It is officially summer here, and you know what that means…swim getup season! There’s no way what I wear in the water can be called a swim suit, hence the getup. While the rest of the world contemplates one piece or two, I am thinking three or four?
Getting Over the Embarrassment that is Modest Swimwear
From the age of about 13 until 27, I did not go near a body of water. Which is sad, because I grew up less than a mile away from Lake Michigan. But as a teenager I really didn’t want to wear a giant t-shirt in the water in front of my friends, so much so that I had my dad write a note saying that I was religiously exempt from swimming in gym class. By the time I got to my twenties, I all but forgot the joy of getting in the water. I was not able to get over feeling ridiculous wearing pants to the beach.
Once my eldest son was old enough to get in the pool, my self-consciousness flew out the window. It’s funny how children can do that to you. Our home now a pool in the backyard, and with young kids I have to be ready to get in the pool whether I want to or not.
Piecing it Together
It’s unfortunate there is no such thing as a cute modest bathing suit. I guess it is kind of hard to serve a market that is all over the place. A Burkini isn’t for me, I don’t cover my hair. So, I have resorted to putting together my swim attire piece by piece. Lucky for me, rash guards are quite ubiquitous so the top part is easy enough. Bottoms are my issue. My solution is spandex/lycra leggings and a swim skirt for a little more coverage.
Below are some ideas for you to piece together your swim wear look. If anyone has suggestions of where else to find modest swim wear, please let me know! In the meantime, those of you who haven’t gone to the beach to avoid stares, I will tell you the joy of feeling those waves far outweigh the weird looks you’ll get. In fact, I bet you won’t even notice.
This is my favorite article yet
Thank you! I have had so many conversations with women about modest swim wear. I still don’t think there is an ideal solution out there, but hopefully these will do the trick until that perfect modest bathing suit comes out!