Bathing Suit Season
It’s summertime, which means many of us are getting in pools and worrying about looking fat in our bathing suits when really we should be swimming and diving and doing cannonballs and swimming with dolphins and drinking drinks out of coconuts and being awesome! Hopefully most of us are doing that, and not stressing out, like this poor girl:
I was wondering if there were styles of bathing suits that looked good on fat people. Also, if any of them have sleeves or anything like that. I want to be able to cover my upper arms, tummy, hips, back, and thighs. Does anyone know any specialty stores or websites?
Sleeves! Oh honey, no. Here are some of the answers:
I know its tempting to cover up when you’re larger and not confident about your body, but only cover up in moderation. If you cover EVERYthing on your body it will only draw more attention to those areas. Instead you need a suit that doesn’t cover up but that diverts the eye to your body parts that you like.
http://www.wholesomewear.com has very modest styles of suits. They have sleeves and some have culottes or longer skirts. It sounds like you want something very modest, but not very tight… these may work for you! Still, when I go to the beach, I see lots of big gals in bikinis, and I wish I had a fraction of their self-confidence!!!
Seriously, check out the “slimming swimwear” from that Wholesome Wear site! Oh my god. I’m sorry, but even Nicki from Big Love wouldn’t wear this stuff into their backyard polygamy pool.
More answers:
sweetie its okay to show your arms just wear a one piece bathing suit with a skirt cover up. It’ll be cute…. show some confidence gurl you’ll look HOT! Have fun where ever your going.
sounds like you want a wet suit.
Not being a believer in the “bathing suit with a skirt” thing, I tend to go for boy-cut shorts and halters. But I recently got this suit by Land’s End and think it looks very cute. But it is also very spendy! I bought it back in those halcyon days when I had something called “a job.”
What about you? Are you pro- or anti- the bathing suit skirt concept? Are you headed to to the beach, a pool, or a hot tub this summer? Where did you buy your suit? And what style of bathing garment “suits” you!? (HAHAHA! A PUN! And while I’m at it, please note that I put this in the category of “Fat Suits.” I can’t help myself.)
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Fashion, Fat Suits, International, TV
I recently bought a bathing suit and frankly I just grabbed the cheapest thing I could find. I don’t care what it looks like as long as I can tolerate the colours and my boobs won’t fall out; all I care about is finally being able to go swimming!! Because that’s what they’re for, right? Swimming. In the water, where few people can see you anyway. ;)
OMG, that website. I can’t believe they’re actually trying to sell that stuff. It practically guarantees that everyone will be staring at you! Gaaah!
Covering up for shame? No good! Covering up to avoid skin cancer? VERY GOOD!
I don’t know what the skin cancer situation is like in the US, but 2 in 3 Australians can expect to have skin cancer by the age of 70. I’ve spent my whole life covered up and wearing sunscreen, but I’m very pale and have already had two suspicious moles removed (both normal, thankfully). Take care out there!
Those suits made me immediately think of the compound on Big Love! Although there are days when I feel like they aren’t such a bad idea.
I generally am pro-shorts on suits.
This is one area that I’ve come a long way. I live in Arizona and spent most of my high school and college years not swimming because I couldn’t find a bathing suit that made me feel thin enough. I ditched that attitude right around the time I had kids. I don’t care what anyone says or thinks…I’m not about to NOT go swimming in 112 degree heat! Target had some cute plus sized swim wear this season, although they are hit or miss, some summers they don’t have anything I like. But this year they had really cute tankini style tops and board shorts, which is what I’ve been wearing.
worried about looking fat? there is no clothing on earth that will make a fat girl magically thin – no matter what the tag says. Find a bathing suit you feel comfortable in and head for the beach! I have never had children cry or delicate ladies faint at the sight of me in a bathing suit. Everyone is just there to have fun, and I’ve never been to a beach or pool that didn’t have bodies of all shapes and sizes hanging around.
