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As summer comes to an end, I am reminded it is the perfect time to find the perfect swimsuit at a perfect price. This is a fact that stares at me straight in the mirror every time I hear the words “pool party.” I have been sliding through the summer with my collection of current swimsuits, none of which I like.
I have to admit, the first has been a great go-to suit. I bought it five years ago for a vacation in Cabo San Lucas with my husband. At the time, it was “the little black swim dress” from Land’s End. I loved the way the little skirt concealed the areas that I wanted. The halter back has a tie that allows the adjustment of cleavage exposure. I could make it just enough to display a little sexy without a little slutty. The suit was perfect outside of the water, but it had one major problem when I plunged into the fancy pool.
The skirt that was just right when dry, turned into a floating lilly pad around my body when wet. That looked silly in the water so I found myself holding the skirt together with my knees. It was okay at the swim up bar until I had too many Tequila Sunrises and forgot to hold it down.
The second suit was purchased one year later. I wanted to venture away from the black suit that I always buy so I ordered the chocolate brown in the slenderizing Grecian style. Despite the positive reviews, I never liked this suit on. I still wonder why I kept it. I think we were leaving for another vacation and I was desperate. I have tried it with all king of cover-ups. It is a regular style suit (no skirt), but the color and the cut has never been flattering for me.
The third suit in my closet is a maternity tankini. Enough said. I haven’t been pregnant for three years and have no intention of wearing anything that might make someone mistake me for being pregnant.
When a much anticipated “pool party” invitation arrived, I couldn’t stop biting my nails. The choices in my closet was hopeless and I was dreading ruining my mood by swimsuit shopping. What’s a girl to do? After searching the Internet, I decided I was in too much of a time restriction to risk ordering something that looked fantastic on a size two model. I pleaded with my husband for an afternoon alone to take on the challenge. I grabbed my handbag and repeated my most positive body image mantra the entire drive to the mall. I was determined; I would find a cute swimwsuit.
I take two pieces out of the mix right away. I haven’t worn a bikini since before my first child was born. Forget it. Tankinis are just as bad. They ride up in the water and before your know it, your whole mid-section is exposed. No thanks. I like the idea of the swim dress, but as I already stated, you get the lilly pad effect in the water, and you can’t get a pair of shorts over this type of suit.
So for me, it was the traditional suit style and I had to find a flattering design.
When picking out a swimsuit, it comes down to knowing your body and what looks good on what areas. Sadly, you must try on everything. You never know when something that you wouldn’t pick off the rack might be great looking on. Don’t be afraid of color or prints. You just never know.
For me, swimsuit shopping ranks about as horrible as shopping for jeans, but in the end, I did leave with a new swimsuit that, I feel, flatters my body. It is true what they say. No pain, no gain.
Edited by Shannon Koehle
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