Feeling A Little Self Concious ... ladies?

[LLSullie]

42 yr old single mom ... bit out of shape ...

 

As is the way, I am feeling a little uneasy about the .... "bathing suit"

 

Anyone know where I can get one that is "flattering"? :cool:

[superjerryw]

Trust me, if you're just a "bit out of shape" you will be one of the most in shape people on the ship.

[JENANDGENE]

LOL!! I will be 23 weeks pregnant when i go in May....my main concern is getting one that fits, who cares what I look like!!!!

 

Jen

Adventure of the Seas …. May 7

Jewel 2005

Explorer 2004

Voyager 2002

Monarch 1994

[ortiz34]

I concur with the above poster. I was on the Mariner last week and there were some rather unpleasnt fluffy women in bikinis

[travelbugs]

Isn't this why we vacation on the other side of the world?

[OPSoccermom]

I have found that the best cure for being self-conscious about your bathing suit is to have a few boat drinks from the pool bar, and make sure the waiter adds a little more dark rum from the bottle he carries around.

 

No problem, mon....

 

Have a great cruise!!!!

 

PS - you'll see suits of every shape and size at the pool. You'll have a couple of guys in speedos that will make anything you wear look more than appropriate!

[zuscruiserz]

Sullie - no need to feel self-concious, there are all types of people that go on cruises, and probably most of them are what I call "normal-sized". These are not the stick-thin model types we see on every magazine touting their diet agendas, but range from slightly well-padded to fluffy. I fall within this range and did not feel uncomfortable at all in a bathing suit by the pool (and I am normally fairly modest). Pick out a bathingsuit you are comfortable in (one that fits around your bottom and the straps stay up! Bend over and sit down while trying the suit on to make sure of this) and enjoy your days by the pool.

 

One thing that really helped me was to find a pretty wrap that you can tie around your hips or waist, I felt more "clothed" when getting a new towel or going the the restroom, etc. Go have fun and don't worry about others, they are having too much fun to worry about you!!!

[Travelgrrl]

I have seen lots of 'fluffy' gals in bikinis and I say, go for it. It's great when people can be comfy with themselves!

 

You will not stand out, if you are a little overweight. You will probably find yourself feeling relatively thin. And if you aren't judging others (as I'm sure you won't!) they likely won't be judging you!

 

The pool deck is a pretty laid back environment - save for the chair hogging dustups! ;)

[ChoosinCruisin]

Check out Chadwicks or Newport News. They offer lots of flattering styles depending on what you are looking for at very reasonable prices.

[Sue L]

Believe me 2 weeks ago I was walking all over the pool deck in my bathing suit and I actually felt "thin" compared to some around me. And I am not thin by anyone's standards.

 

 

So enjoy!!!!!

 

Landsend.com does have nice suits and they are separates and you can return them right to Sears. So order a bunch of sizes if you are not sure.

[greenpony]

I'm a 41 y/o single mom who just came back from my first cruise with my 8 y/o son.

 

You will see all kinds of shapes and sizes in all styles of bathing suits, so don't worry. Easier said than don, I know. I also wanted to find a suit that I would feel more comfortable with. My choice is tankini separates - a little swim skirt with a longer, slightly looser top in a variety of styles (halter, tank, etc). They have some good options at JC Penney, Lands End and Travel Smith.

 

Enjoy yourself, that is the mot important thing.

[critterchick]

42 yr old single mom ... bit out of shape ...

 

As is the way, I am feeling a little uneasy about the .... "bathing suit"

 

Anyone know where I can get one that is "flattering"? :cool:

 

Ah, misery loves company! I bought a really nice suit from, of all places, Victoria's Secret, not where the average 50-something woman might think to look (that's me, not you). Here's a link to the one piece I bought (I didn't even click on the two pieces) in turquoise. It's a little heavier fabric than I was expecting, but it's pretty comfortable anyway:

 

http://www2.victoriassecret.com/commerce/application/prodDisplay/?namespace=productDisplay&origin=onlineProductDisplay.jsp&event=display&prnbr=UK-192748&page=1&cgname=OSSWMOPSZZZ&rfnbr=158

 

I also found some cabana pants that tie at the waist to wear to & from the pool:

 

http://www2.victoriassecret.com/commerce/application/prodDisplay/?namespace=productDisplay&origin=onlineProductDisplay.jsp&event=display&prnbr=UK-191567&page=1&cgname=OSSWMCOVZZZ&rfnbr=1339

 

They're very lightweight & will take up very little space in my suitcase.

[vickiw0318]

Here's another vote for Land's End. They have suits suitable to all sizes and shapes.

[PR1NCESSD1ANE]

42 yr old single mom ... bit out of shape ...

 

As is the way, I am feeling a little uneasy about the .... "bathing suit"

 

Anyone know where I can get one that is "flattering"? :cool:

 

This thread is great ... I think most of us women concern ourselves with this! Each time before going on a cruise a fret about this very same topic. I keep asking myself "Do I dare wear a 2 piece suit?" and each time I head out to the pool I realize I'll be just fine.

[cruisinsince99]

42 yr old single mom ... bit out of shape ...