I like Target’s Tankini’s – they cover my belly and there’s several bottoms choices, including board shorts and boy shorts styles.
I wear a tankini top with men’s swim trunks. The men’s trunks are great for several reasons:
It’s much, much easier to find swim trunks that fit, instead of a women’s swimsuit bottom or one piece.
I don’t have to sunscreen my upper thighs anymore (and get sunburned where I missed a spot at the edge of the leg holes).
I already have a high comfort level with wearing shorts and a tank top.
POCKETS!!! Need I say more? :-)
When I’m in a suit, I’m mostly swimming, not lounging. So I come down fully against anything that increases drag.
No skirts for me.
I used to wear tankini tops and board shorts for canoeing/camping. Until I realized that the whole point of paddling was to get to someplace where you’re alone- making ‘nothing’ a viable swimwear option. :)
I wear a traditional one-piece suit, which I bought for my aquagym class, and frankly, few people bat an eye because my fat arms or fat legs show. I went swimming twice lately at friends’ houses and again no one gave a shit about my body. I had fun and that was that.
I used to have a tankini, but I guess the top wasn’t the right size because it kept on lifting because air bubbles would form underneath. Mind you, never tried the tankini top + men’s trunks combo…
I bought a tankini and board shorts at Target and wore them for the first time over the 4th. I surprised myself by not even thinking twice about whipping my t-shirt off and hopping in the pool. That rarely happens. But it was so FREEING to wear something cute that I felt cute in. The top floated up a bit, which was bothersome, but I don’t like them to fit tight because then they ROLL up when you’re walking around and that annoys the crap out of me. It kind of bothers me that the women’s board shorts aren’t lined. The legs are incredibly roomy but I can’t go down a size because they won’t fit my waist/hips/butt, so I lived in fear of someone getting an awesome, revealing shot up my leg :D
I also have, for the record, men’s board shorts, which are really nice for general lounging and I LOVE the length of them. IMO, bathing suit skirts look odd on anyone who isn’t 3.
I’ve given up on bathingsuits and anything that goes along with it, which is sad as I love swimming but I hate the beach so…it’s ok.
So here is the thing: I am kind of a hairy lady. I’m also somewhat lazy, and have sensitive skin, and while I keep things neat “down there,” the vast majority of the time I am not really interested in trying to shave my bikini line and get razor bumps, or contort myself in order to do a home waxing kit, or go to a stranger and have them do it for me. Bathing suits with skirts mean I have no bikini line, meaning I don’t have to worry about it. Therefore you will have to pry my skirted bathing suit from my cold, dead fingers. The fact that it conceals some of my newly-acquired upper thigh stretch marks doesn’t hurt, but the main factor is definitely the bikini line issue.
My bathing suit wearing is generally limited to our back yard hot tub, so a simple one piece suit suffices. Unfortunately, the 100 degree and chlorine destroy suits in record time!
I have thought about the men’s trunks and tank top option. I tried a tankini, and the jets pushed the top up.
For the few times I wear a bathing suit in public, I opt for a skirt, but then I am 63 years old, and the issue is not modesty as much as it is courtesy!
You know… in the past I was VERY anti-skirt. But the newest ones are REALLY cute. I finally broke down and got one and I LOVE it. I no longer feel the need to be pulling at my suit all the time or checking to see what’s hanging out, I just felt like I was running around in a really cute little dress.
I’m 100% comfortable on the beach, in the pool and on the lake. The only strange thing is that the skirt does float up in the water but that’s no big deal.
I think I got mine at Jessica London.
Years ago, I bought a surf suit like my children have to keep the sun off their thighs and shoulders. It seemed like a brilliant idea. Why does swimming have to be a situation where people show off their bodies? It really wasn’t the fat thing for me. I really love it. I don’t have to shave the tops of my thighs and the whole question of whether it’s flattering or not is irrelevant. And it keeps the sun off my shoulders and thighs.
