• FASHION
Kitty & Vibe Review: Pioneering Swimwear
Reviewed by Amanda Hitchcock
Last Updated January 2022
By throwing away traditional metric sizing, Kitty & Vibe has revitalized the swimwear industry with their one-of-a-kind take on sizing and inclusivity.
Kitty & Vibe was founded by Cameron Armstrong in 2018 after being fed up with struggling to find swimwear that fit her body. She created a revolutionary sizing metric to fit all shapes and sizes and created a brand centered on inclusivity and loving your body. The brand blew up on TikTok and has been featured in Fashionista, Pop Sugar, In Style, and more. What sets Kitty & Vibe apart from the competition?
Let’s find out.
Featured Product: Ruffle String Top & String Bottoms
Price: $52 for the Ruffle String Top, $46 for String Bottoms
The Ruffle String Top and String Bottoms come with a beautiful night sky pattern or a funky, retro peach and yellow pattern that was voted on by the Kitty & Vibe community.
The fabric consists of mostly polyamide-nylon, polyamide, lycra, and elastane and 82% of the polyamide is recycled. It’s eco-processed with minimal water sources which decreases their carbon footprint. If that wasn’t awesome enough, all of Kitty & Vibe’s fabric comes with SPF 50+ protection, meaning that your delicate skin underneath the bikini will be protected at all times.
Ratings Breakdown
What’s the hype on Kitty & Vibe and their sizing system? We base our reviews on several factors and standards in order for us to determine whether we truly believe a product is a great fit that we’d recommend. Here’s how Kitty & Vibe stacks up:
QUALITY
★★★★★
The design and pattern are beautiful, and the stitching and strings are thick enough for full support. The fact that bigger cup sizes have thicker straps for heavier breasts is genius, and a game changer.
VALUE
★★★★
Although the price for a single piece is slightly pricey, the quality and design make it worth every penny. Women with bigger breasts have a difficult enough time finding bikini tops that support their frame and Kitty & Vibe has taken that into consideration.
CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE
★★★★★
It’s a bikini that does what it’s supposed to–cute, comfortable, and flattering without having to worry about the top strings untying. And SPF protection on top of that? No complaints here.
BRAND
★★★★★
Kitty & Vibe’s message of self-love and feeling confident in your body is empowering. It’s clear the brand has gone above and beyond in not only the design of their pieces but ensuring that every woman that wears their pieces absolutely loves them. The company also has ethical and sustainable practices, ensuring they decrease their impact on the environment while still producing high-quality bathing suits.
Who Is Kitty & Vibe?
Cameron Armstrong knew her booty couldn’t be grown, even with squats. She grew tired of the one-size-fits-all-bodytypes mentality of the swimwear industry after constantly purchasing swimwear that sagged on her bottom.
She absolutely hated shopping for bathing suits, like every woman she knew. Nothing fit correctly and if you have big breasts and smaller hips you can forget about finding a matching set that won’t suffocate certain areas. Cameron launched Kitty & Vibe as a response to this universal frustration, creating a brand that is inclusive of all body types and doesn’t cater to whatever shape is trendy at the moment.
She began leading focus groups to develop her market research and made a monumental discovery: sizing was different across brands, making it impossible to consistently find swimwear that was flattering and fit. And to solve this dilemma, she created a sizing metric that takes the pain and stress away.
After juggling her full time job at L’Oreal and her budding business, Cameron took the leap and dove into her brand. With Kitty & Vibe, she’s created not only a brand but a community about body positivity that wants women to celebrate themselves with curated playlists that accompany every product.
Pros
- Sizing options are broad and sized like bras
- Top straps are adjustable, providing a more snug or loose fit
- Bigger cup sizes have a thicker strap for additional support
- The fabric has SPF 50+ protection from the sun and is mostly recycled material
Cons
- When wet, the material feels a bit heavy
- The pads make the top heavier and saggy
- The strings are quite long
Kitty & Vibe Swimwear Fit, Style, and Performance
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from the bikini set because I don’t think triangle tops are flattering on me. Being a 32c, my chest is small so it’s easy for them to get lost in fabric.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the String Ruffle Top was flattering and gave me shape, thanks to the adjustable shoulder straps. The strings for both the top and bottom give you all the leeway to make the bikini as tight or loose as you want without feeling like it’s digging into your skin.
Unlike most bikini tops that have strings that untie easily (especially at the worst moments), the Ruffle String Top’s adjustable straps keep everything secure like a bra with sliders and rings, just like the bras we wear every day.
