This inclusive swimsuit company fits their designs on their employees instead of fit models — 5 of us tried them and they fit each of us incredibly well

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Helen Jon

• Most swimwear companies use fit models to design and tailor their bathing suits, but Helen Jon fits all of its styles on their employees who provide feedback to get a supportive fit that works for more women.
• Their suits aren't particularly cheap, but they're not outrageous, either — most one-pieces retail for around $144 to $172 when not on sale.
• Five women from the Insider Reviews team tried bathing suits from Helen Jon and found that they fit exceptionally well and offered great support and coverage (plus, they're cute!).

It's happened to nearly all of us; we await with excitement the arrival of a newly ordered swimsuit, only to try it on and realize "this was definitely not designed with my body type in mind." That's because, in the most literal sense, it likely wasn't.

Most swimsuit companies use what are called "fit models" to measure and tailor the way their suits lay on the body. A fit model generally has the perfect proportions for a given size, is slightly taller than most women, has a cup size that errs on the smaller side, and doesn't have any particular quirks about her shape like most of us do. She offers feedback to brands about what adjustments need to be made to the fit. Swimsuits are literally made to fit her body, but not so much ours.

It's a strange concept. Don't brands want more women to feel comfortable in their clothes? Wouldn't they seek out the opportunity to design swimwear that fit more people? Between fashion and undergarments, it seems that concept has just evaded most designers and manufacturers.

Which is exactly why we need more brands like Helen Jon.

If you've never heard the name, you wouldn't be alone. When I first received their pitch, I wasn't familiar either. Sure, I'd probably seen the brand's suits while scrolling around online, but I never knew what made it special until they reached out to tell me.

It says a lot about the industry that I was honestly amazed to hear that Helen Jon actually measures the fit of its suits on the employees that work there. "We are fitting women's swimwear on real figures, not models. If a suit is (or is not) sitting properly on our bodies, we know what to add, adjust, or revamp."

That's not to say that fit models and the women who are proportioned similarly don't have "real" figures — they are still human women, after all — but it is to say that the company clearly understands how using those bodies exclusively to fit their suits may not always be the best approach. So they came up with a different one, and one that seems to really work.

I put the ladies of the Insider Reviews team to work by asking them to each try on and go swimming in a different suit from Helen Jon (it's a hard job, I know!). All five of us have different body shapes and very different considerations in terms of fit, but each of us has a high standard for what makes something truly great.

Spoiler alert: We loved them. All of us agreed that Helen Jon's suits are stylish, relatively affordable, universally flattering, and exceptionally comfortable. You can read our personal reviews below, but if you're ready to start shopping for a trusty suit that you can wear for everything from lounging around by the pool to snorkeling in the ocean, we recommend Helen Jon hands down.