Shopping for a flattering swimsuit becomes a chore for women who often find themselves surrounded by flimsy, shapeless swimwear. Every woman wants to feel confident when she goes to the beach or the pool.
For LA-based fashion designer Leila Shams, there was only one solution; she would have to design her own. Using her twenty years of fashion experience, she put her head down and spent three years developing a swimsuit that could enhance a woman’s body.
Her hard work resulted in TA3 Swimwear, a line of shapewear bathing suits. These revolutionary one-piece bathing suits have built-in shapewear panels that cinch in the waist with the help of back lace ties that corset the midsection.
Her swimsuits became a viral sensation on Tiktok, garnering over four million views and bringing customers to her website. TA3 Swimwear’s inventory was flying off the shelves faster than Leila could restock, so she came to the Shark Tank, hoping one of the Sharks would help her solve her inventory problem.
How Did The Shark Tank Pitch Go?
Leila came into the Tank with a choreographed pitch and her swimsuit models. She asked for $500,000 for 10% equity valuing TA3 Swimwear at $5 million.
Her models demonstrated her swimsuits’ easy waist cinching technology, which had visible results corseting the models’ midsection. The Sharks were given samples to feel, and they all commented on how substantial and stretchable the swimsuits were.
Kevin assumed these were targeted to the plus size market, but Leila clarified that TA3 Swimwear is a size-inclusive brand, with sizes from XS up to 4XL.
Leila blew the Sharks away with her sales number of $1.4 million in just 13 months, netting $800,000 in profits from the online store thanks to its viral success.
She had a patent pending and needed the Sharks to help her stock up her inventory that kept selling out. Barbara had already experienced the difficulties of running a swimsuit brand and didn’t want to go down that road again. She was out.
Keven and Mark were both amazed by her success but felt this market wasn’t for them, saying neither of them had anything to add to her brand. They were out.
Daymond, who had the most experience with the clothing industry, didn’t like her returns at 20% and explained the pitfalls many clothing brands face in managing inventory. He didn’t want to get into it and was out.
Lori thought Leila was a great designer and wanted to know if she was willing to license her corset technology to be integrated into other outfits. Leila didn’t want to, and her unwillingness was why Lori pulled out.
Leila left the Tank frustrated, saying the Sharks had made a big mistake.
Our Review of TA3 Swimwear
TA3 Swimwear’s body-shaping swimsuits are made of a nylon and spandex blend. TA3 currently has three one-piece swimsuits available on its online store: Plungey (full back coverage with a low cut leg), Lacey (cheeky back coverage with medium cut leg ), and Hi-Cut Plungey (minimal back coverage with high cut leg).
The outer fabric of the swimsuits is made of the same lightweight compression fabric used in sports bras, so these swimsuits can also double as bodysuits. Each swimsuit has multiple color options, length options, and sizes ranging from XS to 4XL. They also have a built-in shelf bra, removable bust pads, and adjustable straps that support up to a G cup.
The website also has a Find My Fit app. You upload two photos of yourself in fitted clothing, and this virtual scanner analyzes them, returning a recommended size and length. This process makes finding your fit super simple.
Pros of TA3 Swimwear
- Cinches the waist
- Holds in midsection
- Supports bust
- Comfortable, breathable fabric
- Wide range of sizes
- Many color options
Cons of TA3 Swimwear
- Expensive
- Limited designs
- Dye color can run
Who is TA3 Swimwear For?
These swimsuits are for women who feel self-conscious about their bodies and are not confident when wearing traditional one-piece or two-piece swimsuits.
Are There Any Alternatives?
The shapewear bathing suits market is filled with numerous brands that offer tummy-tucking, waist-cinching bathing suits. A few of the most popular ones are listed below.
Miracle Suit
This Pennsylvania company sells over 100 different designs of body-shaping swimwear from one-pieces, tankinis, and bottoms in sizes from US 8 to US 20, along with plus sizes from 16W to 24W. Miracle Suit uses a blend of nylon and Lycra spandex that promises to make you look 10 pounds lighter in 10 seconds. Check out its online store for more designs.
Swim Solutions
Swim Solutions offers over 100 different designs of shapewear bathing suits that can hide unwanted bumps with sizes ranging from a US4 to US34 and plus sizes. This brand has a variety of designs, prints, colors, and features like fringes and ruching, so there is something for everyone. Check out its online store for more options and information.
Coco Reef
Established in 1996, this US company is the first to make bra-sized swimwear that provides support and style. The dual-layer construction is built with soft outer fabric and Shapemaker shapewear inside to smooth curves, lift the bottom and hug the waist. Coco Reef has 20 different one-piece designs that range from US8 to US16. Check out its online store for more information.
Spanx
Spanx has been designing body smoothing shapewear since 1998. It has become a must-have item in every woman’s wardrobe and now offers a range of clothing and swimwear. Its Classic Swim One Piece is designed to mold your body into the perfect beach bod.
Made of saltwater and chlorine-resistant fabric, this one piece comes in five colors, sizes from XS to 3X, and has adjustable straps and removable bust cups.
Our Final Thoughts
We love TA3 Swimear’s website that has women with real bodies wearing swimsuits, without all the photoshop. A welcome sight in a world filled with ultra airbrushed stick-thin models.
This company’s swimsuits are more than a gimmick; they actually create the illusion of a smaller waist, a trend that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and we think the Sharks missed an opportunity.
