DEBORAH CROMBIE: When I’ve turned in my book (soon, soon, I promise!) my daughter wants to take me for a day at a multi-pool spa place. Apparently there are all sorts of different mineral pools at different temperatures in which you can lounge to your heart’s content. And there are food and drinks and other fun spa things. It's called World Springs and doesn't it look fab?? Check it out, seriously. I'm very excited.
But my very first thought was I’LL HAVE TO GET A NEW SWIMSUIT.
And that is a big ugh because I don’t think there is anything worse than shopping for a bathing suit–unless it’s shopping for jeans. (Guys, you may be exempt from this particular trauma–unless you are torn between boxer trunks and, dare I say, the Speedo?)
Does anyone else still say bathing suit, by the way? I have a suit, and I’m pretty sure it still fits. What I don’t know is whether the fabric will have disintegrated since the last time I wore it… Obviously, I need to get in a pool more often.
Does everyone do their swimsuit shopping online these days? My email inbox is stuffed with swimsuit ads from Land’s End and LL Bean, but the suit I have, a cute Marimeko print with a matching cover-up, I bought at Target. I quail, however, at the thought of trying on suits in the cubicle of a store dressing room.
Reds, especially the swimmers among you, what is your favorite place to shop for a suit, and what style do you prefer?
LUCY BURDETTE: I’m waiting eagerly for good advice on this topic, because my suit is also disintegrating. The question is where to find a suit that doesn’t expose bulges that I swear weren’t there last year? My sister in law wears a bikini and she’s older than I am–not a chance for me!
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I still call it a bathing suit, Debs! I have three. One is for when I’m swimming for exercise at the Y; it’s a standard one-piece, very boring but it stays on and stays up, which is an important quality if you have bosoms. Which I do. The second one is my Official New England Old Lady suit, a sort of short empire dress with the rest of the tank underneath. I famously wore this at the nude beach in Hawai’i, and was quite comfortable doing so. The dress is VERY forgiving of anyone’s figure flaws.
Finally, I have the “oh, no, everything else needs to be washed” suit. We’ll see if the elastic has hung on for one more season when I bring down the summer clothes from the attic.
I don’t know what I’ll do if I ever have to buy a new suit. Probably order twenty online and try them on in the privacy (and more forgiving light) in my bedroom. Thank goodness for free returns.
JENN McKINLAY: We have a swimming pool that I live in during the AZ summer months. Every spring, I usually buy two bikinis (I’m too tall for a one piece - rides up constantly - very uncomfortable!) at Target and by the end of summer they are worn out. I try not to overthink it!
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Yes, I love Land's End. There's a really cute tankini that seems to work. High cut pants, separate top, flattering. (I guess...) I still I also have a high-necked (yes) scuba looking suit which is kinda cool. But with all my heart, if I never had to wear a bathing suit again I would be happy.
And I can tell you, sisters, I will NEVER got to a store and try on bathing suits ever again. I mean, I am not a masochist.
DEBS: Hank, this is one place where online shopping was a boon to woman kind. And Jenn definitely has the right attitude! Writing this blog post got me in gear, too. When a Land's End ad popped up in my email first thing this morning, I picked out a suit for half price. Hope it fits because it was non-refundable! I went for a two-piece tankini because if there's anything worse than trying on swimsuits, it's trying to get in and out of a wet one-piece. It's similar to the one in the photo above, but I couldn't copy Land's End's ad photo.
Now I will be prepared to celebrate book-finishing in the mineral pools!
How about it, dear readers? Are you swimming this summer, and what are you swimming in?
Hope you have a wonderful time at World Springs, Debs . . . .
ReplyDeleteI don't swim, so I don't have [and don't plan to get] a bathing suit . . . .
Groan. Yes, Land's End has great suits. Last year I bought a pair of swim shorts and a top, but I don't like the way they look. I have a one piece that isn't worn out, and I usually just don't care what people think. I do love the beach and swimming when the Atlantic isn't too frigid, so a suit is a must.
ReplyDeleteThe spa place sounds wonderful - like Costa Rica!
I will report, Edith! It sounds fabulous!
DeleteI have purchased all my suits, which I have never called a bathing suit, from Land’s End for many years now. The frequency of ordering has increased now that I live in Florida and I go to water aerobics twice a week. That indoor chlorinated pool is hard on the fabric even the suits that say chlorine resistant. Most of my suits are tankini tops and shorts bottoms. Two pieces are so much easier for going to the bathroom!