I had to order it from Australia to get it large enough. Here’s a site I quickly found that has plus size shorts and shirts.
http://www.solartex.com/servlet/Categories?category=Adults+-+Sun+Protection
Really, I will never go back to decorative swim wear again.
Not a fan of the skirt. Mostly because I’m like — hey, this is my body, why should I have to cover it up just because it doesn’t fit into some conventional category of beauty?
I just got a swimsuit from Lands’ End (I love their suits), and swam in it yesterday. Good times!
P.S. All the Lands’ End suits are on sale now!! (I am seriously not a representative or anything, but I love their suits…except not the ones with the crossover, “butterfly”, back straps…tend to squeeze the back fat. Don’t love that.)
I have a skirted suit, the “scuba-style” from Newport News. I love it. It’s cute and flattering. I am thinking of purchasing a swim shirt from Coolibar, though, to protect my fair skin when we go to Florida this fall.
Me? I’ll wear anything that fits and doesn’t fall off my shoulders. I have quite narrow shoulders, so halters, racerbacks, and crossover straps are a way of life for me. I’m not wild about the way tankinis can ride up, so I tend more towards the one-piece suits. Oh, and I never, ever wear black. I’m sick to death of black for slimming. Frankly, less people notice I’m fat when I’m dressed in cherry red. They’re too busy looking at how my eyes are sparkling and my cheeks are glowing to give a crap about what my waistline looks like. I always choose a color that flatters my skintone. I highly recommend it to everyone. If black is that color for you, more power to you, but if black isn’t doing your skin and eyes and hair any favors, it isn’t doing your wastline any, either.
Skirts? Not really my thing. I prefer the boy shorts look. Oh, and I’m kind of loving Trabb’s Boy’s suggestion of a surf suit. That baby would never, ever fall off my shoulders. Also, being of the Transparent Peoples, it would definitely cut down on my sunscreen consumption.
As for those ‘modest’ suits…at that point, why not wear a jumper and blouse over capri leggings? The surf suit covers just as much skin without nearly as much drag in the water and would probably get less stares of confusion and/or contempt.
I’m a swimmer and it has really made me less concerned about the appearance of my body and more concerned about its function. I see all sizes at the pool, including confident big girls in bikinis. It’s done wonders for my body confidence, in fact, I bought a really cute blue bikini for my vacation and I think I look smokin’ hot in it.
But, as far as function goes, those solartex suits look great! I might give up my one piece lap suit for one of those. It would save me so much effort putting sunblock all over my back, shoulders, thighs, etc.
Maybe blame it on my childhood spent in frilly skirts (my mom had me in a skirted bathing suit because it was cute since I was teeny), but I actually really love my skirted tankini suit from Fashion Bug. It gives me support for the girls and cuts an adorable silhouette. Don’t get me wrong – I was actually looking for a bikini for my honeymoon last year (couldn’t find one that fit my DDD boobs… sad!) and I don’t think that covering up is in any way necessary, but I really really love my suit and have gotten compliments on it from big and small girls alike. I think it’s all about getting something you love to wear and rocking it with your confidence!
I usually wore one pieces and avoided the tankinis I saw at Target, Kohls, etc., because I thought who wants to see my gut hanging out?
But this spring I bought one at Kohls at a great sale, and I have to say I love it! It covers my belly, it’s flattering, and it’s oooooh sooooo convenient when you need a potty break! You usually have a choice between shorts or a skirt, so it’s versatile. I now have 3 tops and 2 bottoms, so I’m set for awhile.
I’m another fan of the tankini/boy shorts combo, more for avoiding shaving issues than for any fantasy I have about covering up my thighs. I wear it for hanging out at the pool and casual swimming. The top has a nice shelf bra that is supportive without giving me padded bullet boobs. The bottoms are dual layered – fit like a bike short on the inside, but with a loser outside short for more coverage and to leave a little to the imagination.
