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Target Features Plus Size Blogger in Their Latest Swim Campaign and We Couldn’t Be Happier (YES!)

Target Features Plus Size Blogger in Their Latest Swim Campaign and We Couldn’t Be Happier (YES!)

Target unveiled their latest swim campaign this week and we were ecstatic to see that they included a plus size blogger who’s a woman of color. In the name of diversity, thank you, Target! It was refreshing to see blogger Chantè Burkett of Everything Curvy and Chic, rocking a two-piece swimsuit confidently in a campaign where she was the ONLY plus size woman involved.

Target-Loves-Every-Body-Swimsuit-Campaign
Image: Target

Target has been trying to win the hearts of plus size women for a while now and it has not been without missteps. Just a year and a half ago, the retailer was called out for using pregnant models on their website to model plus size clothing. Then the plus size clothing section in-store began to shrink and slowly disappear, which made many customers think Target was following suit with other retailers who now only offer plus size clothing online (such as Old Navy).

Target missing plus sizes image
Image: Sue Tait Porcaro (Facebook)

After Chastity Garner of GarnerStyle.com started a petition against Target, urging all customers to boycott the retailer because of their exclusion of plus sizes in their designer collaborations, the retailer seemed to make an effort to make amends. They hired Garner and two other high-profile plus size bloggers to consult on their new Ava & Viv plus size clothing line, which was welcomed with so-so reviews.

Read more: Plus Size Fashion Blogger Chastity Valentine Calls For Boycott Against Target

And their collaboration with Lily Pulitzer seemed to be a hit but plus sizes were only sold online, to the dismay of many customers.

Read more: Target Under Fire After Confirming New Lilly Pulitzer Collection in Plus Sizes Will Only Be Available Online

But we’ve noticed that Target has begun using a variety of plus size models of different races and sizes on their website, including with their junior plus sizes:

Target ss 4-24
Image: Target.com

 

Target ss 4-24 (3)
Image: Target.com

And now with them tapping plus size blogger Chantè Burkett to be a part of this new swim campaign titled Target Loves Every Body, they’re proving that they are making an effort. We should still continue to voice our opinions but we should also applaud Target for at least trying. Some retailers don’t seem to care enough to go to the lengths Target has gone to win back their plus size customers and women overall, by showing that they are willing to show diversity in its campaigns and expand on their plus size clothing offerings.

Target swim 2015 image2
Image: Target

And this campaign is not just about diversity. Target‘s focus is to showcase the best swimwear to flatter any body. They enlisted stylist Zanna Roberts Rassi to help the bloggers involved in choosing suits that highlight their favorite physical feature and flatter the areas that are not their favorites.

A Target spokesperson told BuzzFeed Life:

“We know there is no ‘one suit fits all’ and wanted to help women feel confident this summer and empowered to try different styles, no matter their size or shape.

By partnering with real women that represent a range of body types and working with someone with a deep knowledge of styling and fashion like Zanna, we wanted to … inspire women to discover that Target has a suit for every body type, every style, and every size, and you won’t need to pay a lot for it.”

Chantè told Buzzfeed Life:

“Being the only plus-size girl in this swimsuit campaign really challenged my confidence and to be honest, I never felt more confident in my life.

This means the world to me, and I know it will mean even more to girls who look just like me. This is me and I love me, period, point blank. It’s swimsuit season, ladies; stop hiding and have fun!”

Amen to that! Kudos to Chantè and to Target. We can’t wait to see what the retailer will do next.