ReplyDeleteI did just order a one piece from the Land’s End sale for water aerobics. It is high in the front and has keyhole back with clasp at the neck. I hope I will like it. My Thursday teacher spots the new suit wearers during the warm-up and has them jump up and turn around to show them off. She is 85 years old and fit as a fiddle. She calls them bathing suits.
Bathing suit is what I grew up with. Wonder if it's regional?
DeleteI have always called it a bathing suit. Is the alternative a "swim suit"? Anyway, not regional, I think, as I grew up in Pennsylvania.
DeleteMe too. We grew up calling them bathing suits. Those old knit cotton ones were awful.
DeleteAww, I love that chance to show off the new suits! Bathing suits was standard nomenclature in northwest Indiana.
DeleteI don't swim and bathing suits look ridiculous on me. Because of that, back in the day, i preferred skinny dipping; if I still swam it would be called pudgy dipping today
ReplyDeleteJerry, I think most of us are pudgy dipping compared to our younger days. I sure am.
DeleteI don't swim and last time I wore a bathing suit it was a two-piece short set.
ReplyDeleteDebs, have a great day at the springs. It sounds divine! Your daughter always has the best ideas!
ReplyDeleteLand's End and LL BEAN are both great sources for bathing suits, from "very modest" to "not very modest at all." If I am going to really swim, I prefer a lined tank suit. If I am going to lounge around, it probably will be in a tankini, but those tops are never comfortable, the construction of the which being much like a midevil torture device. I definitely look sleeker in a one piece, but arthritis in my hands makes it very difficult to pull up a wet suit.
Well, that's the thing. And for me I went for the two-piece because I have to go to the bathroom a lot!
DeleteMy daughter always does have the best ideas. If there's anything cool going on she will know about it. We're taking Wren to see Swan Lake on Sunday. So excited!
This is an annual challenge for me too! First off, tankinis are my favorite. Modest and practical. I kayak regularly (in a lake) and we also have a pool so I need a few suits to make my life easier in that way. Like Jenn, I to not overthink it but I do like a fun print and comfort is my number-one priority. I have tankinis from Lands End, Garnet Hill, and Title Nine. The key for me has been to order one size up from my normal size or even their size chart recommendations. So much more comfortable and easier to get on/off they’re usually made with compression material that is so tight that I can afford to go up a size (or sometimes 2 sizes) and the suits fit like normal. I also have 2 one-piece suits from Summersalt. They’re really pretty and comfortable. Enjoy your trip to the mineral springs. It sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear this! I ordered one size up, too, so crossing fingers it fits and is comfortable. I really don't need to be sqeezed like a sausage!
DeleteSqueezed! Not awake this morning!
DeleteI highly recommend Title 9. You can order separate tops and bottoms. They have suits that accommodate athletes and sunbathers. They have great rash guards and swim shorts too. Their suits are better constructed than Lands End and other east coast brands. Less plastic clips and fasteners. I always order my true size, not much compression in bikinis. I usually wear a bikini and a rash guard for beach and swimming. I live in California and swim year round.
DeleteAnother vote for Title 9.
DeleteI buy all my suits from Lands End because they have “tugless “ tanks and other suits that aren’t cut too skimpy. And I have ordered several to try on at home and then sent most back. From Mignonne in Arkansas
ReplyDeleteYou can return swim suits? Somehow that is just yucky to me.
DeleteYuck, bathing suits, swimsuits, torture Lycra, whatever you want to call them. It's just depressing, all the way around, especially trying them on.
ReplyDeleteI have never been a strong or confident swimmer, and even less so as the years go by, and I hate cold water. I did enjoy water aerobics; that actually sounds appealing, especially at the closest gym, where their water activities pool is heated. The last time I went I put on the suit I'd been wearing for class and it literally detonated from the chlorine.
Jenn, there are several swimsuit brands with swimsuits for tall women or those with long torsos. Lands End used to carry them, I think they still do. But if you can get away with a bikini, more power to you!
World Springs sounds like heaven! How on earth would you choose which pool to spend time in? What a fascinating place--I would have to save all my money and spend a week there, getting prunier and prunier.
DeleteBut notice there are only fit, sculpted models in the photos. That's not intimidating at all.
Well, I did buy a cover up, too, and I have a big hat. I'll borrow some big sunglasses from Kayti, and I'm sure I'll fit right in. LOL. I don't care. It sounds heavenly. And I think Kayti has a membership so she'll know what to try.
