B or C cup. That one decision changes everything.

By beginning with a body that actually reflects the customer I design for, every proportion—from the width of the straps to the depth of the cups, the amount of side coverage, the underbust band, and the overall balance of the garment—was engineered with fuller busts in mind from the very first sketch.

The goal isn't simply to make a bigger bikini—it's to design one that understands the body it's made for.

2. Tops and bottoms should almost always be sold separately.

This was one of my biggest frustrations long before I became a designer.

Like so many women, my top size was significantly larger than my bottom size. If I finally found a bikini top with enough coverage, it usually came attached to bottoms that were two or three sizes too big. Other times the bottoms fit perfectly, but the top was laughably small.

The "average woman" doesn't exist. So why do we keep designing swimwear for her?

Offering tops and bottoms separately allows women to build a swimsuit that actually fits their unique proportions instead of forcing them to decide which half of their body deserves the better fit.

3. Support comes from structure—not just straps.

One of the biggest misconceptions in both bras and swimwear is that the straps are responsible for all the heavy lifting.

In reality, the vast majority of a bikini's support—just like a well-fitting bra—comes from the underbust band. Think of it as the foundation of the entire garment. Without a secure anchor around the ribcage, the rest of the swimsuit simply can't do its job.

The straps absolutely matter, but their role is to stabilize and fine-tune the fit—not to carry the full weight of your bust. When the underbust band lacks structure or the fabric doesn't have enough strength and recovery, women often do what seems like the obvious solution: tighten the straps.

Instead of creating true support, overtightened straps place unnecessary pressure on the shoulders and neck while the fabric continues to stretch under the weight of the bust. Over time, the swimsuit loses its shape, the straps dig in even more, and the support you thought you had gradually disappears.

That's why I believe supportive swimwear starts long before the straps. It starts with thoughtful engineering: a stable underbust foundation, fabric with excellent recovery that resists stretching out, balanced proportions, and construction that distributes weight evenly across the garment.

When those elements work together, the straps can finally do the job they were designed for—and you can spend the day enjoying the water instead of constantly adjusting your bikini.

4. Support should never come at the expense of style.

One thing I absolutely hate is when the industry's answer to a fuller bust is simply... a bra made out of swimwear fabric.

I understand the intention. Support matters. But somewhere along the way, "supportive" became synonymous with bulky hardware, bra hooks across the back, heavy construction, and silhouettes that felt more functional than fashionable.

Personally? Get away from me with bra hooks on the back of a bikini.

I've never believed women with fuller busts should have to choose between feeling secure and feeling beautiful. We deserve plunging necklines, flattering silhouettes, vibrant colors, thoughtful details, and bikinis that feel like something you'd be excited to wear—not something you're settling for because it's the only option that fits.

Of course, style doesn't mean sacrificing function.

A thoughtfully designed bikini should provide enough coverage across the front and sides to keep everything comfortably in place without making you feel restricted or over-covered. The goal isn't to hide your body—it's to give you the confidence to move naturally, swim freely, bend down to pick up a beach towel, or dive into the ocean without a second thought.

Because when a swimsuit truly fits, you stop thinking about the swimsuit altogether—and start thinking about the memories you're making in it.

5. Fit is about more than cup size.

After countless fittings, one thing became clear: cup size is only one piece of the puzzle.

Many women tell me the same story:

"The cups finally fit... but now the band is too loose."

"The straps are digging into my shoulders."

"I can't lie down without my boobs falling out the side."

Those comments all point to the same underlying issue: a swimsuit isn't a collection of individual parts - it's a whole system.

A well-fitting bikini considers the relationship between the band, the cups, the straps, the fabric, and the overall construction. Every element has a job to do, and when one isn't pulling its weight, another part of the swimsuit has to compensate.

My Philosophy as a Swimwear Designer

Designing for fuller busts has never been about changing women's bodies. It's about changing the expectations we've placed on them.

You're already perfect. The problem is the clothes.

Women deserve swimwear that is designed with them in mind from the very beginning—not as an afterthought.

Support should feel effortless.

Style shouldn't disappear after a D+ cup.

Women shouldn't have to choose between feeling secure and feeling beautiful.

I believe the best bikini is the one you forget you're wearing while you’re busy enjoying your life.