What to wear when you are too heavy for a bathing suit

[Suitcasefull]

A friend just sent this and all the conversations re: came to mind. It's not new but cute and the last sentence says it all. Buying a Bathing Suit

In the 1950s, the bathing suit for the mature figure was-boned, trussed and reinforced, not so much sewn as engineered. They were built to hold back and uplift, and they did a good job. Today's stretch fabrics are designed for the girl with a figure carved from a potato chip.

 

The mature woman has a choice, she can either go up front to the maternity department and try on a floral suit with a skirt, coming away looking like a hippopotamus that escaped from Disney's Fantasia, or she can wander around every run-of-the-mill department store trying to make a sensible choice from what amounts to a designer range of fluorescent rubber bands.

 

What choice did I have? I wandered around, made my sensible choice and entered the chamber of horrors known as the fitting room. The first thing noticed was the extraordinary tensile strength of the stretch material. The Lycra used in bathing costumes was developed, I believe, by NASA to launch small rockets from a slingshot, which gives the added bonus that if you manage to actually lever yourself into one, you would be protected from shark attacks. Any shark taking a swipe at your passing midriff would immediately suffer whiplash.

 

I fought my way into the bathing suit, but as I twanged the shoulder strap in place I gasped in horror, my boobs had disappeared!

 

Eventually, I found one boob cowering under my left armpit. It took a while to find the other. At last I located it flattened beside my seventh rib.

 

The problem is that modern bathing suits have no bra cups. The mature woman is now meant to wear her boobs spread across her chest like a speed bump. I realigned my speed bump and lurched toward the mirror to take a full view assessment.

 

The bathing suit fit all right, but unfortunately it only fitted those bits of me willing to stay inside it. The rest of me oozed out rebelliously from top, bottom and sides. I looked like a lump of Playdoh wearing undersized cling wrap.

 

As I tried to work out where all those extra bits had come from, the prepubescent sales girl popped her head through he curtain, "Oh, there you are," she said, admiring the bathing suit. I replied that I wasn't so sure and asked what else she had to show me.

I tried on a cream crinkled one that made me look like a lump of masking tape, and a floral two-piece that gave the appearance of an oversized napkin in a napkin ring.

 

I struggled into a pair of leopard-skin bathers with ragged frills and came out looking like Tarzan's Jane, pregnant with triplets and having a rough day.

 

I tried on a black number with a midriff fringe and looked like a jellyfish in mourning.

 

I tried on a bright pink pair with such a high cut leg I thought I would have to wax my eyebrows to wear them.

 

Finally, I found a suit that fit, it was a two-piece affair with a shorts-style bottom and a loose blouse-type top. It was cheap, comfortable, and bulge-friendly, so I bought it. My ridiculous search had a successful outcome, I figured. When I got it home, I found a label that read, "Material might become transparent in water."

 

So, if you happen to be on the beach or near any other body of water this year and I'm there too, I'll be the one in cut-off jeans and a T-shirt!

 

The stylish potato chips won't understand but many will! Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain, with or without a stylish bathing suit!

 

[deladela]

This is it. I ordered it in teal...

 

http://www.alwaysforme.com/plus-size-bathing-suit-80823wa.html

 

What ya think?

Congratulations on being a survivor! The teal suit is absolutely gorgeous, as are all the other suits I saw posted. You will rock that suit with your beautiful curves!

[reginaphalange]

I love the teal suit! And I love that you've now bought a total of 4 to take with you on your cruise! You deserve to feel cute by the pool! :)

[Spring1onu]

shorbr and friends,

I am size 24 and I live in the pool. For our first cruise I had so many swimsuits I didn't even get to wear them all!! No black hiding swimsuits for me. I have zebra prints, florals and bright solids. My suits have the cute little skirts and I love them all!! Sure I'm big, but no one and nothing will stop me from wearing exactly what I want or enjoying a single part of my vacation. Whether I am ziplining, swimming or dancing the night away, I say grab life by the horns and hold on.

 

You said it right! Reading this thread just warmed my heart. I've been feeling kind of down about my recent weight gain and wracking my nerves trying to come up with some plan to get some of it off before our December cruise, but now I'm not going to worry so much. I will still implement eating better and moving more but no quick diet fixes (that will likely end as failures for me). I bought 3 new swimsuits and will wear them all. I've been finding great dresses online and will rock them too! Its just not worth all the stressing that I've been putting myself through. So glad I found this thread! And OP - adorable swim dress - I like it and hope you had a wonderful time on your cruise!! :-)

[shorbr]

You said it right! Reading this thread just warmed my heart. I've been feeling kind of down about my recent weight gain and wracking my nerves trying to come up with some plan to get some of it off before our December cruise, but now I'm not going to worry so much. I will still implement eating better and moving more but no quick diet fixes (that will likely end as failures for me). I bought 3 new swimsuits and will wear them all. I've been finding great dresses online and will rock them too! Its just not worth all the stressing that I've been putting myself through. So glad I found this thread! And OP - adorable swim dress - I like it and hope you had a wonderful time on your cruise!! :-)

 

Thanks. We will be cruising on October 28th. I can't wait to wear them too. Like you, I'm not gonna worry about quick weight loss, but I have been eating better and moving more too, so much so that I can fit in 14s now...yay. Tell me, where are you going online to find dresses.

[shorbr]

I love the teal suit! And I love that you've now bought a total of 4 to take with you on your cruise! You deserve to feel cute by the pool! :)

 

Thanks. If my husband says I'm cute and look cute in it...well, that's enough for me :D

[shorbr]

Congratulations on being a survivor! The teal suit is absolutely gorgeous, as are all the other suits I saw posted. You will rock that suit with your beautiful curves!

 

It will be 8 years this August 31st that I became a survivor. Sure, I am suffering from the side effects of chemo, but it's ok, I'm alive. Thanks for your kind words.

[djhatz]

Glad you found such an adorable suit... and honey there is no such thing as 'too heavy'. I'm a big girl - much bigger than you. I don't wear them but i know commercially many places you can get up to a size 44 womens in swim wear. Beyond that there's always a seamstress or tailor who can make something fit and make a woman look amazing. It's not what size you are or what issues you have - it's how you beam with confidence when you wear something that is the true fit of swimwear or anything.

 

As a big girl personally i always go for the swim dresses that are a bit longer. I have one that for the first time every i'm comfortable to walk around without hiding behind something. It's almost identical to the floor length dress i wore to have my vows renewed and i've even gotten compliments on how cute it is! Here it is mine is black:

 

http://www.roamans.com/clothing/Swimdress-with-White-Side-Bow.aspx?PfId=187551&DeptId=9861&ProductTypeId=1&StyleNo=3318

 

For other larger ladies who might be reading this and needing a place to go, google search Catherines, Romans, or even One Stop Plus - I got mine from Romans.

 

I love this swim dress -- just ordered one for our December cruise! And more important, I really admire your positive and encouraging comments -- you're right, it's not about size and we should all give ourselves permission to just be ourselves and enjoy life without feeling self- conscious or wondering if others are judging us!

[Spring1onu]

Thanks. We will be cruising on October 28th. I can't wait to wear them too. Like you, I'm not gonna worry about quick weight loss, but I have been eating better and moving more too, so much so that I can fit in 14s now...yay. Tell me, where are you going online to find dresses.

 

Congrats!! That's wonderful :) I've found several at Macys.com and have been looking at avenue.com (cute maxi dresses). My fave though has been Macy's. I went to the store last night and found some cute capris and shorts on clearance. The dresses and some of their cuter items are online. Good luck and make wonderful memories on your wonderful cruise!! :-)