DeleteYou will have a blast, I'm sure! Please report back, so we can at least enjoy it vicariously.
DeleteI forgot to mention my love of swim shorts too! I’ve been wearing them more often-either the boy-short style or actual shorts that have a liner-like a running shirt but made for water sports (like kayaking). Lands End and Title Nine sell these.
ReplyDeleteMy tall friend wears the suits with the boy shorts. But I'm so short that I don't need to make my legs look any shorter...
DeleteThe last time that I bought a BATHING Suit, it seemed fine in the store, I think, but at home is made of some absorbable like a sponge fabric and not only weighs a ton as the day goes on but is impossible to get off. It makes going in the water even less fun. (We have a lake that is at the bottom of a long hill, that you have to go down, and even worse have to come back up. My legs don’t like either. Then I don’t like swimming as well, and Jack refuses to rake the eel-grass away – so skip the swimming!) What would be my suit of choice is a two piece with a smaller bottom, and a floppy (read maternity-type) top. No boob-protectors – they get soggy and fill with water as well.
ReplyDeleteSo, if I am required to make the trek, and go in the water – a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. On, off, in the washer and dryer.
For some reason Sports Illustrated has never called – I wonder why.
If anyone is wondering about our lobster weekend – 42 people coming starting this afternoon until Monday afternoon – too many meals. There is still a high sea, completely foggy and blowing an almighty gale – so 55 lobsters are getting iffy. I think it will be Cherrios and cream (I am springing for Honey Nut and whipping cream) for all – that should feed even the vegetarians, so might be a bonus. (I have prime rib which was for Sunday on stand-by in case they don’t get out tomorrow morning.) I also bought a spare turkey…
Margo, you are amazing. I cannot conceive of having 42 people for anything!!!!!
DeleteBrave woman!
DeleteWe can’t wait to hear about it!
DeleteI haven't been swimming much and my timing on swimsuit (or bathing suit) buying was pretty abysmal. Before the pandemic, I was a member of the East Portland Community Center and used their pool and hot tub regularly, along with taking pilates classes. In December 2019, I decided I needed a new, more serious swimsuit that would inspire me to swim laps. For Christmas, my sis gave me a gift certificate to a cute little swimwear boutique called Popina (in my neighborhood, precious little shop). Early 2020, I bought a new black long-torso one piece which I really like.. I've barely used it. I think I swam in it once before lockdown and have used it twice on trips to St. Louis. Like many other brick and mortar stores, Popina is gone, replaced by an emergency veterinary clinic.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I second the recommendations for Land's End. I love my old tankini, which has held up pretty well for many years.
I used to do lap swim early every morning at the Y and for awhile I did open ocean swims (until I was tired of putting on a wet suit and cold water) and I had many bathing suits I accumulated over the years. They were TYR brand. I haven't been swimming since Covid. A lot of younger people are wearing rash guards instead of swim suit tops now and it helps avoid too much sun without having to wear a lot of sunscreen.
ReplyDeleteYes, I love that you can cover up a bit, I don’t need to have any more freckles from the sun!
DeleteYes, I looked at thos rash guards. My granddaughter wears them, and if I was planning to spend any serious time in the water I would definitely go for that. It looks like many of the pools at World Springs have pergolas over them, which suits me just fine.
DeletePergolas is such a smart idea, I wish more outdoor pools would have covers.
DeleteI'm not sure that even teenagers want to be out in the blazing sun anymore.
DeleteJenn, maybe check out TYR suits online - they have some nice one piece models that fit 6' tall women. They are very comfortable too.
ReplyDeleteI think Jenn looks great in her bikini! Why get a one piece if you do not need one?
DeleteWorld Springs sound like heaven, Debs. I've never been a fan of shopping for swimsuits. My Mom and my Nana (grandmother) are curvy like me. They always managed to find beautiful swimsutis with skirts attached to the suits. I remember when I was living on the East Coast. A friend and I went shopping. I needed a swimsuit.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was on the intercity High school swim team, I remember my Mom and I looked everywhere to find a swimsuit that was the right cut for me. We finally found a swimsuit that fit me at a store an hour away from home! That was Before online shopping existed.
