I first learned about Jorgie through a small business that I support in Kamloops. The craftsperson from that business had ordered a bikini from the Vancouver-based brand and highly recommended them. I began looking into Jorgie and was overjoyed to find a business that seemed to align perfectly with my values. Like many people, I try to make as many decisions as possible that meaningfully impact the community around me, and align with my major values. Unfortunately, I find it increasingly difficult to find brands that value the same things that I do. Much of the fast fashion available to me is affordable but generally not eco-conscious, inclusive, or sustainably and ethically made. Meanwhile, the local, slow-fashion brands tend to only align with one of two of my values. So to find a brand that embodied all of them, felt like an invaluable rarity - a unicorn brand.

 

Upon my first glance at Jorgie’s online presence, it was immediately clear that the brand valued authenticity and realness. Jorgie posts largely untouched digital images, proudly displaying the stretch marks, cellulite, and curves of their models. They boldly state through their marketing that there is no perfect body, no right way to be thin, or fat, no imperfection that needs to be hidden in order to be powerful, sexy, and fierce. The brand is eager to represent all body sizes, not just within the straight-sized range from XS to XL. This was something extremely important to me - to financially support businesses that are fighting anti-fat bias and weight stigma and liberating fatness in general. Unfortunately, finding brands that offer all of their regular products (not just a select, diminished, plus-size specific line) in a truly inclusive sizing range, and include generous representation from models of all body sizes in all of their marketing campaigns, is difficult. I am a straight sized individual, but I know it is important for everyone to see their body shape and size, and indeed a wide variety of body shapes and sizes in general, reflected positively and encouragingly in a clothing brand. 

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Jorgie also makes many of their swimsuits from a fabric that is made from recycled fishing nets from the ocean, adding in a piece of sustainability and environmental responsibility to the business model. And not only that but Jorgie is extremely transparent about where their fabrics come from, which fabrics are recycled, and how the swimsuits are made. The owner and seamstress at Jorgie is a woman named Jorgina, who is kind, talented, and extremely hard working. I have purchased five or six custom bikinis from Jorgie and I look forward to purchasing many more. Every transaction with Jorgie feels personal. It feels as though I am appreciated and genuinely positively contributing to this small business, this community, and the powerful values that stand at the base of Jorgie’s brand.

 

I would like to offer a personal anecdote to illustrate the powerful, positive impact that this small business has had on my life.

I am not extremely self-conscious anymore, but, like many people, women especially, I have had body image and self-esteem issues on and off for my whole life. Improving my relationship with myself is a life-long process, but there are specific incidents in my life when I can look back and say “Wow, that really played a pivotal part in healing my relationship with myself.” 

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Discovering Jorgie is one of those times. 

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I have loved water, the ocean and swimming, for my entire life. I would go so far as to say that the ocean is the first love of my life. So, naturally, I already own a multitude of bikinis. When I stumbled upon Jorgie, I was most definitely not in need of a bikini. And yet, the more I discovered about the brand, the more I knew that I absolutely did need a Jorgie bikini. I started by ordering premade swimsuits, then moved up to custom made suits, even trying to design one myself, that Jorgina worked hard on turning into a pattern and bringing to life. Every interaction I had with Jorgina was thoughtful, kind, and clear. I felt seen and valued as a client. And with each conversation, I felt more and more like Jorgie truly embodied the values that the brand seemed to exemplify. The most incredible and influential part of my experience with Jorgie, however, was that I felt like I was represented in the models on their page. Here was this incredible, cool, sexy brand, not telling me that I had to look a certain way. Here they were with models who had piercings and tattoos, fat models, models with square hips and small chests, individuals with thin legs and fat on their bellies, people with wild hair and straight hair. And they weren’t there as “token” models to make the brand seem diverse. They were there because Jorgie really, truly believes that beautiful, empowering representation comes in ALL shapes and sizes. And every one of the models in their brand looked confident, incredible, empowered, and strong. And seeing all of them, over and over, was like a big fat permission slip for me to feel strong, sexy, and empowered in my body, exactly as it is. And so I bought bikinis. And when I wore them, I felt like I was one of those fierce, strong women from Jorgie’s page. I felt so good that I bought bikinis with limited coverage for the first time in my life, not even sure that I would ever wear them. But then I went on vacation and I wore all of those small bikinis with my belly and my butt and my hips showing, and I wore them with a confidence I have never felt before. And when I wore them, I felt like I was part of this incredible, strong, femme-power, badass, take-no-shit, Jorgie community that said “Your body is perfect EXACTLY as it is and you have permission to fully and completely ROCK IT.” 

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Jorgie is not only a brand that is creative, resilient, environmentally-friendly, honest, and high quality. They are a brand that is actively working to uplift and encourage the community, dismantle fatphobia and empower women everywhere.