Thursday, May 20, 2010

A Miracle of Lycra and Other Space-Age Polymers

Stop the presses, my friends, I have found a flattering bathing suit!

I know!

I'm seven weeks post-partum and in that delightful phase where all my old clothes don't fit quite properly. I can get them on, but sometimes I feel like why bother when I just look lumpy. I know I AM lumpy, but I don't want to look that way.

I'm back on the healthy diet and exercise wagon to work on the lumpiness (goodbye ice cream every single night!), but I was dreading swimsuit shopping because I knew there was no way I would be able to lose enough of the baby weight before I would need to shoehorn myself into my old bathing suit.

Well, not unless I stopped eating real food and lived on ephedrine and diet Coke. At which point I would probably have a heart attack and what good is a swimsuit if you are in the cardiac care unit, right?

I thought about buying a cheap one from Target, but here's the thing: whatever bathing suit I purchase has to be able to withstand multiple outings with five children. In terms of fabric strength, that means it needs to be made out of the same material used in astronaut's suits.

I never, EVER stop moving when I am wear a bathing suit, because when I am wearing a bathing suit that means only one thing: the fearless fruits of my womb are near a large body of water and I will not sit until we are safely away from the water. Whatever bathing suit I choose needs to be tug-free, slip-free, and supportive (preferably with some kind of corset action going on. Gravity NEEDS to be stopped).

Somehow I just knew that I would not find all that on the sale rack at Target.

I wanted something strong that would hold in my baby belly leftovers and give the girls a much needed lift, but I also wanted it to be comfortable and stylish. And this is what I found after a little searching:







Isn't it cute? The whole thing just works for me. The retro styling, the ruching, the neckline, the color. And the fit is perfect.

This little number is not cheap, but considering I'll be wearing it all summer for the next few years, I figured I'd spend the money for the fancy Lycra miracle instead of buying lots of cheap suits many times over.

I won't go so far as to say that I'm looking forward to walking around in public in a bathing suit - those days ended when I was about seven - but I am comfortable in this suit, and that's what counts.

And besides, I'll be too busy trying to count heads and keep Bun out of the deep end of the pool to worry about what I look like. Thank God for that!

PS: I received absolutely no compensation or encouragement from Lands' End for this post. I'm flying solo here, but if they were ever to send me anything lovely I wouldn't throw it back on the UPS truck.

PPS: Do you call them bathing suits or swimsuits? I've always called them bathing suits, but I notice that lots of ads call them swimsuits. Of course, I used to say lunch kettle instead of lunchbox, so maybe it's just me.



15 comments:

  1. I bought a Lands End suit last year to go to the ocean (because I don't go IN the pool -- hence no need for a suit at home, but the ocean is another story) and it really IS very corset-esque. But in a good way. If that's possible.

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  2. I say bathing suit usually. I have a Land's End suit that I love, but it is not nursing friendly so I will have to wear my old suits this summer. I'm bummed because the LE one fits so much better. Definitely worth every penny. Yours looks great--enjoy!

    Oh, and I think if someone took my blood pressure while we were swimming it would be off the charts. I feel like I'm holding my breath with anxiety every outing.

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  3. That suit is really nice, I like it!

    I say swimming suit, because I generally don't take a bath in my suit, but I do swim in it! ;)

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  4. I LOVE it, and I need to go buy one now!

    I love Allison's comment about how you don't swim in a bath so it should be called a swimsuit, but I still call it a bathing suit. I'm weird that way too :)

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  5. I've always called them bathing suits. And your line about the lunch kettle made me laugh out loud! I've never heard that one before - except on Little House on the Praire

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  6. I have always said bathing suit but I will now sometimes say swim suit. AnyWHO, I also splurged on a suit from the same place- just wore it first time today for swim time with Michael at preschool. I LOVE it! I got a tankini-style since one-piece suits never work for my long torso/flat chest combo (sigh). Mine also has a little skirt thing going- but it looks like a tennis skirt instead of old-lady skirt so it works for me. Especially given that I spend alot of time digging in the sand... I looked at that same suit (and in the same color) but ultimately chose the 2 piece due to the above mentioned fit issues. WELL worth the money! In recent years, I have found that it just doesn't pay to go cheap on this important summer item!! Enjoy :)

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  7. Very cute.
    I pretty much gave up on the whole cute suit thing and wear a SPEEDO/NIKE (think swim team)suit to make it look like I'm an athlete.
    (I don't think my 47 year old body is tricking anyone.) I'm sure YOU will rock that cute suit.

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  8. I say "bathing suit," too. To my mind, a "swimsuit" is what is worn by Miss America contestants and Sports Illustrated models, neither of which ever actually swim in them.

    Joining in the chorus of approval for the LE suits! Was hoping I'd have lost enough weight by now to justify getting a new one, but I think I'm just properly fitting (again) the one I've had for about 5 yrs -- they do wear like iron!

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  9. Love the 'bathing suit'!!

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  10. ho-HO! (said in a winnie-ther-pooh sort of way). this must be the summer of lands ends suits. or wait, did i go the ll bean route? well, either way, I too found one more corset/less lumpy ish. On SALE because I too have not lost the baby fat (as we approach his second bday). I opted for less cute and more blend-in-with-the background kind.

    here we say "swimmers". pre-baby, it was probably bathing suit. and since we're mentioning it, there's nothing really formal or suit like about them, is there?

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  11. I, too, love my LE suit! I'll never buy any other brand. The fit, the quality, all of it, can't be matched!

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  12. I have a Lands' End suit, too. I Actually bought it 4 years ago and it has held up very well. Worth every penny. Though I got mine at the LE department at Sears because I wanted to try it on.

    You should send LE an email and link to this post. Maybe they'll send you a coupon or something. While back, I wrote about a cleaning product I love, emailed them about it and I got coupons in the mail!!!!!

    MamaK: I haven't lost the baby fat either. From the one born 6 years ago!!!!!!!!

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  13. I have some mix and match LE bathing suit pieces. <3 long torso items from LE!! They hold up so well... and I'm not particularly easy on suits.
    My vote is for bathing suit. Perhaps it comes from sun bathing.

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  14. I'll have to browse the LE site. I need a suit for our summer vacation. Two pregnancies, two breastfed babies and a genetic predisposition to being chubby (not to mention a long torso, to boot) and swimsuit selection is a nightmare.

    Oh, and I say both swim suit AND bathing suit. Maybe it's a geographical thing, like 'pop' and 'soda'? Who knows.

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  15. very nice! It is so LIBERATING to find a good bathing suit (guess I say bathing suit ;) ) even if it's main purpose is chasing the kids- love that analysis, by the way!

    Last year my "Girls on the Run" girls got me a than you gift certificate to title 9 and low and behold I found the perfect suit there! Can't wait to pull it out this summer!

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