11 Jul
Modest Swimwear
It’s poolside time! I don’t yet enjoy taking T1 to the pool because of the ratio of effort to smiles on his face, but eventually that will change and I know he will just love it. I have a tankini from Nautica that I bought at TJMaxx which I love (you can see it a little bit in this post) but I wanted to compile a short list of resources for those who might be looking for poolside wear that gives a bit more coverage.
The first three are sites popular among Mormons.
Shabby Apple
Divinita Sole
and Downeast Outfitters
I’ve also spent some time browsing:
Modbe
What are some of your favorite place to browse for swimwear that, you know, actually allows you to swim while wearing it? 
Also:
I'm a farm-raised almost-crunchy stroller-pushing picture-taking lifestyle-blog-writing gastronomy-obsessed divine-seeking thrift-store-combing cheese-inhaling pavement-pounding laughter-sprinkling lover of individuality and taking chances.
Check out http://www.limericki.com too. Modest but cute.
1I got some GREAT suits last year during a huge sale at limeriki.com. They were mix and match and I bought the top tankinis with some Old navy bottoms.
I’ve always worn two pieces before because I have a really long torso and one pieces always ride up or down on me, but this year I got two GREAT bathing suits at old navy. I love them and they have a little vintage flair each (plus they were like $25 bucks each!
2I’m not Mormon, but I definitely appreciate a bathing suit that actually covers you up a bit. I’m just not comfortable walking around in a bikini - I think this will be especially true post-baby!
These suits are super cute - I love the top one. I also really like some of the vintage-y looking ones at jcrew too.
3I have such distaste for Shabby Apple (because of my dress experience - I’ve never tried one of their swimsuits).
I really like Lands’ End Canvas. Some really cute one-pieces, good prices, and they stand behind their products.
Jenna Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:42 am
I admit I feel a bit torn linking to them. I’ve heard it can be really hit or miss in regards to what you buy (quality-wise).
I really like Athleta, a Gap company http://athleta.gap.com/. I’ve also heard great thing about Lime Ricki http://www.limericki.com/. Eddie Bauer also has some great swim suits, and I can vouch for their quality. We buy a lot of clothes from them!!
Ellie Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
I love Athleta. I have a fantastic swimsuit (tankini) from them I wear for swimming laps and it stays put and is awesome.
Those are some great suits. I really like the one from lands end
6I know it is a plus-size oriented store, but I like buying swimsuits from Torrid. I’ve found some really cute and modest things there, and they carry some smaller sizes (at least online), not just huge sizes.
7I read, but don’t usually comment. I did have to throw in my two cents about swimsuits though.
have this one from Land’s End:
http://www.landsend.com/pp/AlloverControlSlenderCarmelaSwimsuit~191482_593.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::PUU&CM_MERCH=IDX_Women-_-Swimsuits-_-ShopbySilhouette-_-OnepieceSwimsuits&origin=index
I LOVE it. I didn’t know what size to buy, so I gave my measurements to customer service, they told me what size would fit-and it did! I didn’t have to go swimsuit shopping! I don’t work for them or anything, but I was just so happy with my experience that I had to share.
I also think it’s cute-it’s good for lap swimming (what I use it for) but I also think it’s cute enough to take on vacation, etc.
8I got my last suit from OneStopPlus.com. They do plus-sized options that aren’t all ‘old lady in a swim cap wearing lots of makeup’ if you know what I mean.
9Last year I bought 2 tankinis from Ann Taylor Loft - I was really impressed with how well they fit and the quality was great.
10I have this bathing suit in three colors! this teal color, red and black with white polka dots. I have to keep the strap on if I want to swim but I love love love it and I think it’s much more creative than a bikini
http://www.target.com/Merona-Bandeau-Shirred-1-Piece-Swimsuit/dp/B004K8FGUM/ref=br_1_21?ie=UTF8&id=Merona%20Bandeau%20Shirred%201-Piece%20Swimsuit&node=13706071&searchSize=30&searchView=grid3&searchPage=2&sr=1-21&qid=1308267532&rh=&searchBinNameList=target_com_brand-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Cprice&searchRank=salesrank&frombrowse=1
11Hi In Australia most of the women are of average size. my self I’m pretty average with a little cushioning around the middle after having my first baby. When summer came I dreaded it. but none the less I went looking for swimwear and didn’t find much. I found that there were lots of designs that looked great on the hanger but were not that great off. after weeks of searching i went to target and presto i found one. i love it it’s navy with white polka dots and the cut pays homage to the 50′s. great for holding in the jiggly bits and smoothing out the bumpy bits. I may not be a size 8 (that’s like a zero u.s) but for the first time in a long time i looked and felt good about my post baby bod.
12All of my bathing suits bottoms are from Lime Ricki! I love them. I get the boy shorts ones because my hips are so wide. The tops are tricky bc they’re made for mostly teen girls so I had to size up quite a bit even though my top is small. I have one top from downeast that I love also.
Thais Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:52 pm
Oh I almost forgot about Hapari!!! I have one of their tops also and their suits are very good quality!
I have a swimsuit from modcloth, and it actually is that cute and that modest. I definitely recommend it!
14If you ever want a splurge that’s well worth it, check out Malia Mills. Made here in America by a NY-based designer, really great quality materials and customer service. I was torn between a bikini and a one piece. I ended up wanting the bikini a little more, but they didn’t have the top in my size. I e-mailed them and in no time flat (seriously, like an hour) they had located my size in store, and were shipping it out for me.
And seriously? Their one pieces are vintage heaven. Even some of their two pieces are quite modest (the calendar girl bottoms are high rise, very vintage-y) but I have never wanted a one-piece until I saw this site. (They do have a few risque ones as well, the one pieces with holes everywhere that sometimes reveal more than bikinis.)
Anyway, they also have a gorgeous video up on their website that I just loved. I wish I could afford to buy locally made, well sourced clothing more often!
15j.crew always has great one pieces. they are cute and durable.
16I’ve actually found a couple of cute suits at Nordstrom with the brand Gottex. I have two of the mikado tankinis(one black, one bright blue)- they are actually really cute on and have held up now for a couple of years. Even though in the picture of the bottoms, the model has an exposed midriff, the top is actually quite long(and I have a long torso) and I’ve never had a problem with it coming up. The neckline is nice and the legs are a classic cut- meaning not high-cut(which is way not flattering on me). They have a similarly cut suit that is a one-piece that comes in a black and tan print and a wild, wavy stripe that is actually surprisingly cute on. Of course, they also have some not-so-modest stuff but I like that they have a few items you can mix and match. Their suits have been very functional for swimming, which we do almost daily during the summers.
17I have that Lands End one in a one piece (the one you posted looks like it might be a tankini?) in black and I LOVE it. AND they are on sale right now for under $30
18I know this post of yours is a year old, but I just came across this modest swimsuit designer and thought of you! These suits are perhaps a bit more modest than you were talking about in your post, with even some full coverage ones designed for Muslim women, but I think some of the short sleeved tunic ones are downright cute, and I’m not even a particularly modest dresser!
http://modestsea.com/angelica
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