There was a gorgeous swimsuit with a skirt in the "Encore department. To quote Ladies' Number 1 Detective Agency, it was for "Traditionally Built Women". I've always been curvy. It was hilarious because the sales lady asked me if I was sure that I wanted to buy the swimsuit because she could see that I was Not overweight. I explained that the other swimsuits in the regular sizes were not for women like me. Yes, I bought the swimsuit and wore it for many years. These days I just buy a swimsuit off the rack from a local sports store that is still in business for the time being. Digitals crossed! I brought it home and tried it on. Yes, it fit! Whew!
If you were on the swim team you're a better swimmer than me, Diana!
DeleteDebs, thank you for your kind words. I’m sure there are things that you can do, which I cannot do. We all have different skills, right?
DeleteThat was me above. Busy day today!
DeleteHave fun Debs, and you must get back to us with how things went.
ReplyDeleteI will report on which is the best pool! They have a Dead Sea Pool!
DeleteYay for me! Another topic where it is great that I'm a guy.
ReplyDeleteOf course, it doesn't much apply to me either way. Yes, I just would wear the boxer type swimsuit if I was going to the beach. But given that I've gone to the beach once in more than 30 years, it's all kind of moot.
At my size, every time I get out of the water, some jag-offs from the environmental movement show up and try to roll me back in the water.
Snorting here, Jay! And I do think you are exagerating a wee bit.
DeleteKeep on swimming or even water walking Jay - it's the best exercise because you don't have to put pressure on your bones and joints. Plus it's so relaxing and meditative.
DeleteAs I have gotten older, I have actually migrated away from one-piece swim suits and now buy two-piece. One-piece suits always seemed to make me look short and put too much emphasis on my hips, which is why I switched to two-pieces. My attitude has definitely shifted: as long as I feel good in my swimwear, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. That said, I always size up for the bikini bottom to avoid that whole stuffed-sausage look, and I look for good bum coverage! I kayak and swim at our cottage so I like to have options -- I think I have six suits right now. And I love my rash guard tops (both long and short sleeve, with high neck).
ReplyDeleteYou are prepared for anything, Caprice!
DeleteLike a lot you, my sister also does tankinis, and finds them to be the best of both worlds (the overage to a one-piece, the comfort of a bikini.) If I can find on with the bra support of a one-piece, I'll consider that when I need to replace one of my current suits (shudder!)
ReplyDeleteJulia, I enjoyed revisiting your Hawai'i trip enormously! Thanks for putting in the link. Although I was hoping for a photo of your famous suit among the nude bathers!
DeleteJulia, please let us know when you find a tankini? That is a good fit. I’m looking for one of these too.
DeleteWhen I used to swim regularly in the Y pool for exercise, the “bathing suit” was a 100% cotton ballet leotard. The combination of synthetic material in bathing suits and pool chemicals left every suit-covered part of my body with a very red, very itchy rash. Fast forward 15 years, new pool (outdoor in Florida) so new chemicals, and every part of my body covered by the cotton leotard….red and rashy and every so itchy. I stoped swimming in pools and just cheerfully wear my cotton sundress to wade thigh high in the ocean. Enjoy your daughter and your”spa” days…and most of all enjoy writing “THE END”. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteNot swimming this summer, but we had a pool in Florida and I'm a scuba diver. My go to suits are made by Tyr. Perfect fit for me. Used to buy them at Sports Authority, but I think they are defunct. Yep, just looked it up and they went out of business in 2016. Guess it's been a while since I shopped for a suit!
ReplyDeleteWait I order my TYR suits on line unless I want to drive to the dive/swim shop 30 min away.
DeleteI still order lap swimming suits from TYR online.
DeleteDeborah, I think it's wonderful that you will celebrate in this way. We celebrated the recent publication of an edited book I worked six years on, by sponsoring a lunch at our synagogue. But the idea of water suddenly brought to mind the time I went to the wonderful mikvah in Cincinnati when we were going to be in the area. I had finished teaching what was a difficult semester because of a certain personality in my class, and I thought the idea of cleansing myself would be perfect. It is an amazing experience, one I've only done two other times, once when I was witnessing a conversion, the other time when we were in the Boston area, when I went to the famous Mayyim chaim in Newton, MA. (One is naked in the mikvah - no need for a bathing suit.)
ReplyDeleteBeth, was the mikvah associated with the Plum Street Temple downtown, or a synagogue out in the suburbs?
DeleteIn the mid-1970's, when I spent time in Manhattan for work, there were mobile mikvaks in large buses like the ones rock stars use, driving around the city picking up women for ritual baths.
Suburbs. It's wonderful.
DeleteI like the idea of a mobile mikva.
