Reviewing the Aussie label committed to inclusive and sustainable swimwear.
The Fold is one of my ultimate favourite brands for swimwear, and I was lucky enough to interview the founders, Carly Warson and Stephanie Korn, last year. The two grew up together, and have both had DD and E-cup boobs since their teenage years, seeing them as ‘a burden, and really difficult to dress for.’ Something I really related to, and still do.
THE FIT
The Fold carries four main top styles: Line, Base, Frame and Tri, all designed to ‘suit every woman but do different things depending on your bust shape.’ For instance, I have the Line because I have a full bust and generally prefer tops with good coverage, so I’m not spilling out all over the place. The premium Italian and recycled fabric used also helps with this, as it stretches across my entire boob, having a minimising effect, while the under-wiring keeps me lifted.
THE DESIGN
My Fold bikini is one of my favourites, not only because it fits me so well, but because I feel modern and stylish when I wear it. I’m so used to bikinis for larger busts that are made with frills in moody-bloom or disty-floral prints, clearly designed for a much older demographic. It’s so refreshing to see that The Fold doesn’t compromise on the aesthetic.
THE FEEL
It feels extremely soft to wear, even if I’ve been wearing it for the whole day it’ll never leave marks on my skin or indentations. And that brings me on to the straps, because they’re designed so they’re descending in size they’re nice and thick, but not noticeably so. It feels like whatever I’m doing in my bikini I would trust that I’m fully secure.
THE BRAND
As a swimwear brand with a clear vision, they were faced with all the hurdles most brands won’t jump over to avoid the responsibility of accommodating to larger cup sizes. These brands, says Warson, approach design by ‘replicating a smaller design with a larger cup size, grouping cup sizes together like a DD/ E or an E/F – you could tell they weren’t really designed, it was an afterthought.’
To design a product that actually catered to women with larger boobs required a degree of engineering, as Warson explains. ‘You’re designing for a large, curved, surface, with quite a bit of weight, and you need to lift it, position it, shape it, with just a few components … it’s incredibly technical. And it’s pretty crazy that bras get this intricate detailed consideration yet swimwear doesn’t. Bras would never be sold as small, medium, large, yet swimwear is.’
Aside from the product, the brand’s ethos is just as important, as the girls set strong intentions from the start, committing to a sustainable approach where all their packaging is recycled and 78 per cent of their fabric ‘is made from recycled waste, like fishing nets, fabric scraps, carpet flooring and industrial plastic from landfills and oceans all over the world.’
Women are connecting with The Fold’s feel-good mantra, not only in terms of its swimwear, made for a market that has felt unloved and unseen for so long, but also their proud use of models of different shapes and sizes.
Here are some of my favourite bikini’s from The Fold’s current collection, including the bikini I’m wearing from last season. Shop HERE.
READ MORE: Where Can You Find Great Swimwear That Will Actually Fit Big Boobs?
Lillian Sesiguzel 