If I was swimming for exercise I’d want a one piece, but that isn’t really an option right now.
A rash guard and board shorts are comfortable, covered up, active, AND you won’t make a spectacle of yourself.
My favorite bathing suit was a halter top and a pair of baggy short-shorts. I’m pretty conservative about my dress and I hate shaving, so the coverage was perfect without being self-conscious. Plus it looked pretty unique.
I have a bathing suit that’s a few years old. It’s a kind of plain one-piece and brown and I love it. The reason it’s still in good shape is because I haven’t worn a suit or gone swimming in years. I’m self-conscious about my weight and loose skin and my husband hates the fact that he has skinny legs and is corpse-white. We were talking just this week about getting a membership to the YMCA, though, so maybe I’ll get a chance to break it out this season after all.
I just ordered a new swimsuit (bright pink! Yay for etailers!), so this is a timely post for me! Back when I was in middle school, I used to be reluctant to go to the beach in a swimsuit. I’ve always loved to swim, and our family is blessed to have a swimming pool in the backyard.
Then one blazing hot day when my friends were planning a trip to the beach, I snapped. I said to myself, “Okay, you know what? You are fat. You’ve always been fat and probably always will be. Are you going to let that stop you from doing something you love? If people don’t like how you look, that’s their problem, not yours! Hit the beach with your friends and cool off in that lovely water!” And I did. And it was awesome.
I prefer one-piece tanks with racerbacks or crossbacks. A wardrobe malfunction with a scoop back tank has made me leery of straps that might fall down. Skirts? Bleh. They flutter around when I swim and annoy me. Tankinis? I’m always afraid that the top will ride up when I do cannonballs or swim in the surf. Bikinis? I’m not quite that confident yet.
I’m about medium sized, and always have been. Every year I’d promise myself that I was going to get skinny enough to wear a bikini. And then one year, somewhere about my late twenties, I realized that trying to be skinny sucked and was probably unlikely to achieve so I should should just get the damned bikini if I wanted it.
And I haven’t looked back. Every day at the beach I’m in my two-piece and no one blinks at my dimply thighs or the stretch marks on my hips.
I regret the ten years I spent wishing I could wear a two-piece.
I used to kid that there’s no such thing as a swimming burqa, but I think the ones on that site are close!
It’s exciting that there are so many swimming options now. Tankinis, rashguard shirts, board shorts, all make it easier to find what you want. I am very different sizes on top and bottom, and these options are great.
I don’t fit their clothes anymore, but junonia.com is a great resource for big gals who want to be active.
I’m a big fan of Land’s End’s tankinis. They have a nice empire cut which means I get cleavage without the suit rolling up or being suctioned to my belly. The tops are longer than most which i think is flattering. I usually look to buy them in the fall when they go on sale.
The one advantage of skirted suits is that they don’t show pubic hair as much as 1-pieces.
NO, I am NOT going to wax!
When I was in high school, I worked at the local water park, and I think that made me not feel so self-conscious about being in a bathing suit, no matter what size I was. I saw all kinds of people in all kinds of swimwear, and don’t ever remember anyone pointing and laughing at anyone, even the large, tan, hairy guy in the several-sizes-too-small speedo.
I personally love the straight cut suit, and I also love doing me some cannonballs. It’s great revenge for those damn kids that won’t stop with the splashing!!!
That Land’s End suit is very cute!
At one point I was too uncomfortable to buy a bathing suit. The one pieces always looked too old for me and I could never find men’s swim trunks that fit me. So when I went to the beach with family I had to borrow a suit from my aunt, a light blue slimming tankini, and while not completely confident in it, I didn’t feel bad about myself. She gave me the suit, I wore it almost every day that summer til it ripped… and then my neighbor gave my a purple polkdot bikini and I felt like pure awesome in that.
So now I just look around, try stuff on, and buy whatever I feel best in.
