Thursday, April 20, 2017

Swimsuit PSA

I rarely post about clothes because I rarely buy them. I'm just generally lazy and we also try to keep our spending reined in and I tend to blow my allowance on coffee and the occasional manicure. But last summer the swimsuit that I'd been wearing for six years* finally started to get see through and I realized that I was going to have to suck it up and go swimsuit shopping. Which is basically the worst type of shopping, ranked just slightly lower than bra shopping and slightly above jean shopping, in the hierarchy of terrible dressing room experiences.

Luckily for me, I happened to walk past an Old Navy a couple weeks ago and saw they were selling some cute vintage-y looking suits this year. I didn't go in and try anything on (I do not impulsively try on swimsuits - I need to be mentally prepared for that type of event) but I did go home and order a bunch of options to test at home. I used a coupon code so ordering all six options came in under $100, which is about what I would have spent on a J. Crew suit, if I were crazy enough to buy anything from J. Crew at full price, ever.

swimsuit shopping
bottom row, left to right - high waist, hipster bikini, ruched bikini

I'm happy to report that everything was pretty good! I had fairly low expectations but after trying it all on I honestly couldn't decide which pieces to send back and I'm tempted to keep everything so that I can mix and match options and hopefully avoid bikini shopping for at least another six years. The high waisted bikini bottom is a stand out, so good. I'm 5'6 and it comes right to my belly button and is actually super flattering (I was afraid it would look like I was wearing spanx to the beach so I almost didn't order it). I love all the tops, although I feel like I just got lucky with sizing. It's bizarre to me that bras sizing is so complicated but underwire bikini tops are just sold in small, medium and large. How does that compute?

There are some fun prints but I'm boring and stuck with mostly black except that one bikini bottom with the green palm print (which is super cute in person).

I decided I might as well put it out there, in case anyone else is not looking forward to tracking down a bathing suit this summer. I'm just relieved that I can cross that chore off my list. Let's not even talk about the fact that I've had to endure two bra fittings in the last three months and I'm still on the hunt for something that doesn't make me feel like I'm being slowly strangled throughout the day. I am seriously considering just wearing sports bras for the rest of my life.

* This is the swimsuit I'd been wearing forever and I love it but I was ready for a change. If you're looking for a cute vintage style one piece, it's a nice option. I'm assuming the quality and cut is the same as when I bought it, but it has been a long time.

16 comments:

  1. Thanks for the info! For your FYI (if it helps) I just bought two bras and they are amazing. They are from gap and they don't have underwire so are somewhat sports-esque but they are much more flattering. You can find them here and here. I think the first one has a more "normal" appearance when I wear it but the second has become my daily go-to due to comfort.

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    1. I've actually had great luck with bras from the Gap in general. They are a great price, really comfortable and hold up really well. I've slowly been replacing my Victoria's Secret bras I bought in a postpartum hormonal frenzy with Gap bras.

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    2. Thanks for the rec, guys! It looks like Gap doesn't carry my size in underwire, but the one that's just S/M/L might work! Part of the joy of finally getting professionally fitted was discovering that I'm kind of an odd size (32DDD) and not everyone carries it. I was so bummed I went back for a second opinion and yep, apparently that is my size. Gah.

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    3. May I ask where you did your fitting? I've always meant to get around to that...

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  2. Re: bras, I'm completely converted to Third Love if you haven't tried them yet. You can try their bras for 30 days free, and the cups come in half sizes...which made ALL the difference for me. Only downside is how pricey they are, but I decided it was worth it for how well they fit.

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    1. Nice to hear you love them! I almost tried their fit finder but then got annoyed that they made me enter my email address before I could see my recommended size. I just wanted to see it right away! I might persevere since I have a real person telling me they're great. Honestly, if I could find something that was really good I wouldn't mind paying their prices.

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  3. I can't decide if I hate jean shopping or swimsuit shopping more. I currently don't even have a swimsuit after a big move where I purged my closet (come to think of it, I don't have legit jeans either). If I wear a bikini I am constantly wary of wardrobe malfunctions (it has happened to me) so I tend to go for cute one pieces or high waisted bottoms. Not to mention the high waist conceals the stretch marks that are inexplicably only on one side of my belly. And no, I'm not pregnant, just stretchy I guess? haha!

    I also tried the ThirdLove bra with the free trial, the size I got wasn't quite right for me but I'm going to try it again! I really liked their specific half sizing (even if it takes a few tries to find the right one) and it seemed like the straps were not likely to slip down which is my ALL TIME bra pet peeve!!

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    1. Yay! Another vote for Third Love, which probably means I need to go try it ASAP.

      If you like high waisted, I HIGHLY recommend these bottoms. They are so much cuter than I was expecting and I feel super comfortable in them.

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  4. Hi Rachel, I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your blog. This may be a weird comment to write this on this post particularly, but I thought of it a few posts ago when you were contemplating writing a TJ's blog and said you don't even get to update this one as much as you'd like. Well, I always look forward to your posts and they're always satisfying when you do have a chance to write. You write about a lot of things that feel real and relevant to me, the average person. Also (or maybe as an example), I so appreciate you talking about your budget and showing us items that are in a reasonable price range for the average 20/30-something! Your blog is really a treasure. Thank you.

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  5. This is so sweet of you, Priya! Thank you!

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  6. I'm a 32G so also a weird size.i recently tried out thirdlove and I really like the fit and how soft the bra is. My other favorite brand is Natori.

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  7. Hey Rachel, I want to second Priya's feedback to you. Really, I enjoy your blog so much.

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  8. Yes, love your blog!

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  9. Priya said everything I wanted to say! I really appreciate and love your blog as well, and enjoy reading every one of your posts.

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  10. Nice options! Well done Old Navy. I am a Boden swimsuit devotee. They have fun styles in flattering cuts & not too pricey. Good quality, too.

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  11. Bras! I hate them!! Just bought a new one that I thought was a winner, but then the bottom started digging into the top of my rib cage mid-day. The sports bra is back on lol

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