 

As is the way, I am feeling a little uneasy about the .... "bathing suit"

 

Anyone know where I can get one that is "flattering"? :cool:

 

I went on-line to www.llbean.com. They have a good mix, and cover ups if that helps.

 

I always take a pool robe with me, one of those with a zipper, pockets and a little hoodie. You can find these by the swimsuits at most stores. That makes me feel more comfortable getting TO the pool. :eek:

Besides, inside the ship can be a little cooler and the pool robe is great for taking care of that.

 

Have a great time on your cruise. :D

[Guest cruzr44]

I just got one from www.blair.com. I got one last year and loved it so much I got another one this year. It is a tankini with a choice of two different bottoms. I like the idea of an actual "cup" as opposed to a "shelf". They are actually having a sale right now. http://www.blair.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?pcats=87616,87679&categoryId=87679&catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=32110&langId=-1

[wrp96]

You mean I was supposed to feel self-conscious about my fluffy self in a bathing suit last week? Guess I'll have to make up for it next week.

 

Believe me, unless certain parts of your body are showing, nobody is going to care what you look like in a bathing suit.

 

Go and have fun. I'm sure as a single mom you truly deserve your vacation.

[Mildred]

How come it seems that it is only us "ample sized" ladies that feel out of place in a bathing suit.

 

I am warning you now...so protect your eyes. There will be men, long long past their prime, wearing speedos by the pool. Oh NO!! Pass the Drink of the Day!! There goes another one

[Nitra]

I am who I am, Im a bodacious babe! Ok I dont look great in a bathing suit, but I am not there to impress a soul so who cares!

 

Walmart actually has some cute fuller size suits, I also like http://www.cyberswim.com but they are a bit expensive cause they have the miracle suits. Newport news is another good one, as mentioned.

 

Us fluffy gals have so many choices now, there is no reason not to look our best and just go with what we have. Life is too short to stress on being a bit lumpy.

[w&k]

If the fellas want half-naked bathing beauties, they should bring a magazine to the pool.

 

I'm a scuba diver, and I can assure you that head-to-toe lycra is even more unflattering than just the bathing suit on we economy-sized ladies.

 

Oh yeah... if there isn't something hanging out anywhere else, the stuff up front ain't real. ;)

 

Wendy

<20 days until Empress!

[Boo Boo]

I am with the other posters - try LOTS of styles on, find something that fits you well (walk around in it, sit down iin it, bend over in it - just to make sure). Maybe take a trusted girlfriend out shopping with you: one that is sensitive, yet honest.

 

One thing that really helped me was to find a pretty wrap that you can tie around your hips or waist, I felt more "clothed" when getting a new towel or going the the restroom, etc. Go have fun and don't worry about others, they are having too much fun to worry about you!!!

 

Agreed with zuscruiserz here (and other posters) - look at wraps and cover ups: certainly last summer there were LOTS of nice wraps, tunic cover ups etc around.

 

Someone also mentioned "tank-inis" - also worth a try.

 

Also "surf style" shorts can look really nice - I sometimes wear nice tropical surf shorts with a co-ordinating bikini top: it looks cool, the fact that you are covering more flesh up is a side-effect ;). You can also go into the pool/sea in surf shorts.

 

Also look at some nice accessaories (nice flip-flops or sandals, nice bag etc) - might help you to feel more glamourous.

 

The most important thing is to feel comfortable and confident in what you choose: if you FEEL good, you will look good. If you feel crap about yourself, you will probably not look as good (whether you are 250lbs, 115lbs or 95lbs).

 

Boo

[JLM63]

I made the mistake of telling my hubby I was going to wear a brown bikini when we go on our cruse in December. Now he's looking forward to it. Ah well, if he hasn't figured out I don't have the perfect bod after 25 years of marriage, I'm not going to ruin his illusions. Pass the rum please.

[shelbylook]

I'm one of you!!! And I'm all about being comfortable. I too like the tankini type suits. What I like best about them is being able to go potty and not having to remove it all (yeah, I know what some do - I don't).

 

Believe it or not, I bought 3-4 brand new suits off from Ebay last year before our cruise and didn't spend more than $12 on any of them. It was very cool. I now have enough suits to last me a LONG time!!!

 

One suit I did buy, not on Ebay, was a Delta Burke one piece blank tank from Penney's. It was kinda pricey, but a very nice suit and worked great w/a colorful sarong wrap type thingy.

 

Choose whatever you want and go have a ball.

 

I can't believe that at this time last year we were at sea enjoying our wonderful cruise w/family.

 

Cathy

[sherry7]

I'm a 'fluffy' gal too. After what I've seen some cruisers wearing on the pool deck and the beaches, I no longer feel self-conscious. On my last cruise, I saw a woman who weighed at least 350 lbs wearing a skimpy 2 piece bikini.

[emilygrace]

I swim almost every day from April through October, so I go through a lot of suits. I am on the fluffy side and what I usually do is hit Ross and Marshall's at the beginning of the season (like now) and buy a couple of suits. They have $85 suits for $14.99!!! I've also managed to snag some that were left over from the previous year and got those for less than $10. But it's all in the timing because the larger sizes tend to sell out quickly. Which just tells you that there are less people that can wear those tiny little size 4 and 6 suits.