I wear bikinis puirchased a la carte, because maillots don’t fit right and tankinis are an absolute disaster. (My bottom needs a 16, my top needs a 12, and my middle needs a 6 or 8 depending on how good last night’s dinner was. Plus I am 5’2″ with a 32″ inseam. Try to fit THAT shit with one suit!)
How do I look? Not smokin’ hot, but I certainly will do. I get depressed trying bikinis on the store and SWEAR that I’m really gonna lose some weight before I go on vacation. But when I actually get to the beach and put my suit on, I don’t CARE. I run around and jump in the water, and I don’t notice my jiggly butt anymore. I am so much more comfortable in my suit than my friend who refuses to wear anything but a tshirt and shorts when we go to the beach. (Who likes to sit around all day in soggy-butt shorts?) I think she reveals as much of her shape in those wet clothes as I do in my bikini, but she is certainly more selfconscious, and we all know that doesn’t feel good. She doesn’t want people to look at her, but I believe one draws more unwelcome attention when one is dressed inappropriately for the pool/beach than if one wears a suit that fits and is suitable for the activity. That being said, a big girl body surfing in a bikini is not recommended. (Trust me on this one……)
I LOVE swimming, one of my favorite things to do in the world. This is one of my favorite suits. This one: http://www.junonia.com/detail.htm?sid=537019&tl=3&ldid=2&sdid=10 with the matching boy shorts.
I weigh about 360, but I get way more comments about my tattoos when I’m in a swimsuit than my fat!
I finally got sick of having to worry about my hairy thighs (I have super thick hair due to hirsutism and also sensitive skin which makes hair removal a terrible experience.. irritated skin + sun + chlorinated or salt water, not fun) and my butt dimples and bought a pair of swim CAPRIS. yes capris. It’s so much more comfortable than the swim dresses because the material doesn’t billow around or weigh you down, and i’m never insecure about if someone can see my every bit when I get out of the pool anymore. I wear a regular tankini top with them and I love it. I LOOOOOVE swimming so much and always worrying about my thighs put a damper on it, but no more.
I swim for fitness and stress relief, so I’ve seen a lot of suits on a lot of bodies (because I’ve already counted all the tiles on the walls of the pool area). My observations:
1. Skirts look awful twice as often as they look good because they often create a horizontal line at the widest part of the thighs. A traditional bottom can give you a better line because it breaks up all that horizontal stuff.
2. A suit that fits trumps everything else. Too loose does not look good.
3. For most people, a stray hair or 10 in the area of the lady bits will not be noticeable. There are jog suits if you’re really that self-conscious about it.
4. Most people will not notice what you are wearing. Most won’t even notice you’re there except as collision avoidance. And sometimes not even then.
“Backyard polygamy pool!” LMAO!!!!!
After a trip to Hawaii 2 years ago in which I got a TERRIBLE sunburn, I bought rash guards for myself and the fam. After losing my dad to melanoma last fall, I make sure we all wear them.
I must say, though, that there are women at our pool who wear bikinis and just let it all hang out, and I LOVE them!!!!!!!!
I just hope they’re wearing sunscreen.
Oh, and I vote that we ban the words “swimsuit season” forever and go back to calling it “summer.”
I’m pretty much in the ‘doesn’t cost the earth and won’t interfere with swimming’ camp, which means I pick up no-frills racerback one-pieces. My partner picked up an “Aquatard” from Junonia at one point, which is a lot more covered in the lower body but still great for swimming. I think she looks cute, but she also gets a little self-conscious about having a swimsuit that does draw a bit of attention to “covering something up.”
Yet another vote for inexpensive/you can SWIM in it. I have several suits, because I have a backyard pool (non polygamous) and wear one pretty much every day in the summer. They range from plain, $14 tank suits from Wally World to a really nice, $85 one from Penney’s (used up a gift cert).
But I’m the queen of shameless hussys when I get a chance to swim–I don’t worry one goddamn bit about what is flabby, floppy, fat, or furry on me. Motel pools, beaches, water parks–let me at that water!
