I braved the gauntlet and went swimsuit shopping today. That was far more painful than swimsuit shopping EVER was at 170.
I didnt expect to actually look GOOD in a swimsuit...I know my weak areas and unfortunately they pretty much are all swimsuit unfriendly but SHEESH.
For starters at 170, I never had any hopes of looking like I wouldnt scare small children so I just bought a suit that stayed in place when I swam and called it good. If it was a pretty color that was ok too. For the past 4 years I have only been able to swim with a sportsbra under my suit. But at least finding a suit that FIT was possible
I started with the one-piece suits. After all as an apple not that far gone from pregnancy, no-one really wants to see my tummy. Unfortunately by the time I found one that would cover my cleavage, I would have needed to shove my 7 month old baby in the lower half to fill it out. Catch a wave and I would be mooning all bystanders. All the buying guides have confirmed that I am a L-XL on top and a S on bottom, so why I thought SWIMWEAR would be different is beyond me.
OK on to the 2 piece sold separates. Tankini. At least MOST of my belly will be covered. Small bottoms...ok, thighs are horrid and strangely bruised all over which enhances the cellulite in the flourescent glow of the changing room. For a moment fears of leukemia or other horrid disease flit through my mind. HOW do I have so many bruises? Then I notice they are all on level with the carrying position of the infant carrier. Oh. Well. OK, lets look at the bottoms again. Not as much of an improvement over 35 lbs ago as hoped, but given my stark black blue and whiteness, not too bad.
On to the tops. I put on a top which covers ALL of my belly, and the tops of my thighs. Why? Despite being sold separately, they are apparently ALL meant for A and B cups – only the size of your BODY is expected to increase. My boobs still hang to my belly button and the tank part starts below there. Lovely. The amount of breast coverage is rivaled only by cheap lingerie from Fashion Bug. I would be arrested wearing this suit AND I look like the Venus of Willendorf to boot (http://witcombe.sbc.edu/willendorf/willendorf.html)
As I work my way through the rack in desperation I realize that NONE of these suits provide the support of tissue paper.
AAAAARRRGGH
So now I am back to wearing my sports bra under a lap suit and being OH so fetching. Its ok for swimming laps, but I feel like a dork at a pool party.
Why did I think swimsuit shopping would ever improve?
ennay, have you tried landsend.com they have lots of suits all sizes and they also have 2 piece each piece sold separately so you are better able to get a good fit.
ennay, I also had a horrible time finding a swimsuit. I'm much bigger on top than bottom. Had to get the bottoms in Jr. miss dept. and the top in women's dept. I still don't think it looks very good. But, it will have to do. As for the one-pieces, to fit through the chest, it looks like someone done moved out of the butt. I definitely understand your frustration.
Maybe you can find a one piece suit (or bikini top) that fits your chest, and then put guy's (they have some nice one) swim trucks on over it. I think that looks cute, and sporty.
You might check out Victoria's Secret. They sell tops and bottoms separately, and they have a bunch of bikini and tankini tops that are basically bras made out of swimsuit material, with moulded cups and underwires and stuff. I have a bikini one of these and I *love* it. No one needs to know how droopy my boobs are, even if I am wearing a swimsuit!
OMG, all my biggest swimsuit issues in one big article. I too thought that the tankini would solve my problems, but for anyone larger than a D, you might as well be wearing no support at all. I have one swimsuit, which stopped fitting 4 sizes ago, but I'm too happy with my new body to upset myself over new swimsuit shopping, so I'm hoping to put it off. Unfortunately, memorial day means hot tub, so I'll end up in the too big suit with my boobs at my waist. Grrrr. Someone please start a swimsuit line that understands that not everyone wants their boobs to bounce around in ever step!!
You might check out Victoria's Secret. They sell tops and bottoms separately, and they have a bunch of bikini and tankini tops that are basically bras made out of swimsuit material, with moulded cups and underwires and stuff. I have a bikini one of these and I *love* it. No one needs to know how droopy my boobs are, even if I am wearing a swimsuit!
VS laughed at me when I asked if they carried my size Bra. Seriously. Laughed
I have the opposite problem--small on top with wide hips. Now that I am so close to my goal weight, I thought I would be happy with how I looked in a swimsuit, but that's definitely not the case. I recently tried on some lap suits and I was shocked!!! at how unflattering they were. I looked awful. Bulges of fat everywhere. Ick!
I ended up refusing to buy any of the suits and finally found a speedo that is okay. At my current weight, I've started feel like clothing should be flattering on me. If it isn't, it's not me, it's the clothing. Once I returned a pair of workout pants that I bought online with a comment that there was no excuse for how unflattering they were.
DH went clothes shopping with me the other day. I believe his comment was along the lines of, "This isn't going to get any easier for you even when you hit goal is it?" Um, yeah, no it isn't. It was awful before when I was thin, it was awful when I was heavy, it's awful now, and it will be awful when I hit goal. I can find pants, but shirts are an issue. I have yet to look at swimsuits (the thought scares me.) Designers seem to forget that we don't all come in the same shape. Hello? You can't make something to fit a tall twig and then just make it larger to fit everyone else. Arg!
I feel your pain Ennay! For the record, I can't shop at VS either.
I too had shopping fantasies- that when I hit my goal BODY I'd be able to fit into pretty much anything
Bathing suits are actually not to bad for me. It's business clothing that is driving me nuts! At least bathing suits are stretchy. Blazers do NOT stretch across a wide back and ribs, and the same size top and bottoms don't fit. Buying separates cost about twice what buying a suit costs!
I was with my 17 year old daughter last week in the fitting room of a department store. She tried on a lot of dresses. She put on this one dress that fit her so poorly and was so horrible on her. I said to her, apparently rather loudly, "OMG, that one's just awful!" I kid you not - a woman says out loud "Oh she must be trying on bathing suits." My daughter and I could not stop laughing.
Bathing suit shopping is terrible at any size, I think. Especially since most of the bathing suits sold in traditional department stores seem to be made for tiny little high school girls who don't have real bodies yet - this woman needs some support! For me, the best way to swimsuit shop is to try on things in the stores to get an idea of what styles are looking best on me (tankini, halter, boy shorts...) and then find an online retailer that caters more to women. Good luck!
IT STILL SUCKS! In fact its WORSE
At least MOST of my belly will be covered. Small bottoms...ok, thighs are horrid and strangely bruised all over which enhances the cellulite in the flourescent glow of the changing room. For a moment fears of leukemia or other horrid disease flit through my mind. HOW do I have so many bruises? Then I notice they are all on level with the carrying position of the infant carrier. Oh. Well. OK, lets look at the bottoms again. Not as much of an improvement over 35 lbs ago as hoped, but given my stark black blue and whiteness, not too bad. 
