I agree with many of the above posters: it depends on your personal confidence. Who am I to say what is too "big" to pull off a bikini? Some people carry their weight and others don't. I wouldn't personally wear a bikini unless I had a flawless stomach, but I admire those girls who do not have flawless abs and still wear 'em anyway. More power to them; I wish I had that kind of confidence!

I love every part of my body EXCEPT my stomach (loose skin is a... well, it rhymes with rich...!), so for me, tankinis are perfect because they are a little more fashionable than one pieces without forcing me to show my stomach.

I believe Robin really said it all right there. I've spent so many years avoiding wearing a bathing suit completely because I was so self conscious and now I can see it was all in my head and I missed out huge. Who cares what other people think if you're out there feeling good about yourself? When it comes to stretch marks, lots of people have them and most people don't notice them on others. Pale as a ghost? from personal experience I can say just hit up the tanning beds, lotion up with something that tints without the sun, or my favourite is go for a spray tan at a spa and it looks fantastic for a week or so.

I would never wear a bikini just because I don't like seeing half naked women. I have always thought that bikinis are basically your underware and that is to be worn under your clothes or at home. (but that is just me!) I tend to be alittle bit on the modest side. But hey, if you feel comfortable in a bikini, go for it. Who's to say what looks good or not. Some people prefer women with more fat on their bones, some prefer no fat at all. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

To be honest, I don't think most adult women look their best in bikinis, whatever their size. To me, they're too "underwearish" (quoting someone above) and show more than I want to see. There are so many beautiful tankinis, two-pieces and sexy one-pieces that flatter all bodies ... but having said that, if it makes YOU happy, wear one and don't worry what anyone thinks! Life's too short! :)

I have a very strict dresscode - including swimwear - I wear what I like. Period.

I will be 45yo this summer. I am still quite hefty for my height, & still on my weight loss journey. As you see in my avatar, I am wearing a bikini. But it was not a "string" bikini. It was a regular, good butt-coverage bikini. I had several that year!

But RIGHT NOW - I am wearing tankinis. They offer a bit more coverage for parts of me that I feel need a bit more covering-up. :) Sometimes I wear a swim-skirt, sometimes a regular swimsuit bottom. But I always dress to fit my style, my taste, and my mood.

A friend of mine who is shorter than me & weighs about 265 lbs wears a "swimdress". It's black, it's dull, & she hates it - but she is comfortable in it. Another friend of mine who is 5'8" & about 125 lbs wears a string bikini top, but always in full-coverage bottom, because she's bottom heavy.

There's TONS of swimwear out there. Different things that accentuate different body parts & others that downplay certain flaws. But REGARDLESS of what you choose.... JUST GET OUT THERE! Don't ever let your weight or body image be the reason that you don't participate in your own life. Swim! Play! AND HAVE FUN!!! That's why god made summer. :D

Beach Patrol, may I PM you? :)

Target has monokinis, one of the mamas that post on my cloth diapering board posted a pic of herself wearing one (she's a size 6) she looked absolutely fantastic.

http://www.target.com/b/ref=in_se_pa...1&fromBrowse=1

Certainly. :D

I'm torn on this subject. I myself have owned one bikini in my 25 years, and I have worn it once - and told myself I would never wear it again. That was 5 years ago, and I was probably 20 pounds heavier than I am now. I have never been comfortable in a bathing suit, let alone a bikini, but I got some crazy idea to try it out - it tanked you could say. When I am at a pool or beach (this is pretty seldom) and I see very large women wearing bikinis I usually think "hmm, I really wish they would cover up a little" because it really just isn't flattering when a larger woman wears a bikini. Sometimes I also think "wow, they are gutsy and I wish I could be that comfortable in my skin." (That's the torn part).

This year I am taking the plunge (again) and buying two bikinis. I myself don't think I will look great in them because although I have lost a lot of weight, I still carry a good bit in my stomach. BUT - I still have a weird image of myself and still see myself as I did 50 pounds ago, so I'm not really a good judge for this type of thing. My fiancee is pushing me to wear a bikini, so I guess if he can stand to look at me in one, then I'll try it. I'm going on my honeymoon in October to Hawaii for 10 days, so I want to try out the bikinis this summer and see how I feel in them before embarking on the trip to Hawaii. I will probably also invest in a nice tankini for when I don't feel like breaking out the bikini.

So, I guess I don't think that all women should wear a bikini because there are suits that are more flattering for your body, but I say if you have the guts to do it, who cares what anyone else thinks, go for it!

Cool! I've never seen one of those. Looks like a good compromise, although it lacks the bathroom convenience of tankinis and bikinis...

Can't you just pull it to the side...thats what I do. Unless you need to go #2...but you shouldn't need to do that more than once a day.

I pulled out the bikini this summer just gone (its definitely headed into winter over here now!) and felt fabulous :)

I figure I worked hard to get where I am and look how I do so yep, I was going to wear that bikini.

For me it was more finding the right set - some I tried on made me look absolutely awful! The one I ended up getting was surprisingly low on the hips. I am bottom heavy with an ultra curved back which tends to make my stomach look pot bellied no matter what I do lol. It just sticks right out there :P

So I always assumed I should go for higher waisted bottoms...what a mistake! I tried on these low hipster swimmer bottoms and they looked awesome!

Its definitely all about how you feel when you're wearing it. For me going back to my home town and heading onto the beach in a bikini when back in the day I'd have died to be seen there at all was a totally liberating experience.

Whatever YOU are comfortable with! I've spent time in the caribbean, and I've seen BIG girls wearing bikini's and ROCKING it!. I give them props! Personally, even if I were 130 lbs, I doubt I would wear one, simply because I gained most of my weight in my stomach, and now have brutal stretchmarks :(

As long as you feel comfortable in it, you're not too big.

I have to disagree. There are some women I used to drive past on my way home that would lie out in their front yard in bikinis to suntan and it was horrible. If your stomach laps over and almost completely hides your crotch, then a bikini isn't working for you.