No skirts for me either. I remember them billowing up in the water. I have a black tank suit from Making It Big that is so comfortable. No foam cups, no “slimming tummy” panels and it’s easy to get into and remove.
I bought a few more suits from Junonia, both clearance and on Ebay, but they’re not as comfortable. Too much spandex. It’s a struggle to get them on quickly in the locker room of the gym.
No skirts for me. I don’t know what it is about them, but I really just don’t like them. I prefer long surf shorts paired with a tankini (which I purchased at Old Navy).
I was recently at a resort where my boyfriend refused to take his shirt off at the pool because he was ashamed of his fatness. Then I told him to look around. There’s no shame when you realize everyone’s as fat as you are, and wearing much much less. I wore a string bikini because I like being able to adjust the size as my body changes.
The worst kind of skirted swimsuit is the one with HUGE tropical flowers on it. And, oh, the drag you get when trying to swim laps in a skirt. Seriously. A couple of years ago, I found a superfabulous, retro-styled suit from the LB. It’s sort of skirted, but more in a tennis way than a granny way. It makes me feel like Esther Williams. Love, love, love it.
Wow, that one from modest wear looks like one of the muslim swimsuits I’ve seen before.
I don’t mind swimsuits with skirts, I think they look cute. It doesn’t really matter much to me, I wear shirts sometimes over what I’m wearing, or I go night swimming. It has nothing to do with my body actually, I just hate tanning.
A few years ago I just decided I did not give a good goddamn about my hairy thighs and pubes. So I have about 300% less rashes and ingrown hair and it’s awesome. At the same time, though, I find skirts about as useful as a doily on a cafeteria table and shorts just irritating. So I don’t bother with that stuff – just loose cover-ups when I’m sitting on the beach reading, but none in the water.
I’ve done super-functional suits – back when I was on a swim team – and super-non-functional – spaghetti straps do jack shit for keeping my boobs in place when I’m swimming. And why is it that all these places only have halters recently? A halter just makes my neck hurt. I just got a suit from Torrid that isn’t on their website anymore, but it’s retro-style with a great print of cherries on black and nice wide straps. I can’t wait to wear it. Just makes me wish I had a fabulous big black straw hat and some Jackie O shades to wear with it.
I think if the skirt makes someone feel better, they should go for it. I´m familiar with the ‘I am hot except for this one ensy part of my body’ idea.
I bought a bikini with zebra print last year, and I´m still getting used to it. I have a 50´s style tankini top that I wear when I´m self concious, but I´m getting there.
I really want to get some proper 50´s style bathers, preferably a one piece because I´ve noticed the 50´s bikinis are completely bizzare, and have very little support.
those “modesty suits” seem incredibly sexist to me. where’s the men’s section? am i missing it?
It is not easy to go swmming at a pool or at the beach when you feel a bit embarrass about your shape. I usually opted to wear a shirt over.
I LOVE the suits at junonia.com because the fit in all the right places. Don’t have to worry about a boob popping out in the middle of water aerobics or a brisk swim. They cover what needs to be covered and they look good on, which is a plus.
Right now, my favorite combo is a tankini with wider straps and a pair of swim shorts. A bit more coverage than a one-piece but easier for me to put on–no funky clip in the back lol.
I spent years being super self-conscious. Then I had kids. I realized that if I wanted my daughters to grow up with a healthy self image, I needed to at least pretend I had a positive self image. So I picked up a swimsuit and took my oldest, when she was a baby, to swim class. I’ve taken them (now all 3 kids) to the YMCA on a regular basis ever since.
We go to the beach or the water park–and I’ll be in my suit. I’ve got a few tankini’s–2 with shorts, 1 with a skirted brief; but, my favorite this year is a cherry red retro one piece I picked up at Target. Funny since I never even tried it on, I just wanted it and they only had one in my size.
Gotta say, kids have had a huge positive effect on my self image.