Ladies,
I don’t know about you all, but summer seems to have arrived in the Mid-west. The temperatures have been going up, up, up. Along with rising temperatures and sweet summertime, swim season is upon us as well.
Now, for those of us who are serious about making modesty an important part of life, the thought of swimsuit season is enough to make one itchy. I mean, we all know the song, right — about the “itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-yellow-polka-dot-bikini”and the young woman strutting the beach in it.
(exhibit a)
Many young (and unfortunetly not so young) women think there’s no other option than to wear something like the above pictured “swimsuit”, or even worse, it’s tacky first-cousin the “string bikini”.
(exhibit b)
I have *usually* worn one piece swimsuits most of my life, but two summers ago I did buy and wear a few times a “bikini” that had a full-coverage halter top and a skirted bottom. I did not feel when I was wearing that swimsuit that it was entirely inappropriate, but I no longer feel it’s appropriate for me to wear now.
I think that once a woman becomes aware of the importance of modesty, and becomes more interested in witnessing to the truth that real beauty and femininity IS modest, it becomes harder to find a swimsuit that is (a) modest (meaning here that it covers the stomach, entire pubic area, the behind, and shows minimal cleavage) (b) attractive or cute and (c) age-appropriate. And sister, is that a tall order!
BUT, lest we turn our faces away in despair and resign ourselves to swimming in this:
(exhibit c — please note, if you *want* to swim in this…more power to you!)
However, I think most women would like to find a medium between exhibits b and c. And I think one exists. I’ve found a few websites/stores that offer a selection of modest swimsuits that are age appropriate for women over 18 and under 60. Could it be?
website: Retro Swimwear (some suits are more modest than others)
Website: Etsy shop Ava Bell Designs (cute and retro-inspired)
Website: Lime Ricki Swimsuits
Website: Rey Swimwear
Lands’ End also has a good selection of modest swimsuits, and the best thing about them is that they’re everywhere!
Happy Shopping my friends!
Based on anecdotal evidence I have begun to think that a bit of midriff (or complete abbs) may be more eye-catching/horrifying to women then it is attention-getting from men. I don’t mean to imply that men don’t notice skin, but simply that they may not be any more likely to have a “problem” with a full coverage bikini than a retro bathing suit. So I wouldn’t wear a. or b. and I think that your choices are perfectly fine, but I’m not ready to sign up for cute one-piece over athletic two-piece.
And yes, this is all from someone who has not been in a bathing suit in front of men since I was 11ish.
Have you seen the swimsuits at ModCloth? $89 is an awful lot to spend on one swimsuit, but it has great reviews and would probably last years. I haven’t owned a swimsuit for 3 years but am inspired to find something similar or try and make this:
http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Swimwear/Beach+Blanket+Bingo+One+Piece+in+Black
I’d love to see what you end up with, once you choose.
Believe it or not, I found the cutest swimsuit and WALMART. Not where I expected to! But it’s one of those that looks a little bit more like a retro-styled tennis dress than a traditional swimsuit, and I love it!
Before that, I had lots of luck with tankinis . . . I like the flexibility of the two piece (easier to go to the bathroom or nurse a baby!), but the coverage of shorts and a tank top. Plus, a lot of them are really cute, and you can mix and match styles of tops and bottoms to find what you like.
I’d also point out that, for those that sew, there are a ton of cute vintage swimsuit patterns available on etsy. I have one that I’m planning on making up someday.
I found a full coverage halter over a skirted bottom at Target. I suppose it shows a bit more chest than I care to show normally…but it covers EVERYTHING (as my four-year-old pointed out to many people one night at the pool).
I just hope I can impress upon my girls the need and desire to stay modest in swimwear as they grow older.
I think the swim suit you have is a tankini? Those are great! I have had a few in the past. The one I was talking about that I had but no longer think is appropriate is an actual Bikini — but the top was fairly covered. I just realized I may not have been totally clear with that!