It’s essentially a bra and bikini hybrid–brassiere on top, bikini on the bottom. Even after several uses, the top and bottom held up well and didn’t sag. The top felt slightly heavy after being submerged in water, but this was quickly solved when I removed the padding.
There are several factors that led to my positive experience with the Ruffle String Top and String Bottom including:
- The stylish and unique design
- How well the strings held together after hours of use
- The ease of the shoulder straps, providing ultimate fit control
- The thick material and added protection from the sun
Not only is the bikini beautiful and made with ethical resources, the Ruffle String Top has adjustable shoulder straps that slide to provide a more customized, comfortable fit. Unlike most bikini tops that have one-size-fits-all strings, Kitty & Vibe developed a sliding strap for ultimate control of how you want your top to feel.
Their sizing chart is measured by bra size and relaxed bust size–taking out the guesswork of what top will actually fit. Sizes A to C have removable cups and thinner straps while sizes D cup and above have straps that are slightly thicker and come with an additional layer of mesh.
Meanwhile, the bottoms come in sizes depending on booty size, because we all know that we can have the same sized hips as someone but totally different booty shapes, which can make it even harder to shop for. Thankfully, the Kitty & Vibe team created their unique measuring system to help you out.
Is Kitty & Vibe Swimwear Good Quality?
Kitty & Vibe strives to create pieces of swimwear that are comfortable, flattering, and fun, but are also fair to the environment.
Fast fashion leaves large holes in the earth, and bikinis are often mass produced with cheap materials to keep up with the latest trends that end up in a landfill by the next season. The material is thin, the straps fall apart, and they can’t be used for more than a summer or two.
Kitty & Vibe’s pieces are made with polyamide nylon, elastane, polyamide, lycra, and the sustainable fabric is created with recycled poly and x-life Lycra. The quality is apparent upon first touch and when used because it shrinks back to its original size after being worn, wet, and dried. A fantastic bonus to Kitty & Vibe’s products is the SPF 50+ sun protection. Who remembers to apply sunscreen underneath their bathing suits? I never have, even though it’s completely possible for that delicate skin to burn.
Is Kitty & Vibe Swimwear Worth It?
Upon first glance, you may think Kitty & Vibe’s swimwear as pricey when each piece is at least $45. Why spend nearly $100 when several brands offer full sets for $15? After wearing Kitty & Vibe’s swimwear, you’ll understand the value of a good quality bathing suit. The shelf life of a bathing suit is roughly three months to a year, with higher quality pieces lasting longer.
Even if you’re less of a swimmer and would rather lay out in your bathing suit, having a set that lasts for several summers is a better investment than one that falls apart after wearing it twice. The sizing and design alone are enough to convert almost anyone to Kitty & Vibe: their sizing chart takes into account not only your bra size, but your relaxed bust as well.
The bikini bottom sizing chart has two categories for smaller and larger booties to ensure a proper and flattering fit. With the anxiety of picking the proper size gone, shopping for a bathing suit has never been easier thanks to the revolutionary sizing.
Kitty & Vibe Products
Kitty & Vibe’s swimwear is designed with your body in mind. It’s truly an inclusive brand that strives to create funky swimwear that you love to see yourself in. They are constantly looking into new designs, and have a wide variety of cuts and styles for whatever mood you’re in.
Although they specialize in swimwear, there are several cuts to choose from on their website including scoop, bandeau, high hip, cheeky, and more. If you’re looking for a particular pattern then Kitty & Vibe has you covered. It’s also refreshing to see their website glowing with models of all shapes and sizes without photoshop.
Kitty & Vibe Coupons & Discounts
Generally, it doesn’t appear that Kitty & Vibe has coupons or seasonal discounts outside of their sale section. You can take advantage of $10 off and free shipping when you sign up for their newsletter or take their fit quiz to determine your Kitty size.
If your budget is tight, Zip is available to help you pay in four installments. It’s similar to other after pay methods for avid shoppers.
FAQs
Kitty & Vibe Swimwear Summary
Kitty & Vibe was created with you in mind: you who has a hard time finding swimwear and wants to feel confident in your own skin.
Not only is the design a brilliant move by the creators with the adjustable shoulder straps identical to a bra, the sizing chart is phenomenal. No one should feel discouraged when shopping for swimsuits. We should all love the way we look and feel confident in our skin.
Cameron Armstrong has developed an inclusive brand that has helped empower women across the country and the globe. Thanks to TikTok, Kitty & Vibe received exposure that cemented them as the powerhouse they are in the swimwear industry. With high-quality materials, fun patterns, and a proper sizing chart that ensures the best fit for you, there isn’t anything to dislike about Kitty & Vibe.