It's Bathing Suit Time Again!

Even though the temperature here is in the 50's, I've had three separate conversations with women who are off to buy new bathing suits. It reminded me of last year's swim suit shopping trip and compelled me to repost that story. For those of you who remember this, sorry to be redundant. For those of you for whom this is new, enjoy - and happy bathing suit season!

Patricia Marx has a brilliant essay on bathing suits in this issue of The New Yorker magazine. It’s part social commentary, part history and part shopping trip. She writes:

“You know who looks fabulous in a bathing suit? A mannequin. Also, a hanger. How the wisp of nylon will look on you, however, is a mystery, and will remain so until you try the damn thing on. Because the bathing suit provides so little – literally – it is impossible to imagine it on your body.”

Hence, that magical time in the dressing room, trying on a bathing suit.

To avoid that experience, I headed over to Anti-Anxiety Zone at Land’s End to get my bathing suit. I’m not sure if it really makes you less anxious, but they have done so much to make you feel okay about whatever your “trouble area” is (i.e., large bust, small bust, large hips, tummy, tummy and thighs, just thighs, all-over slenderizing) that you don’t feel as alone as you do in a badly-lit dressing room.

On my last trip to the Anti-Anxiety Zone, I came away with a new thing for me – a swim-mini. To combine swimsuit terms, the swim-mini is a tankini with a skirt. That’s right, I have reached a point in my life where I have a bathing suit with a skirt.

At first I struggled with the skirt – it seemed odd to be adding another layer to my swimsuit. But now I love it, it’s perfect for running around on the beach with my daughter. But still, if I am wearing skirt now, while I am still kind of, sort of on the youngish side, where do I go from here?

Fortunately, as I learned from the article, there are plenty of options for adding additional clothes to my body and still call it a swimsuit.

First, there’s a swimsuit that is designed highlight your face. It features a colorful knee-length spandex body suit, covered by a loose fitting dark polyester tunic that “limits cling and adds modesty and style.” The color of the body suit can be seen around your neck, drawing the eye up and, hence, highlighting your face. (Though I do wonder if you are wearing such an outfit how many people will be looking at your face.)

The article also mentions a Muslim woman in Australia who was frustrated by the immodesty of secular bathing garb (has she seen the swim-mini?) and created the “burquini” and the “hijood”. This is an ensemble of leggings, a draped over dress, and attached elastic head covering. The article says, "it’s chlorine-resistant, water repellent, and let’s just say sunburn won’t be a problem.”

Based on my love of the swim-mini, I can see the value of these suits. I can imagine a time when perhaps the burkini might even make its way into the Land’s End Anti-Anxiety Zone.

But for now, I'll just celebrate my swim-mini. We’re off to the beach today and I’ll wear it with pride.