Hi everyone– in the Northern Hemisphere it’s high summer, which means (among other things), fun in and around water. Swimming, sailing, paddleboarding, kayaking, body surfing, picnicking, splashing and frolicking– for me summer is all about the water.
Which gives rise to the eternal question: what to wear?
These days, there’s a dizzying array of interesting types of swimwear. We have soooo moved beyond the tank suit/bikini dichotomy, along with market restrictions on sizes and varieties. Some of our bloggers posted sites with really diverse options, so we thought we’d share them with y’all.
There are some fantastic options for those who want gender-neutral swimwear here.
If you’re interested in bikini looks for all size women, check out this site; it features looks and links to sites selling glamorous and sexy and fun fatkini looks for larger sized women. Here are a few sneak peeks:
And then there’s the buttkini. It’s exactly what you think– a two-piece that shows off the derriere in all its glory. Check them out here (I don’t think Facebook lets us show these in a post, which is of course silly…)
Let me put in a plug for Beefcake swimwear, which has THE SUIT I want– the one on the left, called the ordinary. The one on the right is the dreamboat. They’re current out of stock but may have more in July.
If you are looking for more coverage, there are suits out there for you. Burkinis provide full head-to-toe coverage, and were invented by Aheda Zanetti, a Muslim Australian who wanted to design sports and swimwear for Muslim girls and women that were functional and also comported with their religious practices. You can read more about Aheda Zanetti here. Now lots of companies make burkinis– here are a few pictures:
When I was in Australia a few years ago, I went snorkeling and diving off the Great Barrier Reef. We were required to wear stinger suits, which are adult-sized onesies that look a bit like burkinis. Some have a hood, and they even have hand coverings so to avoid being stung by the tiny but potentially deadly box jellyfish (also called stingers).
In addition to protecting you from death, the stinger suit has another advantage, which is that you don’t need to apply sunscreen (except a bit to your face). Sunscreen has been shown to be destructive to coral reefs, so wearing a stinger suit is a twofer– good for you, and good for the ocean environment. I like the idea of wearing one for ocean swimming, as I get sunburned very easily and would feel more relaxed if I didn’t have to worry about reapplying sunscreen (except for my face, which is fine). Here’s a pic of me before diving in one:
I’ve since learned that there are many prettier ones than this one– the operator joked that we all looked like Teletubbies, which was pretty much correct. Here is a great example of stinger suits gone wild, as made by an Australian company:
No doubt I’ve missed some new styles of cool, beautiful, functional, funky or otherwise excellent swimwear. So tell us, readers: what do you like or not like in swimsuits? Do any of these options look appealing to you? Tell us what you think.
Wish I’d read this a week before while i was holidaying around beaches but an amazing article and a great read.
Love that there are so many options for swimsuits now! I have considered getting a “burkini” style just to avoid sun as I take medicine that makes me a bit more sun sensitive. However, my sensory side loves less clothing for swimming….I currently wear swim shorts and a long sleeve Lands End swim top and just sunscreen my legs and face. I can hop into the ocean, and hop out and be in the sun a bit and then take off the top when I get under my umbrella.
Hi– your solution seems like a good one. I’ve actually worn a swimsuit under a stinger suit, which is easy to take off for when you’re in the shade. I’ve worn a regular one-piece underneath for the same reason.