Pretty Little Thing praised for swimwear campaign featuring models with stoma bags and mastectomies

PrettyLittleThing has been praised by fans for its diverse new swimwear and lingerie campaign featuring women living with stoma bags and who have had mastectomies.

Sharing a series of images from the new collaboration to Instagram, the brand explained how they have teamed up with online collective GIRLvsCANCER to create a "post-surgery friendly swimwear collection that is both comfortable and empowering while still making you look and feel good".

The retailer added that they will be donating 100% of the profits from the collection to the charity.

Read more: Woman wears bikini to proudly show off her stoma bag and help banish the stigma, Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read

Unsurprisingly, the campaign has gone down very well with fans, who have applauded PLT for offering all-body representation.

"I love this so much. I’ve a stoma myself and seeing people like @big_c_stomaandme and @noovariesandastoma on this campaign is fantastic," one user wrote.

"This is fantastic!!!" another agreed. "Thank you so much for sharing. I have had a permanent stoma for 4 years, it saved my life!"

"As a former ostomate, this is amazing!!" yet another user commented. "Well done @prettylittlething for making accessible clothing that still fits with today’s style to make people look and feel amazing regardless of what they’ve gone through!"

"So so happy to see!" a further fan added. "After my first op and when I had my stoma I struggled so bad with clothes and had such anxiety. Now a post-surgery friendly collection makes looking and feeling good accessible to every one out there! Well done PLT."

Read more: What are stoma and ostomy bags? Doctors explain, Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read

PLT's website explains that the inclusive collection has been created to inspire confidence when it comes to swimwear season, whether you’ve been affected by cancer, or not.

The brand says the swimwear has been specifically created to provide more coverage to disguise scar tissue, using shapes that stylishly conceal stoma and ileostomy bags and security for breast inserts and prostheses.

"Straps have been made thicker and necklines and armholes higher, while all pieces have also been created in super-soft fabrics that are easy and comfortable to wear," PLT says.

"Think maximum comfort without having to compromise on style.

"Here’s to giving cancer the middle finger," it adds.

Watch: Woman who ran London Marathon topless to raise awareness of mastectomy scars says she received brilliant support

Commenting on the partnership, Lauren Mahon founder of GIRLvsCANCER, says: “I’m so excited to be launching the second GIRLvsCANCER x PrettyLittleThing collection. We received such epic feedback from the lingerie edit with the cancer community sharing that seeing the breast cancer patients represented by a global brand such as PLT made them feel empowered.

"The pieces also made them feel confident and sexy, something that has been previously lacking in breast cancer underwear offerings. I'm so proud!

"The new swimwear edit has been created with breast cancer as well as those living with a stoma or ileostomy bag in mind. Working with PLT on such game-changing ranges is huge and this is just the beginning. I’m so excited to see what the cancer crew thinks and share this stunning swimwear range with the world!”

The GIRLvsCANCER x PLT swimwear collection is available online now in sizes XS-XXL with prices ranging from £10-£28.

Pretty Little Thing isn't the only retailer flying the flag for body confidence. Back in 2021 Primark was praised for featuring a "strong and beautiful" woman modelling the retailer's new 'all bodies' lingerie range, which includes a new collection of post-surgery bras.

The image was shared on Instagram to promote the launch of Primark's first collection of leisure, nightwear, underwear and accessories designed, developed and modelled by those who have experienced breast cancer and undergone breast surgery.

Read more: Best mastectomy bras for post-surgery

And the high street fashion brand won serious applause from customers, thanks to the inclusion of a stunning model, who has undergone surgery herself, looking incredible in a soft purple bralet in a post shared to Instagram.

"Love this strong and beautiful pic," one user wrote.

"Beautiful and brave," another added.

"Well done primark x absolutely brilliant," yet another fan commented.

"Yes! Love this photo. Look how fierce she is," another wrote.