DeleteWorld Springs sounds DIVINE, Deb’s! As does the thought you’re close to writing The End for the next, eagerly-awaited Kincaid/James! I hate trying on bathing suits. I’ve been buying mine from Land’s End for awhile. And there were some cute ts kinks in this week’s print catalog. Once I swam in the Caribbean for the first time on my honeymoon I stopped trying to swim in New England. One still needs suits, however! And Julia, no photo of your suit in Hawaii! We were in Tortola in February (missing the blizzard at home) and the swimming was lovely.
ReplyDeleteJulia swim suit photo !!! I love your hawaii photos!!
ReplyDeleteUgh. I buy swim pieces on sale online at Land's End. Swim shorts and tank tops. I have a cute short sleeved rashguard I can wear with my swim shorts. I think a sports bra underneath would work just dandy. Last time I was actually submerged was a couple of years ago at an historic warm springs bathhouse frequented by Thomas Jefferson. Warm, not hot, but interesting. Probably won't see water this summer unless it's a beach, and then I just wade.
ReplyDeleteWhen you said spa, I thought maybe Mineral Wells had reopened for business. One can only hope!
Pat, I can remember taking the train to Mineral Wells for bathhouse with my grandmother! I must have been really small.
DeleteWell, heck. My comments disappeared when I clicked on another tab for a minute. So, again. My rules for buying swimsuits include the more it covers, the better. I go for the longer tops and sometimes even swim dresses. I don't try bathing suits on in actual stores; I only order online. And, a cover-up actually has to cover. I haven't bought or worn a bathing suit for years, but with our upcoming Mediterranean cruise and extra days in Athens before in what will surely be the hottest time of the year over there, I figure I should at least bring a bathing suit or two. I did already order one, and, glory hallelujah, it fits and I like it. I was rather surprised that only the top arrived and not the bottoms. Looking at the suit online again, I now realize you have to buy the bottoms separately. What has happened to this world? The bottoms I want are like shorts, not as long. Oh, and the top is long. I bought it from Roaman's which caters to sizes 12 and up, so my fat butt can fit in one of their suits. It's price was very reasonable (of course, I thought I was getting bottoms, too). They have great discounts, and the swim top I received seemed to be very good quality. It is a Swim 365 brand and is also sold at Kohls and through Swim 365's own web site. And, really at the prices I've paid, I don't care if they don't last more than the trip.
ReplyDeleteKathy, your trip sounds so fabulous! Don't forget to order some bottoms to go with your top!
DeleteI am a plus-size on top and XL bottom. I buy my bathing suits online from Juno Active. I swear you cannot find a better suit for larger sizes. I’ve had my current set for at least 5 years. I’ve used it a LOT. I just got a new one recently, but really only needed new bottoms because they were getting a bit thin. And the top was in clearance—and has leopard print. How could I pass that up? They carry many styles, one-piece, separates, rash guard/sun protection, etc. Please do try them if you’re a larger person. I want them to stick around. 😄
ReplyDeleteGreat recommendation, thank you!
DeleteSince the age of 11, the only time I was ever comfortable with my body in a bathing suit was when my husband and I spent two weeks in Puerto Rico in mid-December, when I was a full seven months pregnant. I was enormous, and I didn't care at all. The most comfortable bathing suit shopping I ever did was when we stayed at a hotel for a long weekend with a great pool, and I'd forgotten my bathing suit. A block from the hotel was a sporting equipment store with a limited selection of clothes. I tried on the only two suits in my size, bought one — and, lo and behold, it wasn't bad. I'm still wearing it—a black-and-white one-piece.
ReplyDeleteI still remember some of my favorite bathing suits. I was maybe 14 when I fell in love it a black bandeau suit with a big red flower splashed across the front. It was definitely an adult suit, but I loved it and talked my mom into buying it for me. I was so sad when it finally fell about.
ReplyDeleteThen there was the aqua bikini with black polka dots that I got my senior year in high school. I think I only had the guts to wear it in public once (what I wouldn’t give to have that body that I was so embarrassed by).
For a while I stuck with tannins from Land’s arms, but the shelf bras never provided enough support. I got a tannins from Athleta that had more structural support (underwire and a strap across the back). I loved the level of support, but it was a pain to get out of.
Now I only need a suit for swimming laps in the building’s pool, so I’ve been ordering Speedo suits online.
I had an emerald green bikini when I was about twenty. My husband still talks about it. I think he has a photo somewhere.
Delete