RIO DE JANEIRO — Tall and tan and young and … chunky? The Girl From Ipanema has put on a few pounds, and for many sunbathers on Brazil’s beaches, the country’s iconic itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny bikini just doesn’t suffice anymore.
A growing number of bikini manufacturers have awakened to Brazil’s thickening waistline and are reaching out to the ever-expanding ranks of heavy women with plus-size lines.
That’s nothing short of a revolution in this most body-conscious of nations, where overweight ladies long had little choice but to hit the beach in oversized T-shirts and biker shorts.
“It used to be bikinis were only in tiny sizes that only skinny girls could fit into. But not everyone is built like a model,” said Elisangela Inez Soares as she sunbathed on Copacabana beach, her curves packed into a black size 12 bikini. ”
“Honestly, the problem went way beyond just bikinis. In Brazil, it used to be that if you were even a little chunky, finding any kind of clothes in the right size was a real problem,” said clothing designer Clarice Rebelatto.
