Lands' End Swimwear: It Suits You

DODGEVILLE, Wis., April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Whether it's a revolution or simply a revelation, women have discovered they are wearing the wrong sizes when it comes to bras, jeans and now, swimsuits.  In fact, according to a recent survey of more than 1,000 women conducted by Lands' End®, eight out of ten surveyed (83 percent) confessed to having worn the wrong size swimsuit.  They also believe other women wear the wrong size suit as well; 71 percent believe the majority of women wear the wrong size suit.  This could explain why respondents have experienced swimsuit-sizing mishaps such as saggy bottoms (65 percent), cleavage overflow (58 percent), behind busting out/seat creep (56 percent) and muffin top (54 percent).

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"With so many advances in swimsuit design, high-performance fabrics and a full range of available sizes, there is no reason why any woman should experience muffin top or saggy bottoms," said Suzanne Bryant, vice president of design, Lands' End.  "At Lands' End, we know it's critically important to have a proper-fitting swimsuit so women can feel and look great on the beach or by the pool.  As a result, we offer hundreds of styles that provide solutions for every shape with design details to fit and flatter.  And, we offer a full range of sizes including regular, petite (short) and long (tall) torso, mastectomy, D-DDD cup sizes and plus sizes."

Sizing Up Swimwear Options at Lands' End

The survey also found more than half of respondents (54 percent) purchase swim bottoms in a size that is too big hoping for more coverage while a third (34 percent) have squeezed into a suit that is too small because a larger size was not available.  It's not surprising that women are compromising when it comes to finding their true size since an overwhelming majority of survey respondents (79 percent) stated they fell in love with a swimsuit style, but it was not available in their size.

"Women are not one size fits all especially when it comes to swimwear," stated Bryant.  "At Lands' End, we offer a large variety of sizes in every swimsuit style and this year we have more options than ever before.  In addition, we offer several collections of swim separates to help women mix and match sizes and styles."  

Swimwear Beyond the Numbers

According to Bryant, it's more than a numbers game when it comes to finding a figure-flattering swimsuit.  Body shape, style preference, color and pattern play a key role as well.  Seven out of ten survey respondents agree and believe the biggest swimsuit mistake women make is purchasing the wrong style suit for their body shape.  Bryant suggests using resources such as the Lands' End body shape icons to easily search out swimsuits that are designed to flatter differing body shapes.  This season, the company has introduced a new "circle" icon to the mix offering a total of five body shape icons: Inverted Triangle, Star, Triangle, Circle and Rectangle. The icons help women easily seek out swimwear to complement their proportions and specific body shapes.

Another consideration is color.  This season's preferences go beyond basic black.  In fact, Deep Sea Blue (26 percent) ranked as the number one swimsuit color choice by survey respondents followed by Black (18 percent), Blackberry (18 percent), Mango Orange (12 percent), Brown (10 percent), Kelly Green (9 percent), Slate Gray (6 percent) and Yellow (1 percent).

When it comes to swimsuit silhouettes, the tankini still reigns.  More than half (54 percent) will most likely purchase a tankini, followed by a one-piece (39 percent) and only 7 percent plan to purchase a bikini.

Shopping for Swimsuits

This season, seven out of ten women (70 percent) plan to purchase a new swimsuit and will do so in a variety of ways; by shopping in stores (79 percent), surfing the Internet (68 percent), shopping by catalog (46 percent) and looking through magazines (28 percent).  

"Women are really resourceful when it comes to shopping for swimwear," said Bryant.  "They tend to do their homework both online and offline and enjoy receiving expert advice."

Women would love to turn to swimwear experts.  The survey found 39 percent would select a swimwear designer to help them pick out a great swimsuit before their best friend (19 percent).

Lands' End offers several ways to shop for swimsuits.  The company offers advice from dedicated Swim Fit Experts that can either chat online at www.landsend.com or on the phone at 1-800-675-4853.  A variety of Lands' End swimsuit styles can also be found online at www.landsend.com or at the 294 Lands' End Shop at Sears locations.

Additional Survey Highlights Include:

• Slather on the Lotion – In addition to sunblock, women are slathering on moisturizer.  When asked what women do to get ready for swim season, 80 percent moisturize their skin.

• Sizing Up Men – Women don't believe men buy the wrong swimsuit size (67 percent).

• In a Crunch – More than half of women (53 percent) do stomach crunches to get ready to wear a swimsuit.

• Tune in to the Tunic – 53 percent of those surveyed believe a Tunic Cover-up is the most important swimwear accessory.

• Call the Pros – Almost nine out of ten survey respondents (89 percent) would love a complimentary professional swimsuit fitting to help them find their ideal size.

• Hands to Toes – When getting ready for swimsuit season two-thirds (66 percent) of women get a manicure and pedicure.

• Take a Wild Guess – While 12 percent of survey respondents stated they "take a wild guess" at their swimsuit size, 47 percent base it on their bra or dress size.

• Mixed Up – More than seven out of ten women have worn the wrong swim top or bottom size because they were not sold as mix-and-match separates.

• How it Measures – Two-thirds (66 percent) of women have never taken their measurements with 43 percent stating they don't know how to do so.

About Lands' End

Lands' End® is one of the world's largest retailers of clothing for the family.  In addition, Lands' End offers an innovative collection of fine quality goods for the home.  Lands' End swim can be purchased online at www.landsend.com, by calling 1-800-800-5800, and by visiting the Lands' End Shop at Sears.  Lands' End is a proud member of Sears Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq: SHLD).  And, all high-quality Lands' End merchandise is Guaranteed. Period.®

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SOURCE Lands' End